Hiring: Ecommerce Copywriter

ecommerce copywriter

Need a hire a copywriter for your ecommerce shop?

You won't want to hire any writer. Instead, you'll want one trained specifically in ecommerce. That's because these copywriters have a specific skill set, fusing creativity and strategy to convince shoppers to buy a product. 

In this article, we’ll answer these two key questions:

  • Why is copywriting so important for your ecommerce store?
  • How is an ecommerce-specific copywriter going to make a difference?

Why is copywriting so important for your ecommerce store?

Ecommerce customers make quick, impulse decisions. According to Copyblogger, 8 out of 10 people will read your headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. This means you have a very short window to move customers through the conversion process.

While photos show customers your product (and good, high-quality photos certainly make a difference in how a visitor feels about your product), copy tells your audience what they are looking at.

When you see a low-quality photo, you immediately know something is wrong. Copy doesn’t always work that way; it isn’t as obvious to spot.

At first glance, you might not think this copy is bad:

Source Living Copywriting

But what exactly are the “number of functions?

Bad website copy doesn't tell readers what they need to hear. 

Really good copy sparks curiosity and creates an emotional bond. It’s clear. It’s concise. It’s informative. It's personal. 

Hiring an expert ecommerce copywriter will:

  1. Get you attention
  2. Build brand identity
  3. Clear up your communication

1. Get you attention

A strong focus on specific keywords gains traction in SEO-land, and hiring a good ecommerce copywriter will drive organic traffic to your site. 

Good copywriters have done their user research; they know what solution your product is solving, and their copy reflects that.

American Tall knows their audience is searching for clothes made for tall men – and they make sure these words appear in their headlines, titles and product descriptions.

American Tall Ecommerce Copywriter

They're specific, too. Visitors learn straight from their Google search the intended height of the men these shorts are made for. 

They're landing page repeats these words as well, keeping the experience consistent from search all the way to the collection page. 

American Tall Ecommerce Copywriter

Not only does good copywriting get you noticed by search engines, but it keeps visitors intrigued and clicking around. 

The hero headline is often a visitor’s first exposure to a brand. It’s the hook to get them to keep exploring, and it sets the tone. 

Braxley Bands Ecommerce Copywriter

 

By declaring on the homepage that Braxley Bands’ products are Insanely Comfortable Apple Watch Bands, they’re making a clear and confident statement that immediately tells visitors what they sell, while simultaneously stating the value of their products. (As a merchant, you should also consider this as a litmus test for visitors to know exactly what you sell upon first glance.) 

Grab the customer’s attention, and they’ll take action. Once they take action, continue to impress. If you can’t get them to buy right away, keep them engaged enough to keep clicking.

For example, a little creativity in your call-to-action (CTA) copy will encourage visitors to continue shopping.

While classic words like “Buy Now” and “Shop Now” do work, the key is to not overuse them. 

Universal Package Store uses fun words like “Fill up” and “Find my next favorite” to entice customers to shop. 

UPS Ecommerce Copywriter

2. Build brand identity 

Copy is your brand voice. 

Your brand voice is how you communicate with your customers. Not just details about your product, but who you are, your mission, and your values. In turn, this builds trust and loyalty with your customers, encourages them to purchase, and keeps them coming back.

Stores who use generic copy don’t come across as relatable:

Ecommerce Copywriter

But businesses who use the right words can tell visitors who they are and create an instant connection:

Ecommerce Copywriter Not Pot

By carefully choosing their words, Not Pot has situated themselves as playful, colorful and fun. They tell shoppers straight away their brand is the opposite of serious. 

Plus, in less than 10 words, they clearly explain what their product is, and what it's not.

(For more information on how to nail your voice, take a look at this article on how to create a brand voice like Apple or Nike.)

3. Clear up your communication

Every little detail counts.

Extending creative copy to every corner of your site provides a superior customer experience. 

Recess keeps it bold with their clever cart copy:

Ecommerce Copywriter Recess

Not Pot keeps it entertaining on their FAQ page:

Ecommerce Copywriter FAQ Not Pot

KinkyCurlyYaki keeps it casual in their live chat: 

Ecommerce Copywriter KinkyCurlyYaki

And Couple keeps it light with their customer service guarantee:

Ecommerce Copywriter Couple

As you can see, good ecommerce copywriting tells the audience what they need to know in a way they can understand.

It extends all the way to email, too.

Braxley Bands' footer newsletter signup shows off their sass:

Ecommerce Copywriter Braxley Bands Footer

Blade & Rose's exit-intent pop-up offers visitors a clear vision of what they'll get if they hand over their precious email:

Ecommerce Copywriter Bade & Rose

And once you have their email address, you can begin to nurture them along the sales funnel. Welcoming visitors to your brand and sending product information emails clears up any confusion shoppers might have about your product.

An ecommerce copywriter knows how to use clear and clever subject lines to stand out in your reader’s inbox. 

Check out the subject line of this Braxley Bands abandoned cart email:

Braxley Band Email

If this teasing subject of, “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” doesn't pique your curiosity and encourage you to click through, we'd actually be mad rather than disappointed. 😛

So now that we’ve told you why copywriting is so important for your ecommerce business, let’s look at how the specific skill set that an ecommerce copywriter can bring to your business.

How is an ecommerce-specific copywriter going to make a difference? 

An ecommerce copywriter knows how to balance creativity with strategy. Without these two aligned, the copy will (most likely) fall flat.

Let’s distill these two key elements, and discuss how they elevate an ecommerce copywriter’s ability to sell: 

  1. Creativity
  2. Strategy

Creativity

Good copywriters weave stories into homepages, product pages and even into testimonials. 

That's because copywriters know that narratives move us emotionally. Stories engage visitors, and keep them reading. By using intentional words and playing to the visitor's imagination, ecommerce copywriters help readers envision themselves using the product, persuading them to make a purchase. 

Doesn’t this description from Allbirds paint a glorious picture in your mind?

Ecommerce Copywriter Allbirds

By using compelling action words, users get excited about the product, and imagine the brand talking to them as if they were a real person.

Supply does this well on their product page:

Ecommerce Copywriter Supply

As you can see, they creatively explain to their customers what the main benefit of their product is, doing so in a playful way.

Strategy

All good ecommerce copywriters leverage their marketing and sales training into their copy.

They know what to say, when to say it, and most importantly, how to say it. 

Ecommerce copywriters know when to move past the cookie cutter words to entice people to act. Take Braxley Bands for example. Instead of “Shop Now” which many online shoppers are desensitized to, they’re asking customers to select a size:

Ecommerce Copywriter CTA

These little details persuade customers to act. And if they don’t, good ecommerce copywriters learn from it. 

They’ll continue to test and iterate on the copy to find the right formulation that inspires shoppers to make a purchase. 

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As you can see, good website copy is an important tool to leverage in ecommerce. It's the best kept secret in sales and marketing. It has the power to bring your store to life, tell customers about your product, and express your brand in a digestible way.