Use Benefits to Pump Up Your Product Descriptions

About a week ago, I bought a bike!  And I’m still so pumped about it.

Now, I don’t know a whole lot about bikes — but I do know that this particular model comes with a heavy dose of awesome.  It’s got a comfy seat, a loud bell, and a rack in the back to carry $50 worth of groceries.  (We’re a one-car family, so when my husband’s off learning up a storm in grad school, my bike will be my modus operandi.) It’s just what I need to make a quick trip ‘round the neighborhood.

And the sales guy at the local bike shop?  Couldn’t have been nicer.  He understood that I was just looking for a decent bike with a classic design that would help me get around town.  He sold me on the benefits, like a comfortable ride, an easier commute, and the ability to run errands.

Notice: He didn’t try to sell me on the features:

If you are a more serious cyclist — you care about those details.  But me? I have no idea what these specs mean.  If the sales guy had tried to sell me on the features alone, he would have have lost the sale.

What does this have to do with marketing your Etsy shop?

If you are reading this blog, you’re looking for ways to turn your indie biz into a success story.  You need to make your shop stand out above the competition.  You need to convince shoppers that your products present a compelling value.

One way to differentiate your shop from your competition is to emphasize the benefits of your products in your item descriptions, instead of just listing the features.

Because while features tell the facts about your product, benefits tell customers why they would want the features in the first place.

Benefits focus on the awesome results of using your product.  And customers like benefits.

“What’s in it for me?”

To come up with the benefits of your products, focus on the customer’s reasons for buying it.  How will you product make your customer’s life better?  Why should they care about the features?

To turn features into benefits, make like a teenager and ask yourself the question: “So what?”

Example time:  Let’s say you sell handmade tote bags.

Feature:  Your tote bag has 5 interior pockets.

And that’s good because…?

Benefit: Your well-designed tote bag helps a busy mom stay organized.

By spelling out the benefits of your products in your item descriptions, you can better demonstrate their unique value to potential customers.  And benefit-driven descriptions are more compelling descriptions.

Next Steps

Think about all the features and benefits that customers in your target market think about when considering your product versus that of the competition.

1. List the features of your products:  the facts, the specs, the data, the dimensions.
2. Match each feature with a benefit.
3. To find the benefit, ask (and answer) the question: “And that’s good because…?”
4. Include the benefits in your item descriptions.
5. Rinse, repeat.

Connect the dots for your customers, and make it easier for them to click the Add to Cart button.

Bonus round:

Features: This blog has an RSS feed.

Benefit: You should subscribe, so you’ll never miss another awesome post.

Related posts:

1. Uncovering Your Competitive Edge
2. Price as a Starting Point for Product Development
3. Three Steps to Carve Your Niche
4. Target Market Part Deux: Demographics
5. What's in a Niche?