Selling a physical product

The answer is (as with most copy situations) it depends.

Without more than just vague details, it's pretty impossible to speculate what might work for you.

Always go with what the reader expects when visiting a web page
for a product.

By this I mean if she is fully aware of what slippers are (obviously)
then you go straight into the big images of them and
anything else which is going to make her feel just a little bit special and comfy
as well.

If she isn't aware of what a product does then
you have to describe how she will use it in her life and in very specific situations.

Also what was said about your product before she clicked on your page
requires you to meet that expectation.

Best,
Ewen

To explain a little more on Mr Eugene Schwartz's magnificent work in Breakthrough Advertising…


First stage of market sophistication - Is being first to market.

Prospects have no sophistication about the product at all.

So be simple, be direct, just tell it like it is.

Name either the need or the claim in your headline – nothing more.

Dramatize the claim in your copy, then bring in your product, and prove it works.


Second stage of market sophistication - Exists in early competition. And the direct claim is still working.

Copy the successful claim of the first to market, but enlarge on it.

Eventually claims become unbelievable or lose meaning, like washing powder that cleans ‘whiter than whites’.

At this stage you are into the third stage.


Third stage of market sophistication: Prospects have heard all the claims, all the extremes. Now you must distinguish a new mechanism to prove the difference in effectiveness of your products vs. the competition.

Here you will bring identification of the mechanism into the headline.

Avoid the competitions claims.

Shift from what the product does, to how it does it.

Then the claim can be stated.

So here in the 3rd stage, the promise itself is subordinated to the mechanism (the process) by which it is achieved.

In the 3rd stage, new people enter the market, the desire for fulfillment never fades, but dissatisfaction builds up, so the 3rd stage can't be perpetual, it fluctuates into the 4th stage.


Fourth stage of market sophistication: Elaborating now on the mechanism itself.

A new stage of elaboration and enlargement. But this time, the elaboration is concentrated on the mechanism, rather than on the promise.

Simply elaborate or enlarge upon the successful mechanism.

Make it easier, quicker, surer.

Allow it to solve more of the problem; overcome old limitations; promise extra benefits.

Embellishing the mechanism with greater clarity, proof, or augmented aspects of the process.


Fifth stage of market sophistication: Here your market no longer believes the ads.

No longer wishes to be aware of your product as it doesn’t satisfy.

The fifth stage problem is a problem of identification.

You must create a sense of identification between the product and the prospect.

Often through visual appeals.



These are "notes" from the book and I am sincerely hoping they don't infringe any copyrights.

And in case anyone connected with the book needs to be pacified ...

I must say that "Breakthrough Advertising" is without doubt one of - if not the best ever book written on copywriting.

I searched for nearly 20 years to get hold of it.

The "notes" are just a small fraction of the powerful techniques that Eugene explains in the book.

You really should get a copy.


Steve


P.S. To assist Tejabuu with his Ad - whatever stage of "Sophistication" your product is at - if it helps use pictures to illustrate what you are saying - this prevents any confusion and the readers stay with you and don't give up by having to think "what exactly is this and what does it look like?" And position them for emotional impact - to get the "Yes! that looks good', "Yes I can see how it works" or "Yes it is better than anything else"

(Remember we don't know what your product is - so I don't know what emotional triggers you want to hit)


P.P.S. Some savvy readers may be thinking why not write about "States of Awareness" that Passive Income Teacher mentioned above.

They deal mainly with the Headline of the Ad and "States of Sophistication" goes into greater detail on the complete Ad.

You need to make your website in away in which the visitor is able to reach the information he is looking for easily and quickly, otherwise you will lose a lot of visitors.

Unfortunately, I wrote the website for the Dutch market, and thus in Dutch. Which is why I did not post a link.

I really appreciate the responses. I'll look into Breakthrough Advertising.

Steve, thanks to you especially for the extensive post.