Cold traffic doesn’t convert because trust hasn’t been earned yet. And trust isn’t built with flashy CTAs or “10% off” popups. It’s built one step at a time – through subtle cues, story-driven copy, and a consistent narrative.
Joanna Wiebe, founder of Copyhackers and the godmother of conversion copywriting, calls this “building belief before asking for the sale.”
Nick Sharma, advisor behind DTC brands like Feastables and Jolie, calls it “customer journey alignment” – where every touchpoint earns the next.
Val Geisler, email strategist for SaaS and ecommerce brands, calls it “earning the right to ask.”
Trust is a ladder. And every word is either building a rung – or breaking one. Here’s how to build copy that turns strangers into buyers – one rung at a time.
People don’t trust brands – they trust signals.
You’re not being evaluated logically. You’re being scanned for clues.
Shoppers look at your copy and design like detectives. They’re asking: “Does this feel safe?” They notice the tiny stuff – image quality, tone of voice, your returns policy placement. If something feels off, trust erodes instantly. And cold traffic leaves without hesitation. Because they weren’t rejecting you – they were reacting to the absence of trust signals.
This is why even beautiful websites fail. Aesthetic doesn’t equal authority. Trust lives in the micro.
The smartest brands stack credibility cues early and often. They don’t assume belief – they build it.
Trust isn’t what you say. It’s what your visitor feels without even realizing.
Your homepage isn’t where the trust ladder starts – your ad is.
You care about your homepage conversion. But your cold customer? They never even see it.
They come in through a Facebook ad. A TikTok. A direct link to a product page. So the trust ladder starts before your site even loads.
Nick Sharma calls this “click alignment.” Every message – your ad, PDP, email, checkout – should feel like one continuous sentence. No hard resets. No copy-paste brand voice. Just one emotional thread from start to sale.
If your ad promises transformation and your landing page sounds like a brochure, you lost them. If your welcome email feels like it came from a different brand, you broke the ladder.
Think of your customer’s journey like a conversation. And you’re the one speaking first.
If every message doesn’t sound like the same person, you’re not building trust – you’re losing it.
Long-form copy doesn’t bore people – irrelevant copy does.
People do read. They just don’t read copy that doesn’t speak to them.
Joanna Wiebe says it best: “People will read anything if it helps them make a decision.” So your job isn’t to write short – it’s to write sharp. Sharp enough to hit a nerve. Sharp enough to keep scrolling. Sharp enough to feel like you understand them better than they understand themselves.
Talk about their anxiety. Name their hesitation. Describe the exact problem they don’t know how to articulate.
Here’s the counterintuitive truth:
Short copy is for people who’ve already decided. Long copy is for the ones still on the fence.
Don’t trim. Clarify. Go deep. When your copy mirrors their inner voice, they won’t bounce – they’ll trust.
Every scroll should earn the next scroll.
You’re not writing a product page. You’re writing a path. Each scroll is a mini decision: “Do I keep going?” “Do I care enough?” “Do I trust this brand just a little bit more than I did 3 seconds ago?”
Val Geisler teaches brands to “earn the right to ask.” That means every section of your page should remove friction and add belief. Start with the core problem. Add clarity. Stack relevance. Deliver the ask only when the story has been told.
Great pages build rhythm. Each line earns the next line. Each section earns the next scroll.
When it flows, the brain stays engaged. When it stalls, the bounce begins.
The scroll is the sale – just broken up into micro-moments of trust.
5. Great copy doesn’t sell the product – it sells safety.
You think they’re hesitating because they’re unconvinced. They’re actually hesitating because they’re afraid.
Afraid it won’t work. Afraid of wasting money. Afraid of looking dumb for buying something they regret.
Your job isn’t to hype the offer. It’s to remove fear. Use copy to reinforce security, reduce uncertainty, and build confidence in the click.
That’s why smart brands talk about return policies early. They show real photos, not just glossy mockups. They highlight testimonials that mirror the customer’s doubts – not just the praise.
Even your feature bullets can reduce fear:
“This won’t fade in the wash.”
“This absorbs in 60 seconds – no greasiness.”
You’re not selling a product. You’re selling a story that says: “This won’t let you down.”
Safety converts. Confidence closes.
Bonus: People don’t bounce because they don’t care – they bounce because they’re confused.
The brain hates friction. So when your site structure feels clunky, your CTA is vague, or your product name makes no sense, guess what? The visitor doesn’t think – they leave.
Clarity is king. Your headline should answer: “What is this?” Your subhead should answer: “Why should I care?” Your CTA should answer: “What happens next?”
Confusion isn’t neutral – it’s destructive. It interrupts flow. It halts belief. And it puts all your ad spend to waste.
When in doubt, simplify. When in doubt, say less – but mean more. Because no one ever left a site thinking, “That was too easy to understand.”
The Real Sale Happens Before the Click
Cold traffic doesn’t convert because it doesn’t feel safe yet. But trust isn’t magic. It’s manufactured – through words, rhythm, and clarity.
You’re not guiding a customer down a funnel. You’re guiding them up a ladder. And each rung is earned with intention. From the ad to the PDP to the checkout page, it’s all one moment.
Conversion is a relationship. And copy is the first date.
You’re not selling the product. You’re selling the permission to believe in it.
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.