Hiring an Ecommerce Copywriter to Increase Sales and Boost Conversion Rates

What is an Ecommerce Copywriter?

An Ecommerce copywriter is someone who writes web copy for online stores with a goal of increasing sales and conversion rates.

The primary role of an Ecommerce copywriter - at least for us and the online retailers we work with - is to use their writing skills to craft engaging and persuasive product descriptions that effectively sell the product and it's benefits, while also considering the needs of search engines such as Google and Bing, and making sure search engine optimization factors are taken into account.

Your product detail pages (PDPs) are the most important pages on your Ecommerce website when it comes to persuading a visitor to go ahead and purchase the product they're interested in. If you're only going to contract an Ecommerce copywriter for one thing, make sure it's writing product descriptions using direct response strategies.

Of course there are other areas of an Ecommerce website which could benefit from the skills of an experienced copywriter. Many are trained in writing blogs, articles, and landing pages that not only engage readers, but also follow the latest search engine optimization best practices to attract organic traffic. As a specialist Ecommerce email marketing agency we also use experienced copywriters to craft high converting emails that get opened and clicked.

Working With an Ecommerce Copywriter - What to Expect

Firstly, let's get clear on the benefits of working with copywriters experienced in Ecommerce, compared to using a regular blog/content writer or even writing website content yourself. Generally, copywriters product content that is designed to connect with your target audience and let them know your brand understands their wants and needs. This content can live on your Ecommerce store, in your advertising campaigns, or in your marketing emails.

The end goal is selling your products to satisfy solve a problem the reader has, or satisfy a particular desire. This means going above and beyond simply explaining what a product is, how it works, and who it is for. Ecommerce copywriting focuses on the specific benefits your products offer to customers, and ideally highlights the way someones life will improve after purchasing. This is all done while maintaining your unique brand voice, which you may even want a copywriter to help you develop.

The tangible end result of using a copywriter over a traditional content writer should be higher conversion rates and better performing landing pages, product pages, ads, and email marketing campaigns. This is achieved by connecting with your readers and website visitors through the written word to give them a clear understand of how they'll benefit from a purchase. Copywriting is a form of sales writing - performed in a way that directly drives sales.

Ecommerce Copywriting Can Drive Measurable Results and Increase Online Sales

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is one of the most powerful levers an Ecommerce company can pull to drive more sales, and increases the return on investment they see from advertising and dollars spent in all channels. It makes every other marketing strategy more effective. CRO is the practice of increasing the overall conversion rate from visitors to customers on an online store, and Ecommerce copywriting plays a big role in doing this effectively.

Any time you can persuade more website visitors to convert into paying customers, your business benefits massively. Writing effective Ecommerce copy is one of the most efficient ways to do this. Let's take a look at the real impact you could see by investing in a writer with solid copywriting skills.

Example to Illustrate the Benefits of High Quality Ecommerce Copy

Imagine a successful online store with average copywriting that sees 100,000 monthly visitors on average, and 2,000 purchases. This store has a conversion rate of 2%, and if the average order value was $75 the monthly sales revenue would be $150,000:

• 100,000 monthly visitors
• 2000 conversions
• $150,000 total revenue with a $75 AOV

If this online store decides to hire an Ecommerce copywriter and work with them over the course of a few months to refine their brand voice, then craft more persuasive product descriptions and category pages which focus on product features and benefits, it is not unreasonable to assume the overall website conversion rate could increase by 10%. That's a conservative estimate, too.

The following bullet points summarize the new monthly stats after implementing good copywriting from an experienced E commerce writer:

• 100,000 monthly visitors
• 2200 conversions
• $165,000 total revenue with a $75 AOV

You'll see that the overall sales revenue from the Ecommerce store has increased by $15,000 per month, or $180,000 per year. That's a healthy increase achieved via just a small 10% increase in conversions - very achievable by someone with a creative copywriting skillset.

This example doesn't even consider any increase in organic traffic from search engines which would easily result from better SEO and use of specific keywords. Similar examples can be applied to improving the effectiveness of your brand's email marketing strategy, as well as your paid advertising on Google, social media, or other channels.

How to Find an Effective Copywriter for your Ecommerce Business

If you'd like to see the benefits of compelling copy for your own brand you have a few different options available to you.

Firstly, if you'd like to bring on an in-house team member then posting traditional Ecommerce copywriter jobs via sites like LinkedIn or Indeed could be a great way to find the ideal candidate. This is an option larger brands should consider if there is enough work to keep a full-time writer busy. A dedicated copywriter is usually an excellent hire for a brand with a large product catalogue, frequent email campaigns, and a content marketing calendar. Remember that anyone responding to a job alert rather than acting as a freelancer is going to expect all of the classic benefits, ample vacation, and everything else you'd expect from regular employment.

Secondly, there are a wide range of freelance Ecommerce copywriters with a proven ability to drive sales who specialize in writing product descriptions, blogs, and landing pages which are SEO and conversion optimized. Sites like UpWork or LinkedIn can be good places to find these freelancers, who will typically work on a project basis, or charge via a fixed monthly retainer.

Thirdly, you can contract an agency such as ourselves here at Ecommerce Intelligence. We work with a range of Ecommerce copywriters in-house and on a contract basis with experience in different industries - both B2C and B2B. We help brands with everything from high converting email sequences to landing pages, product pages, and SEO optimized blog posts.

Want to be an Ecommerce Copywriter?

If you're a writer - either new or experienced - currently looking for Ecommerce copywriter jobs then the three options above also apply to you when trying to find work. Definitely feel free to contact us here at the agency, as we're always looking for new talent either to work on our client projects producing both emails and web content, or to refer directly to brands. Even if you do not currently have direct experience, learning to write product copy can be a great way to increase earnings as a writer. We cover the basics in our Ecommerce email marketing training course as well, which any writers we work with will get complimentary access to.