You’re not losing sales because of your product – you’re losing them because of your words
Most e-commerce brands think they lose the sale because of price, photography, or ad targeting. But in reality? They lose it the moment someone reads their product description.
They try to sound smart. They think clever copy equals credibility. They forget that the customer isn’t looking to be impressed – they’re looking to be understood. And that’s the trap: you’ve spent so long perfecting the product… that you’ve become blind to how confusing your e-commerce copywriting actually is.
This isn’t a writing problem. It’s a psychology problem. Because while you’re trying to look “premium,” your customer is just trying to decide if the product works for them – fast. If you don’t speak their language instantly, you lose.
You just need to stop making these 5 mistakes – the same ones even the most successful DTC brands make every day.
Mistake 1: You write for yourself – not your customer.
You love your product. You know every detail, nuance, and what makes it better than anything else out there. So when you write product descriptions, you talk like someone who’s already sold – not someone trying to sell.
But your customer isn’t you. They haven’t spent months obsessing over the design, the materials, or the manufacturing process. They’re scanning. Skimming. Half-distracted on their phone.
They don’t care about what you love. They care about what it does for them. You are not the audience. You just keep writing like you are. You’re thinking, “Well, I would understand this.” That’s the problem.
Great e-commerce copy requires detachment. You have to kill your darlings and speak like a translator – not a fan. This is the hardest mindset shift for founders – and the most important.
Mistake 2: You bury the benefit beneath the feature.
You write: “Made with 100% merino wool.”
You write: “12-hour battery life.”
You write: “Ergonomic handle.”
And then you move on – thinking the job is done. But features aren’t what people buy. Benefits are.
Nobody wants “merino wool.” They want to stay warm without sweating through their shirt. Nobody wants “12-hour battery life.” They want to work all day without needing to hunt for an outlet.
Every feature needs a direct translation – into something the customer can feel. This is the foundation of high-converting e-commerce product descriptions, and it’s exactly what Joanna Wiebe, founder of Copyhackers, teaches. She’s the originator of conversion copywriting, and her frameworks have helped countless brands improve sales by simply saying things more clearly.
If your benefit isn’t obvious, your feature isn’t enough. Make it feel real. Make it matter.
Mistake 3: You use buzzwords your audience would never say out loud.
“Next-gen.” “Frictionless.” “Curated lifestyle experience.” It might sound elite. It might sound impressive. But it doesn’t mean anything.
If your customer wouldn’t say the word in a sentence, you shouldn’t put it in your copy. This is where brands drift into writing for themselves, or for other brands, instead of real people.
Joanna Wiebe puts it bluntly: “Clarity trumps cleverness.” And she’s right. Because if someone has to decode your message, you’ve already lost their attention.
Your customer is just trying to answer three basic questions:
- What is this?
- Does it solve my problem?
- Can I trust it?
Anything that gets in the way of that? It’s friction. And friction kills e-commerce conversion rates.
Mistake 4: You assume people will “get it” – without spelling it out.
You know why your product is better. You know the backstory, the tech, the nuance. So you assume the customer will see it too.
They won’t.
People skim. They scroll fast. They’re not reading – they’re glancing.
If the message isn’t obvious, it doesn’t land. And in e-commerce, implied clarity is the same as confusion.
Val Geisler, one of the most respected email and retention experts in e-commerce, says it best: “You have to explain – not imply.” She’s worked with brands like AccessAlly and Podia, helping them simplify retention messaging – not make it “fancier.”
Spell it out. Even if it feels too simple. If they don’t “get it” in the first read, they won’t give you a second.
Mistake 5: You lead with adjectives, not outcomes.
“Sleek.” “Minimal.” “Modern.” Nice. But… so what?
Adjectives are decoration. Outcomes are motivation. One flatters the product. The other makes the customer want it.
Instead of “sleek, minimalist design,” say:
“Designed to save counter space in small apartments.”
Instead of “lightweight,” say:
“So light, you’ll forget it’s even in your bag.”
If your e-commerce product page doesn’t communicate an outcome, you’re just describing – not selling. The brands that get this? They don’t write product descriptions. They write customer transformations.
Bonus – Mistake 6: You don’t answer the 3-second test.
Go to your product page. Set a timer for 3 seconds. Now answer these questions:
- What is it?
- Who is it for?
- Why should I care?
If you can’t answer all three without thinking – your customer definitely can’t either.
Nick Shackelford, one of the top performance marketers in the DTC space (Feastables, Ridge Wallet, etc.), says it plainly: “You’re not selling to people who know your brand. You’re selling to strangers with no patience.”
This is more than copy. It’s conversion psychology.
People don’t read long enough to figure things out. They read just enough to bounce – or buy. Fail the 3-second test, and your product never stood a chance.
If You Confuse, You Lose – Every Time
Most e-commerce brands don’t fail because their product is bad. They fail because their customer doesn’t get it fast enough to care.
You’re not writing to impress. You’re writing to convert. And in a market flooded with options, writing for e-commerce means saying the right thing – fast.
The brands that win are the ones that make zero assumptions. They speak clearly. They sell instantly. They pass the 3-second test – every single time.
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.