Should we put headers in salesletters

I have to admit that I'm NOT a fan of headers.
Why?
- I've done tons of split-tests and they alway's lose to plain-jane letters
- They scream "I'm a fancy-pants salesletter! Reader beware"
- They are almost always way OVER-done

But the one cardinal sin I can't forgive is that headers catch my reader's eye before the headline does. A definite no-no.

Stan

Yes I have split test the two and NO header seems to always win.

Like Moolah above, I feel that a sales letter with a fancy graphic overloaded header screams "Look at me, I paid someone to do my website design so that means that my product has got to be good."

However, a plain header with maybe the authors picture and a simple title of the website is usually okay.

Just don't over do it like you see so many IM websites these days.

However, keep in mind that the niche has a lot to do with it also.

I've tried both too, and NO header wins hands down... every time!

I think people read a header it before your headline, which is a turn off in my opinion and just complicates the sales page for no reason. A powerful headline (in red type online, incidentally) is what I've found to be the most responsive...

It depends on the market. I see top selling financial newsletters (Casey Research, Agora, Sovereign Society, etc.) selling $300+ subscriptions with just a simple template and no header. Their readers would puke if they saw an ostentatious header graphic.

But for the fast-buck IM crowd, people expect them. So I guess it comes back to the same thing time and again. You gotta know your customers.

I think it depends. For the typical long form salesletter, you'll find that they can take attention away from the headline. But for landing pages designed to collect leads, it can actually increase converisons if the design is good.

Hi, you're the rookie Copywriter. I'm a rookie Marketer. :-) Thanks for starting this thread. Most of the opinions are right. Header banner does distract visitor's attention and somehow make the salescopy less effective. I guess it's time for me to do something about my own copy too. Thank you guys for the tips!

Just make sure that your product is of good quality and show people why you strongly recommend for them to buy it

There isn't really a way to always win when it comes to satisfying people's expectation of what your minisite should look like:

1) if you pay for nice graphics, some people will think that you are just somebody hyping up your product and minisite

2) Let's say they are okay with your graphics, some will take your domain name to a tool to try to find out how much daily traffic you are getting.

3) Let's say that they are okay with your traffic, then they will go to whois domain to try to find out if you are a LLC or if you are just a guy selling a product hiding behind domain privacy.

4) let's say they still comeback to your minisite, then they do not like the fact that you do not have a phone number available for support.

5) ..Then they will go to google and type whatever name your product is e.g. is I am a butt a scam?

6) then they will go to the minisite's footer to find out if you have it set up with disclaimer, earning disclaimer, privacy policy, etc

7) then they will look for the affiliate section to see if you are offering an affiliate program, and find out how much you are paying.

8) then the will go to youtube and type the name of your product to see if somebody made a video about it.

10) then they will type /download.html after your domain to see if they can get the product for free.

11) then they will look at your testimonial to see if Chia and Mike Filsaime are recommending it.

12. then they will get your page's code and look in it to see if they can come up with something.

13. then they will go back to whois domain and try to find out who is hosting your minisite.

14. then they will put your minisite in their favorites and never comeback to it again.

We are dealing with GEEKS nowadays, the only thing you can do is make them and offer they can't refuse

adding: oh, make sure that you purchased more than 25 old domains from somebody, because if when they go to whois domain they find out that you have less than that amount of domains to your name or to your business's name they probably won't buy your product no matter how good it is