I saw a post the other day from a Graphic Designer/Copywriter with the blazing headline FEATURES DON’T SELL ON AMAZON! The poster, was convinced that if you slap a bunch of syrupy benefits all over your product description then this will convert better.

Now, I don’t disagree with the idea that you need to highlight benefits. Benefits are crucial to letting the shopper know that the product in question will solve the problem they’re having. But the idea of features NOT selling, is completely and utterly wrong.

You don’t need to look too far to agree with me. In fact, the answer is right there in your Q&A and Reviews Section.

1. Shoppers Need Features To Make A Decision.

“Will this fit my …

“Does this have a …

“What is the size of the …

These are all common question strings you find on an Amazon Product Description. Without the answers, these shoppers are not buyers. They are buyers-in-waiting and they’re waiting for you to supply an answer to the question. If they don’t get that answer, then they will keep searching until they find a product that meets all their conditions. In fact, 1 in 10 shoppers are unable to find EXACTLY what they want! Many times they’re unable to find it because retailers aren’t providing enough information for the shopper to make the comparison between products and brands.

Features fill in the blanks for customers. You can tell them it fits their cupholder until you’re blue in the face. But they don’t care. They want to know if it will fit THEIR cupholder. So you need to give them the size. You need to state the feature, lest they ask for it in a question!

2. All Benefits are Derived From Features

You can’t have a benefit without a feature. Unless we’re discussing intrinsic benefits (which we are not, in this blog).

• The aroma of fresh coffee? It doesn’t happen if you don’t understand how to use the coffee machine and what feature it has.

• The feeling of health? It won’t feel very good if the product contains an ingredient you’re allergic to.

• The ease of use? It can’t be easy without the features that make it so.

• Reduces sun damage? How? You can’t make a claim like that without the feature providing proof.

Without features there are no benefits. So when dealing with benefit statements, you must always pair it with a feature! This provides the concrete evidence the shopper needs to believe your benefit statement.

3. Shoppers Can’t Inspect Your Product

Returns are so easy for a customer. In fact, one of my larger clients was telling me that he gets an insane amount of returns. When I asked him why he thought that was, he said that they’re ordering multiple items and then after looking at both close up, choosing which one they want to keep! This popular glassware retailer has close to 1000 skus, that’s a lot of product being returned - and irreversibly damaged in the process.

When a shopper has only partial information, don’t be surprised if they order it then return it after they’ve measured it against the features they want. But when you provide a shopper with ALL the information, the reason for returns changes.

Remember the old days when shoppers primarily shopped at malls, strip malls and boutique stores? They still do! And you should watch them. They pick up the product, turn it around and look at it from all sides. They ask the shop assistant “Does this come in a different size/color/style?”. In other words, they are inspecting the features to make sure it stacks up to their expectation.

Give shoppers the chance to “inspect” your product virtually, by telling them everything they need to know.

4. Your Shopper Already Knows The Benefit. And It’s Not What You Think It Is

How do people shop on Amazon? (I’ll wait…)

They type a query in the search bar, right? They type the product. Red sweater, electric can opener, baby play mat...

Even with Rufus (mobile AI search) they’re still typing some version of the product - “is there a red sweater that has fish patterns on it”?

Do you know why they shop that way? It’s because they already know what they want and why they want it! Your syrupy emotional benefit heavy copy is wasted here. They’ve already seen a friend who owns it. They’ve seen it on TV, internet or magazine. They’ve already DREAMED about owning it. They’ve already experienced the anti-benefit of the one they already own. Don’t waste their time, tell them about your product.

Let’s take the example of “the aroma of fresh coffee”. Your shopper is not shopping for this - they already know that WHEN they purchase a coffee device there will be an aroma of fresh coffee. They’ve seen enough coffee ads and consumed enough coffee to already know that the aroma of fresh coffee is something they like. It’s a given! But if that shopper is looking for a coffee machine because they’re sick of walking down to the local coffee shop, the aroma of fresh coffee may not be the primary benefit on their mind. Convenience is their goal.

Tell me, do you have enough character count in your Amazon listing to offer up ALL the possible benefits that ALL those different shoppers will get? No.

Not to mention, there are coffee plungers, espresso machines, slow drip, pour over, plungers, percolators… and each one offers a different benefit based on the product, not the shopper. I have never found a coffee plunger that doesn’t put grinds into my coffee. So I gave up after using 6 different plungers. Is the aroma of fresh coffee the benefit I’m looking for. Nope. Just gimme a plunger that doesn’t put grit into my brew!

Your shopper already knows what they’re looking for and why. Your job is to tell them the features and then attach a benefit based on that feature.

Here’s an example of some copy off the top of my head -

NO GRIT COFFEE PRESS: Have you ever had a coffee plunger that leaves grinds in the bottom of your cup? We have, and so we designed our french press with a silicone edge instead of twisted wire that creates a tighter seal, so your coffee is as smooth as silk.

Breaking it down…

• We’ve stated the problem to connect to our frustrated shopper

• We’ve stated the solution in the form of a FEATURE followed by its BENEFIT.

• We added 3 primary keywords without blinking an eye

• We connected with the customer by letting them know we know their pain (we’ve been there too)

All that in 258 characters! Original copywriting that you won’t see anywhere else. I dare you to find a french press who has this exact wording! Chances are you’ll find a bunch of boring old copy that talks about the aroma of fresh coffee, and nothing else. Or, something ultra generic by an AI tool.

Your shopper already knows what benefit they’re looking for. You need to deliver the information that proves you know them and their pain.

You must attach a benefit to your feature. Don’t leave a random benefit hanging in mid air without an anchor.

5. Everyone is Writing the Same Thing As You. And, Don’t Sell The Category.

“The aroma of fresh coffee”. Good grief, I don’t know how many times I’ve written this. It makes me a bit sick to think about it. It’s trite and basic.

If you have the same copy with the same generic benefits then the shopper is forced to find other ways to compare you to the other guy. Do you know how they do that? They compare FEATURES!

Stop trying to sell the product category (fresh aroma) and instead, sell YOUR product and its unique benefits.

OH-SO QUIET: Coffee grinders are noisy aren’t they? But our coffee mill is fitted with SilentBlade, a unique grinder that is virtually silent! So you can sneak that first coffee of the day in peace without waking the kids!

• We paired the benefit with its feature

• We added 2 pieces of SEO

• We showed them we understood their problem

• We didn’t sell the customer on the category of grinders, we sold OUR grinder.

All in 223 characters.

If you’re not writing copy like this you run the risk of being the same as everyone else. Hire a copywriter already! If your copy is selling the merits of the entire category, you’re inviting the shopper to go and look at the rest of the category. Sell them YOUR product.

6. AI is Watching You.

Now, when a shopper asks a question Amazon’s AI will show them the answer from answers, reviews and your product description. So when a customer asks what size a certain feature is, you need to have it in your listing or you’ll miss the AI love. Shoppers aren’t asking “does this produce the aroma of fresh coffee in the morning?”. Nuff said. You can read more about the topic of Q&A and AI here.

7. Reviewers Aren’t Discussing Coffee Aroma’s Either.

Take a look at your reviews. What do customers talk about?

• “The size was perfect”

• “This is super cute”

• “It arrived fast”

• “The packaging is amazing”

• “I got the chocolate brown color”

• “It really is waterproof!”

And so on. These are all feature statements.

Wanna know how I influence reviewers to agree with everything in our listing and then write about it? It’s simple - FEATURES! You need to talk about what reviewers talk about. Period. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you.

8. It’s a Product Description.

Product descriptions are not branding campaigns. Amazon lets you have a store and brand story and this is where your branding needs to happen. The rest of it (even the A+ content) is the place for you to share all the features and benefits of the product in question. Wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee on your storefront and brand story. Leave the rest of the product description for the facts and features and the benefits those features derive.

In Summary

Features DO sell, on Amazon. So do benefits. But not in the way you’ve been doing it! Offering a customer generic “guessed” benefits is pointless. They already know why they want the damn thing. Your job is to make sure they don’t ask any questions, and tell them everything they need to know so they can add to cart without comparing you to another brand. When you answer all their queries they are satisfied. And to answer them, requires putting features into your product description. Maybe not all your features, but most of them. As I always say, telling is selling. Generic benefits sell the entire category, but benefits paired with YOUR sales-worthy features will sell your product.

Wanna know what else needs to be in your product description?

Learn how to do features and benefits right for Amazon and what else you need to have in your product description to make it FIRE! When you order this 2 hour masterclass + 39 page guide you’ll discover exactly what you need and how to do it. I share a ton of working examples and many fact-bombs that will propel your product description writing to new levels. A must-read for any Amazon Seller who wants to write their own Amazon Listing.