Why do so many beautiful e-commerce websites fail to convert?
They’ve got slick branding. Professional photography. Even some clever taglines. But behind all that polish is one glaring issue: their copy doesn’t sell.
Most e-commerce brands make the same mistake – they write their own website copy. And when you’re that close to your product, you’re the worst person to explain why someone else should buy it.
What they need isn’t better design. It’s better words. And not just any words – conversion copy crafted by someone who knows how to sell. The kind of words that make a visitor stop scrolling, feel something, and click “Add to Cart.”
If your website looks great but your sales are stuck, here’s how to fix it – step by step.
Step 1: Stop treating copy like filler – it’s your #1 sales tool.
Most brands obsess over visuals and ignore the words. They spend thousands on design and photography, but hand the copy to an intern. Then wonder why their bounce rate is sky-high.
Here’s the truth: great design gets attention, but only copy drives action. Your customer doesn’t care how pretty your site is if they don’t understand why they should buy.
Think about your highest-performing product page. Is it beautiful – or is it persuasive? The brands that scale don’t just look good – they communicate clearly. They lead with value, speak in benefits, and write like they know the buyer’s objections.
And that’s not accidental – that’s conversion copy. Your words either sell for you – or they silently kill your conversion rate.
You don’t need a better font. You need a better sales pitch. That perfect font you paid $1,200 for? It’s not converting. Your words are.
Invest in the thing that actually drives revenue: the words.
Step 2: Look for copywriters who specialize in conversion, not just writing.
Hiring the wrong writer is expensive. You don’t need a poet or a blogger. You need a strategist who writes to sell.
A conversion copywriter starts with data, not adjectives. They study your audience, your funnel, and your competitors. They understand how people make decisions and how to trigger action. This isn’t about sounding good – it’s about performing well. If your copy doesn’t increase clicks, scrolls, and checkouts, it’s not doing its job.
When vetting writers, ask them how they approach customer research. See if they mention frameworks like PAS, Jobs To Be Done, or the Voice of Customer. Look for signs they’re thinking like a marketer – not just a writer. Because clever copy that doesn’t convert is just expensive wallpaper.
Don’t settle for pretty words. Settle for results. That’s what real copywriters deliver.
A copywriter who doesn’t talk about conversion isn’t the one you need.
Step 3: Review their portfolio with a buyer’s eye, not a founder’s pride.
You’re emotionally attached to your product. That’s natural. But it makes you biased. Which is why you’re a poor judge of copy that actually works.
When you review a writer’s portfolio, don’t ask, “Does this sound like us?” Ask, “Would this make a stranger care?”
You’re not hiring for brand aesthetics – you’re hiring for persuasion. Look for emotional flow, clear structure, and copy that speaks to pain points. Every sentence should pull you deeper into the page.
Don’t get distracted by clever headlines or quirky tone. Conversion copy isn’t about style – it’s about substance. If you find yourself nodding as you read, that’s a good sign. If you find yourself confused or underwhelmed, keep looking.
You’re hiring someone to speak to your buyer – not to your ego. That means you need to read like your audience would.
Effective copy isn’t cute – it’s clear, emotional, and outcome-driven.
4. Check for industry fluency – not just language skills.
You wouldn’t hire a CFO who doesn’t know what EBITDA means. So why would you hire a copywriter who doesn’t know what CRO is? The best e-commerce copywriters are bilingual: fluent in writing and the business of selling online.
Ask them how they’d approach optimizing your PDP. Do they mention urgency triggers? Button placement? Cart abandonment? Do they talk about heatmaps and scroll depth? Or do they get stuck on whether your brand voice is “fun and quirky”? If they don’t speak the language of sales, they’re not the partner you need.
Fluency isn’t about jargon – it’s about understanding the levers that move the needle. Copy lives at the intersection of psychology, data, and design. If they don’t get that, they’re not going to help you grow.
A copywriter should feel like a revenue partner, not a wordsmith. And that starts with understanding your world.
Don’t hire someone you have to train to speak your language.
Step 5: Collaborate, but don’t micromanage.
You’re busy. That’s why you’re hiring a pro. But too many brands slow down the process by hovering. And worse – by rewriting everything based on gut feeling.
Great copywriters thrive on trust. You give them the vision, the data, the customer research – and then let them cook. If you try to tweak every sentence, you’ll water it down. Most copy loses its power not because it’s wrong, but because it’s been edited by committee. Let the expert do their job.
That doesn’t mean silence – collaboration matters. Give feedback. Ask questions. But don’t strangle the strategy. You’re paying them to think like a buyer, not to echo your founder-speak. The more room you give them, the more powerful your copy becomes.
Micromanagement kills momentum. Worse – it kills results.
Your job is to guide the vision. Theirs is to make it sell.
Great Products Deserve Great Copy
You’ve spent months perfecting your product. You’ve dialed in the branding, the supply chain, the shipping experience. But if your copy doesn’t convert, none of it matters.
The best e-commerce brands don’t gamble on messaging. They bring in experts who know how to sell. They understand that conversion copy isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s the difference between visitors and buyers. Between a good launch and a great business. Between being remembered and being profitable.
So stop treating copy like an afterthought.
Hire a conversion copywriter. Let them do what they do best. And watch what happens to your sales.
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.