As a small business owner, selling your products online is crucial to your growth. To make these sales, you need to reach as many potential customers as possible and influence them to buy your product or service. This means your online listings need to be on point and use marketing strategies that work.

A proven tactic is writing listings that use influencing words and psychology to connect with buyers and encourage them to take action and make a purchase.

Use the listing techniques listed here to write powerful listings that sell.

 

Consumer Buying Behavior

Marketers have been tracking the buying behavior of consumers for a long time. While some purchases are made purely on a whim, known as “impulse purchases,” the majority of sales happen when a consumer is motivated on a personal level by emotional triggers. Emotions can be both positive and negative – both happiness and fear can influence consumers to buy.

Motivate with storytelling

In order for your listing to motivate consumers with emotions, you need to connect with them. The wording in your listings can build these connections – a perfect way to accomplish this is through a marketing technique known as storytelling. When using storytelling, build empathy by painting a picture for buyers with words. It’s these emotions that influence the customer experience, as buyers now feel invested in the value of your product.

Providing the facts

It’s not just emotions that inspire people to buy. They also want to buy products from an authority. And the best way to set yourself up as an authority is by including information and supporting data in your listings. If there are technical details, include them. If you have exceptional testimonials from other customers, include them. The more valid facts your listing has, the more value your product is to consumers.

Recognizing consumer needs

Being able to recognize and understand what consumers need can help you write listings that address these problems. Many buyers shop when they have an unfulfilled want or need. Providing a solution to a specific problem in your product listing sets you up for success. You’ve shown that buying your product will fix what’s wrong and make it better.

 

Listing Tactics That Get Results

There’s more to making your listings a success than consumer buying behavior. There are a few strategies you can use when writing your listings that will get you more results.

Headlines that convert to sales

Sticking to the formula of 40 to 80 characters, headlines need to incite buyers to read further and build up curiosity about your product. When possible, titles should be about grabbing attention, inspiring desire, creating interest, and encouraging a buyer to act.

Keep headlines direct and simple by avoiding filler words and bypassing punctuation. There are no grammar rules when it comes to headlines – think of the title as your canvas to reassure and persuade buyers to learn more about your product.

Create captivating descriptions 

Descriptions are where you talk about your product, emphasizing to consumers why your product is just what they need to solve a concern or problem. Don’t just write about the features, list the benefits your product can provide.

When writing descriptions, focus on your ideal customer. Write as though you’re specking directly to the buyer, making it about them and not you. Engage them and give them a glimpse into how much better their life will be with your product.

Include power words

Adjectives are the power words you want to include in your listings. They can add meaning to your descriptions, making your products more appealing to buyers. Try using words such as “competitively priced” and “pristine” to create a more positive image of your products.

Keep it short

Online shoppers often browse when they’re on the go. They don’t have the time or patience to read long sentences and paragraphs. By sticking to short sentences and paragraphs you’re making it easier for consumers to scan through your listings. Use bullet points or numbered lists when appropriate to break up the text even more.

Subheadings are another way to add readability to your online listings. Highlight these subheadings in bold, making it easy for readers to jump from one section to the next.

Sell your products visually

Images and video can make your listing come alive. They show a buyer exactly what your product looks like and they can visualize themselves using it. Images also make your product listings more appealing and interesting to read. Consider showing multiple angles of a product and featuring them as “lifestyle” images that show your product in actual use.

 

Design Listings Buyers Can Read

You spend a lot of time writing just the right online listing that’s going to reach buyers and influence them to make a purchase. The design and layout of your listings is just as important. Use these tips when posting your listings online:

  • White space – Make sure there’s enough white space around text and images. It’s this space that breaks up your listing into readable chunks.
  • Headline size – Headlines need to stand out and be easy to read. Use font size 16 to 20-point.
  • Body text – The content text of your listing is best viewed at 10 to 14-point font size so it’s easy to read on a PC or any handheld device.
  • Font style – With so many different font styles available it can be confusing to choose the right one. Although it may be tempting to go with something new, basic font styles work best. Good options are Proxima Nova, Futura, and Arial.
  • Color – Limit the use of color. Bright, colorful listings often miss their mark, making it difficult for buyers to read.

 

Wrapping It Up

Are you ready to scale your small business and see more sales? Selling online means a lot of competition. For your small business to succeed you need to strategize your marketing tactics and make the most of your product postings. Use the tips listed here to write killer online listings that use psychology and effective wording to influence consumers to buy your products and leave your competitors behind. Take a look at the visual from ForSaleByOwner below for a graphic summary of these points.

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