If you’re struggling to drive more sales to your online boutique, then you might have an issue communicating value through your product description.

Browsers have to feel like a product is “worth it” or they will never become a buyer.

They have to know exactly how it will benefit their lifestyle or solve or problem or help them feel better.

And when it comes to eCommerce, the equation is pretty simple: no buyers = no business.

So how do you create desire for someone shopping online? How do you bridge the gap for the person that can’t walk into a physical store to see the product for themselves?

That’s where copywriting comes in. Stories sell!

And the best brands use copy to personalize the product for a potential customer. 

Whether in a blog post, online ad, social media caption or right on your website, resonant copy is the first step in creating that all-important customer relationship.

So let’s try it with a product that is pretty much a closet staple: a black dress.

And we’ll use a simple 4-part framework: A.I.D.A.

Here’s a product description sample:

Turn heads in this fresh take on the little black dress! This woven long-sleeve mini dress easily goes from desk to dinner. Dress it up for the office with a light jacket and heels or add some jewelry for a dash of sophistication for a night out. It features a subtle tie waist design and a classic bishop sleeve. It’s a must-have for any wardrobe. Shop now!

Now let’s break it down section by section.

So you can understand how to replicate it for your online boutique.

1. Attention

Now the first rule—whenever or whatever you’re marketing—is to capture someone’s attention.

Before you can expect a browser to take action (whether it’s to click an ad or buy a product), you need to attract them to what you’re doing. So that’s why the first sentence or the headline of your product description should draw them in.

“Turn heads in this fresh take on the little black dress!”

Now depending on your target customer, the language you use will determine the goal of this first sentence. So in this scenario, the target customer not only wants to look good but also be recognized for her taste and great fashion choices.

That’s why ‘turn heads’ is a relevant attention-grabber.

2. Interest

Once you have their attention, you can add some detail to pique there interest. In this area, you can introduce the product and something that makes it relevant. In this example, the target customer is a woman in her mid twenties who works in a corporate environment.

This woven long-sleeve mini dress easily goes from desk to dinner. 

Each section should build off of the other. So once you make the connection, this portion of the product description should confirm that they

3. Desire

Now this is the time to ‘paint the picture’. Context is important. And your job as an online boutique owner is to make this product as relevant as possible to your customer.

When it comes to selling online, you have to know the difference between persuasion and convincing.

Convincing is trying to get someone to buy something they don’t want. Persuasion is showing them why your product is exactly what they do want.

And a great way to do the latter is to outline the benefits—in this case, versatility.

Dress it up for the office with a light jacket and heels or add some jewelry for a dash of sophistication for a night out. It features a subtle tie waist design and a classic bishop sleeve.

And you can also add details on your product description that make this particular dress stand out from other options online.

The last step of this framework is…

4. Action

This is crucial! Every single piece of copy you write has to have a call to action. The customer has to understand what to do next if you’ve already attracted their attention, piqued their interest and added desire.

It’s a must-have for any wardrobe. Shop now!

That’s it! Now, depending on the capabilities your website has, there should be a section for a size guide, color options and other relevant details. But it’s very important to have the ‘story’ of your product down. That (in addition to customer reviews) are what people read in order to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to shopping with you.

And now that you know this framework, you can use it whenever you’re writing anything for your online boutique!