By: Barbara Grassey
Submitted: 2010-05-09 14:49:42 | Word Count: 546
Sales page copy comes in various forms, shapes and sizes. There is the long letter sales page. At its lengthiest, it can be over seventy pages, in a few cases, one hundred. If you’ve ever received that booklet in the mail that goes on and on about a product or service, that’s a long sales letter. A really long sales letter. The response rate on that form is supposed to be out of this world as far as response rates go. The online equivalent is not quite that long – it’s tougher for most people to read lengthy pieces on screen. Online sales pages/letters are shorter, but some can run on for quite a while. Does anybody read all of it? Only the other people who write long page sales copy because they are checking out each other’s work. Most people skim down, looking for sub headings that appeal to them or their need or maybe a testimonial with a person who reminds the reader of himself. When they have the information they need to make their decision, they hit the next “buy” button, call the 800 number, fill out the form or they don’t buy.
One of the reasons why the long sales letter is so long is because it is really trying to resonate with as many “types” within its target market as possible. That’s why you’ll see testimonials from a single mom, a down sized middle aged male executive, a young thirty something male, a senior citizen, and a very good looking young woman usually in her twenties. The writer is trying to put in as many types as possible so that most people reading the sales page will find someone they “identify” with. The sales copy does the same thing, giving examples to cover all sorts of situations that the product or service could apply to.
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The short sales page copy is more popular. It usually tells a story about how the person came to discover whatever it is they are selling, tells about the product, lists features and benefits and gives a call to action. Those are pretty basic components whether you are creating a web page or an advertisement.
The latest incarnation of sales page format is the video page. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video can be the equivalent of the first few chapters of War and Peace. Video pages usually have some written copy in addition to the video, but the video carries the message and the call to action.
Some people say size doesn’t matter. I’ll leave that up to you to decide. (Like you thought I was actually going to step into the middle of THAT one.) Here’s what I’m seeing. Fewer and fewer people are reading. Yes, as a writer, I hate that but what is, is. The format doesn’t really matter. What matters is that whatever format you use, long, short, written, audio, video or sock puppets, your job is the same. You need to touch upon the needs of your prospects, communicate that yours is the solution they have been looking for and motivate them to take action. And after that, we can all work on world peace.
Author Resource:-
Barbara Grassey is a professional writer and speaker. She produces information products for many of the top national speakers as well as for herself. For a free DVD on how to Create Information Products Fast (and to get her Tip of the Week) go to http://www.InformationProductFastTrack.com
