Free guide
9 product description mistakes that quietly cost you sales
None of these look like mistakes while you're writing them — they look like normal product copy. That's exactly why they're easy to miss and common across almost every Etsy and Shopify shop we've rewritten for.
Mistake 1
Listing features instead of what they mean
100% cotton. 300 thread count. Machine washable.
Soft enough to sleep in from night one, and it stays that way wash after wash — 100% cotton, 300 thread count, machine washable.
Why it matters: A spec sheet is not a description. Every feature should answer the buyer's unspoken "so what?" — what does it feel like, save them, or spare them.
Mistake 2
Writing for the algorithm before the human
Handmade candle soy candle gift candle for women scented candle home decor candle.
A hand-poured soy candle with a warm sandalwood-and-vanilla scent — the kind of gift that gets used, not shelved.
Why it matters: Keywords still belong in the listing (title, tags, first line), but stuffing them into the body reads as spam to a buyer and increasingly to search algorithms too. Write the sentence for a person, then check the obvious keyword is in there naturally.
Mistake 3
Generic AI-sounding fluff
Elevate your everyday with this must-have essential that combines timeless style with modern functionality.
A crossbody bag with an 18–24" strap, room for a phone and cardholder, and edges that darken naturally with wear.
Why it matters: Phrases like "elevate," "must-have," and "timeless meets modern" say nothing a buyer can picture. Replace every one with a concrete, checkable fact.
Mistake 4
No answer to the buyer's actual doubt
Beautiful ceramic mug, great for coffee or tea.
Holds 12oz, microwave and dishwasher safe, and the handle stays cool even with boiling water inside.
Why it matters: Every product has 2–3 real hesitations (fit, care, durability, what's included). If the description doesn't name and answer them, the buyer goes looking for the answer elsewhere — usually a competitor's listing.
Mistake 5
One unbroken wall of text
A single 150-word paragraph with no line breaks, bullets, or emphasis.
A short opening line, then a scannable list of the 3–4 facts that matter, then one closing line.
Why it matters: Most buyers skim on a phone. If the important fact is buried in sentence six, it might as well not exist. Break it up so the eye can find what it needs in two seconds.
Mistake 6
Copy-pasted from the supplier or a competitor
The exact manufacturer feed, unedited — an option labelled "C-3" instead of an actual color, a leftover internal code like "Private listing UID240" in the title, or a spec sheet that says "2-in-1" while the description says "3-in-1."
The same facts, translated into plain customer language — a real color name, one clear line on what it does, and specs that agree with each other wherever they appear on the page.
Why it matters: Duplicate text does not stand out to buyers and can actively hurt how a listing ranks — but the version we see most often in the wild is a step worse: raw supplier-feed artifacts left in place entirely. If two people on your own team would disagree on what the product actually does after reading the listing, no buyer stands a chance.
Mistake 7
No unit of trust
A description that only makes claims: "the best," "highest quality," "loved by everyone."
One specific, checkable detail: a material name, a made-by-hand process, a real number ("over 400 sold since 2024"), or a short buyer quote.
Why it matters: Claims without evidence read as marketing noise. One concrete, specific detail does more to build trust than five superlatives.
Mistake 8
Every variant reads like a copy of the last one
"Castle Map Blanket" and "Ocean Map Blanket" both say: "Soft, cozy blanket with a fun map design. Great for imaginative play. Machine washable."
The Castle version calls out its winding moat and hidden-dragon detail; the Ocean version names its shipwreck and coral-reef "find it" spots — one sentence each on what makes this specific design worth picking.
Why it matters: When a shop sells one product in several designs or colors, pasting the same paragraph across all of them — swapping only the name — makes every listing feel interchangeable. A buyer comparing two tabs needs a reason to pick one, and "it's the same but blue" isn't one.
Mistake 9
A variant title that is just the attribute
"Black." "Sand." "Rose Gold." — the option value used as the entire product title, with no product name attached anywhere on the page.
"Everyday Tote — Black" or "Aria Ring — Rose Gold": the product name stays attached to every single variant, not just the parent listing.
Why it matters: A bare color or size as the full title works fine inside your own store, where the parent product is always visible one click up. It fails the moment that specific variant is the first thing a shopper sees on its own — from a search result, a social share, or a saved link — because at that point "Black" answers no question at all. Keep the product name in the title on every variant, even if it means repeating it.
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