If your copy isn't converting well, you might be making these common copywriting mistakes that are silently killing your conversions. Discover what they are.
Are you struggling to convert your website visitors into clients? It's likely because your website copy isn't doing a very good job.
You can have the prettiest, professionally designed website, brilliant products or services, and tons of testimonials from happy clients praising you. But if your copy doesn't convey to your customers why they should buy from you, they won't.
The truth is that copywriting can make or break your business.
Unfortunately, many business owners don't fully grasp the importance of copywriting and choose to write their website copy themselves (even if they don't know much about copywriting), generate it with ChatGPT and other AI tools, or hire a cheap “copywriter” on Fiverr.
As a result, many of them end up unknowingly making copywriting mistakes that cause their potential customers to click away from their site and never return.
In this article, I’ll share 7 common copywriting mistakes that may be killing your website conversion rates (and scaring your readers away like Chuky on a Halloween night).
7 Common Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Your Conversions
1. Your copy is me-focused.
The most common mistake business owners make in their copy is putting the focus on themselves. How many times have you landed on a website that only talks about the company, its achievements, and how great its “team of experts” is?
Yes, it's fantastic that you're proud of your achievements and offers, but to be honest - no one cares. Talking about yourself on your website causes a disconnect between you and your leads because they simply cannot relate to anything you’re saying.
People care less about who you are and more about what you can do for them. So instead of only talking about yourself or your company, start talking about what you can do for your customer.
2. You’re positioning yourself as the hero.
In the book “Building a StoryBrand,” Donald Miller explains it this way:
In every story, there’s a hero who’s on the lookout for the perfect solution to end their suffering and a guide who’s there to help the hero on their journey. Just think of Luke Skywalker and Yoda, Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore, or Frodo and Gandalf.
In marketing, your client is the hero. You are the guide.
Many business owners struggle to understand that because it’s counterintuitive. Of course, you’d want to position yourself as the hero in your customer’s eyes, right?
Wrong! Your customers don’t care about who you are. They care about how you can help them. They need you to be their guide - the guide that provides a perfect solution to end their most pressing problem.
This should be reflected in your copy. If you want to see conversions rolling in, focus on relating to your customers and showing them how you can help them and why your solution is the best for them.
3. Your copy is feature-focused.
Another common mistake I often see business owners make in their copy is focusing solely on the features of their products or services.
Yes, it's important to talk about the features, but if you don't tell your customers how these features can benefit them, they won't understand why they should buy from you.
Just think about it! When you decide to buy a new coffee maker, you aren’t just looking for it to have temperature control. You’re looking for a coffee maker that can make coffee the way you like it.
You’re not just looking for it to have an automatic shutoff. You’re looking for peace of mind every time you turn it on because you know you keep forgetting to switch it off.
Features appeal to our logical side. Benefits appeal to our emotional side. And people buy based on their emotions and then justify their decisions with logic.
4. You use corporate jargon and complex sentences.
Using industry-specific jargon in your copy is tempting, especially if you’re trying to position yourself as an expert. However, it can actually be a turnoff for prospects who aren't familiar with it.
The same goes for using complex terms and sentences. Unless you know your audience uses sophisticated language in their daily lives or is familiar with industry-specific terms, simple words and phrases are your best bet.
That’s because the more complicated your language is, the less likely your prospects will understand what you mean — and the less likely they will convert into customers.
If you find it hard to come up with simpler alternatives for the corporate jargon, use content writing tools like Thesaurus to find synonyms or Copy AI to rewrite complex sentences.
5. Your copy is full of vague statements and overused buzzwords.
Vague statements are one of the biggest conversion killers! Sentences such as “I’ll help you live your dream life” can mean a thousand different things.
The key to writing copy that appeals to your customers on an emotional level is to provide them with enough details about how your product or service will change their lives - enough to visualize it. If they can imagine it, they’ll understand it better.
So, when writing copy, avoid vague and overused statements that sound pretty but don’t really mean anything. Instead, be as specific as possible! A little less "fluff" goes a long way in converting more qualified traffic into sales.
6. Your copy has no personality.
One of the worst mistakes you can make when writing your copy (or your content) is to sound like everyone else.
Your copy should be a delicious smoothie of conversational and friendly with a pinch of your quirkiest trait (such as quoting movies, making funny analogies, or telling it like it is).
Many brands have no personality because they want to appear professional and trustworthy. Not to mention that many business owners don’t even take the time to define their brand personality before launching their businesses!
But the truth is that shining your brand’s personality doesn’t mean you’ll appear unprofessional. On the contrary! It’ll help people recognize and resonate with you because of your unique tone of voice. It’ll help you stand out.
7. You aren’t using calls to action enough.
Wondering why you’re struggling to convert website visitors or email subscribers into customers? If so, take a critical look at your calls to action!
A call to action (CTA) is any text or button that prompts people to do what you want them to do. For example, you may want them to sign up for a free trial, download your ebook, or purchase a product.
Many business owners are afraid to use CTAs in their copy because they don’t want to appear spammy or pushy. But the thing is, if you don’t tell your customers exactly what you want them to do next, they likely won’t do anything at all.
The CTAs in your copy should be well-thought-out. Where do you want to lead your customer next? A website can have multiple calls to action as long as they are strategically placed throughout the page and make logical sense.
The most effective CTAs include benefits that appeal to the customer, such as "start saving money today." But that’s a topic for another post!
It’s Time to Face the Music
Now that I’ve laid out the most common copywriting mistakes, it’s time to take a harsh look at your copy. Are you making any of these mistakes?
Remember that copy is what bridges that gap between your offer and your customers.
After all, without precise, compelling, easy-to-read copy that speaks directly to your target audience, you'll have a hard time convincing people to take action, whether to purchase from your website or opt-in to your email list.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through my link, I get a commission from the sale at no additional cost to you. You're just helping me keep the blog alive!
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