The Story Overlap Finder
Most ecommerce brands treat their website like a mirror — logo front and centre, "we" language everywhere, and messaging that talks about the company more than the customer.
The truth? Your brand story only matters where it overlaps with your customer's story. Everything outside that intersection is just noise. This free workbook walks you through finding that overlap — the foundation of every message, headline, and product page that actually lands.
- A step-by-step framework to find your Story Overlap
- Ready-to-use audit checklist for every touchpoint
- Worked examples from real ecommerce businesses
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Created by Matt and the team who not only host the eCommerce Podcast, but also have a portfolio of eCommerce brands.
Your messaging is talking to itself
Most ecommerce websites have a we-to-you ratio that's heavily skewed toward the brand. Your company history, awards, and founding story might matter to you — but your customers are too busy thinking about their own story to care.
- "Our homepage looks great — why isn't anyone converting?" – Because it's a brochure about your company, not a gateway to solving the customer's problem. Every "we" and "our" pushes the customer further from the story they care about — theirs.
- "We've told them everything about our brand — what more do they need?" – They need to see themselves. Your awards and accreditations are credibility signals, but when they're positioned as "look at us" instead of "here's what this means for you," they fall flat.
- "I've rewritten the copy three times and it still sounds generic" – Because you're rewriting from your circle of the Venn diagram. Until you find the overlap between your story and your customer's story, every rewrite will sound like a variation of the same brand monologue.
The Story Overlap Finder gives you the exercises, prompts, and frameworks to find that intersection — and build every message from it.
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<h2>Your messaging is talking to itself</h2> <p>Most ecommerce websites have a we-to-you ratio that's heavily skewed toward the brand. Your company history, awards, and founding story might matter to you — but your customers are too busy thinking about their own story to care.</p> <ul> <li><strong>"Our homepage looks great — why isn't anyone converting?"</strong> – Because it's a brochure about your company, not a gateway to solving the customer's problem. Every "we" and "our" pushes the customer further from the story they care about — theirs.</li> <li><strong>"We've told them everything about our brand — what more do they need?"</strong> – They need to see themselves. Your awards and accreditations are credibility signals, but when they're positioned as "look at us" instead of "here's what this means for you," they fall flat.</li> <li><strong>"I've rewritten the copy three times and it still sounds generic"</strong> – Because you're rewriting from your circle of the Venn diagram. Until you find the overlap between your story and your customer's story, every rewrite will sound like a variation of the same brand monologue.</li> </ul> <p><strong>The Story Overlap Finder gives you the exercises, prompts, and frameworks to find that intersection — and build every message from it.</strong></p>
Related Episode
Dive deeper into this topic with this podcast episode
Your Customers Don't Care About Your Brand
Most ecommerce homepages say 'we' three times for every 'you.' Here's the only place your brand messaging actually matters. Matt Edmundson breaks down the Story Overlap — the intersection between your brand story and your customer's story. Using a live homepage audit, Apple's famous '1,000 songs' line, and the transformation of Jersey Beauty Company from jiffy bags to remarkable unboxing experiences, this episode shows exactly how to find where your story and your customer's story meet — and build all your messaging from that intersection. Download the free Story Overlap Finder workbook the accompanies this episode.