Instead of the really really long sales letter pages why not just have a FAQS section instead that answers the most important questions?????? seriously really long scrolling sites are annoying. I wonder who was the first person to create the first really really really really really really really really really long webpage
I'd kinda like to know that one myself. Then you have so many copying off of one another, thinking those horrid things work.
Professional Copywriters who know what sells. As much as we (marketers) think they are annoying, they convert well. Can't argue with proven statistics!
Well, most successful Clickbank merchants use them, so long can be very effective, but perhaps you can shorten your sales letter a little bit by including a seperate page to a FAQ section, although I don't honestly know if your FAQ section will really get very much attention.
Long Pages are designed to be skimmed through. Thats why the red headlines with the most important statements
Why Long Sales Pages Work 1. The long sales page contains the entire gamut of possible discussion going on in the head of a potential customer . When you need to account for all possible rejections, questions and variables that could enter the mind of a prospect during that crucial buying decision time, you need to use a lot of words. 2. People have short attention spans and do not like to take action. That’s a fact, anyone who runs a website knows how hard it is to keep attention or convince someone to click something. If you attempt to “pretty up†a long sales page and make navigation “easier†by adding internal links, navigation bars, drop down content, etc, you create actions that people simply won’t do. Instead they will click away and leave your page, thus hurting your conversion rate. 3. To combat the above point, all the content is presented on one page and copywriters use headings as the navigation cues. The page is designed to work from top to bottom just scanning the headlines. As Frank Kern recently pointed out in his Mass Control launch, if you look at most well-written long sales pages you can read the headlines – only the headlines – to garner the entire story from start to finish. Scanners will scroll down the page, stop at the headings that grab their attention, read that content and begin scanning again. 4. Again to combat point 2, the only clickable option is the buy button/link, which ideally is inserted many times down the page using varying text. If your page is designed to sell, then give people the option to buy and nothing else. 5. The big bold red headlines and all the other font wackiness you see in long sales page work because it attracts attention. Everything comes down to this. If you cannot engage attention right from the start then you’re done – you make no sales. Obviously testing is the ultimate conclusion, but to me it just makes sense if you want someone to read something then use the format that is most likely to grab their eyeballs from the beginning. What About The Hype Factor? Let’s face it – hype sells. Hype to one person is not hype to another. It’s not something you can quantify and measure to find an appropriate dosage. You simply use ‘enough’ so that you get conversion to meet your goals. If some people label you a hype merchant as a result, then you have to suffer the feedback or, reduce your hype, satisfy the complaints of a few vocal people and potentially lose sales. Can you reduce hype and still convert well? Of course, but I’ll say it again, some people will look at something and see hype while others won’t. If you continue to attempt to react to ‘public opinion’ you are like a politician trying to please all of the people all of the time – it can’t be done. What should matter are your goals and your principles. You don’t want to compromise either of them, but understand your principles will not align with other’s. Some marketers will look at you and think you are leaving money on the table for not milking the frailties and insecurities of your target market for every penny you can get. Others will label you as a ruthless marketer, selling snake oil and hoping to get rich off the back of every ’sucker’ out there who falls for your hype. You can’t win when it comes to public opinion if winning means satisfying everyone. Think About This… Here’s some variables you need to at least think about. I’m not saying these are necessary true all the time, but consider them when you are criticizing the use of the long sales page… * What if the people who complain about long form sales pages are a small vocal minority? * What if the people who complain are not the target market and even if you showed them a smaller page they wouldn’t buy? * What if results are more important than opinion? Would it matter if 50 people said your sales page sucked and they would never buy anything from you, but 200 people did buy and said nothing at all? * Are successful online marketers who use the long sales page fooling each other following suit because everyone else does or are they testing their sales pages to find what format converts best? * Do you hate the long sales page because you are constantly online and always reviewing products that people sell so you are overexposed to it and have never actually sold something yourself using a long form sales page? Right now, there is nothing better than the long form sales pages for selling some products online, this is based on proven test results Cheers, Vstar
vstar, I think the points you've made could be done in a short sales letter. I respect your point of view, and if really long sales letters work for you, more power to you! Personally, I've had good success with something very short and sweet directly to the point. Now, that doesn't mean you can forget about the value of testimonials, a demo, maybe a video of your product in action, etc. I think all of that can still be done rather quickly without it being 5+ pages long. Here's another thing, I do not think that you should sacrifice answering the questions of potential buyers just so you can keep your page short. However, one important statistic I always go by is that they have to know what your page is about within 7 seconds. A long sales letter, may or may not accomplish that. I enjoy getting straight to the point for that reason. I agree with you in the sense that you should not hide the information though!
Yes of course sometimes there are better alternatives, but it’s on a case-by-case, test-by-test basis, there is no rule. Video is becoming more prevalent and in some tests results I’m hearing from top marketers, video will outperform a long sales page. However each test must be independent. You can’t assume something just because someone else says so. I’m going to add video to some of my opt-in and sales pages and see if it increases conversion. I think it will, but I won’t know until I try. I’m also going to experiment with my long sales page style and test reducing some of the characteristically typical “hypey†parts of it. I’m well aware my audience of bloggers contains a significant chunk of people who don’t like long form landing pages. At least I think there are enough of them that I should try selling with a page that will still be long, but may be toned down when it comes to elements like the big red font. Again though, I’m spitting assumptions at you now, I won’t know until the copy is tested. The Conclusion To start with the obvious let’s state what we know for certain – all you can trust is testing. However there is an intangible element too, which is about branding. Your public perception is your brand and that in turn is impacted by your use of certain sales techniques. No doubt Skellie gains a lot of friends by adding to the chorus of the long form sales page haters. People who share the opinion feel a stronger rapport with her after reading her anti-long landing page article and this may benefit Skellie in the future when she goes to sell something. I know for certain I lose some readers whenever I promote a product as an affiliate or one of my own. I once received an email reply that said something along the lines of – “you are a snake oil merchantâ€. These people do not like it when I act like a marketer or when I sell to them something they don’t want or use language they find hypey. If these people were in the majority I’d have to adjust my practices but, to tie back into the testing point above, in the end I make decisions based on results, not a few angry emails from the vocal minority. Sure I’d love to please all of the people and I do my best to please as many as I can, but all you can do is what works best for yourself and meet your own standards, and adjust as you go. That of course means helping a lot of people – hopefully the majority of my audience gain from my output – but as your profile and exposure grows you also attract people who do not approve of what you do or say – it’s one of the first signs of success.
Yeah Vstar blah blah. Just make a dang FAQS section with answers to all the "possible discussion going on in the head of a potential customer" and questions they might have. You don't need drop down menus and all that other stuff. Yes people have short attention spans... exactly! so the longer the page.... don't you think they'll just lose interest? most people have very little patience.
Let's be honest here, Do you not think those Multi Million Dollar a year Gurus have Not done their Homework... Like it or Not, Those long Sale Pages Convert... End of Story! I've been Marketing Online for nearly Ten Years now and I have tested, tested and retested... The Long sales page wins every time (at least for me and my Niches) What can I say... If it works, Don't fix it! I Loved debating this, and by the amount of PM's I've received asking me to mentor... I know I'm right!..... Cha Ching!!!! Take care all Vstar
FAQ are quite boring to read Long sales pages are filled with different hooks and bait to suck customers in... better results
Baahhh humbug! I dont know where you guys get these stats but I really don't care. Long is boring. Short and Sweet will become the preferred way real soon. The majority of today’s young consumers and entrepreneurs I'm sure agree.
That's one Man's opinion, However the facts don't lie. I ask you once again.... Why Do you not think those Multi Million Dollar a year Gurus continue to use the long Sales pages, Do you really think they have Not done their Homework and tested, tested, tested and retested...of course they have and so have I. As I said in my replies... Out of 100 hundred prospects, I would much rather have 25 customers click off my page and have 75 who order... PERIOD! Sorry, but you can't argue with proven statistic... you're only arguing with yourself. Keep in mind that long sales letters are not intended for people like me or you (who are already into Internet marketing) they are directed at the majority of people who are contemplating getting into internet marketing... two completely different demographics here! WOW, Talk about calling the Kettle Black! P.S. I see you are promoting Affiliate Classroom in your Signature.... That's Gotta be one of the Loooooongest sales pages I've ever seen ;-) Check out the long sales letter in this hypocrites signature WOW, talk about calling the Kettle black!