7 Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Conversions (And How to Fix Them)

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title: '7 Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Conversions (And How to Fix Them)' date: '2025-11-30T12:00:00-08:00' description: 'Are your sales pages failing to convert? Discover the common copywriting errors draining your revenue and learn the specific fixes to turn readers into buyers.' tags: [ 'copywriting', 'conversion rate optimization', 'marketing tips', 'sales copy', 'digital marketing', 'content strategy', 'business growth', 'landing pages', 'cro', 'writing tips', ] image: '/posts/post-09-01.avif' status: 'published'

You have done the hard work. You built the product. You designed a beautiful website. You even set up the ads and started driving traffic. You watch the analytics dashboard, waiting for the sales to roll in.

But nothing happens.

Or perhaps a trickle happens. A sale here, a signup there, but nowhere near the numbers you projected. You start to panic. Is the product bad? Is the market dead?

Most of the time, the problem is not what you are selling. It is how you are selling it.

The words on your page - your copy - are the bridge between your product and your customer's wallet. If that bridge has holes in it, people fall through. In my decade of auditing websites for conversion rate optimization (CRO), I see the same patterns repeat themselves. Smart business owners make fundamental errors in their writing that drive potential customers away.

The good news? These mistakes are fixable. Often, small tweaks to your headlines, your phrasing, or your structure can double your conversion rate overnight.

In this guide, we are going to look at the copy mistakes that are likely costing you money right now. We will look at why they happen and, more importantly, exactly how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Being "Clever" Instead of Clear

We all want to sound smart. We want our brands to feel witty, sophisticated, and unique. But there is a dangerous trap here. When you prioritize being clever over being clear, you confuse your reader.

And a confused mind always says no.

Imagine a user lands on your homepage. They have about three seconds to understand three things:

1. What do you offer?
2. Who is it for?
3. What should they do next?

If your headline is a vague pun or a poetic metaphor, they have to burn mental energy trying to decipher it. In the fast-paced world of the internet, nobody donates that energy. They just hit the back button.

The Fix: Use the "Caveman Test." Could a caveman look at your headline and understand what you do?

If you sell accounting software, a clever headline might be: “Balance the scales of your destiny.” A clear headline is: “Automated accounting software for small businesses.”

You can always be clever later in the body copy once you have hooked them. But your headline must be crystal clear.

Mistake #2: Focusing on Features Instead of Benefits

This is the most common mistake I see, especially with technical products. You are proud of what you built. You want to tell the world about the specs, the code, the materials, and the dimensions.

Here is the harsh truth - your customer does not care about your product. They care about themselves. They care about what your product can do for them.

Features are what the product is. Benefits are what the result feels like.

The old marketing adage says: "People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole."

I would argue they do not even want the hole. They want the feeling of satisfaction from hanging a family photo on the wall.

The Fix: Review your copy and find every sentence where you describe a feature. Then, ask yourself: "So what?"

• Feature: "This jacket has a Gore-Tex membrane."
• So what? "It keeps water out."
• So what? "You stay dry even in a heavy storm."
• Benefit: "Stay bone-dry and warm, even when the weather tries to ruin your hike."

You need to bridge the gap for the reader. Do not make them guess why a feature matters. Spell it out.

Mistake #3: Suffering from "We-itis"

Count the number of times the words "We," "Our," "Us," and "I" appear on your homepage. Now count the number of times "You" and "Your" appear.

If "We" outnumbers "You," you have a problem.

Business owners love to talk about their history, their mission, their awards, and their office culture. While that stuff has a place (usually on an About Us page), it does not belong in your main sales argument.

When a user visits your site, they are the hero of their own movie. They have a problem they are trying to solve. You are not the hero, you are the guide. You are Yoda, they are Luke Skywalker. If you spend the whole time talking about how great you are at using the Force, Luke is going to go find another teacher.

The Fix: Flip the script. Rewrite your sentences to focus on the user.

• Bad: "We have been providing high-quality plumbing services since 1995."

• Good: "You get reliable plumbing repairs from a team with 30 years of experience."

• Bad: "Our app has the fastest load times in the industry."

• Good: "Save hours of your week with an app that loads instantly."

Mistake #4: Ignoring Visual Hierarchy and Formatting

Copywriting is not just about the words you choose. It is about how those words look on the screen.

If you present your reader with a giant wall of text - a block of 10 sentences with no breaks - their eyes will glaze over. They will not read it.

People on the internet do not read, they scan. They are hunting for keywords and headings that promise value. If you make it hard to scan, you lose the sale.

The Fix: Break it up. You should almost never have a paragraph longer than three or four lines.

Use these formatting tools to make your copy digestible:

• Subheadlines: Use them to summarize the section below.
• Bullet points: Perfect for lists of benefits.
• Bold text: Use sparingly to highlight the most critical phrase in a paragraph.
• Short sentences: They add punch and rhythm.

Your copy should look inviting, not like a homework assignment.

Mistake #5: Weak or Vague Calls to Action (CTAs)

Your Call to Action is the moment of truth. It is the button they click to buy, subscribe, or learn more. Yet, so many websites treat this as an afterthought.

They use buttons that say "Submit," "Click Here," or "Enter."

These are passive. They describe an interaction with a computer, not a value exchange. "Submit" sounds like you are turning in tax forms. It creates friction.

The Fix: Your CTA should complete the sentence: "I want to..."

• I want to... Get My Free Audit
• I want to... Start Losing Weight
• I want to... Join the Club

Additionally, try to surround your button with "click triggers" - small pieces of copy that reduce anxiety. This might be a mention of "No credit card required" or "Cancel anytime" right under the button.

Let's look at how to audit your CTA strength.

Mistake #6: Failing to Address Objections

Every person who lands on your site has a little voice in their head looking for reasons not to buy.

• "Is this too expensive?"
• "Will it work for my specific situation?"
• "What if I don't like it?"
• "Is this company a scam?"

If you ignore these questions, they remain barriers to the sale. Many copywriters are afraid to bring up negatives. They think if they mention the price is high, people will leave. But the user already knows the price is high. By not talking about it, you look like you are hiding something.

The Fix: Identify the top five reasons people do not buy from you. Then, write copy that tackles them head-on. This is often best done in a FAQ section or near the pricing table.

If your product is expensive, justify the investment. "Yes, it costs more than the generic brand, but it lasts three times as long, saving you money in the long run."

If they are worried about it not working, offer a guarantee. "If you do not see results in 30 days, we will refund every penny."

This is called "risk reversal." You take the risk off the customer's shoulders and put it on yours.

Mistake #7: Using Passive Voice

Passive voice makes your writing feel weak, distant, and academic. Active voice feels strong, direct, and urgent.

• Passive: "Results can be seen in two weeks."

• Active: "You will see results in two weeks."

• Passive: "The product was designed by our team to help you."

• Active: "Our team designed this product to help you."

Passive voice creates a subtle psychological distance. It hides the subject of the sentence. In sales, you want a direct connection between the subject (the product or the user) and the action.

The Fix: Read your copy and look for "to be" verbs (was, were, is, are) followed by a past participle. If you can rewrite the sentence to start with the person or thing doing the action, do it.

Active writing keeps the reader moving down the page. It carries momentum.

Mistake #8: Forgetting the "Rule of One"

This is a slightly more advanced concept, but it is critical. Often, we try to be everything to everyone.

• "This software is great for moms, and CEOs, and students, and astronauts!"
• "It helps you save time, and lose weight, and learn French!"

When you try to make one page do too many things, it ends up doing nothing effectively. This is the "Rule of One."

Your page should focus on:

1. One Reader: Who is the ideal person for this? Write to them.
2. One Big Idea: What is the core concept or hook?
3. One Offer: What is the single thing you want them to buy or do?

If you have different audiences (e.g., Enterprise clients vs. Small Business), do not try to squeeze them onto the same landing page. Create separate pages for them.

The Fix: Audit your page. Are you speaking to a specific person? If you read your copy aloud, does it sound like you are talking to a friend, or does it sound like you are addressing a stadium?

Narrow your focus. It feels counterintuitive to exclude people, but specificity sells.

Conclusion

Copywriting is not about being a creative genius. It is about understanding human psychology and having the empathy to see the world through your customer's eyes.

It is about removing friction.

If you can take your ego out of the equation, stop trying to be clever, and start focusing entirely on clarity and benefits, your conversions will improve.

Go through your website today. Pick one of these mistakes - maybe the "We-itis" or the weak headlines - and fix it. Test it. I am willing to bet you will see the difference in your bottom line.

Writing good copy is a skill, and like any skill, it takes practice. But simply avoiding these common traps puts you ahead of 90% of your competition.