Love them or hate them, those long sales letters are here to stay by the look of things. For marketing products especially, they seem to work well enough that top sellers continue to use them.
Perhaps the market has gotten used to seeing sales information presented in such a linear fashion. When a story is being told, as these types of product sales websites often do, it seems logical to try and keep the reader focussed on the narrative and not be distracted by something which might detract from making the sale.
When the product is a software application aimed at web developers, does this type of long sales letter approach still work?
I was looking for a JavaScript editor so I punched “javascript editor” into Google and went for the top result assuming I’d find one of the industry standard applications. My expectation was that I was going to be able to browse through the features page, look at the different versions available and compare prices. What I came across instead looked like one of those long Internet marketing sales letters complete with:
- Large, eye-catching headline.
- Smaller-sized subheading selling benefits.
- A “Dear fellow web developer” greeting.
- Boxed out testimonials.
- Bonuses of $n7 value.
- Guarantee statement.
- Signature of the vendor.
- A higher price crossed through and a lower priced offer.
- Several P.S’s
Whilst this might be the world’s greatest JavaScript editor, it’s going to be very difficult for me to go straight to the, for me, pertinent information that lets me know whether or not I take any further action.
Perhaps, I’m being a little short-sighted, but at over 30 browser pages long, my tired eyes just don’t have it in them right now so I’m heading for the back button and trying an alternative.
Technorati Tags: Copywriting, Sales Letter
I think the main idea of the long sales letter is to hypnotize into wanting to buy the product. It seems that many people just assume this is what you have to do to sell so copy them.
If you scroll towards the end of the letter they almost always have a reminder list of the products benefits.
But does this format really work for this type of product? If so, why don’t other successful software companies use it?
When I visit the Adobe website to look at the latest Dreamweaver package everything is presented in an easily usable format and I can quickly find the information I want.
What the website in the blog post above needs, in my opinion, is a more traditional format website for people like me.
I think the whole sales letter, from a technical/web-savvy consumers perspective is just a big, long, wank.
Am I not the only person who just hits the back button when I come across a “boilerplate” sales letter?
Not sure I’d agree it’s that stimulating, Stu
touche Will