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How Long Is Too Long?

by Bigsofty
15 replies
I know the basic idea is "As long as it takes" but am wrestling with a 3rd draft that's 10 pages on Word...

By the time I've added some more testimonials and stuff it'll be 11, maybe even 12 pages.

Is that way beyond the realms of reasonable or acceptable?

For the fun of it I tried pasting a well-selling related competitor's front page into Word and it came out as 19 pages so I guess I'm not completely crazy but...?



B.
#long
  • Profile picture of the author Fender85
    I think the average piece of copy I've written is around 20 pages, once properly formatted and with images added. I've seen plenty of 40+ page sales letters, too. Any of the high priced guru stuff, no doubt - Mass Control, Stomper . . .

    Speaking of them, take a gander at F5's sales letter - FormulaFIVE Business Building System by Paul Lemberg and StomperNet That's a pretty meaty letter. Also, worthwhile to tuck that one into your swipe file . . .

    Just took a look - FIFTY pages! Don't fall into the trap of writing copy for the sake of having it, though. Make sure it's always escalating the story forward and moving toward the close.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kyle Tully
    What is the product and how much does it cost?

    40+ pages is not uncommon online -- but frankly if you can't sell the thing in 12 the other 28 aren't going to do much good

    I've never really looked at home long my online letters are, I just write until the job is done and then stop. I wouldn't worry about it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sarah Johnson
      Originally Posted by Kyle Tully View Post

      I've never really looked at home long my online letters are, I just write until the job is done and then stop. I wouldn't worry about it.
      I agree. Just write it and don't worry about the length. If it is well written you should be able to keep the readers attention for as long as you need.

      You could try having some one read it to see if they would read the whole thing...if you are really worried abou it.

      ~Sarah Johnson

      www.sarahjohnsoncopy.com
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      • Profile picture of the author procopywriter
        I agree. Length doesn't matter. I saw a sales letter from Gary Bencivenga (I think it was for his $5000 retirement seminar DVDs) that was almost 80 pages!

        But the thing to remember is long-copy does not mean long-winded--despite what many internet marketers seem to think.

        Keep it lean. Keep it engaging. Keep it fascinating.

        And keep it real!

        Aaron
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigsofty
    The product is fairly complex software and an in-depth how to guide at $50.

    If I say so myself it's great value but I want to ensure the reader knows that and understands my USPs.

    There's also a sophisticated community site but I barely mention that in the copy as I don't want them wandering off to look at it.

    I'm pleased with the intro - even my long-suffering wife who's utterly familar with the product and site passed my "Will she ask me to scroll down?" test when I asked if she liked the headline.

    I made a note of where she lost interest and re-hacked that paragraph (about 3 pages in, which isn't bad for someone who's lived with me obsessing over the product and site for 4 years or so..)

    I'll go over it and tighten it up later but for now an using the spill your guts and worry about it later approach.

    OK, 12 pages it is, cheers


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  • Profile picture of the author Vision888
    Don't focus on the length of the copy, focus on the quality of the copy.

    Your copy has to do a full selling job, but cut out the unnecessary fluff. Don't make it long for the sake of being long, nor should you make it short for the sake of being short.
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  • Profile picture of the author AndyBlackSEO
    I'm not very experiences with sales pages and have a lot to learn regarding them. One thing I would say though that is common sense. If you have a really long sales page.... why not give several opportunities to 'buy now' throughout the 'long page'. If they aren't quite ready to buy they will scroll down and read some more... then they get another opportunity... and so on. I have seen some of the top players do this including the Stomper guys.

    Andy
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigsofty
    I've always found multiple buy buttons annoying, though I have them in the top and side navigation menus. mmm.

    I'll make a note and split test it....


    B.
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  • Profile picture of the author Craig Fenton
    Hi Bigsofty:

    When you are done with any project look it over with this in mind:

    Let's pretend it is 18 pages. You checked for grammar and spelling. Read it over and what is the first thing that comes to mind? Was it too short, too long, perfect? Have others do the same.

    If you are getting feedback that the info is strong but it is getting a bit hard to keep focus through 18 pages why not try to condense it. Have you kept the message and let the reader get through with less eye strain? Did the opposite happen? Did you lose the meaning?

    Find some writings close to your topic and niche and see what is the average length, the font, the catch phrases that sizzle. Did it excite you!

    May the results be superlative!
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  • Profile picture of the author CarolSmith
    Personally I hate long sales letter. I read the first few lines then I move all the way down to the price.

    However I realize that big time marketers say the longer the sales letter the more money you will make.

    Carol
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigsofty
    Craig, I'm similar to Carol in that many long sales letters just turn me off completely.

    SEO Elite has a looong letter and I went for that as I was interested in the topic plus it was a pricey purchase so wanted to understand it better before making a decision, so if done well it's not so terrible.

    With my own product it's a lot cheaper to buy but I make one grand claim then back it up. I will certainly go through it and see if there's any pork in there to be cut out when "finished".

    I'm doing things a bit different this time, the updates to my software will be based around my salesletter instead of my salesletter based around my software.


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    • Profile picture of the author Kyle Tully
      Originally Posted by Bigsofty View Post

      SEO Elite has a looong letter and I went for that as I was interested in the topic plus it was a pricey purchase so wanted to understand it better before making a decision, so if done well it's not so terrible.
      That right there is the ENTIRE point of long copy.

      If you're interested in a topic -- especially one with a high cost, either financially or emotionally -- then you will read everything you can get your hands on in order to make the most informed decision possible.
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      • Profile picture of the author jimmymc
        Three or four pages at the most not including graphics and testimonials...If you can't do it in three or four pages...twenty more will not make a different.

        I hate long copy, cut the filler...it bores me to tears.
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        • Profile picture of the author ndcole78
          The short answer is that it's too long right at the point where it gets boring or it's not interesting anymore.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigsofty
    "I hate long copy, cut the filler...it bores me to tears."

    I wouldn't describe anything on my current project as filler, in fact I'm looking at making it shorter.

    I'm deliberately moving away from my current system, which is where people search for my kind of software and then, picking among those available, might download my free demo as it has all the features. That's not really selling, my sales come from the fact it's a better design and easier to use than most plus my back-up and support, not to mention the book and community.

    Instead I'm aiming for a different direction, hitting people who were not even thinking of software for the problem, explaining how and why software will help and what's so great about mine. So I'm selling the concept first, then I have to introduce my own product and its USPs, while building credibility, maintaining curiosity...

    If I could do it in 4 little pages I would but I don't think that's gonna be possible.




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