people who fall for salesmen BS? I'm in marketing, I hate obnoxious sales tactics as it is, so I naturally ignore these pages. I also can't understand how anyone believes that those fake quotes and testimonials are actually real.
I am with the majority of you guys. I previously hosted one of the typical '5 foot long' ebook pages that just rambled on and on about the same thing. I couldn't stand looking at the web page, regardless if it was successful in selling the product or not. I am not creating a more 'modern' website with multiple pages, short-accurate descriptions, and an easy to read display. Hopefully it will turn out to be more successful than the last.
I'm with you. The second I see those my tendency is to click away. However, by virtue of the fact that we are on DP forums, we cannot use ourselves as a measuring stick for others. How many friends do you have that know 10% of what you do about web marketing? No one in my acquaintance knows even 1% of what I know about web marketing (SEO, Adsense, Niche selling, etc.), and I consider myself a novice. That's why I come here...to find friends that DO know a thing or two. So, just because WE click away doesn't mean those pages don't work. I'm inclined to agree with clenard: if they didn't work, the successful folks wouldn't use them. People don't buy with ration, they buy with emotion and justify with ration, right? I went through all my Clickbank sales and ranked by Publisher and volume of sales. Then I went to the pitch page of the highest-volume publishers. They all have that same flavor to them. (maybe 3', not 5', but still) It really makes me wonder...if something else worked, they'd be using something else. So...I actually have a question. Does anyone know where I can find a template package where I can mock up that same style? I could build it myself, but I'm lazy. I don't mind writing the copy...just all the formatting would be nice to have.
I believe these are the most common fonts used in Internet Marketing Websites: Most Common: Verdana Sans Serif Impact Georgia Comic Sans MS Others that are used: Arial Courier New Tahoma Times New Roman Check out googlepayload.com. This is probably a good template to follow. It contains the background image surronding the actual page, basic fonts, good color scheme, graphics for the bullet points, images to spice up the page, etc. It is also not overbearing in its presentation with overuse of the highligting or bolded fonts...
Just because you see something out there doesn't necessarily mean it works. People looooove to copy off one another. Combine that with most not using common sense, and you have got some ridiculously long-ass sites out there. DoubleYourDating.com is a good example. He has and has had for quite awhile a slew of affiliates for his site, so his Google ads are always up. Thing is, his competitors thinks it is he who is doing the selling, so his copy must work. Classic mistake. He just goes through a slew of people trying to sell his e-book. Fact of the matter is, around 80% of his visitors don't reach his last page. OUCH! Then you have the ones who refuse to give up, even though they are losing money spending it on ads.
Whenever I see long sales pages, I'm sure they are priced high when I scroll down the bottom of the page. I agree, not all are effective and will buy.
They first have to read it in order for it to work. And since many don't buy from the first site they click on, that ain't good if that site just happens to be the first one they do click on.
It's hard to be objective about the effectiveness of a sales page...and like I said before, we're a jaded audience. Go to Clickbank.com or cbengine.com. Find the top 10 affiliates (ranked by gravity, descending - that will find out who is actually SELLING something). Look at each of their pitch pages. They are remarkably similar. Not 100% alike...but there are huge similarities across all 10. Without having actual sales data about the effectiveness of their pages, I think that's a pretty good, objective indicator about what is working. As much as those pages don't appeal to ME, I'm going to stick with the adage of finding what works for the best and copy that!
I have heard people with these pages tweak and tweak and monitor their conversions striving for the perfect page. Ebooks are the biggest user of the long sales page. I guess if someone can get through the sales page they are the perfect get rich quick ebook buyer. The latest that 5 foot sales pages flooding the web are the google assassinater tell all ebooks that that claims it will make you rich while doing practically nothing. They sell a dream and hope I guess.
According to one statistical study that I saw (it's the only one I've seen on the subject), successful sales letters average about 1.8 pages. The longer it gets, the less successful it gets. OTOH, most successful copywriters swear that long copy sells best. Then again, most of these copywriters have been in the direct response MAIL business -- and a big, fat letter is definitely a different medium than a web page. I tend to like shorter letters myself. HTH, Tom
No that is what ignorant people... people who have never used the software, read the e-book or really know anything about what they are promoting. You want to make some real money? Want to do well with affiliates? I will tell you a secret... ACTUALLY try the software/e-books or whatever it is... find the best and promote it. You will do much better, make more money, become popular as a honest reviewer.
I totally agree with that. Yes you can make money by copying those guys at the top 10, but you will make more by trying and using what you are promoting. You will no longer be BS'ing about how good a product is. You will know first hand how good it is, and it will show in how you write reviews and articles and emails about the product. This will truly create a "WOW" response from your readers once they have bought just one thing you have promoted. It will give them the feeling of "Wow, this guy wasn't kidding... this widget/idea/whatever really works or is really great!".