7 Best Practices to Write Epic E-commerce Sales Copy Your copy must not talk about how great your products are, your ecommerce sales copy should talk about what your products can do to customers

How to write ecommerce sales copy is one of the most discussed questions today. And that's not surprising, considering the fact that ecommerce has been growing at a rapid rate.

As it happens, writing an ecommerce sales copy isn't a perfected science yet. Despite that, there are certain key elements that you can take care of when you set out to write the copy.

If you can take care of the following 7 points, you can be sure your ecommerce sales copy will be superior and will definitely attract more visitors – and business – than earlier. Here they are:

1. Create Buyer Personas

The two most important things to understand in any business are what you are selling and whom you are selling to. Creating buyer personas is the exercise to better understand your buyer and what problem they're trying to solve. Maybe they want a better oven, maybe they want better fitting shoes, maybe they're looking for a Christmas gift for mother... it could be anything.

The important part to understand the buyer persona is the context in which they make purchase decisions; often the same product is bought more than once with different reasons. If your copy can talk to your visitors with that context, a sale is bound to follow.

2. Define the Value Proposition

Markets aren't homogeneous. Some buyers are always looking for great deals, some are looking for faster delivery options, some are looking for wider options to choose from...

You can't sell everything to everyone. That's why your ecommerce store must define the value proposition clearly. Are you offering great prices? Are you offering better flexibility in delivery? Are you offering products that aren't easily available elsewhere?

When your sales copy reflects your value proposition clearly, your customers and visitors can instantly connect with you.

3. Find Your Brand's Tone

Is your brand a fun-type? Or is it more serious? Does your brand target the high-school market? Or is it meant for someone who is close to fifty and making retirement plans?

Based on how and at what level you wish to connect with and appeal to your customers, the language you use to write ecommerce copy, the presentation style, the imagery... everything you use in the copy changes. For instance, using a denim design in the background is perfect if you're talking to teenagers but not if you're talking to senior citizens.

4. Keep the Customer in Focus

Don't forget the old (but very valuable) maxim: customers don't buy products, they buy solutions.

Your copy must not talk about how great your products are. Your ecommerce sales copy should talk about what your products can do to customers.

Let's say your store sells handbags. Talking about the material, color and prices doesn't make sense beyond a point. Tell customers what it will do to them. Will it make them appear more fashionable? Will your handbags help them stay organized? Sell the benefits, not the product.

Next, keep a tight check on how often you use "we" and "us". Make sure you use very little of "we" words and use mostly the "you" and "your".

5. Improve Product Descriptions

Cut to the chase and quickly and effectively show the product benefits.

Customers first look for product benefits when they're considering making a purchase. In this attention-deprived world, make sure you've written your product descriptions appealingly let concisely. Your product descriptions should be scannable, like bullet-points; long-form, essay styled product benefits mostly are ignored by visitors.

Make sure to highlight the key benefits clearly. Your product may be doing seven different things but it might also be doing two things very well. Highlight those particular strengths effectively.

6. Be Persuasive Without Being Cheap

This is one of the most difficult tips to follow for inexperienced writers. When you try your hand to write ecommerce copy for sales, you want to show the benefits and immediately want visitors to make a purchase.

It doesn't work that way. Your Call To Action must be compelling but not desperate, over the top. If you make your benefits sound too good to be true, you'll only raise doubts about the product.

Use more action words, more verbs. Tell clearly what action you expect readers to take once they've read the copy. Show some urgency without being cheesy.

7. Follow Best Practices

It's easy to fall for quick-fixes in order to generate more business. Trust me, anything that's easy and fast is normally not safe.

Make sure you always follow email sale copywriting best practices. Make sure you don't over-promise and under-deliver. Don't misguide visitors. Always seek to build long-term relationships with trust.

Closing Words

Writing great e-Commerce copy is a necessity in today's hyper-competitive world. It's important that you understand the finer elements of the writing process. That will help you write e-commerce copy that's persuasive, accurate, fair and efficient.