Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO?

Dennis Sim · 10-05-2008, 09:59 PM

Hi Warrior,

I'm not a copywriter but I'd like to find out. I'm dilemma when trying to post something on WSO - long copy or short copy?

Long copy will includes everything in and with an order button. While, the short copy is just explain briefly about the product and direct them to the actual site.

Both has its pros and cons. That's the main factor makes me can't decide

I hope I could get some answers here

Thank Warrior!

-Dennis.

Jose Delgado · 10-05-2008, 10:02 PM

Short Copy with a buy now button.

Because warriors look at too many WSO's in one day and don't have time to read a 2 page long salesletter.

If they see that the copy is long, they won't even bother to read it. (at least not ME!

)

Just write a short letter with all the important details and your best bullet points and that's all you need.

Put a buy now button there and if you like, put a link to your main site with the long copy in case they want to read it.

AlexKaplo · 10-05-2008, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jose Delgado

Short Copy with a buy now button.

Because warriors look at too many WSO's in one day and don't have time to read a 2 page long salesletter.

If they see that the copy is long, they won't even bother to read it. (at least not ME!

)

Just write a short letter with all the important details and your best bullet points and that's all you need.

Put a buy now button there and if you like, put a link to your main site with the long copy in case they want to read it.

Took the words right out of my mouth!...

TIP: Here's something that has helped me a lot when writhing short effective sales letters for clients and that is to keep these 3 keywords, or phrases in mind when writhing...

1- "This is what I Got"
2 - "This is what It can Do For you!"
3 - "This is what You have do to Next!"

Smooth & Simple, and for the people that want more info just give them a link of your full website and I'm pretty sure they will find everything they need! Good Luck my man and I look forward in seeing your product in the WSO!

Regards,

-Alex Kaplo

keithakin · 10-05-2008, 11:41 PM

I too agree with the short sales letter and a BUY NOW button!

I know that I have read way tooooooooooooo many long sales letters in my short time online.

I don't even read the letter anymore. I usually scroll to the bullet points, check out a few testimonials and decide to buy or not.

Good luck!

lgibbon · 10-05-2008, 11:46 PM

Short without a doubt.

Personally I think the longer they are the more bull they contain.

If it's good it will sell itself.

Fender85 · 10-05-2008, 11:50 PM

Yeah, especially given the low pricepoint of WSOs, you don't really need the long copy, anyway. And myself, I greatly appreciate marketers that just get to the point! Just tell me what you have and what it's going to do for me, and if it's good, then I might buy it.

Rachel Goodchild · 10-06-2008, 12:03 AM

hmm maybe i should split test and try one of mine with short copy!

Dennis Sim · 10-06-2008, 12:09 AM

After reading all the responses, I guess I've just made a big mistake by posting a long sales copy.

Jose Delgado · 10-06-2008, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis Sim

After reading all the responses, I guess I've just made a big mistake by posting a long sales copy.

It's always good to TEST.

Our words don't mean anything if in reality the long copy sells more. You never know.

After all, you can always go back and change the salesletter.

webwyn · 10-06-2008, 01:16 AM

When reading a sales page I much prefer the shorter (cut to the chase) pages. As for conversion of the average visitor though I believe long or short depends on the product and type of visitor.

artwebster · 10-06-2008, 01:16 AM

The gurus tell you that long copy sells more but - WAIT A MINUTE - there are two reasons that they say this:-

1 - they have a vested interest in having long copy since most marketers haven't a clue how to write effective, repetitious, stuffed with recommendations, redundant superlative loaded, eighteen feet long sales pages and need to buy a fill in the blanks programme or out-source through the gurus affiliate link.

2 - Because of reason 1, nobody uses short sales letters any more so long copy, being all that is used, has to be "effective"

Doesn't this rather contradict the gurus love of mini-sites which, really, are only short, concise sales letters?

BIG Mike · 10-06-2008, 01:49 AM

In a word...TEST.

I've had products that have sold exceptionally well with very short copy and others that only sold well with long copy. Depending on what it is, there are to many variables to just do one or the other.

A few years ago I had a small, low-cost product that had one paragraph of sales copy, 3 short bullet points related to the key features and an order button (plus the usual header, footer and background images).

I did this mainly out of disgust because the long copy I originally used wasn't converting at all. So I threw that short one up there with the idea that I'd let the site age and maybe grab a few sales in the meantime.

In the following 6 months it sold 20K copies with no additional work on my part except for handling the occasional refund. Go figure, LOL.

Now I use medium to short sales pages for products, but only because they work well in my market. Long-term testing and analysis has demonstrated that to me. But, I do not market primarily to Internet Marketers so that is a key factor.

Dennis Sim · 10-06-2008, 03:27 AM

I wonder how to test the copy in WSO? Is it simply change the copy after 1-2 days?

Asher · 10-06-2008, 03:31 AM

I think having a long sales copy or short sales copy totally depends on
one thing: The Product

You don't need to have a long sales copy about a product that's talking
about how to make a better soap but you probably might need to have
a long sales copy about why your product can outsell or outdo whatever
other product is out there.

If anyone can see your benefit immediately...
Long Sales Copy: To compare your product with others / To convince
Short Sales Copy: Benefit is easily seen and you don't need hard-text-
selling

Asher

Dennis Sim · 10-06-2008, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asher

I think having a long sales copy or short sales copy totally depends on
one thing: The Product

You don't need to have a long sales copy about a product that's talking
about how to make a better soap but you probably might need to have
a long sales copy about why your product can outsell or outdo whatever
other product is out there.

If anyone can see your benefit immediately...
Long Sales Copy: To compare your product with others / To convince
Short Sales Copy: Benefit is easily seen and you don't need hard-text-
selling

Asher

A great reply Asher! I love your example

10-05-2008, 09:59 PM	#1
Dennis Sim The Real Marketer War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Penang, Malaysia. Posts: 693 Thanks: 5 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Contact Info	Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? Hi Warrior, I'm not a copywriter but I'd like to find out. I'm dilemma when trying to post something on WSO - long copy or short copy? Long copy will includes everything in and with an order button. While, the short copy is just explain briefly about the product and direct them to the actual site. Both has its pros and cons. That's the main factor makes me can't decide I hope I could get some answers here Thank Warrior! -Dennis.

10-05-2008, 10:02 PM	#2
Jose Delgado ★★★★★ War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,319 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 25 Thanked 9 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? Short Copy with a buy now button. Because warriors look at too many WSO's in one day and don't have time to read a 2 page long salesletter. If they see that the copy is long, they won't even bother to read it. (at least not ME! ) Just write a short letter with all the important details and your best bullet points and that's all you need. Put a buy now button there and if you like, put a link to your main site with the long copy in case they want to read it.

10-05-2008, 11:41 PM	#4
keithakin AnythingSuccess.com Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northeast Texas Posts: 82 Thanks: 13 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts Contact Info	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? I too agree with the short sales letter and a BUY NOW button! I know that I have read way tooooooooooooo many long sales letters in my short time online. I don't even read the letter anymore. I usually scroll to the bullet points, check out a few testimonials and decide to buy or not. Good luck!
	Come See Me: www.AnythingSuccess.com www.KeithAkinLive.com www.twitter.com/keithakin

10-05-2008, 11:46 PM	#5
lgibbon Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Medemblik, Netherlands. Posts: 5,801 Thanks: 230 Thanked 442 Times in 183 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? Short without a doubt. Personally I think the longer they are the more bull they contain. If it's good it will sell itself.
	WSO

10-05-2008, 11:50 PM	#6
Fender85 HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 102 Thanks: 7 Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? Yeah, especially given the low pricepoint of WSOs, you don't really need the long copy, anyway. And myself, I greatly appreciate marketers that just get to the point! Just tell me what you have and what it's going to do for me, and if it's good, then I might buy it.

10-06-2008, 12:03 AM	#7
Rachel Goodchild writer and presenter War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Auckland , New Zealand. Posts: 1,574 Thanks: 7 Thanked 62 Times in 36 Posts Social Networking	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? hmm maybe i should split test and try one of mine with short copy!
	If you can afford to, please give money to support the people in the Christchurch Earthquake. Here is a post to give you information on how to, no matter where you are in the world New Zealand thanks you

10-06-2008, 12:09 AM	#8
Dennis Sim The Real Marketer War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Penang, Malaysia. Posts: 693 Thanks: 5 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Contact Info	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? After reading all the responses, I guess I've just made a big mistake by posting a long sales copy.

10-06-2008, 01:16 AM	#10
webwyn Active Warrior Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 54 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? When reading a sales page I much prefer the shorter (cut to the chase) pages. As for conversion of the average visitor though I believe long or short depends on the product and type of visitor.
	"To know that you know, and to know that you don't know - that is real wisdom." - Confucious

10-06-2008, 01:16 AM	#11
artwebster Brutal honesty's me Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Coín, Spain Posts: 1,032 Blog Entries: 4 Thanks: 33 Thanked 251 Times in 138 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? The gurus tell you that long copy sells more but - WAIT A MINUTE - there are two reasons that they say this:- 1 - they have a vested interest in having long copy since most marketers haven't a clue how to write effective, repetitious, stuffed with recommendations, redundant superlative loaded, eighteen feet long sales pages and need to buy a fill in the blanks programme or out-source through the gurus affiliate link. 2 - Because of reason 1, nobody uses short sales letters any more so long copy, being all that is used, has to be "effective" Doesn't this rather contradict the gurus love of mini-sites which, really, are only short, concise sales letters?

10-06-2008, 01:49 AM	#12
BIG Mike Drunken Greek War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 9,632 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,847 Thanked 3,671 Times in 1,070 Posts	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? In a word...TEST. I've had products that have sold exceptionally well with very short copy and others that only sold well with long copy. Depending on what it is, there are to many variables to just do one or the other. A few years ago I had a small, low-cost product that had one paragraph of sales copy, 3 short bullet points related to the key features and an order button (plus the usual header, footer and background images). I did this mainly out of disgust because the long copy I originally used wasn't converting at all. So I threw that short one up there with the idea that I'd let the site age and maybe grab a few sales in the meantime. In the following 6 months it sold 20K copies with no additional work on my part except for handling the occasional refund. Go figure, LOL. Now I use medium to short sales pages for products, but only because they work well in my market. Long-term testing and analysis has demonstrated that to me. But, I do not market primarily to Internet Marketers so that is a key factor.

10-06-2008, 03:27 AM	#13
Dennis Sim The Real Marketer War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Penang, Malaysia. Posts: 693 Thanks: 5 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Contact Info	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? I wonder how to test the copy in WSO? Is it simply change the copy after 1-2 days?

10-06-2008, 03:31 AM	#14
Asher SG Lurker Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Singapore. Posts: 1,714 Blog Entries: 68 Thanks: 487 Thanked 280 Times in 159 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Long Copy vs Short Copy in WSO? I think having a long sales copy or short sales copy totally depends on one thing: The Product You don't need to have a long sales copy about a product that's talking about how to make a better soap but you probably might need to have a long sales copy about why your product can outsell or outdo whatever other product is out there. If anyone can see your benefit immediately... Long Sales Copy: To compare your product with others / To convince Short Sales Copy: Benefit is easily seen and you don't need hard-text- selling Asher
	AsherAw.com \| How To Make Your First $1,000 In Online Income Cash