Conversion Copywriting in eCommerce

Conversion Copywriting in eCommerce is the art of writing copy so visitors quickly move from interested to ready to buy.

And in order to understand this topic, we need to first understand why conversion rates are stuck at 2.5% to 3%.

Here’s why your conversion rates aren’t as high as you would like them to be:

Buyers are bombarded with 100s of ads a day. Our brains can’t physically evaluate each pitch. So shoppers have developed mental shortcuts to navigate this neon maze.

After running 100s of A/B tests we’ve been able to identify nine fundamental truths about shoppers:

1: Shoppers are skeptical of too good to be true.

If something in your pitch is hard to believe make sure you provide tons of supporting evidence.

2: They find expertise sexy.

Prove to the buyer you know 10x more about the problem they’re here to solve.

3: Root for people who beat the odds.

Describe the challenges of developing this product. Consumers place more value on hard-to-produce things. Science also shows we’re drawn to experts who admit vulnerability.

This narrative structure is powerful:

“We started in this direction, thought it would be easy, encountered a problem, nearly gave up, and then, in the end, solved it.“

4: Are fascinated by surprising details.

Educate the shopper. It will make you look smart and make the shopper feel more informed about the problem.

5: Are visual animals.

Help them imagine owning/using the product. Help them visualize the pain of the problem. The clearer you can help them see the higher the likelihood of them buying from you.

6: We need motivation to break habits.

Shoppers might flirt with the idea of change but it’s always easier (and less risky) to continue doing what they were doing.

So, give them a compelling reason to stop what they’re currently doing and buy your solution.

If you can’t build a compelling case for investing in your solution you’re dead.

7: Love personalized experiences.

Talk about second-order things related to the purchase. Example: you sell a cast iron skillet. Skillets are heavy and inconvenient. But people buy them because they care about cooking. And they care about cooking because they appreciate the taste. So talk about taste.

It’ll feel like magic to the shopper because they didn’t say they cared about taste– you just connected the dots.

8: Like knowing they’ve stumbled onto something rare.

Figure out a way to frame your pitch so it makes the shopper feel like they’re entering a special invite-only club.

Example: only 2% of shoppers looking for XYZ discover this page.

9: Buyers must overcome their negative thoughts.

Think up every objection the buyer could raise and address it– convincingly.

Here are four things that trigger negative thoughts:

— Missing features
— Inferior features
— Costs
— Confusing elements

Conversion Copywriting is the most important detail for an online retailer. But what we’ve shown in this short Conversion Copywriting in eCommerce is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more we have to share. If you are prepared to change the course of your business head to our Marketing Secrets article.