Most people think products sell because they’re “better.”
But in e-commerce, that’s rarely true.
You’ve seen it yourself:
A ridiculous product – a glow-in-the-dark toilet nightlight, a plush banana, a coffee mug that says “world’s okayest boss” – somehow crushing it online.
Meanwhile, your high-quality, well-researched, “actually useful” product struggles to get noticed.
Why?
Because people don’t buy products. They buy what those products say about them.
I’ve spent some time studying what actually sells. The answer is always the same: psychology wins.
And the fastest way to inject psychology into your product is through one thing:
Better copy.
Below are 4 psychological levers that make boring, ridiculous, or “meh” products turn into bestsellers – and how to start using them immediately.
1. People Don’t Buy Products – They Buy Status
No one’s buying the plain white t-shirt.
They’re buying the story that comes with the brand.
Same cotton. Same stitching.
One sells for $8. The other sells for $120.
Because people don’t just want to own something – they want to become someone.
If your copy doesn’t speak to identity, it’s invisible.
Rewrite your product like this:
- Not: “Stainless steel water bottle”
- Try: “Built for people who train, not complain.”
Give your buyer a persona to step into. Make the purchase feel like a promotion.
People don’t buy to solve problems. They buy to feel upgraded.
2. Boring Products Need Exciting Use-Cases
If your product isn’t inherently exciting, the story around it needs to be.
Most product pages focus on features. That’s a mistake.
Features don’t sell. Use-cases do.
You’re not selling a foldable phone stand.
You’re selling the ability to Zoom from the airport.
To scroll hands-free while cooking.
To never wedge your phone between two cereal boxes again.
Your job is to make them imagine it in their hands before they click “buy.”
Use this formula:
Before: Chaos. After: Control.
Before: Embarrassed. After: Effortless.
Before: Clutter. After: Calm.
Make your copy feel like a commercial in their head.
3. People Buy When They Feel Seen
Most product copy is written from the seller’s point of view.
Great copy is written from the customer’s inner monologue.
If you describe someone’s problem better than they can, they’ll assume you have the solution.
“Tired of waking up with neck pain?”
“Sick of carrying 6 different cords when you travel?”
“Wish your morning coffee actually stayed hot?”
These aren’t sales lines. They’re empathy triggers.
Neville Medhora, known for his no-fluff, punchy copywriting style calls this “Problem – Agitate – Solve.”
Your copy isn’t about proving how smart you are.
It’s about proving how well you understand them.
4. You’re Not Being Outsold. You’re Being Outwritten.
Most store owners think they need a better product, or more ads, or better photography.
But the truth is:
The winners just know how to tell a better story.
Even a mediocre product, wrapped in the right message, will sell 10x better than a superior one described in generic, logical language.
Because logic doesn’t sell. Emotion does.
Identity does.
Status does.
Use-case does.
And the good news?
You don’t need to invent those things.
You just need to say them out loud – in the words your customer already uses.
Write like you’re inside their head.
Write like you get them.
Write like your words make their life better.
Because when your product feels like a solution to their identity, not just their problem – that’s when they buy.
5. If Your Headline Doesn’t Slap, Nothing Else Matters
The best product in the world will die behind a weak headline.
People are skimming. Scrolling. Toggling between 8 tabs.
Your headline is either a green light or a dead end.
Here’s the test:
Would you stop scrolling for this line?
Would you click it?
Would you feel something?
If not, rewrite it.
Don’t sell the product. Sell the outcome.
Don’t say what it is. Say what it does.
Don’t describe it. Promise it.
Headline idea rewrites:
- Not: “Notebook with 100 pages”
- Try: “The Last Notebook You’ll Ever Buy (Because It Actually Makes You Want to Write)”
Copywriters write 10+ headlines for a reason. You only get one shot at the first impression.
You Don’t Need a Better Product – You Need a Better Story
The internet doesn’t reward the best solution. It rewards the best positioned one.
If your copy doesn’t trigger emotion, desire, and clarity in the first 3 seconds, it doesn’t matter how helpful your product is.
The goal isn’t to be clever. The goal is to be clear.
If this made you rethink how you sell, follow me.
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.