Beyond the Visual: The Power of Product Descriptions

Overcoming Data Challenges in Fashion E-Commerce: How AI Generated Product Descriptions Can Bridge the Gap to Achieve Product Page Accuracy

In the fast-paced world of fashion e-commerce, where visuals often take center stage, the power of words can’t be overlooked. Images capture attention, evoke emotions, and help customers visualize what the clothing item might look like in real life. But images alone are not enough to convey the full story of a product. Thorough product descriptions play a crucial role in supporting product images, providing essential information that helps potential customers make confident purchasing decisions   and when combined effectively they can significantly enhance the customer experience and drive sales.

The Importance of Thorough Product Descriptions

Product descriptions fill this gap by providing specific details about the material, fit, sizing, and unique features of an item that might not be evident from a photo alone.

According to a study by Nielsen Norman Group, most users do not just want to look at images—they need descriptions to understand important attributes like fabric, care instructions, and fit details. Moreover, 87% of shoppers report that product content is a key factor in deciding whether to buy a product online, as they cannot physically see, feel, or try on the item before purchasing. Therefore, thorough and well-written descriptions are crucial for a positive shopping experience.

The Power of Detailed Descriptions

1. Provides Context and Clarity: While images provide a visual representation, descriptions offer context and clarity. For instance, the photos may show a beautiful dress, but the description tells customers what material it’s made of, whether it’s machine washable, size and fit details, how it feels against the skin etc.
2. Highlighting Unique Selling Points: A product description allows you to emphasize the unique features of an item—be it a special type of fabric, design details, or functionality. This type of detailed information is critical for convincing customers why this particular product is right for them.
3. Building Customer Trust and Confidence: Comprehensive descriptions help build trust by providing transparency. Customers are more likely and confident in their purchase decisions when they feel informed about the product.
4. Reducing Returns: Clear and detailed descriptions can reduce the likelihood of returns by setting accurate expectations. When customers know exactly what to expect, they are less likely to be disappointed.
5. Enhances SEO: Well-written descriptions containing relevant keywords can improve search engine rankings, making your products more discoverable to potential customers.

How Fashion E-commerce Businesses Generate Product Descriptions: Common Practices

Fashion e-commerce businesses typically employ several methods to generate descriptions for their product pages. Here are the most common approaches:

1. Supplier-Provided Descriptions: Many retailers use descriptions provided by suppliers or manufacturers. Supplier descriptions may be generic and fail to highlight the specific qualities that make the product stand out.

Pros:

• Cost and time-effective
• Easy to implement, especially for large product catalogues

Cons:

• Lacks uniqueness, which can affect brand identity
• May not include the level of detail customers need, leading to higher return rates

2. In-House Content Creation/Copywriters: Some businesses employ dedicated copywriters to craft unique and engaging product descriptions.

Pros:

• Customized, brand-aligned descriptions allowing greater control over brand voice and messaging
• Rich, detailed content that can highlight unique features

Cons:

• Labor-intensive and costly, especially for businesses with extensive product lines
• Time-consuming, which can be a challenge for fast fashion businesses with constantly changing inventory

3. Outsourcing to Freelancers or Agencies: Some companies choose to outsource product description writing to freelancers or agencies. This approach can provide the benefit of skilled copywriting without the need for an in-house team.

Pros:

• High-quality descriptions from experienced writers
• Scalable solution, depending on business needs

Cons:

• Can be expensive
• May require significant oversight to ensure consistency with brand guidelines

4. Using AI Tools for Product Descriptions: Advanced AI tools can generate product descriptions based on product attributes and customer preferences. Increasingly, businesses are turning to AI-powered tools for generating product descriptions at scale.

Pros:

• Cost-effective and scalable, even for large catalogues
• Consistent and accurate descriptions that align with product attributes and brand voice
• Time-saving and efficient, reducing the workload on human teams

Cons:

• Requires an initial investment in AI technology
• May need human oversight for creative aspects

Tips for Creating Effective Product Descriptions

Creating compelling product descriptions is both an art and a science. Here are some common practices used by fashion e-commerce businesses:

1. Understanding the Target Audience: Knowing who the product is for helps tailor the description to meet the needs and preferences of the target audience. This involves creating buyer personas and understanding their pain points and desires.
2. Highlighting Benefits Over Features: While features are important, focusing on the benefits helps customers understand how the product will improve their lives. This approach makes the description more relatable and persuasive.
3. Using a Consistent Format: Consistency in format and style across product descriptions helps create a cohesive brand image. This includes using a mix of prose and bullet points to make the descriptions scannable and engaging.
4. Incorporating Customer Feedback: Analyzing customer reviews and feedback can provide insights into what information is most important to potential buyers. This feedback can be used to refine and improve product descriptions.
5. Storytelling: Create a narrative around your product to engage customers on an emotional level. Telling a story about the product, such as its inspiration or the craftsmanship involved, can make the description more engaging and memorable.
6. SEO Optimization: Including relevant keywords in product descriptions helps improve visibility on search engines. This involves researching popular search terms and integrating them naturally into the text.
7. Professional Copywriting: Many businesses invest in professional copywriters who specialize in creating persuasive and informative product descriptions. This ensures that the descriptions are not only accurate but also compelling.

How Okkular Can Help

At Okkular, we understand the challenges that fashion e-commerce businesses face in generating high-quality product descriptions. Our AI-powered solutions can help bridge the gap between supplier content and in-house content creation, offering the best of both worlds.

• Automated Product Descriptions: Our AI tools generate detailed, engaging, and SEO-friendly product descriptions automatically. By analyzing product images and attributes, we create descriptions that are rich in detail and consistent across your entire catalogue.
• Time and Cost Savings: With automated content creation, businesses save time and resources while ensuring high-quality descriptions that support product images effectively.
• Improved Product Discoverability: AI-generated descriptions are optimized for search engines, making it easier for customers to find products online, ultimately driving more traffic and boosting sales.

Okkular’s AI 3 Step Description-Generator

Engage shoppers with SEO friendly, keyword rich descriptions for each and every product. Okkular’s visual AI generates meta data from your product images first and then using the keywords to create hundreds of unique product descriptions in a matter of minutes with three simple steps:

Step 1 – Generate meta data from product image using Okkular’s AI Tag-Gen

Step 2 – Okkular’s AI will generate multiple SEO friendly descriptions including your brand tone and any marketplace specific descriptions using the keywords from meta data.

Step 3 – Edit the description, if necessary, export to your website and marketplace

Conclusion

Product descriptions are essential for supporting product images and providing customers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. While there are several ways to create these descriptions, Okkular’s Description-Gen solution offers a cost-effective, scalable, and efficient method to ensure that each product page is informative, engaging, and optimized for conversion.

Ready to elevate your product pages? Request a demo to learn how Okkular can help transform your fashion e-commerce content strategy with AI.