Write product and service descriptions

A good description answers the questions a customer has before they buy, so they don’t have to message you or go elsewhere. This guide gives you one simple pattern to use for every product or service, and shows you how to use AI to write them quickly without adding anything that isn’t true.

Before you start

• A list of the products or services you want to describe. Start with your three best sellers.
• The facts for each: price, what’s included, sizes or options, materials, timings, and what happens after someone buys.
• The questions customers ask before they buy. Your messages and emails are the best place to find them.
• About an hour for the first three.
• An AI chat tool such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini for step 3.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

4 out of 10

Estimated completion time

1–2 hours for a small product batch

Skills you’ll need: Gather accurate specifications, write customer benefits, and check every claim before updating your store.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

Accurate descriptions help customers compare what you sell and understand what happens after buying. Using the same facts on your site, menu, and booking pages reduces confusion at the point of decision.

1. 1

   Step 1: Start with who it’s for and what it does for them

   Before you list features, write one sentence about who this is for and what it helps them do or avoid. “For busy parents who want a proper birthday cake without the stress” says more than “three-tier sponge with buttercream”.

   Then list the facts. The sentence tells people it’s for them; the facts help them decide.

2. 2

   Step 2: Collect the questions people ask before buying

   Look through your messages and emails, and think about what people ask on the phone. For each product or service, note the questions that come up again and again, such as:

   • How much is it, and what’s included in the price?
   • How long does it take, or when will it arrive?
   • Will it fit, suit, or work for me?
   • What happens after I buy or book?
   • What if I change my mind?

   Tip: Every question you answer in the description is one fewer message to reply to, and one fewer reason for someone to give up.

3. 3

   Step 3: Draft them all in the same pattern

   Paste your facts and questions into an AI tool with the prompt at the end of this guide. It writes each description in the same pattern:

   • A short, plain headline that says what it is.
   • One sentence on what it does for the customer.
   • Three to five bullet points on what’s included or the key details.
   • One line that answers the biggest worry, such as timing, fit, or returns.
   • A clear next step: add to basket, book, or get a quote.

   Tip: Using the same pattern for everything makes your pages look organised and helps people compare options.

   Illustrated exampleOne product, five useful parts

   Example product listing£45

   1. 1Plain headline

      Vanilla birthday cake

   2. 2Customer benefit

      For busy parents who want a birthday cake without the baking stress.

   3. 3Key details
      • 8-inch vanilla sponge
      • Buttercream and a piped name included
      • Serves 12
   4. 4Biggest worry

      Order at least 5 days ahead; collect from our shop.

   5. 5Next step

      Order your cake ↗

4. 4

   Step 4: Check every fact and cut every claim you can’t prove

   Read each description against your facts. Prices, sizes, materials, and timings must be exactly right. AI sometimes adds a detail that sounds plausible but isn’t true.

   Then remove any claim you can’t back up: “best in town”, “guaranteed results”, anything about health, safety, or money unless you can prove it. Some of these can get you into trouble with advertising rules, and all of them make customers trust you less.

   Illustrated exampleUse the source facts to edit the draft

   Your source facts

   Cake order sheet

   Price

   £45

   Size

   8 inch · serves 12

   Notice

   5 days

   Fulfilment

   Shop collection

   No delivery or awards listed.

   Review the AI draft

   1. Correct the price

      £40 → £45

      Match the order sheet exactly.
   2. Replace invented timing

      Next-day delivery

      Collect from our shop. Order 5 days ahead.

   3. Remove an unsupported claim

      The best cake in town

      No evidence supplied. Leave it out.

   Missing a fact? Mark it [ADD DETAIL] and confirm it before publishing.

5. 5

   Step 5: Make it sound like you

   Read each one out loud. Change any word you’d never use. Swap vague words like “premium” or “high quality” for the specific thing that makes it good: “hand-stitched”, “same-day call-out”, “made with local flour”.

   Tip: If you used the guide “Teach AI your brand voice”, paste your voice guide in with the prompt. If a draft still sounds generic, the guide “Fix writing that sounds like AI” can help.

6. 6

   Step 6: Put them where people buy

   Add the descriptions to your website, online shop, booking page, or menu. On social platforms, use shortened versions in your shop or catalogue section if you have one, or in pinned posts. On Google Business Profile, you can add products and services with short descriptions too.

   Next time a customer asks a question the description doesn’t answer, add the answer.

I run [what your business does] for [who your customers are]. Please write descriptions for my products or services.

For each one, here are the facts and the questions customers ask before buying:
[Product or service 1: name, price, what’s included, sizes or options, timing, and common questions]
[Product or service 2: …]
[Product or service 3: …]

My tone is [for example: friendly and down to earth, or calm and professional].

Write each description in this pattern:
1. A headline under 10 words that says plainly what it is.
2. One sentence on what it does for the customer.
3. Three to five bullet points on what’s included or the key details.
4. One line answering the biggest worry people have before buying.
5. A clear next step: [for example: book online, add to basket, request a quote].

Also write a shorter version of each, under 40 words, that I can use on [platform].

Use only the facts I’ve given you. Don’t invent features, materials, guarantees, reviews, or results. Avoid claims like “best” or “guaranteed”. If a detail is missing, write [ADD DETAIL] instead of guessing.