Creative writing is killing your conversion rate.
I once rewrote a cluttered product page using eighth-grade English. The bounce rate dropped by about half.
We’ve been taught to be clever, not clear. To impress, not inform. To write like novelists, not marketers. But in e-commerce, cleverness confuses – and confusion kills conversions.
Customers don’t want to solve riddles. They want fast answers.
Joanna Wiebe, the founder of Copyhackers and pioneer of conversion copywriting, has said it plainly: “Clarity trumps clever every time.”
Alex Hormozi, who built and scaled multiple 8-figure businesses, teaches entrepreneurs to simplify $100M offers into words a 5th grader can understand.
Dave Gerhardt, former CMO of Drift and Privy, tells every brand he advises the same thing: “Write like you talk.”
Human brains are wired for survival, not nuance. When language gets dense, attention disappears. You’re not fighting for admiration. You’re fighting for comprehension. And if your copy doesn’t make people feel safe, understood, and certain – they leave.
Let’s unpack the 7 deadly sins that are silently killing your e-commerce copy.
Sin 1: Trying to Sound Smart Instead of Being Clear
Most brands think copywriting is about sounding impressive. So they load their sites with big words, complex phrasing, and “brand voice.”
But customers aren’t grading your vocabulary – they’re looking for quick answers. You have seconds to prove you’re the right solution. So why waste that moment trying to sound like a TED Talk?
“Write to convert, not to be clever.” – Joanna Wiebe
If your copy sounds like a college essay, strip it down. Simple wins. Every time.
Sin 2: Burying the Value Proposition
If I land on your homepage, I should know what you sell in 3 seconds. Not what your brand stands for. Not your mission. What you sell. Who it’s for. Why it’s better.
Too many DTC brands start with fluff.
Your job isn’t to impress me – it’s to make me feel understood. Lead with the offer. Back it with proof. Then earn the scroll.
Sin 3: Writing Like a Company Instead of a Person
Nobody wants to “engage with a brand.” They want to connect with a human. Dave Gerhardt says it best: “Stop writing like a marketer. Start writing like a person.”
Customers trust people. They ignore corporations. Your copy should sound like a conversation, not a press release.
Sin 4: Forgetting the Real Pain Your Product Solves
People don’t buy products. They buy relief, hope, and transformation.
Alex Hormozi’s mantra: “Sell the vacation, not the plane.”
Don’t sell protein powder. Sell energy, identity, and confidence. Lead with the pain. Then show the path out of it.
Sin 5: Making the Customer Work Too Hard
If your customer has to think, you’ve already lost. Every second spent figuring out your copy is friction – and friction kills flow.
Test this: Read it out loud.
If it sounds robotic or stiff, rewrite it until it sounds like a human.
Don’t make the customer do the work. That’s your job.
Sin 6: Obsessing Over Features, Not Benefits
No one cares about “12-speed settings” on your blender. They care about smoothies in 30 seconds.
Before: “Titanium-coated blades with 1800W motor.”
After: “Blends frozen fruit in 10 seconds flat. Even ice.”
Turn every feature into a “so what?” Until it connects emotionally.
Sin 7: Assuming People Read (They Don’t)
Most visitors skim. Some scan. Very few read.
So structure your copy like it’s built for movement:
- Short paragraphs
- Headers that stand out
- Sentences with punch
This isn’t a blog post – it’s a decision engine.
Design your words for skimmers. And earn the rare full read.
Clarity Converts
In e-commerce, you’re not selling a product. You’re selling certainty.
Certainty that this will work. Certainty that this is the right choice. Certainty that they won’t regret the click.
And the only way to deliver that certainty is through clarity.
Cleverness makes people hesitate. Clarity makes them act.
This isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about respecting your customer’s time, brain, and bandwidth.
The clearer your message, the more people move. The same goes for everything else in life.
If this resonated, here’s what to do next:
→ If you’re tired of content that fills space instead of driving sales, let’s talk. Schedule a quick demo.
→ If you’re ready to turn product pages, email flows, landing copy, and more into silent salespeople for your brand, subscribe to either our Unlimited Standard Plan or Unlimited Professional Plan to get started.
Your story deserves better than generic copy.
We make it unforgettable.