The Trick to Writing Perfect Product Descriptions
We all know the adage: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But when it comes to product reviews, we want to hear it all.
Even when we’re not shopping for ourselves, many minds at Wayfair are constantly sourcing product reviews for insight into how our customers experience our products.
My team, for example, writes product descriptions for hundreds of items each week. We get most of the information we need through pictures and specs provided on site, but we can’t actually see or touch the products IRL. Rather than taking a trip to the nearest warehouse for a closer look, we often rely on the reviews section to see what those who actually own the item have to say.
Seeing a satisfied customer is always reassuring. Plus, it helps other customers find just what they need, which is our mission. But we’re not afraid of feedback — in fact, it helps us better inform future buyers.
This is a chair I was tasked with writing about recently.
Straightforward enough, right? This product is actually a tad trickier than it seems.
To start, it’s actually a child-sized chair. As a professional copywriter and unofficial expert on all things home, I can immediately recognize this because it’s under the our exclusive brand Viv + Rae, which specializes in kids’ decor. However, I know the casual shopper may not realize this, especially after seeing several reviews stating this seat was far smaller than they expected.
In this case, it’s absolutely important to include dimensions in the description and clearly signal it’s meant for tykes only.
Assembly is another area of insight we often rely on customers for.
In general, putting together a piece of furniture can be a pain. If it’s going to take a few hours (and the help of a friend) to assemble it correctly, we let them know. However, sometimes things are a breeze to build, and this chair happened to fit the bill.
Several customers noted easy assembly for this item, so I want to highlight that as a selling point. This is an especially convenient attribute for this specific product, considering those buying it might have their hands full with little ones.
Finally, I found multiple customers talking about why this chair is great for youngsters, other than just its size.
As a childless 20-something myself, I’m not the best authority on why this product works well for kiddos. But, lucky for me, there are plenty of parents who who can tell me why it is!
Safety is something that wouldn’t have immediately crossed my mind when writing about a tiny chair, but reading this made me consider it an essential selling point.
By the time I’ve combed over the reviews and gotten a good idea of the specs, I’m ready to throw together a helpful — and hopefully fun — product description like this:
“Between tea parties with plush animals and afternoons of finger-painting, this chair is the perfect perch for your little one’s play area. Designed with kids’ safety in mind, it features a rounded polyurethane seat and four manufactured wood legs connected by tubular supports for no sharp edges or corners. Unlike other areas of your abode, this seat is sized specifically for someone under four feet tall, measuring just 22'’ H x 14'’ W x 12.5'’ D. Plus, this piece requires minimal assembly, so you can start styling sooner.”
So, next time you love your Wayfair purchase — or if it isn’t quite up to par — tell us all about it! You might just find your comments starring in our on-site copy.
