Structure Product Descriptions for Conversion

A few years ago, I worked with a Tokyo-based specialty coffee seller. After becoming a world-champion barista, he opened a coffee shop and regularly visited coffee farms in far-flung locations around the world to source the very best coffee beans.

He had attracted a sizable following on social media by sharing his coffee expertise, brewing techniques, and travel stories. When it came to his ecommerce store, he wrote product descriptions like travel stories. They were charming but long, meandering, and unsuitable to guide customers efficiently toward making a purchase.

I suggested a new approach: moving the stories to his blog, where they could shine, and focusing on writing product descriptions optimized for the buyer's journey. The result? His followers enjoyed his stories, his customers had a smoother buying experience, and his bank balance steadily rose.

Product descriptions should captivate potential customers and drive purchases. To do that, you need a strategic approach that balances storytelling with the buyer's need for clear, actionable information.