Why most Bol.com product descriptions don't work
A shopper lands on your product page. The title looks right, the photos are clean. They scroll to the description — and find three bullet points and a generic sentence that could apply to a hundred other products.
They click away.
The product description is the most underrated part of a Bol.com listing. While sellers obsess over their title, the description stays half-empty or filled with text that adds nothing. That's a mistake — because both Bol.com and Google index your description, and shoppers use it to confirm their buying decision.
A strong description does three things at once: it improves your listing health score, boosts your ranking in search results, and converts browsers into buyers.
The right structure for a Bol.com product description
Bol.com doesn't enforce a fixed template, but analysing page-1 listings reveals a clear pattern:
1. Hook (1-2 sentences)
Start with the buyer's problem or need — not with the product. Ask a question or describe a situation the reader recognises.
"Tired of a desk lamp that causes headaches after six hours of work?"
2. Benefits as bullet points (4-6 items)
Not features — benefits. What does the buyer actually gain? Use a consistent structure per bullet: feature — benefit.
• Dimmable in 3 settings — adjust brightness to your task without screen glare
3. Feature sections with short paragraphs
Cover 2-3 key functions in their own paragraph of 2-4 sentences each. This is where technical detail belongs — the engaged shopper will read this far.
4. Pain point
Name the problem the buyer is trying to avoid. This activates the buying decision.
"Most competing lamps flicker at low dimming settings, causing eye fatigue within minutes. This lamp uses flicker-free technology across all brightness levels."
5. Close + package contents
End with a short, confident sentence and list what's in the box.
"Everything included for immediate use: lamp, USB-C cable and mounting bracket."
How long should a Bol.com product description be?
The ideal length is 250-400 words. That's:
- Long enough to include relevant keywords naturally
- Short enough to scan without losing readers
- Sufficient for Bol.com's completeness requirements
A description under 150 words measurably lowers your listing health score. Above 500 words rarely adds benefit — unless the product is technically complex.
5 Examples across different categories
1. Kitchen appliance — Hand blender
Weak (what most sellers write):
Powerful hand blender with 800W motor. Suitable for soups and smoothies. Includes mixing jug.
Strong:
Want a perfectly smooth soup in under a minute, with no lumps or fibres? This 800W hand blender handles frozen fruit and hard vegetables effortlessly.
• 800W motor — powerful enough for ice and frozen ingredients without overheating • Ergonomic non-slip grip — comfortable even during longer blending sessions • Dishwasher-safe blade unit — clean in seconds, no manual scrubbing • Variable speed dial — full control from rough chopping to silky-smooth blending
Variable speed. The stepless speed control lets you decide exactly how fine the result is. Start slow for rough chopping, increase to maximum for a creamy soup.
Easy to clean. The blade unit clicks off and goes straight into the dishwasher. No standing over the sink with a brush.
Many hand blenders vibrate heavily at high speed, making the grip painful over time. The isolated handle on this blender absorbs vibration without sacrificing power.
Contents: hand blender, mixing jug (600ml), lid, user manual.
2. Home decor — Candle holder
Weak:
Beautiful glass candle holder. Suitable for tealights. Dimensions 15x15x20 cm.
Strong:
A cosy evening starts with the right light. This glass candle holder spreads a warm, even glow that instantly makes any room feel calmer.
• Borosilicate glass — heat-resistant and scratch-proof, even after years of use • Heavy stable base — won't tip when bumped, safe around children and pets • Fits tealights and pillar candles (max. Ø 6 cm) • Easy to clean — smooth glass doesn't trap candle wax
Glass that stays clear. Cheap holders go cloudy after a few candles. The borosilicate glass on this holder keeps its clarity however long you use it.
Versatile size. At 20 cm tall with an 8 cm opening, it fits a standard tealight as well as a wide pillar candle. Combine multiple holders for a styled arrangement.
Budget alternatives slide on smooth surfaces. The weighted base and matte underside of this holder grip any surface securely.
Contents: 1 candle holder. Candles not included.
3. Sport & Outdoor — Water bottle
Weak:
Leak-proof water bottle 750ml. BPA-free. Suitable for sport and outdoor.
Strong:
Tired of your water bottle leaking in your sports bag or backpack? This 750ml bottle has a double-locking lid that stays completely dry even upside down.
• Double-locking lid — two clicks to open, zero leaks in transit • Double-wall insulation — keeps cold 24 hours, warm 12 hours • BPA-free Tritan plastic — taste- and odour-free, even after hundreds of washes • Wide opening (Ø 5.5 cm) — easy to fill with ice and clean with a brush
Genuinely leak-proof. Most "leak-proof" bottles have one locking mechanism. This lid has two: a flip lock and a twist lock. No more unexpected wet backpack.
Insulation that works. The double-wall vacuum construction keeps your water ice-cold after a long cycle or hike, even in direct sun.
Thin-walled sport bottles warp with hot water and develop a plastic taste over time. The thick Tritan plastic here is heat-resistant to 100°C and keeps its shape.
Contents: water bottle, cleaning brush.
4. Electronics — USB-C Hub
Weak:
USB-C hub with 7 ports. Compatible with MacBook and Windows laptop. Plug and play.
Strong:
Does your new laptop only have USB-C ports while all your peripherals are still USB-A? This 7-in-1 hub gives you all your connections back in one compact adapter.
• 3× USB-A 3.0 (5Gbps) — mouse, keyboard and USB stick simultaneously, without speed loss • HDMI 4K@60Hz — sharp image on external monitor or projector • USB-C PD 100W — charge your laptop while using the hub • SD + microSD card slots — read memory cards directly, no separate adapter • Ethernet RJ45 — stable wired connection for video calls or large downloads
No drivers needed. Just plug it in. The hub works plug-and-play on macOS 10.14+, Windows 10/11 and ChromeOS — no software installation, no restarts.
100W pass-through charging. Many hubs limit charging to 60-85W, causing your laptop to slowly drain under heavy use. This hub passes the full 100W through, so your laptop stays charged even under load.
Hubs that overheat lose port speed or drop out entirely. The aluminium housing actively dissipates heat — stable performance even during long work sessions.
Contents: USB-C hub, braided USB-C cable (20 cm).
5. Baby & Child — Baby monitor
Weak:
Digital baby monitor with night vision. Range 300 metres. VOX function. Rechargeable.
Strong:
Want to sleep soundly at night without missing a thing? This digital baby monitor with night-vision camera gives you clear image and sound — even in complete darkness — without getting up for every small sound.
• VOX activation — the parent unit only responds to sounds above your set threshold, no false alarms from quiet breathing • Night vision up to 5 metres — sharp black-and-white image in total darkness • DECT connection — more reliable than wi-fi monitors, no signal loss in the middle of the night • Room temperature display — instantly see if the nursery is too warm or too cold • 10 hours battery life — full night on a single charge
DECT, not wi-fi. Wi-fi monitors drop out when your router hiccups or the connection briefly dips. DECT uses its own frequency band with a stable 300-metre range, even through walls.
Adjustable VOX sensitivity. Set in 5 levels. You'll hear crying immediately but won't be woken by every normal sleeping sound.
Budget baby monitors use analogue connections that are prone to interference and eavesdropping. This DECT monitor uses digital encryption — only your parent unit receives the signal.
Contents: baby camera, parent unit, 2 charging cables, wall mount bracket, manual.
The five most common mistakes
1. Features instead of benefits "800W motor" says nothing. "Powerful enough for frozen ingredients without overheating" does.
2. Description too short Under 150 words lowers your listing health score and gives Google little to index.
3. Copying manufacturer text Manufacturer copy already lives on hundreds of other sites. Duplicate content hurts your ranking.
4. No keywords in body text Bullet points alone aren't enough. Work your main keyword into the first paragraph and one of the feature sections.
5. No closing sentence Don't end abruptly after the specs. A short close and the package contents improve your completeness score.
Write it yourself or let it be optimised?
Writing a strong description takes 30-60 minutes per product — if you know what you're doing. For a full catalogue, that's not realistic.
Lijstify analyses your existing description, assesses the quality and rewrites it in the right structure — including keywords, bullet points and feature sections. On average, the listing health score increases by 30-50 points after a full optimisation.