Writing enticing product descriptions is a great way to give your customers information about your products. This description usually gives your customers the benefits and highlights of your products while compelling them to make a purchase.
Writing product descriptions takes work. You can’t simply throw some words together and expect it to sell your product. Unfortunately, even the most talented product description writers make mistakes. The following are five common grammar mistakes found in product descriptions.
1. The person.
Product descriptions need to be consistent across the board. They should have the same style and tone so as not to confuse your readers. Too often, product descriptions bounce from first person to second person to third person. Before you can write a product description, you need to decide which person you want to use and stick with it throughout all of your descriptions. Don’t use first person in one and then third person in the next.
2. Fragments.
Sometimes companies try to put too much information into a very small space. In order to fit in all the details, these companies will use multiple fragments in order to highlight the best features. While this will help ensure that you include all the necessary information, having a product description comprised of only fragments will make it hard to read. If your customer has a hard time reading your description, they’re not going to make a purchase.
3. Apostrophes.
Apostrophes can trip up any writer, which is why proofreading is important. Apostrophes are used to show possession or to indicate a contraction, and there is a difference between the two. If you misuse apostrophes, it can confuse your readers. When your reader is confused, they won’t gain the necessary information from your product description. Plus, it looks like you don’t care enough to proof your work before publishing it.
4. Subject/verb agreement.
Writing product copy can be overwhelming, and sometimes, it can be a bit monotonous. But this doesn’t mean that you can slack as a writer. Your subjects and your verbs have to relate to each other. Single subjects use singular verbs. If you are placing plural subjects with singular verbs, it looks poorly on you as a writer, and it will deter customers from making a purchase.
5. Numerics
Most product descriptions contain numbers, usually in the form of height and weight. Different style guides suggest writing numbers differently—that is, writing them out or using the numerics. Depending on what style guide you follow, you need to be consistent. If you are spelling out some numbers and using numerics for others with no rhyme or reason as to why, it can confuse your readers.
If you plan on writing product descriptions, use these common mistakes as a guide of what not to do. Take your time to create a great, informative description that will make your readers feel as if they need your products. And always make sure to proofread your work. Misspellings and improper grammar are a big turn off.
Mark Weatherford is a high school English teacher, published author, and dedicated father. He is obsessive about proper grammar usage and always insists his students proof their work with a grammar checker to ensure it abides by all necessary grammar rules.
The possessive apopsrothe is on its way out of the English language. As a composition teacher, I keep teaching it, but I often find it omitted not only from my students’ papers and online texts, but also from billboards hovering over US highways.Hard-copy publishers repeatedly demonstrate lower editing standards, so even if print practices somehow still set the standard, less and less is there a standard within print to govern practices outside of it.We can prescribe grammar all we want, but descriptively, we have to admit that language changes even when we don’t want it to.Nonetheless, I appreciate your noble efforts.