7 Reasons Why Your Copy Does Not Convert

“Your job is not to write copy. Your job is to know your visitors, customers and prospects so well, you understand the situation they’re in right now, where they’d like to be, and exactly how your solution can and will get them to their ideal self.”

— Joanna Wiebe

I get it. You’re struggling. That copywriter you hired and spent a small fortune on wrote copy that doesn’t convert. Now you’re spending hard-earned dollars on traffic that has no interest in what you’re selling. So why is that? How come your copy isn’t converting? And more importantly, what can you do to fix it?

Look, copywriting is a skill that many claim to possess. People from all walks of life will tout that they can write copy that can sell ice to an eskimo. But it doesn’t quite work out that way. Does it? The truth is that most copywriters fail to understand the complexities of the task.

So where does that leave you? As an entrepreneur or business owner, you can’t afford to continue throwing good money away, right? However, there’s light at the end of this tunnel. Because, I’m going to reveal the 7 biggest reasons why your copy isn’t converting browsers into buyers. Plus, the steps you need to take to fix that pronto.

What Makes “Good Copy” So Good?

Senior-level copywriters are expensive. In fact, even if you can find one available, it’ll cost you $250,000 and up annually, plus benefits for a great copywriter. That’s pricey, isn’t it? But there’s a very good reason for that. The best copywriters in the world can help accelerate sales very quickly.

There’s no doubt about that. In fact, some of the world’s best copywriters are the backbones to ad agencies that rake in billions of dollars annually for their advertisers. They seem to be these mystical figures who can create ideas and slogans that sell so well, the entire process seems like magic.

But clearly, it’s not magic. It’s real and concrete. And there are reasons why some copy is so good that it can sell faster than fresh buns out of the oven. It’s because copywriters understand basic human psychology and can understand a problem so well that they can create a voice that connects on a deep, emotional level with anyone.

So if you’re struggling with copy that doesn’t convert, listen up. I’m going to outline how you can debug your copywriting to understand what’s going wrong and know how to fix it. These are the building blocks to high-converting, drool-worthy sales letters, email sequences, landing pages and more.

#1 — You Don’t Fully Understand Your Avatar

All copy starts with the avatar. No, I’m not talking about the movie. I’m talking about your ideal customer. That individual. The person behind the wallet. Do you know who that person is? Can you describe them in detail? All of their characteristics, traits, demographics and problems?

You’d be surprised just how many business owners do no understand their avatar. I never get that. Because, your avatar is at the heart of everything your business does and every decision it makes. Once you can get inside that person’s head, and understand them completely, that’s when the real magic begins.

Look, the basis of writing copy that converts is first understanding the avatar. When you can describe that avatar’s problem better than they can, they’ll connect with you on a deeper level. And the truth is that people buy based on emotion and only later justify it with logic. Not the other way around.

So stop trying to convince people to buy based on bulletpoints of logic riddled with benefits. That’s not how you do it. You must learn to connect on a deeper, more profound level. In other words, you have to tug on their heart strings.

I’ll get more into how we use the power of stories to do that. For now, let’s dig deep into the avatar’s mind. Here are some questions I want you to ask yourself about your avatar:

Who is Your Ideal Avatar?

• What are the desires and dreams?
• What are they passionate about?
• What are their main pain points and problems?
• What do they do for work?
• Where do they live?
• Do they have a family with children?
• What are their hobbies?
• Where do they go in their spare time?
• Are they part of any groups or clubs?
• How old are they?
• Are they male or female?

Where Are Your Ideal Avatars Hanging Out?

• Where do your avatars hang out on the internet?
• Do they read certain newsletters or blogs?
• Are they part of any Facebook Groups, Reddit Forums, or other groups?
• What are they searching for on Google?
• Which LinkedIn groups are they in?
• What are they posting on Twitter/X?
• What kinds of videos are they watching on YouTube?

How Do You Get Your Ideal Avatar’s Attention?

• What stories are part of their lives?
• What experiences have they gone through?
• What things do they resonate with?
• What keeps them up at night, tossing and turning?
• What do they secretly fear more than anything else?

#2 — Your Copy Does Not Properly Address The Problem

Once you understand your avatar, you have to deeply understand their problem. But it’s not just about understanding the problem. You have to convey that you understand it the right way. For example, are you using complex words or simple words?

When you try to sound too sophisticated, your copy fails. It’s just how it is. Instead, try to use third-grade language. Meaning, you should keep it simple. The more you overcomplicate, the less conversions you’ll see. That’s a fact.

So, you need to understand the problem deeply. And you need to convey that you understand it in a way that is simple and straightforward. Don’t use big words. But also don’t use long sentences or dense paragraphs. Keep it simple. Period.

Weave in pictures and bullet points where it makes sense. Properly address the problem by not clouding everything with mucky copy. And always adhere to the KISS (keep it simple stupid) motto. That’s not an insult to you. It’s just a saying to help you remember that simple concepts sell.

#3 — You Are Not Providing Enough Value Upfront

There are two camps at play here. One camp thinks that you should lead with the offer. The other camp thinks you should push people into a sales funnel. I’m not going to vouch for either camp. They both work when you know what you’re doing. What I will tell you is this. Provide CRAZY value.

What does that mean? Well, in an offer scenario, where you’re pushing people into the sale who may or may not know you, how likely is it that they’ll buy? In most cases, this really depends on the severity of their problem, the effectiveness of your solution, and the quality of your offer.

Okay, it’s a lot to digest. I know. But all you need to do is keep one concept in mind. Provide CRAZY value. Yes, I said it twice. And I’ll say it again and again. Why? Because most people will not pull out their wallets in a direct selling environment unless the value is massive.

To provide crazy value, your offer needs to be insanely valuable. Otherwise, when you lead them into a sales funnel, you can provide value by delivering a high quality lead magnet upfront. To do that, you’ll likely need a great copywriter and a designer. Don’t skimp on costs. These are vital pieces for success.

#4 — You Lack Social Proof In Your Funnels

How much social proof do you have in your funnels or sales pages? Your copy may not be converting because you lack social proof. Things like authentic reviews, video reviews, and reviews from trusted sources are huge here.

When you have a strong brand with strong social proof, selling is way easier. But when you lack these things, you’re fighting an uphill battle. You need a solid offer stacked with value to overcome this. And even then, it’s hard.

Do whatever you can to build social proof into your sales pages and funnels. If you don’t know what a sales funnel is, read this. But if you’re in business, then you likely already know. The truth is that leads are getting expensive, and sometimes funnels that begin with lead magnets are a cost effective approach.

When you take that approach, you have to get really good at customer communication. That means you need very effective copy. And sometimes the best way to do this is to simply hire a great copywriter. If you’re looking for the best copywriting service, then go here.

#5 – Your Story-Selling Skills Are Lacking

There’s a reason why stories have been around since the dawn of time. Stories are woven into the fabric of our existence. And without the power of stories, we wouldn’t be who we are. We each have a unique story that makes us individuals.

But we also have stories that connect us all. If you’ve been around reading these posts for any number of years, you know that I often use stories to relay information. In fact, the best content here uses stories. Why? Because it becomes far more relatable.

However, this is not just about story telling. This is about story selling. There’s a way to use stories to sell something. You do this by meeting the prospect where they are today, right now, with a story. This helps create an emotional bond or connection with the prospect.

Is this easy to do? If you’re not a writer, it might seem hard. But it’s really not too difficult. You need to go back in time and remember what sparked you on the current journey of the thing you’re doing now. And share that epiphany in detail.

#6 — You’re Trying To Use A.I. To Generate Copy

Don’t get me wrong, A.I. is great in a lot of ways. But when it comes to creating high-converting copy that gets people to whip their credit cards out of their pockets? Not so much. If you’re using ChatGPT, Bard, or any other A.I. platform to create copy, there’s your answer.

Instead of trying to generate random elements of your offer or sales page using A.I., you must craft it around the prospects problem and tie it to a story. Can A.I. do this? Not quite yet. That doesn’t mean it won’t get there. But this is not rocket science.

How can you know if your copywriter is using A.I. to generate copy? There are plenty of tools that help you detect A.I. Try this one or this one. There are many, but these two will likely help you sort this out. You should also be using this tool to make sure that your copywriter isn’t plagiarizing.

I am not saying that A.I. isn’t helpful. I’m just saying you should not use it to generate copy for pages that require sales conversions. There’s a lot that goes into thinking this through and you need to understand the avatar and the problem in a way that helps optimize sales.

#7 — Your Product Or Service Does Not Fit Their Needs

Last, but certainly not least, is this. Does your product or service actually fit this prospect’s needs? If it doesn’t, your copy will not convert. You can be the best copywriter in the world, but if there’s no fit for the audience you’re targeting, your offer will fall flat on its face.

So how do you know if your product or service fits their needs? Well, ask yourself this question. Does your product or service solve the prospect’s core problem? If you haven’t defined your avatar and don’t know the problem you’re solving, there’s your answer.

Most of the time, this can be salvaged. Products and services can be adapted to solve problems. But it won’t be easy. You see, most people create a product or service without first thinking of the problem that they’re solving. Others, understand that they start at the problem.

Think about it yourself. When you have a problem, don’t you start there with your search? If ants are invading your home or you can’t find a job because your resume sucks, or anything else, you start there. Right? So start there. And make sure that what you’re selling solves the prospect’s core problem.