• 6-minute read
• 13th November 2025

How to Write Product and Service Descriptions That Sell

Every business needs a competitive edge. High-quality sales copy can provide that advantage by transforming browsers into buyers and casual interest into committed purchases. Effective product and service descriptions don’t just inform customers about features; they create compelling reasons to buy.

What separates descriptions that sell from those that simply describe? The answer lies in understanding your audience, presenting information strategically, and crafting copy that addresses real customer needs. This guide provides five proven strategies to help boost your sales through better product and service descriptions.

Know Your Target Customers

All effective sales copy starts with deep customer understanding. The first step in writing compelling product or service descriptions is conducting comprehensive research about your ideal buyers.

• Consider who your target customer is. This includes their age, demographics, income level, and spending habits. Understanding their budget constraints and purchasing priorities helps you emphasize the most relevant selling points.
• Identify how your product or service addresses specific problems they face. Customers buy solutions to their challenges, not just features or specifications. The more precisely you can articulate their pain points, the more effectively you can position your offering.
• Assess their level of expertise and familiarity with your industry. Will they understand technical terminology, or do you need to explain concepts in simpler language? Match your vocabulary and complexity level to their knowledge base.
• Research the language they use when searching for solutions online. Understanding their search terms and preferred phrases helps you create descriptions that feel natural and discoverable. 

Once you understand who you’re addressing, tailor every element of your copy to match their expectations and preferences.

Make Your Descriptions Easy to Scan

Large blocks of dense text discourage reading and can lose potential customers before they discover your value proposition. Modern consumers scan content quickly, looking for key information that helps them make purchasing decisions. To make your copy more scannable:

• Write clearly and concisely, eliminating unnecessary jargon and repetitive statements. Every sentence should add value or move the reader closer to understanding why they should buy.
• Use bullet points to present key details about product features, service benefits, or important specifications. This formatting makes information immediately accessible and allows customers to quickly find what matters most to them.
• Break longer descriptions into short sections with descriptive subheadings. This structure guides readers through your content logically while making it easy to jump to relevant sections.
• Focus on the most important features and benefits for your target customer. Avoid overwhelming them with exhaustive lists of minor details that may not influence their purchase decision.

It’s also a good idea to leave some white space in online descriptions. This visual breathing room makes content more approachable and reduces the cognitive load for readers processing your information.

Focus on Features and Benefits

Understanding the distinction between features and benefits transforms ordinary descriptions into persuasive sales tools. This approach helps customers visualize how your offering improves their situation.

Features 

Features represent the characteristics of your product or service. These are factual descriptions of what something does or includes. For example, features of professional business editing services like Proofed might include grammar correction, style consistency checks, and turnaround time guarantees.

Benefits 

Benefits are what customers gain from those features. They answer the crucial question: “What’s in it for me?” The benefits of professional editing include enhanced credibility, improved reader engagement, and reduced risk of miscommunication that could damage business relationships.

Using Them Together

Translate each key feature into meaningful benefits that matter to your specific audience. A 24-hour turnaround time becomes “meet urgent deadlines without compromising quality.” Advanced security features become “protect your sensitive information and maintain customer trust.”

Structure your descriptions to lead with benefits, and then support them with relevant features. This approach captures attention with value propositions before diving into technical details.

Optimize for Search Engines and Include Keywords

Modern product and service descriptions must balance persuasive copy with search engine visibility. Strategic keyword integration helps potential customers discover your offerings while maintaining readability and persuasion. Follow these steps:

1. Start by identifying the keywords related to your product or service using research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. These platforms reveal how often specific terms are searched and suggest related keywords you might not have considered.
2. Keep your target customers’ language in mind during keyword research. The terms they use when searching may differ from industry jargon or technical specifications you typically use internally.
3. Incorporate selected keywords naturally throughout your copy, including in headings and subheadings. Search engines give extra weight to keywords in these prominent positions, but forced placement that disrupts readability will hurt both user experience and search performance.
4. Use keyword density tools to ensure appropriate keyword distribution without over-optimization. Most experts recommend keyword density between 1–3% of the total word count for optimal results.

Remember, search engines increasingly prioritize user experience and content quality over keyword stuffing. Focus on creating genuinely helpful, informative descriptions that serve your customers’ needs while incorporating relevant search terms naturally.

Proofread All Sales Copy Carefully

Even minor errors in product and service descriptions can reduce conversion rates. Professional presentation builds trust, while mistakes suggest carelessness that customers may associate with your overall business quality.

If customers notice errors in your marketing copy, they may question the quality of your actual products or services. Inconsistent formatting and unclear or awkward sentences can frustrate potential buyers. Clear, polished copy keeps readers engaged and helps them understand your value proposition.

Review your product descriptions multiple times and focus on different aspects during each pass. Check for spelling and grammar first, then review for clarity and flow, and finally, ensure all claims are accurate and supportable. 

Distance from your own writing can help identify areas where the meaning isn’t clear. For businesses creating substantial amounts of sales copy, outsourcing your editing provides consistency and polish that reflects well on your brand’s professionalism and commitment to quality.

Our product description proofreading and editing services refine sales copy to boost conversions and enhance your brand’s professional image. Save time and ensure consistency by outsourcing your product description proofreading and editing to Proofed.