Ok I'm launching a series of new trading sites, and I am doing the following, to capitalize on the web 2.0 plus long copy approaches:

Taking a cue from Michel, I think the right answer is to try BOTH, on different sites, since they'll appeal to different niches/crowds, then test conversions.

So you can see both Copywriting And Direct Response Marketing Consulting By The Success Doctor, Inc. (web 2.0 style) and Copywriting And Copy Critiques By A Top Copywriter (long copy namesqueeze style), as examples from a "living legend" in online copywriting (that being Michel)...

And I'm going to use the same approach, eg a series of sites, some are web 2.0ish look plus interactivity/audio/video clips, "corporate clean look" that are multipage portal sites, PLUS long-copy letters for individual products. This is the approach that Corey pioneered so succesfully in his Internet Marketing Center® site
(clean portal front-end, leading to long copy interior pages) .. and one that I'll be using as well.

Any insights on "copywriting for the web 2.0"/ short/corporate/clean webpage approach, and how to for example use graphic smaller headlines, copy elements, graphic cliparts/photos/icons etc, and how that's different from long copy traditional pages w/j-boxes?

This is likely a *very* profitable idea and dialogue stream, hopefully you'll all post a few insights and thoughts on this..


thanks,

Ken

Hey Ken,

Great topic for discussion.

Although it's not the portal to long copy model, this site does well. There may be a few good ideas you can grab here: Online Event Registration Software - Attendee Management System - On-line Web Service

I think one key is not to lose your voice in the effort to look/feel corporate. Keep your personality front and center.

Ryan

Ken,

After reading Michel's report (Thanks, Michel) and seeing Harlan's video page for that golf book (Thanks, Harlan), I put together an abbreviated sales page for one of the products I'm an affiliate for (a basketball shooting DVD). You can see it here: MakeMoreShots.com

I'm now using a simple audio introduction as well as highlighting an experiment I did with the techniques that are a part of the DVD. Visitors who watch this videotaped experiment can see for themselves that:

1. I know what I'm talking about;

and

2. the techniques in the DVD that I'm selling really work.

And I have a couple of links on this abbreviated page so visitors can go to the more in-depth sales page that has more pictures and an extended description if they'd like to read it.

After adding this video to my page, I was contacted by another shooting instructor in my region. This video gave me instant credibility (he mentioned seeing the page), and now he wants to do some type of shooting camp with me.

The only thing I have to do now is break up my site so that basketball players go to a page dedicated to them, and basketball coaches go to a page dedicated just to them.

Anyway, I'm going over everything I do and trying to find out where I can add this type of video "proof" to anything I do online.

Anyone who doesn't believe they should have some type of video on their pages should check out Dan Kennedy's homepage. Even he is using video now.

Bill

it's still amazing to me that people actually pay for bottled water... I guess if it came with that model it might be worth it

talk about a "sales job"... the whole idea... I knew a guy who ran one of hawaii's top bottled water companies, at lunch he confirmed they just run it thru carbon filters and basically the whole industry is a ripoff...

back to topic...

I think the best-converting salesletters, like I'll be cranking out this year, will be a combination of "magalog" copy format appearance, online - with embedded video. Some will be short-form landing pages (like the infomercial producers have been using for the past couple of years), and will vary in length as a function of price point and market-message match, as usual.

I think a combination of web 2.0 style for front ends will continue to be important for credibility, but I still think that long copy rules, and always will, albeit in slightly updated/modernized formats.

At least that's how I'll make my 3rd million, this year.

ken

BONUS resource: here's a site (not mine) w/magazine covers, eg cosmo/star/globe/NE:
MAGAZINE COVERS COLLECTION

(and of course, magazines.com for current issues)

P.S. anyone have any other resources, online or off, for magalog swipes and/or magazine covers?