Chapter 12
Word Up: Composing Engaging Titles and Descriptions
In This Chapter
Composing strong item titles
Making your item descriptions stand out
Driving traffic to your listing with search engine optimization
Proofreading your listing
True, a gorgeous photo of your piece may catch a buyer’s eye. But the way you write about your piece in your item title and description can keep your buyer’s attention. With these textual elements, you have an opportunity to engage buyers with a story about you and your piece. You can also answer questions about your piece, such as what it’s made of, what it does, and why someone should buy it. Indeed, well-written and interesting titles and descriptions may just persuade a buyer to add your piece to her cart.
If your talents lie more in crafting and less in writing (“I’m a candy-wrapper handbag maker, not a writer!”), don’t freak out. As you discover in this chapter, writing engaging item titles and descriptions is plenty doable. You also find out how to optimize your item titles, descriptions, and tags for searching, making it easier for prospective buyers to find your piece.
Headline Muse: Writing Titillating Item Titles
Any newspaper writer will tell you that a first-rate headline is critical in grabbing readers’ attention. A strong headline both hints at what the following story contains and coaxes the audience to read on. Superlative headlines — which, almost by definition, are brief — may use humor, puns, alliteration, rhymes, or other types of wordplay and often include clever double-entendres. “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” the headline of a New York Post piece on a local murder, is one example of an excellent (albeit disturbing) headline; another is “Super Cagey Go Ballistic Celtics Are Atrocious,” the headline for a piece in The Sun (the United Kingdom’s biggest-selling newspaper) about the Inverness Caledonian Thistle football club trouncing its Celtic rivals in the Scottish Cup.
As you’ve probably guessed, your item title acts a lot like a good headline. It’s designed to grab a buyer’s attention and entice him to read more about you and your item. But your Etsy item title also serves another important purpose in that it factors into Etsy’s search system. So, although you want to come up with a title that will pique a buyer’s interest, you also want to make sure it’s optimized for search. Otherwise, that buyer may not ever find your item! (You find out more about search engine optimization later in this chapter.)
Here are some things to keep in mind when composing item titles:
Keep it short. Your item title must be brief — no more than 155 characters (including spaces).
Clearly describe your item at the beginning of the item title. This helps improve the chances that others will find your item when searching on Etsy.
Be clever. Use humor, puns, alliteration, rhymes, or other types of wordplay.
Use strong, concise words. Avoid vague verbiage! Some words and phrases are just better than others. For example, don’t just call your piece “small”; also call it “miniature.”
Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. Too many all-uppercase words, and it seems like you’re shouting. Too many lowercase words, and it seems like you’re e. e. cummings.
Your item title needs to broadcast key information about your piece — most notably, what it is, what it’s made of, and perhaps a few choice details about the piece, such as its color, size, or other personal touches.
Story Time: Telling a Story with Your Item Description
People who buy on Etsy aren’t interested in meaningless, mass-produced goods. They want pieces with a past — something that has a story. Etsy allows sellers to enter an item description so they can tell the story behind their product. In the following sections, we explain how to uncover an item’s story, answer questions about the item, and compose a thoughtful description.
Likely story: Uncovering your item’s story
Not sure what your piece’s story is — or whether it even has one? Fear not. Start spinning your yarn (figuratively speaking) by answering a few questions:
What inspired you to create the piece? Mentioning your source of inspiration is a great way to get the ball rolling. If you’re a candy-wrapper handbag maker, maybe you got the idea to make candy-wrapper handbags while traveling in Mexico, where artisans craft all manner of items out of candy wrappers, including clutches, totes, and placemats.
How was the piece made? Indicating the skills involved in making an item can be an excellent way to forge a connection with buyers. Was it woven? Sewn? Assembled by magical hamsters?
Who taught you the skills you use to create your piece? Sharing how you learned the techniques you use to craft your pieces can be a great way to bond with prospective buyers. Maybe your great-grandmother learned the fine art of candy-wrapper handbag making and passed her skills down to you. Or maybe your uncle was a Mayan studies scholar and taught you their paper-weaving techniques — techniques that you then put to use making candy-wrapper handbags to justify your prodigious candy-eating habit.
Even if you choose not to focus on the story behind your item, don’t hesitate to let your own personality and the “personality” of your brand shine through in your item description. If you and your brand tend toward quirky, then your item descriptions should, too. Ditto if you and your brand have a darker bent.
Description prescription: Describing your item
It probably goes without saying that, in addition to including the “story” behind you and your piece, your item description must contain, well, a description of your item. But we believe in being thorough, so we’re saying it. Think about what questions buyers are likely to have about your piece. Then answer all those questions in your item description. The description may cover the following points:
What is your piece? Although it may seem obvious to you that your item is a handbag made of Snickers wrappers, to others, it may be less apparent.
What does your piece do? Does your piece have a function? Or is it for decoration only? Be sure to note this info in your item description.
Who is your piece for? Dogs? Babies? Men? On the flip side, who is it not for? For example, if it contains pieces on which an infant may choke, you should definitely note that in your item description.
How does your piece work? Does it have a clasp? Or buttons? Or a zipper? Do you tie it? Does it need batteries, or do you power it by driving a DeLorean equipped with a lightning rod past the town clock tower during a thunderstorm?
What color is your piece? Colors may translate differently on different computer monitors. Including detailed color information in your item description is a good way to bridge that gap.
Be specific here. Don’t say that your piece is red when it’s actually scarlet, brick, ruby, cherry, crimson, or burgundy.
How big is your piece? Remember in This Is Spinal Tap when Nigel Tufnel sketches out specs for a Stonehenge stage set but accidentally uses a double-prime mark (for inches) instead of a prime mark (for feet)? The result is an 18-inch Stonehenge monument that is, as David St. Hubbins observes, “in danger of being crushed by a dwarf.” To save your buyer from experiencing similar disappointment, include detailed and accurate sizing information about your piece. Avoid vague terms like small or large, and instead opt for precise measurements, especially if you sell clothing. By the way, it doesn’t hurt to include both systems of measurement — metric and old-school — in your item descriptions.
What materials did you use? Do you use organic cotton? Hand-dyed wool? Swarovski crystals? Wrappers from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? Whatever materials you use, they need to appear in your item description.
What techniques did you use to construct your piece? Did you knit it? Weave it? Sew it? This info helps tell the story of your piece and reinforces to buyers that you made it by hand. It also helps attract buyers who are partial to a particular crafting technique.
Especially if you’ve priced your item on the higher side, be sure to indicate why in your item description. Whether it’s because you used high-end materials or because you crafted it using a particularly difficult technique, you need to share this info with your buyer. What is it that makes it special or valuable or unique? (Flip to Chapter 10 for more information on pricing your items.)
What does your piece feel like? Is it soft? Smooth? Slick? Rough? Nubby? Scaly? Prickly? Stubbly? Indicate your item’s tactile qualities in your item description.
What does your piece smell like? Does it have a scent, such as lavender or ylang-ylang? If it’s a vintage piece, does it have a musty odor? Does it come from a smoker’s home?
Having a sale in your shop? Be sure to mention it in your item description and your shop announcement.
Write away: Composing your item description
You have a handle on the story behind your item, and you know what information your item listing needs to contain. Now it’s time to put the proverbial pen to paper and write your item description.
To make your item description as effective as possible, put the most important information about your item first. Putting important items first not only makes it easier for shoppers to quickly get the information they need about your piece, but also enables you to optimize your shop for search. (We talk more about search engine optimization later in this chapter.) Of course, what constitutes “the most important information” may differ from piece to piece; in general, however, this info likely includes what your item is, what it does, what it looks like, and what it’s made of. From there, you can get into more “nice to know” information, such as what your item smells like (unless, of course, the whole point of your item is its smell, as is the case with soap, perfume, and the like), as well as the story behind your item or your work.
To keep your prospective buyer reading, use short paragraphs and bullet points. That construction is easier on the eyes than a gigantic block of text. Another way to break things up is to use subtitles — for example, one above the item description, one on top of any measurements information, and so on. You can set these subtitles apart from regular text by using all caps or boldface font.
Consider this example of an item description that falls short:
Bag made of candy wrappers.
Size: Medium
We don’t know about you, but nothing in this description makes us want to buy the bag. Yes, the seller was brief — score one for her. But this description almost completely lacks any useful information! Worse, it’s as though the seller just can’t be bothered to tell anyone about her item.
Following is an example of a much more effective item description:
Bonkers for bonbons? Then this candy-wrapper handbag is for you. This colorful, eco-friendly handbag, carefully hand-woven using Kit Kat, Nestlé Crunch, and Snickers candy wrappers, is just the right size to carry a phone, wallet, and candy bar (of course).
I crafted this handbag, which can double as a makeup bag, using a technique I learned from my candy-crazy aunt. The handbag, which measures 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) across and 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) high, features a zipper along the top, as well as a color-coordinated wristlet for easy carrying. The use of candy wrappers gives the handbag a slightly shiny, reflective quality and a mild, chocolaty aroma.
This candy-wrapper handbag is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!
Now, this description makes us want to buy this handbag, pronto. (And also to pound a Kit Kat.)
SEO Speedwagon: Using Search Engine Optimization to Drive Traffic
Remember Field of Dreams? The whole “If you build it, they will come” thing, when Kevin Costner’s DIY baseball diamond attracted the 1919 roster for the Chicago Black Sox and, subsequently, a large enough crowd to save his family farm? Don’t get us wrong — it’s a nice story and all. But unless you specialize in hand-crafting redemption for disgraced baseball players from another dimension, the odds of the same thing happening with your Etsy shop are as slim as Kate Moss.
You have to do more than just build your Etsy shop to entice people to visit it. As you find out in this book, you need to supply gorgeous photos and intriguing descriptions of your wares. In addition, you need to engage in a little something called search engine optimization (SEO). By using SEO, you can increase the likelihood that people who use search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing to search for certain keywords will see — and click on — a link to your Etsy shop in their list of results. SEO is also critical to ensuring that shoppers already on Etsy’s site can find your items.
How can you harness the power of SEO for your Etsy shop? One way is to plant relevant keywords in your shop title, shop announcement, shop sections, and user profile (see Chapter 8 for details on these items). That way, people searching for those keywords will see your Etsy shop in their search results. Another way is to include these keywords in your shop item titles, descriptions, and tags, which is the focus of this section.
Keyword to your mother: Choosing the best keywords
All this talk of keywords and SEO begs one obvious question: What keywords do you want to use?
Suppose you hand-craft bracelets out of bottle caps. Sure, you can use keywords like bracelet or even jewelry in your item listings — in fact, you should. The problem is, you’re not the only one using those terms. A recent search for the term jewelry yielded roughly 336,000,000 matches. Adding bracelet to the search string narrowed the list somewhat, but it still yielded almost 80,000,000 hits. Including bottle cap got us down to about half a million.
No doubt about it, 500,000 is better than 336,000,000 — but not if your shop is buried in the bottom 499,999 matches. Why? Because when most people use a search engine, they don’t dig deeper than the first few pages of search results (if they even go that far) to find what they’re looking for. To increase traffic to your Etsy storefront, you must ensure that links to your items or shop appear in those first few pages — preferably on page one.
Short of purchasing Google or Yahoo! outright, how can you improve your search results? By doing a little research to determine whether the keywords you’re using are appropriate or whether other keywords may serve you better. To aid you, Google offers its handy, dandy Keyword Tool. You use it like so:
1. Launch your web browser and type https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal in its address bar.
The page for the Google AdWords Keyword Tool opens (see Figure 12-1).
2. Type any keywords or phrases that you use in the Word or Phrase box.
Include one keyword or phrase per line.
3. Fill out the CAPTCHA form — that is, type the characters that appear in the picture.
4. Click the Search button.
The Keyword Tool shows how often the keywords you typed are searched, as well as other keywords you may want to consider. In Figure 12-2, more than 700 local searches focused on the phrase bottle cap bracelet. That is, over a one-month period, 700+ people in the United States searched for the phrase bottle cap bracelet. A second search reveals that, in the same period, more than 9,000,000 people searched for the term jewelry.
Figure 12-1: The Google AdWords Keyword Tool.
Figure 12-2: Note how often your keywords are searched.
Now, you may think that you need to focus on the higher-volume keywords or phrases — that is, keywords like jewelry rather than phrases such as bottle cap bracelet. After all, more people are searching for those. But given how many matches are in that category, the chances of your shop or item ranking near the top are essentially nil. You have a much better chance of appearing near the top of the results for a narrow search, like bottle cap bracelet.
What about finding keywords that may work better than the ones you’re using? Simple. Just read through the list of keywords that the Keyword Tool spits out to find ideas for keywords or phrases you can use. This list contains actual search terms that people have entered into search engines to find items like yours. In this example, you may add bottle cap jewelry or bottle cap crafts as keywords.
You can use Etsy Shop Stats to see which keywords visitors used to find you on Etsy. For more on Etsy Shop Stats, flip to Chapter 18.
What you key is what you get: Using SEO with your item title and description
It’s not enough to write catchy item titles. You also need to ensure that those titles are optimized for search. Keep a few points in mind:
Include keywords, but not too many. Every item title that you write needs to contain at least one keyword or phrase (more, if possible). You want to make sure that your title contains as many keywords as possible. But stuffing your title with too many keywords for the sake of SEO may render it terribly boring, if not completely unreadable. The idea is to write titles that are catchy for both people and PCs.
Put keywords first. Place keywords at or near the beginning of your item title. Although search engines search your entire title for keyword matches, they display only the first 66 characters (including spaces) of it in the list of results. To increase the chances that anyone searching for that keyword will visit your shop, you want to make sure that the keyword shows up in that results list.
The same points apply to your item description — except one: Search engines display more characters from your item description in search results (160 in all, including spaces). But again, even though you have a little more wiggle room, you want to make sure that your keywords appear toward the beginning. You also want to repeat any keywords at least once (but preferably two or three times) in your item description, to boost your Etsy shop in the search rankings.
Here’s an example of an item listing that makes good use of keywords:
Nehi Grape Bottle Cap Bracelet: Grape Expectations
Quench your thirst for handmade jewelry with this bottle cap bracelet! This eco-friendly bracelet represents the finest in bottle cap crafts. Constructed from vintage Nehi Grape bottle caps from my grandfather’s attic, sterling silver findings, and purple Swarovski crystal beads, the bracelet measures 7 inches (17.7 centimeters) across but can be adjusted to accommodate a more diminutive wrist.
As you type your item title and description in Etsy, you can view how it will appear in Google search results, as shown in Figure 12-3. Simply click the Show Preview link under the Description text box. (For more on entering titles and descriptions as you list items, see Chapter 13.)
Figure 12-3: Preview how your listing will appear in Google search results.
Tag, you’re it! Understanding tags
In addition to incorporating keywords into your Etsy item listings, you must add tags. A tag is a word or short phrase, called metadata, that is attached to your item. Etsy uses these tags to help shoppers locate your item. Think of a tag as being the yin to a keyword’s yang. For example, suppose that you’ve tagged your item with the term bottle cap. If someone types bottle cap when performing an Etsy search, your item will be among the results.
Because tagging is so critical to Etsy’s search functionality, it’s crucial for you to apply strong tags to your listing. When deciding what tags to apply, ask yourself what keywords you would enter if you were searching for your item. Also, keep an eye on your Shop Stats to find out what search terms people are using to find your items. Start with the most obvious terms first. For example, suppose that you’re selling a hand-sewn handbag. You may apply tags such as purse and handbag. Next, you may apply tags that indicate the style of the handbag — say, formal, casual, Goth, hippie, frilly, or whatever. Then you may add tags to convey the bag’s size (for example, large), texture (such as quilted, shiny, matte, or what have you), and color (ochre, navy, and so on). You may also add tags to indicate any motifs used in the purse (think Betty Boop, owls, or race car). Finally, you may apply tags that reflect materials used (twill, satin, wool, leather, and so on) and who the item is for (women, men, children, and so on). If your piece is for a mature audience, you must tag it with the word mature. One more thing: It doesn’t hurt to use some of the keywords from the item title and description, as well as the attributes you’ve set as tags.
Proofread, Please! Proofreading Your Item Title and Listing
Years ago, a neighborhood nursery posted a lovely yellow sign. It had been painted with care, its green letters tidy and even. The problem? Those green letters spelled out the following word: SHURBS. Presumably, the nursery, known for its fine selection of plants, had intended to advertise its lovely collection of shrubs. Instead, it broadcast its carelessness and lack of attention to detail.
As an Etsy shop owner, it’s imperative that you (or someone you trust) proofread everything you post in your shop — item titles and descriptions included. Failing to do so may well lead potential buyers to conclude that you’re sloppy, that you don’t take pride in your work, or that you’re incompetent. And that conclusion will likely prompt them to shop elsewhere!
Use a word-processing program (like Microsoft Word) to compose your item titles and descriptions instead of composing them while you’re creating your listing on Etsy (see Chapter 13). That way, you can take advantage of word-processing tools like spell check. You can then copy and paste the item title and description from your word-processing document to Etsy. As a bonus, this approach makes it easier to reuse item descriptions either in part or in full for new items down the road.
In addition to proofreading for spelling and grammatical errors, peruse your posts for other problems, such as redundant information. Big, pretentious words and fancy, genre-specific terms are other no-nos. For best results, stick with the common vernacular.
Also keep in mind that not everyone on Etsy speaks English as a first language. Don’t include words or phrases in your listings that are likely to cause problems for these shoppers.