13 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
13 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Ugly Pages Pay

by Nickolie0990
11 replies
For the more experiences warriors, you may have heard the expression, "Ugly Pages Pay".

What that means is an ugly page, meaning that there isn't any fancy graphic or Web 2.0 icons. Just a simple page and good old copy, tend to convert and produce a better conversion ratio.

The question is...

Do you find this true, do ugly pages really pay and convert better then fancy looking pages?

Mark
#pages #pay #ugly
  • Profile picture of the author doorkicker13
    I'm not sure yet, but I'll let you know in a few weeks. I'm going to start off with the "ugly page" for my first product and if it fails to convert I'll throw some makeup on it.
    Signature
    Local Work Source | Resistance Band Reviews
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845043].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
    Originally Posted by Nickolie0990 View Post

    Do you find this true, do ugly pages really pay and convert better then fancy looking pages?
    The fact is that TESTED pages pay the best.

    Saying that ugly pages pay better than fancy pages is
    a generalization.

    In my split-tests, I've seen results where ugly wins over
    fancy but have also had cases where fancy beats ugly.

    The only way to know for sure is to TEST your pages,
    with your traffic.

    Pros test. Amateurs guess.

    Dedicated to mutual success,

    Shaun
    Signature

    .

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845058].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tom Lazenby
    I think that may have been true once up a time, when all pages were ugly. Then when broadband came along, people crammed their sites with all sorts of useless 'pretty' crap, just because they could...

    IMHO, I wouldn't buy from an ugly site...it would give me the impression that the product wasn't too great.
    Signature

    YES IT IS STILL POSSIBLE    !
    Not Only That, It's Perfectly Legal & Whitehat!
    CLICK HERE     FOR DETAILS
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845096].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author doorkicker13
      Originally Posted by chameleon View Post

      I think that may have been true once up a time, when all pages were ugly. Then when broadband came along, people crammed their sites with all sorts of useless 'pretty' crap, just because they could...

      IMHO, I wouldn't buy from an ugly site...it would give me the impression that the product wasn't too great.
      Do you think that it has anything to do with the niche the product is in?
      Signature
      Local Work Source | Resistance Band Reviews
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845102].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Tom Lazenby
        Originally Posted by doorkicker13 View Post

        Do you think that it has anything to do with the niche the product is in?
        Maybe, but like the Shaun says, the only way to know for sure is to test.
        Signature

        YES IT IS STILL POSSIBLE        !
        Not Only That, It's Perfectly Legal & Whitehat!
        CLICK HERE         FOR DETAILS
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845111].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Brian Terry
          I agree, it's all down to testing.

          You can have the nicest looking web pages in the world but it doesn't guarantee they'll convert better than a but ugly page with great copy.

          I believe the key is down to this formula:
          great copy + great design = best conversions

          BUT the design has got to support the copy.

          You need to work with a website designer who understands direct response marketing. If you get the design wrong you'll reduce the effectiveness of the copy.
          Signature
          "New Software Boosts Traffic, Increases Sales, And Makes More Money
          ...While Others Do 95% Of The Work For You"
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845173].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author christopher jon
    Yes, testing is the only way to get the best results. Unfortunately, I don't think most people are testing. They throw up a generic squeeze template, make a few sales and think they've gotten it right on the first try.

    It's their business and their money to lose.

    About the whole Ugly Sites Convert Better, ugly is the wrong word to use.

    Often, when some one is referring to an ugly site, they are describing a minimalist site. Minimalist isn't ugly, it's without distractions.

    Why is minimalist effective, your getting your customer from point A to point B as quickly as possible and with as few distractions as possible.

    You can have a great looking minimalist website that looks professional, which helps build customer trust, and converts well.

    Stat looking at websites outside of the MMO and IM world.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845180].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jacquic
      Originally Posted by christopher jon View Post

      About the whole Ugly Sites Convert Better, ugly is the wrong word to use.

      You can have a great looking minimalist website that looks professional, which helps build customer trust, and converts well.
      Yes, I agree here. There is a big difference between ugly and plain. This is my favourite site to showcase truly ugly sites. It's quite addictive to look at, so make sure you have spare time before you have a look!

      Many 'pretty' sites don't convert well because they have not been SEO'd well, because elements haven't been tested (such as landing pages, payment process, etc) and often because there is not capture mechanism in place (eg, a sign up to a free report and newsletter).

      Something worth testing is adding audio and/or video and/or a synopsis before a long sales letter.
      Signature
      See our great value publications - business, SEO, etc. Being added to weekly.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845325].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tad 100
    I agree that testing is the king. But I also noticed from the people I know that they are too technical for creating good design or hiring other person to do that. They make everything perfect in SEO and other things but have no knowledge about design.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845201].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author James-
    If you look at any 'sales' page you will find that these are all ugly. Huge writing in black, with a yellow background etc....

    It looks rubbish but its what sells, so yea ugly is good in a way!
    Signature

    2 nuts walked into a bar, 1 was assaulted! :p

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845296].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author StevenJones
    I think fancy pages will be the future, as those pop-up more and more each day. Users get used to the concept of fancy pages as they did with the "ugly" pages. To be honest, a plain html thingy with out css or anything doesn't work for me anymore.

    Just by view on things.

    Regards,

    Steven
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3845362].message }}

Trending Topics