Follow the Long Yellow Copy: Do long scrolling sales letters
work?
Have you ever sat through a movie and got to the point when you
counted the minutes till its ending? Unfortunately, you can't
speed it up or leave it for another show (although, some people
do try switching movies). When long Web copy leaves your eyes
glazing in that same way, what do you do?
As you read a long, scrolling sales pitch do you read it and
make the buy? Read it and lose interest? Click away? Skim it and
do nothing?
Welcome to salesmanship in print.
Why long copy works
Web-Source's Shelley Lowery says, "It is a proven fact that long
sales copy out-sells short sales copy. However, some visitors do
prefer a short sales letter. You can provide your visitors with
both. For those who prefer a short sales letter, provide
opportunities to click through to your order page prior to
ending your sales letter."
Article after article on long sales copy state studies have
indicated they work and there are proven results. Yet, no
statistics can be found, although several companies have tested
various campaigns and have reported that long sales copy comes
out ahead. Nick Usborne of Excess Voice has posted results of an
informal survey where he asks, "Do long, scrolling pitches
really work?"
* 19 percent - I don't believe that people fall for long,
scrolling sales pitches
* 75 percent - I'd never want to write that stuff myself, but I
know it sells
* 6 percent - I've written those long sales pitches, and made
some big bucks
In researching this topic, these are some of the reasons why
long copy works:
* You can never provide too many details on the value the
product provides (the more you tell, the more you sell)
* They appeal to the reader by using "feelings"
* They tell the whole story
* They clearly state the benefits
How to make it work
Michael Fortin's article on the eight-step formula for writing
long copy is frequently referenced by business people. He sums
successful long copy in three steps:
* Market
* Objectives
* Results
Like Web sites, writers create long copy with the audience in
mind. If you're turned off by such copy, then you aren't the
target market. Well-written copy fails when it doesn't get in
front of the right market no matter how emotional it is. It also
won't work if it puts readers to sleep.
Successful long copy has an objective in mind: to sell. It urges
the reader to do something immediately, and drives results based
on the target market and the objective. To develop the most
compelling copy, Copywriters write multiple letters and test
them with the market to see how well each does and to verify the
copy isn't hypey, unbelievable or a scam. The key is to let the
audience drive the approach.
Writers of long copy don't write anything and everything that
comes to mind. Even Fortin says, " Make your case, tell your
story and provide as much information as is needed to make the
sale ... and not one word more." Even long copy can be too
long.
If you want to get long copy in front of an email newsletter
audience, it's best to send it in a separate special mailing or
include a paragraph in the newsletter with a link to the copy's
Web page.
Scrolling down the road
In the past, vertical scrolling has been a no-no, but that has
changed with increasing screen resolutions, faster Internet
connections and users becoming comfortable with the mouse or
keyboard for scrolling. Horizontal (left and right) scrolling
remains a bad thing and many recommend avoiding it.
The scrolling problem has decreased in the last few years. Jakob
Nielsen, Web design usability expert, reports: "90percent of
users used to not scroll navigation pages; instead, they simply
picked from the visible options. This has changed since most Web
users now know that pages scroll and that important links
sometimes are not visible 'above the fold.' Even so, the visible
options still dominate and users sometimes overlook alternatives
lower down the page."
Nielsen, however, says to minimize scrolling, especially no more
than three pages' worth. Obviously, long copy works harder to
entice readers to scroll below the fold for more
information.
Getting and holding their attention
Businesses have experienced higher conversion rates from using
long sales copy. People read all the way through it or at least
enough to make the buy. That's why we see long copy in many Web
sites.
Just remember that each person has different tastes, experiences
and preferences. Some moviegoers walk out before the end of the
movie because they've lost interest, while the rest stay put for
the entire show. It's up to you to clearly write your sales
pitch in a way that gets and holds the attention of those who
will stay with you till the end.