8 words that cost your shop sales (and what to write better)
There are words that secretly undermine your webshop. Words that scare your customers away, even before they have a chance to click 'checkout'. I see them almost daily. Beautiful webshops, beautiful products, but then: copy that undermines everything. While the right words are your silent salesmen, convincing, seducing and making people buy. Bad copy costs you money. The good news? If you replace those words smartly, your copy will sell. Here are 8 words you can cut out today, and what you write better.
- Unique
"Unique" sounds nice, but what does it really mean? To the customer, often nothing at all. Everyone says their products are unique.
What works better: show where that difference lies. Tell the story of your product. Where does it come from, who makes it, what details are really different? A leather bag made in a small atelier in Italy feels unique without ever using that word.
- Highest quality
This is one of those promises we hear everywhere. But if you write it down without proof, it reads like an empty slogan.
What works better: substantiate your quality. Tell how your product is made, what materials you use or what tests it passes. Share photos of the manufacturing process or customer reviews that confirm the product will last for years. Then you show that your quality cannot be disputed.
- Cheap
"Cheap" seems appealing, but it mainly attracts customers who will continue shopping at the next offer. And you don't want that: you want customers who come back because they appreciate your brand.
Unless you are a price fighter, of course, in which case cheap is your strategy. But for most web shops that does not work in the long run.
What works better: explain what your product delivers. Maybe it lasts longer, saves time or gives a luxury experience. Focus on the value the customer gets, not just the price they pay. That's how you build a brand that people become fans of.
- We
Many Web shops write from within themselves: "We have..." "We deliver..." "We are..." But customers are not interested in that. They want to know what they get out of it themselves.
What works better: write from the customer's point of view. Don't write "We have a large assortment," but "With us you will always find the perfect gift." That small difference makes your copy much more powerful, because you respond directly to their needs.
- Free shipping from...
Sounds like a bonus, but often it feels like a disappointment. Because below that amount, the customer still has to pay shipping costs. Especially if your price is just €1 below that threshold, it feels annoying.
Besides: customers often don't even read that "free" piece, they mainly see the word "shipping".
What works better: turn it around and make it positive. So not "Free shipping from €50," but: "Above €50 free home delivery." That immediately feels like a benefit, without hiding a downside.
- Super / Great / Fantastic
These kinds of words are meant to be nice, but far too vague. "Fantastic quality" sounds good, but doesn't convince. They are hollow phrases without proof. A customer wants to know what it means concretely.
What works better: let your customers say it for you. Reviews, testimonials and pictures of satisfied customers are much more powerful than you shouting how great you are. Supplement that with concrete details: "Our blankets are made of 100% organic cotton and stay soft even after dozens of washes."
- Sold Out
Sometimes a product is just temporarily out of stock. But a big red sticker with "Sold Out" is an instant rip-off moment. The customer thinks: too bad, then I'll look elsewhere.
What works better: turn it into an opportunity. Add a sign-up button: "Back in stock soon, sign up and be the first to hear about it," or show alternatives that are in stock. That's how you keep customers, instead of sending them away.
- Welcome
The killer on many homepages: "Welcome to our webshop." Very nicely meant, but the customer hasn't come for your welcoming committee. They're there because they need something.
What works better: use that top line for a rock-solid headline. Tell immediately what you sell, for whom, and why they should scroll on now. For example, "Minimalist jewelry you can wear every day" or "The tastiest chocolate, straight from the maker." That way you give your customer an immediate reason to stay.
Good copy sells
Words are your silent salespeople. If you choose them smartly, they convince for you. If you choose the wrong ones, they cost you sales. So it's not about fancy slogans, but language that touches your customer directly. So that they think: this is for me.
So check your webshop texts critically. Delete these eight words and replace them with concrete, customer-oriented copy. You will notice: your web shop will feel stronger, more professional and your conversion will increase.
Which of these words do you still use in your web shop?
This blog is written by Astrid van der Made, e-commerce specialist succesmetjewebshop.nl