Emotive Selling Part 1: Why Vanilla Copy is Killing Your Conversions (and How to Fix It)

This is the first article in my 12-part series on emotive selling for ecommerce marketers. If you've been wondering why your perfectly optimised product pages aren't converting, this might be the missing piece.

I want to start this series with an honest reflection on my work that’s mattered as a marketer.

After 25+ years in ecommerce, I've seen more businesses fail because of boring copy than bad products. Not pricing issues. Not inventory problems. Not even technical glitches. Vanilla, emotionless copy that treats customers like walking wallets rather than real people with real feelings.

Here's the thing every ecommerce marketer needs to understand: People don't buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.

Yet walk through 90% of ecommerce sites today and you'll find copy that reads like it was written by a committee of robots. Features, benefits, specifications. All perfectly logical. All completely forgettable.

Ecommerce Growth Stagnation: The Vanilla Epidemic

Let me paint you a picture. You're selling a leather jacket. Here's what vanilla copy looks like:

"Premium genuine leather jacket. Available in black and brown. Features include front zip closure, two side pockets, and fully lined interior. Machine washable. 30-day returns policy."

Accurate? Yes. Compelling? About as much as a tax return.

Now here's emotive copy for the same jacket:

"The jacket that makes you feel like you could handle anything. That first morning when you slip it on, you'll notice how the leather feels substantial in your hands - not heavy, just reassuring. Like armour for the everyday battles ahead. This is the jacket that gets better with every story it collects."

Same product. Completely different emotional response.

Why AI Makes This Worse (Not Better)

Everyone's rushing to AI-generated copy thinking ‘more’ is the answer. It'll solve their conversion problems. Here's the brutal truth: AI makes vanilla copy at scale. It can optimise for keywords, follow templates, even A/B test variations. But it can't feel what your customers feel.

AI doesn't know that your customer just went through a divorce and buying that dress isn't about the fabric - it's about feeling confident again. It doesn't understand that the dad buying camping gear isn't shopping for tents - he's buying memories with his kids.

These emotional nuances, these human insights, these moments of connection, they can't be automated. They require someone who understands what it feels like to be your customer.

The Real Cost of Vanilla Copy

Here's what vanilla copy is actually costing you:

Lower conversion rates: When customers can't connect emotionally with your product, they comparison shop on price. You become a commodity.

Weaker brand loyalty: Without emotional connection, customers will jump ship for the next deal. There's no story keeping them attached to your brand.

Increased return rates: When customers buy based on features alone, they're more likely to be disappointed. The emotional expectation wasn't set.

Higher customer acquisition costs: You're forced to compete on price and promotions because you haven't given customers any other reason to choose you.

The Emotive Alternative

Emotive selling isn't about manipulation. It's about connection. It's about understanding that every purchase is emotional, even when customers think they're being logical.

The example above is one of my favourites. The emotive connection is simple. When yu buy a Gladstone bike you’re joining a group of discerning hooligans. It captures the essence of the purchase. I love it.

When someone buys a watch, they're not buying a timepiece. They might be buying:

• The feeling of being organised and in control

• The confidence that comes with wearing something substantial

• The story they'll tell about investing in quality

• The connection to craftsmanship and tradition

Your job isn't to sell them a watch. It's to sell them the feeling they're really after.

Three Signs Your Copy Has Gone Vanilla

1. It could describe any competitor's product If you can swap your brand name for a competitor's and the copy still works, you've got vanilla copy. Good emotive copy is uniquely yours.

2. It focuses on what the product IS, not what it DOES for the customer Features are vanilla. Feelings are emotive. "Waterproof" is vanilla. "Confidence to get out in any weather" is emotive.

3. It reads like a specification sheet If your copy reads like something you'd find in a manual, you've lost the human connection. People don't buy specifications. They buy solutions to problems they can't always articulate.

The Human Advantage

Here's why human insight will always beat AI in emotive selling:

We understand context: We know that "running shoes" means different things to a marathon runner versus someone trying to get back in shape after having kids.

We recognise patterns: After years of working with customers, we spot the emotional triggers that really matter.

We live the experiences: We've felt the frustration of products that don't deliver. We understand the joy of finding something that actually works.

We can read between the lines: When a customer says they want "something comfortable," they might really be saying they want to feel confident in their own skin.

Your First Step Away from Vanilla

Here's what I want you to do right now:

Choose your worst-performing product page. The one that gets traffic but doesn't convert. I guarantee it's drowning in vanilla copy.

Rewrite just the main product description using this framework:

1. Start with the feeling: What does owning this product actually feel like?

2. Paint the picture: Help them visualise using it in their life

3. Address the real need: What problem does this solve that they can't articulate?

4. End with confidence: Why is this the right choice for them?

Don't change the price. Don't change the images. Don't change the traffic source. Just change the emotional connection.

Then measure what happens to your conversion rate over the next 30 days.

What's Coming Next

In the next article, we'll dive deep into the psychology of purchase decisions. I'll show you how to identify the real emotional triggers that drive your customers to buy, and how to speak directly to those motivations.

Because here's the truth: Every purchase is an emotional decision that gets justified with logic. Your job isn't to give them more logic. It's to connect with the emotion first.

The businesses that understand this (the ones that can create genuine emotional connections with their customers) they don't just survive in competitive markets. They thrive.

They're the ones customers remember. The ones people recommend. The ones that build lasting relationships instead of just processing transactions.

That's the power of emotive selling. And it's something no AI can replicate. Sorry ‘bots.

This is Part 1 of my 12-part series on emotive selling for ecommerce marketers. The next article will explore the psychology behind purchase decisions and how to identify your customers' real motivations.

Want to dive deeper into building emotional connections with your customers? Check out my full guide to emotive selling at ecommercegrowth.co.uk