Those mile long sales pages

AD1985 · 03:21 PM

These pages always look terrible to me, but they must work because I see them everywhere. Maybe it's just because it's the lesser of 2 evils (people don't like to click and wait for a new page?)

Does anyone have advice for what to do/what not to do to increase conversions with these long sales pages?

Montello Marketing · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AD1985

Does anyone have advice for what to do/what not to do to increase conversions with these long sales pages?

If your long copy isn't converting, then it either isn't very compelling... you have a bad product... or there just isn't a market for it. And don't even get me started on whether or not your traffic is what it should be.

But... longcopy is not written for the sake of writing. It's not long for longness sake... It's supposed to be a journey you take the reader on. A journey that answers all his/her questions, and holds their hand as they click the buy button.

Depending on the product... and the offer... that hand-holding walk could be a short one.

Only write as much as you need to... don't write to fill space.

Nebulousx · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montello Marketing

It's not long for longness sake... It's supposed to be a journey you take the reader on. A journey that answers all his/her questions, and holds their hand as they click the buy button.

Beautifully put, Vin.

Alan Forrest Smith · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 04:01 PM

Long Dull & Boring as Hell!

AD1985 Are you a seller? Do you want people to buy your product or service? Why are these pages soooo boring you talk about?

If you are a seller what you think about long pages is irelevant. The pages are written for the buyer. What the buyer thinks and how you think is totally different.

If you are a seller... your point of view on the copy has no stand!

Do you want people to buy from you? Again ... an expert copywriter will take the first step of analyzing the mind of the prospect. He won't care all that much what you as a seller thinks. And ... if it takes 400 pages to lead them through a compelling messgae, he will use 400 pages of words.

Now for the facts: every single test I have personally done (not other peoples or test from books) long copy when done fantastically well ALWAYS sells more than the short.

Bug,bug,buggin.

Alan

Mr. Subtle · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 05:54 PM

Ahhhhh... long sales copy.

You don't need 40 word MEGA-headlines in red followed by 60 words in red deck copy, a HUGE drop cap after a salutation and then insert a half dozen testies (with a bright cyan blue background) after every 4 paragraphs of copy to sell stuff. (Nor do you need 20 plus pages to do so.)

I believe Doc is part of the internet record of $1,000,000.00 in sales in 1 hour. Yet, I read the other day that Apple has sold almost 1,000,000 iPhones in just 2 weeks. The sales were driven mainly by 30 second TV spots that show what an iPhone does.. NO intensive wordy copy. NO MEGAheadlines in RED. NO testies on cyan blue backgrounds. NO roller coaster ride of font sizes and stlyes. NO drop caps.

Doc's project sold 1 mil in one hour (which of course is FANTASTIC), but Apple has been doing $1,600,000.00 every hour for the last 336 hours ... and it's not even close to being over.

Apple has been doing it with pithy copy and great design (be it in print, web or TV).

Heck, you probably bought your iPod 'cause of the cool TV commercials with cool graphics and cool background music...not some 30 page red, white and blue copy intensive IM sales letter.

Nebulousx · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 06:55 PM

I got your IPhone right here, Subtle:

Warning: NOT a family friendly link so all the prudes, just walk on by; I assure you, you will be offended.

The iPhone is a piece of ...

I can't seriously believe you're comparing a piddly little internet marketer to a $20B company. Hardly fair. Besides, if you want to do that, let's look at something fun like revenue/employee or net profit %.

MichaelWinicki · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 06:58 PM

Linky no worky for me Bruce...

Nebulousx · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 07:00 PM

Try it now. There was a 4-letter word in the URL that Michel's filter was blocking

Mr. Subtle · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebulousx

I can't seriously believe you're comparing a piddly little internet marketer to a $20B company. Hardly fair.

Apple started out of a garage. They didn't build their company using mile long sales letters. HEADS UP!

MichaelWinicki · **Re: Those mile long sales pages -** 07-21-2007, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebulousx

Try it now. There was a 4-letter word in the URL that Michel's filter was blocking

ROFL!!!!!

That was pretty good Bruce! Good find!

Hey, I understand what Mr. Subtle is saying, hell there have been billions of dollars of info products sold around the globe from folks like Ted Nicholas, Rodale, Bottom Line, Phillips, Agora, Nightingale Conant and several others that were using 12-pages or less of sales copy.