Dec 10, 2025
“Your brand should make people feel something.”
It’s true but somewhere along the way, clear language got thrown out in favour of lyrical copy that sounds beautiful but says very little.
And in an effort to “elevate” the brand experience, a lot of founders are accidentally making themselves impossible to buy from.
I’ve seen homepages with poetic taglines that give zero indication of what the brand actually sells. I’ve read product descriptions that sound more like spoken word poetry than ecommerce listings and I’ve had founders tell me they don’t want to feel too obvious in their messaging.
But here’s the thing: clear communication is not basic, it’s essential.
The rise of abstract, AI-sounding copy
You’ve probably seen it - websites filled with dreamy lines like:
“Made for the moments that matter.”
“A new way to feel at home.”
“Born from a desire to do things differently.”
These phrases might sound polished, but they’re placeholders. They don’t tell a customer what you do, why it matters, or why they should care.
Then when everyone’s using the same vague language, your brand becomes interchangeable with every other aesthetically pleasing DTC store out there. With the rise of AI tools churning out this type of copy en masse, audiences are getting savvier at spotting it and scrolling past.
Abstract language confuses, it doesn’t convert
When someone lands on your website, they should be able to answer three questions within seconds:
What is this?
Who is it for?
Why should I care?
If your homepage doesn’t make that instantly clear, you’ve got a problem because confused customers don’t convert. They leave.
In this market where you’ve only got a few seconds to grab attention, clarity isn’t optional - it’s essential.
Selling the feeling and the function
There’s a balance to be struck here. You don’t have to choose between being descriptive and being emotive because the strongest brands do both - they clearly explain what the product is and why it matters.
Take a skincare brand like Byoma - their website doesn’t just say “Skincare for modern routines.” It says: “Barrier-friendly skincare powered by science. Hydrating, repairing, and simple to use.”
That tells me:
What it is
What it does
Why it’s relevant
Then it layers on emotion and tone through brand visuals, founder messaging and community content.
It doesn’t rely on copy alone to sell the dream and crucially, it doesn’t let the dream get in the way of the sale.
You can’t skip the basics
Too many early-stage founders jump ahead to crafting brand story before they’ve nailed the fundamentals. Though if you don’t first make it easy for someone to understand what you’re selling, all the beautifully written fluff in the world won’t save you.
So take a step back and audit your site:
Is it immediately clear what your product is?
Are you using specific words that mean something to your customer?
Can a first-time visitor figure out what makes you different?
If not, it’s time to cut the jargon and go back to basics.
Key takeaway for founders and marketers:
Your audience isn’t looking to decode your brand. They’re looking to decide - quickly - whether it’s relevant to them. That decision starts with specific, tangible, plainly written language that says: here’s what this is, here’s who it’s for, and here’s why it matters. From there, you can build all the emotion and aspiration you like. But if you don’t start with clarity, the rest doesn’t land.
If your messaging isn't landing, book a free discovery call today.