Shopify Dropshipping: How to Ensure Your Product Descriptions Are Accurate

You already made up your mind and you’ve already decided to pursue setting up a dropshipping business using Shopify as your e-commerce platform. You’ve also gone through the tedious process of product research and already zeroed in the products that you want to sell. The first 2 steps have already been accomplished and now, you’re feeling very excited to get those product images uploaded to your website but there is another crucial step that you need to do and it is writing product descriptions!

Writing Product Descriptions That Sell

In one of our previous articles, we have stressed the importance of writing engaging product descriptions and even gave some examples of the different methods of crafting one that really appeals to prospective customers and potential buyers. There’s a short but sweet product description, a detailed bulleted one, and others that tell the product’s story and its benefits in an exaggerated way that’s full of superlative adjectives.

It’s not just the product appearance that entices customers to purchase a particular product nowadays; they also want to learn more on what’s in it for them. They are concerned about the benefits and the overall experience that they’ll get if they choose to purchase your product. No matter how many clear pictures you show on your website if the product description itself is poorly written, customers would still prefer purchasing other products that tell every detail of their product in an engaging manner.

Accuracy Matters

Most customers resort to asking for refunds or filing a return when they receive wrong items and there are two possible scenarios on why customers believe you shipped them the wrong product. First is they might have been very careful and read through your product descriptions thoroughly believing that they purchased the right item but your supplier mistakenly shipped the wrong item. This first scenario seldom happens but you need to be aware that it happens and there is no way you can prevent it. The second possible reason is lacking or inaccurate information in your product description.

It is therefore important that you make product descriptions sound as credible and as enticing as possible and most importantly, they need to be accurate so in this article, we will be discussing the different steps on how you can ensure that your product descriptions really tell the truth to your customers, one that will eliminate any misconceptions and reduce items shipped which can lead to returns, refunds, and chargebacks. There are 3 preventive steps that we’d like to share and let’s jump directly to the first one.

1. Read and Review the Supplier’s Product Description

One very obvious step that can prevent any inaccuracies in your product descriptions is making sure that you use the manufacturer’s or supplier’s product descriptions as your guide. Most dropshipping suppliers and manufacturers are based in China so expect minor grammatical errors here and there but what’s important is you are getting all the crucial details correct and including every single one in your product description or product technical specifications.

This is very important especially if you’re selling electronic gadgets or any other products that are designed to operate under specific conditions or work using certain requirements. If an engine runs on diesel, you can’t use gasoline on it or it will cause massive damage. Product descriptions and the accompanying technical specifications are designed to get customers informed so they can make the proper choice so be sure to take every detail of it from your product supplier.

2. Compare With Product Descriptions From Competitors Selling The Same or Identical Product

The second trick that you can try in making your product descriptions truthful and accurate is checking any competitor who is selling the same product or something that is identical to yours. With the thousands of online stores right now who use Shopify, there’s always a chance that you will find someone who saw the potential that your chosen product has and is already selling it and if you find one, you can use their existing product description as an example.

Chances are they’ve already done the research and even got in contact with the supplier to get every ounce of information there is about the product and they surely have included it in their product description and all you need to do is to sniff them all off so you can write an engaging product description of your own. Again, let me emphasize that! YOU NEED TO MAKE A UNIQUE AND ENGAGING PRODUCT DESCRIPTION OF YOUR OWN and not just copy everything from your competitor.

Try to be as creative as possible in writing descriptions for the product/s that you want to sell so you can have that edge against all the numerous competitors out there that are selling the same item. If you need some idea on how to write engaging product descriptions, you can find some best examples here.

3. Do an Actual Product Testing

Another very effective way in making sure that your product descriptions are accurate and contains every detail which customers need to know is by using the product by yourself and seeing everything with your own naked eyes. This is the most efficient method that several online businesses and super successful Shopify stores employ in order to ensure that they are giving customers the best information there is about the product they’re selling. Some even give time for testing products to see how durable they are or how effective they can be.

Doing actual product testing brings your product descriptions to the next level of accuracy and truthfulness. By deciding to do so, you can add even more factual details like the level of cleanliness that your soap or foaming gel product can offer or the intensity of brightness that your featured flashlight can emit when it is fully charged. Some suppliers already include such details in their product descriptions but if you’re trying to offer something that is at the price range of premium products then better be sure that the product itself does what it is advertised to do.

You can start by asking your supplier for a sample of the product so you can see how good it is. There are suppliers who are willing to offer test product kits for free as long as you pay for the shipping cost and most will be happy to do so especially if you made it very clear that you’re interested about making them your dropshipping business’s product supplier.

Another beauty of actual product testing is that you can get actual photos of the product itself if you want to and have those photos used in your website instead of using the generic photos that the supplier or manufacturer already has in their website. Since there’s a big chance that it’s not only you who’s selling the same product, it is possible that your competitors are already using the same product photos that they took from your supplier so in order to make your shop look more authentic, you can take actual photos of the product itself and use it in your online shop’s pages.

Accuracy is King: Make Sure Your Product Descriptions Have It!

Product descriptions can make or break your Shopify store business so better be sure it serves the best interest of your customers every single time. Include every crucial detail that your customers need to know so they can make the right choice. If you see that a technical specification is needed then definitely add a section in your product page dedicated for it to inform everyone that it’s what your product is all about, how it is supposed to work, and what the requirements are in order for it to work.

Just add some creativity on how you write your copy and make sure that you are turning every feature into benefits that customers will be able to enjoy if you use your product or brand. Even the materials which your product is made of can turn into perfect product description as well. You can say “Genuine Leather that’s designed to take comfort to the next level” or “Hypoallergenic alloy metals to pamper your delicate skin” instead of saying “- Genuine Leather” or “- Hypoallergenic Metal” an arranging them in bullets just like how it was done in the past.

We now live in an enhanced information age where customers not only want to learn product specifications but are also seeking what benefits and advantages will they get if they choose your product. Feed customers with perfectly written, engaging, and informative product descriptions so you can enjoy sure sales and better conversion rate every time!

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