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Jazzy WSO sales page VS Simple text - What do you prefer and why ?

by Icanwrite
53 replies
I was wondering what works better for buyers/sellers of WSO's - a Jazzy graphically enhanced sales page or simple, clean text - NO fluff ?

I know some people are attracted by the graphics but in my experience the simple stuff works MUCH BETTER.

Your thoughts ?
#jazzy #page #prefer #sales #simple #text #wso
  • Profile picture of the author Jason Perez O'Connor
    Originally Posted by Icanwrite View Post

    I was wondering what works better for buyers/sellers of WSO's - a Jazzy graphically enhanced sales page or simple, clean text - NO fluff ?

    I know some people are attracted by the graphics but in my experience the simple stuff works MUCH BETTER.

    Your thoughts ?
    I've never ran a WSO (but I'm close to), but I'd of thought that pleasing graphics would only help in guiding the eye down the page and expressing professionalism and that the seller cares about making a good image.

    The copy is always going to do the bulk of the work anyway, but I don't think the graphics hurt conversions at all, if anything it probably improves them by a bit.

    However, with prices on these sales pages going down, and becoming a little generic, we may see a shift in opinion by many regular WSO buyer's, in that the copy and graphics look great but the product never matches up.

    It looks like I'm contradicting myself, but what I mean is that they probably still help, but this may change in the near future, and people may see simplicity as a genuine attempt to sell a course worthwhile buying.

    Or maybe I'm just over-thinking it
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  • Profile picture of the author SamuelCarter
    Hi,

    Now thats a an interesting post. The answer is not very clear as everyone is different and there can be so many factors on this. I know some people who just do clear text and some that do nice graphics along side with the information. Everyone reacts differently and the way the brain processes visual information. So it is important to entice the audience and get their attention and sometimes the best way is by keep the audiences attention can be with good images/graphics and so on.

    There will be so many various answers to this and each one being right. Then again if you have something to offer and there is a hungry market then it wouldn't matter in some cases.

    There are methods you could implement to test out what works or doesn't work. Do testing, reviews,surveys even create something, plain text and another with graphics and post it in WF for opinions and poll etc.

    Personally id like graphics included - good to have visualization

    Looks like this will be an interesting thread!

    Samuel
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    • Profile picture of the author Icanwrite
      Originally Posted by Jason Perez O'Connor View Post

      I've never ran a WSO (but I'm close to), but I'd of thought that pleasing graphics would only help in guiding the eye down the page and expressing professionalism and that the seller cares about making a good image.

      The copy is always going to do the bulk of the work anyway, but I don't think the graphics hurt conversions at all, if anything it probably improves them by a bit.

      However, with prices on these sales pages going down, and becoming a little generic, we may see a shift in opinion by many regular WSO buyer's, in that the copy and graphics look great but the product never matches up.

      It looks like I'm contradicting myself, but what I mean is that they probably still help, but this may change in the near future, and people may see simplicity as a genuine attempt to sell a course worthwhile buying.

      Or maybe I'm just over-thinking it
      True , Jason. I agree. In some cases plain text will just be too "boring" to read . I am a WSO buyer as well as creator. I have myself purchased some WSO's which have the "WOW" factor right on the sales page... and then, there was one I purchased last week which had a dull, drab, and very short sales page - Which was perhaps the BEST WSO I ever bought.

      So, yeah maybe the thinking IS changing


      Originally Posted by SamuelCarter View Post

      Hi,

      Now thats a an interesting post. The answer is not very clear as everyone is different and there can be so many factors on this. I know some people who just do clear text and some that do nice graphics along side with the information. Everyone reacts differently and the way the brain processes visual information. So it is important to entice the audience and get their attention and sometimes the best way is by keep the audiences attention can be with good images/graphics and so on.

      There will be so many various answers to this and each one being right. Then again if you have something to offer and there is a hungry market then it wouldn't matter in some cases.

      There are methods you could implement to test out what works or doesn't work. Do testing, reviews,surveys even create something, plain text and another with graphics and post it in WF for opinions and poll etc.

      Personally id like graphics included - good to have visualization

      Looks like this will be an interesting thread!

      Samuel
      Glad you found this topic interesting , Samuel. I have been contemplating on this very thing for a while now. My testing (in 2010) shows "plain text" as a clear winner OVER graphics but who knows whats new in 2013

      Things in the WWW change so rapidly, you just never know !
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    However, with prices on these sales pages going down, and becoming a little generic, we may see a shift in opinion by many regular WSO buyer's, in that the copy and graphics look great but the product never matches up.
    That's becoming more and more prevalent these days.
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  • Profile picture of the author esr
    I can be overly judgmental at times but when I see a "jazzy" sales letter anywhere, not just WSO's, I definitely get the impression of professionalism.
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    • Profile picture of the author Icanwrite
      Originally Posted by esr View Post

      I can be overly judgmental at times but when I see a "jazzy" sales letter anywhere, not just WSO's, I definitely get the impression of professionalism.
      Yeah surely, thats another way of looking it it. Who wouldn't like a professional looking sales page It just shows the seller is serious about his product and how he presents it.. umm.. food for thought here.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        The jazzy, fancy sales pages are relatively new and have developed over the years as the popularity of the WSO section has grown.

        I do think the flash attracts new marketers but I've never read totally through one of those pages. On the other hand, I'm sure there are members here who read every word and get excited by the long sales pages.

        If I have an interest in a WSO I want to know WHAT the product is, what is covered, and the cost. I don't care what it isn't and pay scant attention to long lists of testimonials. I think sometimes the sales page is longer than the report sold as a WSO:p

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        • Profile picture of the author lucidbs
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          The jazzy, fancy sales pages are relatively new and have developed over the years as the popularity of the WSO section has grown.

          I do think the flash attracts new marketers but I've never read totally through one of those pages. On the other hand, I'm sure there are members here who read every word and get excited by the long sales pages.

          If I have an interest in a WSO I want to know WHAT the product is, what is covered, and the cost. I don't care what it isn't and pay scant attention to long lists of testimonials. I think sometimes the sales page is longer than the report sold as a WSO:p

          kay
          Yes, I think at the end of the day, what really matter is the actual wso whether it's full of fluff or as good as advertised.

          I do however agree that jazzy graphics does catch my attention vs the plain text version. The graphic rich version would only make the major difference in longer skimming time (as well as longer loading time for the page).
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    • Profile picture of the author jungl
      Yes, but that's like a guy wearing nice clothes or a nice watch. When you overdo it, you just look like a fool.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Wells
    Originally Posted by Icanwrite View Post

    I was wondering what works better for buyers/sellers of WSO's - a Jazzy graphically enhanced sales page or simple, clean text - NO fluff ?

    I know some people are attracted by the graphics but in my experience the simple stuff works MUCH BETTER.

    Your thoughts ?
    IMHHO.....

    Anyone who does not take the time to present their product well and professionally, probably does not take the time to make a great product.

    I know that will not apply to every situation especially in the past before the sales pages were so well formatted and designed. But now after we all have seen great products with great sales copy and sales page design. I believe it is financial suicide to NOT take the extra time and effort to make your sales page look nice.

    Of course IF you already have such a GREAT reputation as someone who always produces awesome products but does not have well designed sales pages, then you will still do well with those who ALREADY know you. But it would be to your advantage to have a well designed sales page to potentially capture those who DO NOT already know you and who judge a book by it's cover, which in my opinion is the majority of people.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
      I want to clue you into an often FATAL FLAW with the most gorgeous graphically rich WSO layouts - their readability is often crap.

      Sure, it's lick-ably delicious looking at first glance, but then difficult to follow.

      NEVER sacrifice clarity of your communication for visual aesthetics.

      I am an advocate for beautifully effective design - do not misinterpret what I'm saying.

      Don't let the design drive the message. Punctuate the message with the design.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bukmedia
        Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

        I want to clue you into an often FATAL FLAW with the most gorgeous graphically rich WSO layouts - their readability is often crap.

        Sure, it's lick-ably delicious looking at first glance, but then difficult to follow.

        NEVER sacrifice clarity of your communication for visual aesthetics.

        I am an advocate for beautifully effective design - do not misinterpret what I'm saying.

        Don't let the design drive the message. Punctuate the message with the design.
        What Brian is saying is KEY.

        The idea of a design is to COMPLIMENT the copy - not overpower it.

        There is no point having 50 different fonts on a sales page... or 20 different colours...

        The copy is the most important piece of any sales page, period. The idea of the design is to help that copy reach maximum effectiveness.

        Let me give you an example...

        You're selling a product about making money via Facebook ads and you have a headline "make up to $1,000 a day". Why hide that inside a big paragraph of text when you can have a pretty powerful headline that STANDS out but does the copy justice while at the same time drawing the readers eyes to the main points you're trying to display.

        The main point is... copy > design but copy + appropriate design = $$$
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      • Profile picture of the author mikehuff
        Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

        I want to clue you into an often FATAL FLAW with the most gorgeous graphically rich WSO layouts - their readability is often crap.

        Sure, it's lick-ably delicious looking at first glance, but then difficult to follow.

        NEVER sacrifice clarity of your communication for visual aesthetics.

        I am an advocate for beautifully effective design - do not misinterpret what I'm saying.

        Don't let the design drive the message. Punctuate the message with the design.
        I'm gonna recommend we all take in what Brian is saying here. If there's ONE person to listen to, it's the pro-copywriter.

        That said, I really like the idea of great sales graphics. "Punctuate the message with the design." Hmmm...I imagine I suck at that. Crap.
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    • Profile picture of the author glennshep
      Originally Posted by Steve Wells View Post

      Anyone who does not take the time to present their product well and professionally, probably does not take the time to make a great product.
      I think that this is the key point. It might actually not be the case the the product is bad, but it's the impression the prospective buyer gets that can put them off, no matter how good the product may be.

      I have never launched a WSO, but from a buyer's perspective I know that, for me, the impression I get from the care (or apparent lack thereof) that's been put into the sales page makes the difference as to how much attention I'll pay. That being said, if the sales copy is vague, inconsistent or unbelievable then it doesn't matter how fancy or clever the look of the page is.

      Additionally, an over-the-top sales page that has too much on it is equally off-putting for me. Flashiness and lengthiness is no substitute for compelling copy. As a prospective customer, all I want to see from a sales page is what the product is, what its benefits are, what makes it better than its alternatives (if there are any), why and how it will benefit me and what it will cost. No outlandish claims, no filler, no waffle - just a well-presented, to-the-point, honest sales pitch
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by glennshep View Post

        I think that this is the key point. It might actually not be the case the the product is bad, but it's the impression the prospective buyer gets that can put them off, no matter how good the product may be.

        I have never launched a WSO, but from a buyer's perspective I know that, for me, the impression I get from the care (or apparent lack thereof) that's been put into the sales page makes the difference as to how much attention I'll pay. That being said, if the sales copy is vague, inconsistent or unbelievable then it doesn't matter how fancy or clever the look of the page is.

        Additionally, an over-the-top sales page that has too much on it is equally off-putting for me. Flashiness and lengthiness is no substitute for compelling copy. As a prospective customer, all I want to see from a sales page is what the product is, what its benefits are, what makes it better than its alternatives (if there are any), why and how it will benefit me and what it will cost. No outlandish claims, no filler, no waffle - just a well-presented, to-the-point, honest sales pitch

        This is where the discussion gets clouded...

        Too much theory. The only was we can answer is to split test and see results. So far, no one has offered any concrete evidence either way. What I do see are some agendas.

        I use text only and my products crap all over 90% of WSO's. so to make such generalizations is utter BS in my opinion.

        IM is an evolutionary process. There are trends and fads. Graphics may well be popular from a seller's perspective because they have been drinking the next-best-thing kool aide. If everyone else is doing it, it must be working.

        Like I said, you have to split test both methods.

        There are a few warriors who have made a ton of money with plain text pages. Why? Because their products are good and provide a specific solution.

        In the end, you can have graphics of virtual pole dancers, but if the marketing message sucks, you won't sell.

        If I look at it from a buyer's perspective, your product is competing with 100's of others, so I don't want to wait for my page to load etc. I don't care how pretty your page looks. All I want to know is what, why and how much.

        Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    Without thinking about this question I actually have both.

    I have the text at the beginning and then the graphics
    of the sales letter afterwards. So those readers who
    want the text/short version can get that and those who
    want the full-blown sales letter with graphics can get
    that as well. I've never tested the results though,
    which is what you are asking.

    Those who offer the graphics service should be able to
    give you some real stats in THEIR sales letters for
    their service. At least that's what I think would help
    their argument.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    I think in the Warrior Forum graphics give off a much more professional image and tend to sell more... just my opinion from experience though I'm sure others have different results
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      It's doubtful I'm ever going to favor a product that is presented poorly versus the same product that's presented professionally and I'd hazard a guess that is true for most.

      Vendors should pull out all the stops and not simply skimp just because they assume themselves to have a well established reputation. Branding is important, as is ongoing branding to threngthen.

      Simple can sell (that old chestnut), but rock bottom primative is just another matter entirely.

      Once the quality of copy is nailed, I see absolutely no reason why a quality design can't be built around it assuming it's message isn't obscured in any way, shape or form.

      People should be leveraging from the components of the very medium they are using. The WWW is dominated by text and pictures. Use them and use them well!
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  • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
    I sell WSO's. The 2 that I have fancy graphics in are 2 of my worst sellers. Can't say for sure they sold less because of the graphics, could be coincidence.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Wells
      Originally Posted by RockingLastsForever View Post

      I sell WSO's. The 2 that I have fancy graphics in are 2 of my worst sellers. Can't say for sure they sold less because of the graphics, could be coincidence.
      I took the time to look at 3 of your past WSO's and if these are any indication of your idea of fancy graphics then no wonder you think the way you do.

      I mean no offense but you should honestly take a step back and re- evaluate your idea of fancy graphics.

      I did not see any graphics that were even close to professional or sales page professionally formatted.
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      • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
        Originally Posted by Steve Wells View Post

        I took the time to look at 3 of your past WSO's and if these are any indication of your idea of fancy graphics then no wonder you think the way you do.

        I mean no offense but you should honestly take a step back and re- evaluate your idea of fancy graphics.

        I did not see any graphics that were even close to professional or sales page professionally formatted.
        Most of my WSO's have no graphics at all, they are pretty much just text. There are just 2 which go for the full graphic sales page. Those were both created by fellow Warriors and both of them happen to be the lowest selling WSO's.

        You touting for business? :rolleyes:
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        • Profile picture of the author Steve Wells
          Originally Posted by RockingLastsForever View Post

          Most of my WSO's have no graphics at all, they are pretty much just text. There are just 2 which go for the full graphic sales page. Those were both created by fellow Warriors and both of them happen to be the lowest selling WSO's.

          You touting for business? :rolleyes:
          Maybe I did not see the two that had fancy graphics designed?

          ***edit*** I looked at all your past WSO's and your total sales for each, so unless you took them down, I did see your idea of fancy and professional, and my previous post still applies.

          And sure, I'm always looking for extra work if I have the time and the money is right...

          I'm amazed at how many people on this forum make comments about quality graphics and how they do not work, only to find out that their idea of quality and professional is not even a 4 on a scale of 1 - 10 from a designers point of view. Basically what I am saying is that it's like a someone who is color blind critiquing color photography.

          I'm not trying to be rude, just honest about how your input about professional graphics and how they do not convert on WSO'S should not be considered as credible input.
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          • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
            Originally Posted by Steve Wells View Post

            Maybe I did not see the two that had fancy graphics designed?

            ***edit*** I looked at all your past WSO's and your total sales for each, so unless you took them down, I did see your idea of fancy and professional, and my previous post still applies.

            And sure, I'm always looking for extra work if I have the time and the money is right...

            I'm amazed at how many people on this forum make comments about quality graphics and how they do not work, only to find out that their idea of quality and professional is not even a 4 on a scale of 1 - 10 from a designers point of view. Basically what I am saying is that it's like a someone who is color blind critiquing color photography.

            I'm not trying to be rude, just honest about how your input about professional graphics and how they do not convert on WSO'S should not be considered as credible input.

            When getting a graphic done for a sales thread the thing you would want to be focusing on is the sales copy over the graphic and design anyway. The design isn't nearly as important as the copy so having some fancy graphic that's a '10' (by your standards) might not actually be the best move as it could distract from the actual copy it's self.

            And FYI I didn't actually say that the WSO's did not convert because of the graphics I just said that the two where I have had a 'professional' create graphics are the lowest selling ones, I actually did say originally it could be coincidence.
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  • Profile picture of the author arranrice
    Graphic sales pages look at lot more professional and they increase your sales too.
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  • Profile picture of the author khooster1
    Both works well if you know how to go about it.
    Don't put in too many testimonials!!
    We all know that these are all scripted.

    Personally, I like this sequence:
    => words (faster to load)
    => Graphics (manage the loading speed)
    => Offers
    => FAQs
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      Originally Posted by khooster1 View Post

      Don't put in too many testimonials!!
      We all know that these are all scripted.

      Maybe you just haven't garnered any satisfied customers or been one yourself?

      ...otherwise that would surely be an odd thing to say.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonwebb
    I much prefer text. I respect the designers abilities but I prefer plain text with a few pretty things to spice it up a little
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  • Profile picture of the author rgb
    If you are unsure, how about just do a split test of your sales letter both a graphic one and a plain text one and see which one converts better.

    You can say its a beta testing. Run 500 visitors to your sales letter and see which version converts better.

    For this sort of stuff I use

    1. PPC,PPV (or any QUICK media buy)
    2. Beyong Hosting (strong server its a must)
    3. CPV Lab (the cherry on top of the cake)

    And besides if set up a testing system you can test all sorts, something you'll find that when you price your product $27 converts better than if you would price it at $7, or that a different button might convert 5% better... and so on.

    If you want to really know, try something like cpvlab.

    *no affiliations with any of the above
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Hess
    The question should be what types of pages do affiliates like best and what will get them to mail.

    The WSO section is affiliate driven, without them, you're not selling shit (unless you have your own list) and it doesn't matter how good your product is...
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    I find a lot of the heavy graphic pages hard to read and prefer the letters with more text on them. Some of the flash sales pages immediately stood out when they first came out and I bet that helped sales but now that it's more common... I wonder if 'things' have evened out a little.

    Having said that. I always look at who created it.

    If it's someone I know, like and trust then I'm probably not too bothered.
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    • Profile picture of the author Terry Ivers
      Originally Posted by Big Al View Post

      I find a lot of the heavy graphic pages hard to read and prefer the letters with more text on them. Some of the flash sales pages immediately stood out when they first came out and I bet that helped sales but now that it's more common... I wonder if 'things' have evened out a little.

      Having said that. I always look at who created it.

      If it's someone I know, like and trust then I'm probably not too bothered.
      Same here. Add scrolling down forever to get to the price and you've almost (or have) lost me. I like to see graphics mainly for graphic designers with short portfolios (not pages). I don't mind seeing graphics for an ebook or ebook and mp3 files, but I am getting tired of seeing these massive graphic only ads for WSOs.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy Fang
    You want to avoid using text, as it just looks plain ugly IMO, and avoid using ugly sales graphics.
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    • Profile picture of the author GaurabBorah
      There are few reasons I use graphics for my WSOs,

      Its easier to edit them and you don't go on messing with the long codes while publishing it. Looks neat and catchy.

      Other thing in my opinion it helps in conversions. There are better ways to highlight any important things inside your sales page.

      Also, in my opinion they convert better and looks more professional.


      Originally Posted by Andy Fang View Post

      You want to avoid using text, as it just looks plain ugly IMO, and avoid using ugly sales graphics.
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      • Profile picture of the author natf
        From a buyer's perspective, the graphics-heavy WSOs have two problems for me.

        1. They load slowly so if I'm on a slower connection somewhere, they can be painful to wait for.

        2. If I'm reading on my iPhone they don't scale the same way text will. Zooming and panning around to read them isn't the ideal solution.

        Both those problems may be edge cases, however, so I don't know if they would be enough of an issue to worry about.

        It's too bad there isn't a way to split test within a WSO listing so you could compare text vs graphics in the same listing, with as few outside variables as possible.

        Running a split test somewhere else can give you data but the WSO market is distinctly different than many others so those results aren't necessarily going to translate across.
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        • Profile picture of the author ElGuapo
          From my buyer's perspective, I much prefer simplicity. It's perhaps a little unfair, but after years in this game I have become pretty immune to the heavy marketing bling. Too many cases of "this will spit out money like an ATM!" being linked to Clickbank images (some of which have been shown to be fake) with superficial testimonials.

          If a seller simply wrote "On 3rd March I set up a Squidoo Lens. Within three weeks it was averaging $9 a day using only free traffic methods, as you can see from this before-and-after in my Amazon account. I shall provide you with videos of my every step. 30 day money-back guarantee", then I'd likely buy it immediately.

          That would just be so refreshing. Telling me exactly what was achieved, how it was achieved, backing it up with proof and a guarantee. Because these days, reading through a sales letter isn't just mind-numbing, but there's the added work of cutting through the hype to do a more grounded translation of what the product is actually about!

          That's just me though. If you're sellin', test vigorously and go with what works.
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          • Profile picture of the author Jason_V
            Originally Posted by ElGuapo View Post

            From my buyer's perspective, I much prefer simplicity. It's perhaps a little unfair, but after years in this game I have become pretty immune to the heavy marketing bling. Too many cases of "this will spit out money like an ATM!" being linked to Clickbank images (some of which have been shown to be fake) with superficial testimonials.

            If a seller simply wrote "On 3rd March I set up a Squidoo Lens. Within three weeks it was averaging $9 a day using only free traffic methods, as you can see from this before-and-after in my Amazon account. I shall provide you with videos of my every step. 30 day money-back guarantee", then I'd likely buy it immediately.

            That would just be so refreshing. Telling me exactly what was achieved, how it was achieved, backing it up with proof and a guarantee. Because these days, reading through a sales letter isn't just mind-numbing, but there's the added work of cutting through the hype to do a more grounded translation of what the product is actually about!

            That's just me though. If you're sellin', test vigorously and go with what works.

            What you're describing is just bad copy, period.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    A nicely done graphical page with an in-demand product and an effective sales pitch will outsell a nicely done text page with the same stuff. Every time. And sometimes even the gaudiest graphics pages do very well.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMSince2003
    It does not matter what you think. Testing is the most important thing you can do. That's why I always use WSO Pro. Sometimes simplicity is best. The message should be the thing that you work most on besides the product itself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    For a WSO, I like and prefer text without all the jazzy crap.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Some of the graphical pages have gotten way over the top cheesy. Generally, I prefer to create and read the graphical pages, when they are done well, but the ones that scream Las Vegas light show are just annoying.

    I also do not care for all text that goes on and on and on. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and I'd rather not read the thousand words if I don't have to.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Lot of personal opinions here. That's cool. But the WSO market likes flashy stuff. If you want to be successful, you'll play to your market. You don't have to necessarily like it. And you don't have to make it obnoxious either.

    I've run 6 WSOs, all profitable. Five were plain text with a product image. The 6th was a nicely done image page. It got WSO/day. Not saying it was the graphics that did that but it sure did help.
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      There is absolutely no reason why people should make a quality product shine on the sales page.

      No-one would ever choose a Porsche with the chasis of a Morris Minor over a Porsche in it's glorified state.

      People should be seizing every opportunity to brand themselves and their products.

      Images stick in peoples minds. There is absolutely no getting away from it. This is an asset supplemental to reputation acquired through providing quality products and one that should be harnessed..

      The better you look, the better you are.

      If you don't understand this concept and branding in general, then you don't understand a huge chunk of business!

      If you aren't branding yourself, you aren't just leaving money on the table, you are limiting your business substantially.
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  • Profile picture of the author mialove
    I prefer to read the graphical pages, but, only when they are done well.
    And i must admit, some pages looks really bad.
    Sometimes designers use fonts that almost impossible to read, or its just to "shiny".
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    This thread is a classic example of what happens when you ask a bunch of marketers what they prefer. It's generally very different to what the market at large prefers.

    The fact is your sales message is more important than design but design does definitely play a huge role in things. If you have two identical sales messages, one in plain text and one graphical, then they would definitely get two different type of response rates.

    Think about the real world. First impressions are everything. Online is no different. Your salespage should look neat, professional and exude quality. Most of the plain text ones I come across are just plain ugly and immediately make me question the quality of the actual product. I definitely take more notice of those products that have nicely formatted sales pages.

    Who would you hire and trust more for a job? The guy who turns up in a nice suit and tie or the guy who turns up a in a ruffled shirt with hair that just looks like he got out of bed?
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    • Profile picture of the author Mkeating3
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      Who would you hire and trust more for a job? The guy who turns up in a nice suit and tie or the guy who turns up a in a ruffled shirt with hair that just looks like he got out of bed?
      The guy who looks like he just got out of bed of course. I get your point but that example doesn't bode well in a forum dedicated for marketers who probably don't wear a suit to work
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      Who would you hire and trust more for a job? The guy who turns up in a nice suit and tie or the guy who turns up a in a ruffled shirt with hair that just looks like he got out of bed?
      I worked in the software industry for twenty years. The second guy is almost certainly the better candidate, because chances are he was up all night coding and is now interviewing solely under the influence of Five-Hour Energy.
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    • Profile picture of the author Johnny12345
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      Your sales page should look neat, professional and exude quality. Most of the plain text ones I come across are just plain ugly and immediately make me question the quality of the actual product. I definitely take more notice of those products that have nicely formatted sales pages.

      If you want to see an example of a properly formatted and designed sales page, just look at ANY of WillR's pages.

      He gets page design.

      He understands that "form follows function." Graphics are there to complement the copy -- NOT the other way around.

      I'm always amazed when I see WSOs with pages so GAUDY and graphically heavy that it destroys the flow and clarity of the copy. (It's often so bad that they have to resort to explaining their offer in an additional post masquerading as an "FAQ" section.)

      Here's the thing...

      You have to keep graphic designers under control. They want to create fancy pages that will look good in their portfolio (and help justify their fee).

      But -- if you're actually trying sell something -- that sort of thing can KILL your conversions. Overdone graphics kill the readability of your copy. (And, make no mistake, it's the copy that does the selling.)

      John
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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    Yaa this thread is full of personal opinions but as marketers we should look at facts right?

    The fact is that design has a biggest impact than most people think. Design can actually affect your sales more than copy in some cases. Having a professional design is good for positioning and gives the product a higher perceived value (in my opinion).

    For a WSO i would say that having a nice design is a must... if it weren't so important then why are most of the top wso sellers using graphically pleasing sales material?
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      I'm sure a lot of people convince themselves that it's not important just for the fact that they maybe don't posses the skills to design and are too arrogant to admit that they aren't in full control and do actually need to outsource some elements of their business to reap optimal results.

      Text aint, magic - no more so than graphics.

      The goal should be a perfect and complimentary balance; an attractive message delivered in an aesthetically pleasing way.

      It's the absolute schoolboy basics of advertising....
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    • Profile picture of the author WillR
      Originally Posted by thedanbrown View Post

      For a WSO i would say that having a nice design is a must... if it weren't so important then why are most of the top wso sellers using graphically pleasing sales material?
      I think the WSO market is very different to the MMO market at large and thus can't really be compared with one another.

      I think pretty designs are less necessary inside this forum because the typical WSO buyer is already sold on the idea of making money online. They are warm prospects and often they are searching through the forum looking for things to buy. It's just a totally different game to the one outside of the forum.

      So I wouldn't necessarily say the top WSO sellers use fancy designs because it makes them more sales. I would bet you most of those top sellers you are talking about have never split tested an ugly vs a pretty design inside of this forum. It's just what one person uses and so the others follow. But heck, why wouldn't you use a professional looking design when it often takes just as long to make as an ugly one.
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  • Profile picture of the author jungl
    Another thing that is really annoying for me is like 10 minutes of scrolling to get past the reviews. After 5, 10 or maybe 15, we've had enough of your reviews... I find myself just scrolling right through WSOs now to try to find ANYTHING that's not the same old, same old, eye sore of too much fancy graphics and endless reviews. Honestly, if someone gave me a meat and potatoes simple text sales page that doesn't take 3 hours to scroll through, I'd be happy.
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  • Profile picture of the author george b
    Surely as long as it is not over done, and you can strike a perfect balance between graphics & text then you should be ok, IMO
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