Quotes around the headline of a sales page?

[Kwerk]

Why do so many sites put " " around the headline at the top of a sales pitch page? For example, "Discover The Amazing Method For Weight Loss That Shaved The Weight Of Two Adult Donkeys Off My Hips!". Then the rest of the article is typically devoid of quotes (unless quoting someone's testimonial or such).

Also, in the main headline of your sales page and in the smaller headlines of the subsections below it, Should You Capitalize Every Word Even Words Like The And Or And To? Or capitalize everything except the, or, for, to, etc?

[Ross James]

Because subconsciously the brain picks up on those little subtleties and sends the brain into neural catatonia and usually has long-term side effects if not used properly...

Kidding.. From what I know.. Is that people have a/b tested with and without and with them performs better? I don't know never tested myself.

[ARSuarez]

Originally Posted by Ross James

Because subconsciously the brain picks up on those little subtleties and sends the brain into neural catatonia and usually has long-term side effects if not used properly...

Kidding.. From what I know.. Is that people have a/b tested with and without and with them performs better? I don't know never tested myself.

In my opinion (which neither of these are original), it's two-fold:

1) People are naturally voyeurs. They like "seeing" and "hearing" what others are saying or doing. When you put quotes around something, people feel like they're "listening in."

2) Along the lines of 1, people are always interested in what others have to say. Especially people who are credible. We usually only ever quote someone who is "credible" of something, such as a witness to a crime, a politician, a professional athlete, etc. Nobody quotes the know-nothing.

Best,

Angel

PS. But Ross is also right - it has been tested many times and very often boosts conversion. I'm just explaining why it is so.

[Ross James]

Wait.. I was right? That's awesome..totally guessed...

made sense to me.

It also makes a lot of sense, specifically bullet #1 - Angel

in that also people do subconsciously recognize these little things... I have to be sure of it this time.

-Ross

[Daniel Scott]

Quotes (and capitalizing every word in a sentence) also tend to draw the eye, make you slow down and read properly.

Another possible reason why they are effective.

-Daniel

[Marvin Johnston]

While double quotes have been tested to improve conversion, I also heard about the opening quote alone having better conversion than the double quotes.

Marvin

[Oxbloom]

There's a bit in copywriting that says: the purpose of the headline is to get the prospect to read the first line of copy...the purpose of the first line of copy is to get the prospect to read the second line...etc.

Expanded, you can say that the graphical elements of the page are dedicated to the sole purpose of getting prospects to read the headline. And the quotes are one such graphical element.

People are X% likely to be interested in reading a headline. Studies show that they are more than X% likely to be interested in reading something that they believe somebody said.

Once they get there, it's up to the strength of the headline to do the rest of the work. But the quotes are a gimmick to get them started reading.

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Interesting discussion. Several years back I split test a sales page with quotes and without quotes. Haven't tested it in years, however, so I don't know if anything has changed.

[Scott Henderson]

Originally Posted by Steven Carl Kelly

Interesting discussion. Several years back I split test a sales page with quotes and without quotes. Haven't tested it in years, however, so I don't know if anything has changed.

And your results way back when were.....?

[Rezbi]

The only reason that matters...

They've been tested and they do better.

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Originally Posted by shen923

And your results way back when were.....?

No difference in conversion rate.

[Quality Copywriter]

personally -i dont think its as important as the content of the header itself

thats the key

[magman01]

To quote or not to quote. What does it matter? Unless you're willing to test, just choose and go for it.

[The Copy Nazi]

I like the look of just opening quotes -

"Copywriting Wizard with its built-in quotes can turn even a brain-dead hillbilly hick from the boondocks into a world-beating internet marketing copywriter in just 7 days with a simple push of a button - GUARANTEED! - or your money back, Gomer

[Len Bailey]

I'd say one reason so many headlines are put in quotes is because Ted Nicholas recommends doing so. In his 87 Marketing Secrets of the Written Word*, Ted writes:

"23. Use quotation marks around headlines. Studies show 27% more people will read the headline. It increases the feeling that something important is being stated."

Another reason they may be effective: They give the appearance of a testimonial. For instance, look at the difference in visual impact of the same headline with and without quotes. Which feels more powerful, Version A:

"It's Like Growing a New Heart!"

... or Version B:

It's Like Growing a New Heart!

I always recommend split-testing to see what pulls best. It may not make a difference ... but then again, it might make a surprisingly big difference. However, if the headline simply doesn't look right in quotes, I'd probably test other aspects of the copy first.

Hope this helps!

Len

* To grab a copy of 87 Marketing Secrets of the Written Word, sign up for Ted Nicholas' free e-zine at: www.tednicholas.com

[Bruce Wedding]

Simple. They increase readership and that in turn, increases sales.

But, if you're going to use quotation marks, please learn the difference between quotation marks and inch marks:

Inch Marks
"I know squat about typography"

Quotation Marks
“I'm a Freakin' Warlock Typographic Rockstar From Mars!”

[Len Bailey]

Good point, Bruce. Although depending on the program or media, curly quotes may not display properly. Which is why most designers I've worked with prefer copywriters use straight quotes (i.e., inch marks) -- especially if the copy is delivered in Microsoft Word.

[daddyoh]

I'm reading "The Online Selling Secret" by Michael Silk right now and this is what he has to say:

Rule #2: Put quotation marks around your headline. Tests prove that this will
get your headline 28% more attention. The reason? It makes your headline look more
authoritative and believable… as if somebody is being quoted. And, establishing
credibility and believability is always the biggest challenge when you are selling
anything sight unseen.