What puts you off buying a product?

15 years ago

Hello Aaron,

You really picked up a good point... When people offer bonuses, it looks like they are just trying to bribe the buyers to buy....

Regards
Shakul

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Bizsouth 15 years ago

Too much hype, sounds to good to be true, BUT the biggest reason not to buy is when you realize the product is there only to make the program legal[?] The product is useless and has no value except affiliate sales. Pyramids in disguise, anyone ever her of Glenn Turner from the 70's?

Many affiliate programs are great and provide real solutions and information, you just have find the ones that offer real value to you and/or your customer. If you have any ethics these are the only ones to become a part of.

To those of you new to this, do your homework! Searches, forums, use their support and ask hard questions and see what results you get. If you hit a nerve don't expect a reply.
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TheCren 15 years ago

The point of the bonuses is to convince people to buy using your link. Most of us already have accounts with Clickbank and other CPA networks. What's keeping us from just using our own affiliate links to purchase a product? The bonuses!
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Jordan Matthews

15 years ago

For me it's a monthly membership fee. I'd rather pay a lot of money up front to be able to use a product forever than have to pay a pittance every month.

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makepeoplemoney

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jordan Matthews

For me it's a monthly membership fee. I'd rather pay a lot of money up front to be able to use a product forever than have to pay a pittance every month.

i agree monthly memberships try to cripple people especially in recession times. People just want the product to utilize! also another thing that puts me off is the claims made...and alot of products don't follow through out there! rgds

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Jon MacPherson

15 years ago

I think bonuses are well known to increase conversion rates dramatically.

I remember a highly regarded direct marketer, I think it was Ken McCarthy, who said that many times good bonuses will be more of an incentive to the prospect than the product.

Having said that, when I see a decent offer followed by some thrown together, cheap-graphic, plr bonuses; I get the heck out of there.

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JaySabree

15 years ago

Hey there,

The reason for great bonuses that are related to the product
Is "value"... In the beginning, marketing products online
was difficult to sell (anything) without building "value"
in the minds of the potential customer. As a marketer, I
have found that the better the bonuses are the higher the
conversions. You have likely been around for a while and
seen plenty of sales letter pitches so you're a little tired of
the same old sales letter

(pitch - testimonials - bonuses - 60 day guarantee - buy now before we run out)

but it's used only because it works... If the bonuses are not
related then generally less people buy the product...

I buy tons of stuff and I've read countless sales pitches as well
As promoting products and services. Most of the time I don't
Get through all the bonuses because I get what I need from the
Main product... So, I hear what you're saying but the best
products/services that you tend to find will not last long within
those bonuses. They make to prospect feel silly not to buy because
of everything that they're getting for such a low price...

cheers

jay

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

For me its the "bonuses". This almost always makes me not want to buy the product. Lets say the product is a "Copy me to make money" product and as a bonus the person offers several other products related to this.

My thinking is well how good can the actual product be if he has to throw in bonuses? I want one complete product, no bonus otherwise its just too much and I will loose focus. Not to mention the main fact, that if the product being sold is good enough, you shouldnt need any bonus.

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mailco

15 years ago

The income statements that appear unreal, eg; make $50,000 a month

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Jim Talbott

15 years ago

Hi- I recently purchased a product that came with, I think 31 bonuses. And while some of the bonuses certainly had merit and value what put me off was that just about all of them had an opt-in page before you could actually download the bonus itself. Had I known that was the case I might not have purchased the product.

Jim

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JaySabree

15 years ago

I think the craziest bonus I ever saw was Joel Comm bonus for the Next Internet Millionaire Series... Reality TV on the Web - The Next Internet Millionaire with Joel Comm- Over 10,000 thousand dollars in bonuses for a $19.99 product!!!

So, that was a little extreme! But the series was entertaining... Check it out

Originally Posted by Jim Talbott

Hi- I recently purchased a product that came with, I think 31 bonuses. And while some of the bonuses certainly had merit and value what put me off was that just about all of them had an opt-in page before you could actually download the bonus itself. Had I known that was the case I might not have purchased the product.

Jim

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Cheers

Jay

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elitementor

15 years ago

I agree iwth mailco. Income statements and the hype of making Millions of dollars "fast and easy", make most people run the other way.

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AlbertF

15 years ago

What puts me off is the cheesiness of sometimes the video and the testimonials.

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jasonl70

15 years ago

I do agree that some bonuses do not seem to be well thought out, but let's ignore poor implementation for the moment and concentrate on the model.

If bonuses draw more people in then they turn off, then if you don't like them you will be the business they are willing to lose. And let's be honest - bonuses are a time proven technique.

If bonuses increase conversion from 2% to 2.75%, then a marketer better think long and hard before they decide NOT to use them.

The problem with threads like this is that they are meaningless.. an individuals opinion about what turns them off regarding an offer/process does not matter much - it's the overall bigger picture that people should focus on - the aggregate actions of thousands of prospects/visitors.

Add to this the fact that people who SAY they wouldn't buy from a site that does such-and-such, often DO buy from those sites, and you really have the recipe for confusion.

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jasonl70 15 years ago

Originally Posted by elitementor

I agree iwth mailco. Income statements and the hype of making Millions of dollars "fast and easy", make most people run the other way.

Income statements most certainly do NOT make most people run away. You should not state your personal opinion as a fact like this.

I've tested this myself just recently, and I have zero doubt as to the effectiveness of income statements, particularly in the form of screen shots and videos.

Do you think Frank Kern's income statements drove people away from his products?
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Dan C. Rinnert 15 years ago

Here are the things that dissuade me from purchasing a product.

Hiding the Price - The more hoops I have to jump through to find out the price, the less likely it is I am going to buy. If I have to sign up for a list just to find out what the product is going to cost me, that's a no. If I have to add the item to my cart to see the price, that's frustrating as well. The more you frustrate me, the lower my opinion is going to me and, thus, the less likely I am to buy.

Hiding the Payment Methods - How can I pay? Can I pay with PayPal? How about my American Express card? I have certain ways I prefer to pay. While it's important to offer a variety of payment options, making those options easy to find is just as important. Plenty of sites make it obvious, or at least very easy to find, what payment methods they accept. If a site makes that hard to find--or even requires you to go through the checkout process just to find out how you can pay--that dramatically decreases the odds I will make a purchase.

Poorly Matched Bonuses - The bonuses should add to the main product's offering. If you're selling a book on cat or dog care, then a good bonus might be a recipe book for foods or treats you can make at home. The bonus should be something additional; it shouldn't be something that a person would think should have been a part of the main product. If the bonuses appear to be making up for a deficiency in the main product's offering, that's not a good impression. If that is the case, it should be identified as part of the package and not as an additional bonus. As in, here's your multi-volume cat care guide... It's not a bonus if it's something that should have been included in the main product.

Also, the bonuses need to match the product you are selling. If you're selling a cat care guide, it doesn't do much good to offer a snake care guide as a bonus. Nor is "101 Ways to Make Money on eBay" a good bonus for your cat care guide, even if you try to tie it in by saying "Here are some ways to pay kitty's vet bills..." Sorry, no.

I'm sure I could probably come up with more, but I don't want to spend the whole day writing this post.
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Sandor Verebi

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

....The problem with threads like this is that they are meaningless.. an individuals opinion about what turns them off regarding an offer/process does not matter much - it's the overall bigger picture that people should focus on - the aggregate actions of thousands of prospects/visitors.

Add to this the fact that people who SAY they wouldn't buy from a site that does such-and-such, often DO buy from those sites, and you really have the recipe for confusion.

Jason, agreed on this.

Btw It occured already with me that I bought something because of a bonus, not the main product.

Before I buy something, generally I read the sales letter -- re-read something if necessary -- and observe the story, the benefits, the testimonials, the bonuses, the guarantee, and how the seller make his presentation. I'm sensitive for mistakes, and don't like the obfuscation and to much hype.

I also used to try if the links are working or not. Beside all this, I consider if I can use it in the near future or not. Then I sleep up on it. I can judge it more clearly following day, is it needed for me or not. If all of this is suitable for me then I get my vallet and order.

This way I spared some money and headache already.

All the best,

Sandor

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TheAngelGuy

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

If bonuses increase conversion from 2% to 2.75%, then a marketer better think long and hard before they decide NOT to use them.

The problem with threads like this is that they are meaningless.. an individuals opinion about what turns them off regarding an offer/process does not matter much - it's the overall bigger picture that people should focus on - the aggregate actions of thousands of prospects/visitors.

Jason,

Really good points - it's the model that is the important thing.

One aspect, though, that isn't really touched on much is negative user experience as a direct RESULT from it being poorly implemented, thus putting a bad light on it for future use. Granted, the percentage is small, but once someone has a bad experience they tend to generalize it to the model being used in other areas.

(I guess just making sure our own use is implemented well will help to overcome any "bad taste" experiences some of our own prospects might have had.)

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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

15 years ago

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LarryC 15 years ago

I agree about monthly membership fees, unless it's a very low fee or it seems like an outstanding value. I don't care too much about bonuses one way or the other. I won't buy a product for the bonuses, but they wouldn't deter me either.

In general, overused sales pitches are a turnoff for me. Examples of this would be counters telling you there are only X number of copies left, the sales letter saying something like, "everyone says I should be charging $497 for this, etc." and, when you click off the page, the pop-up with a sales rep (always an attractive young woman) saying you can, for today only, get a special $10 discount. These and similar methods are just overused, but then again, they may work on people who haven't seen them a thousand times.
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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by WordPro

In one word - Hype. I cannot stand the American commercial style of selling, it's so over the top, demanding that the product in question is the next best thing to sliced bread.

I feel like screaming at the computer sometimes (totally irrational I know lol), "Get to the bloody point!"

All that waffle, it drives me up the wall, just tell me what it does, what problem it solves, how it will save me time or money, or make me money in one short paragraph, when they go on and on and on, I just think, well if it needs that much padding and fluff to disguise the true nature of the product, well it can't be much good.

Internet marketer's especially, their sales pages sometimes, they just drive me mental, rambling on and on and on and on and on and on and on with their never ending drivel about why I can't do without their latest offering, aghhhhh!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

I come across one, if I can't understand the concept in precisely 30 seconds, exactly what it does, I tend to just think, well stuff em, I'll go off in search elsewhere, for something that does exactly what it say's on the tin.

But wait! There's even more!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

I guess I'll have to ignore the advice and experience of direct marketers / internet marketers who have tested these things and made millions in the process.. all this time, I should have been catering to the semi-interested folks who apparently have ADD.

"Who reads long copy? Buyers do." - Dan Kennedy

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Nick Brighton

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

I guess I'll have to ignore the advice and experience of direct marketers / internet marketers who have tested these things and made millions in the process.. all this time, I should have been catering to the semi-interested folks who apparently have ADD.

"Who reads long copy? Buyers do." - Dan Kennedy

Lol, I totally agree Jason.

Here's my observation - people who get annoyed with the sales pitch are not the ideal/target prospect anyway.

If I've broken my back and you're pitching memory foam mattresses, I'll watch your commercial twice. And when I visit your website to order, I'll read everything I can to JUSTIFY my purchase.

I want to be sold, I want to know this is the best matress for my back. I want to know who you are and why the price is what it is.

I don't care if I need to go though 2-3 pages to enter my card details. I'm too excited to care...I've just found a cure for endless restless nights with sheer back pain.

See the difference folks? 90% of the battle with copy/converting prospects is that you ain't got no prospects in the first place.

Chew on it for a while, then go get some prospects (as Jason/Dan Kennedy point out - those "prospects" are the ones that will read/listen and watch from start to finish).

P.S - Bonuses can be a major turn off for me too - I totally agree. But its' not the BONUS that's the problem, it's WHAT the bonus actually is.

Of course, overkill on the bonuses can get tiresome to a point, but if you're throwing in ammo when someone's buying a gun? Well, throw enough in and they might just buy that gun from you.

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Karen Blundell

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

all this time, I should have been catering to the semi-interested folks who apparently have ADD.

"Who reads long copy? Buyers do." - Dan Kennedy

ADD? are you kidding me? Sales copy that insults my intelligence, drives me bananas. Long-winded sales copy drives me bananas. I do not have ADD. I'm intelligent and a busy person, thank you very much, and as marketers you need to consider that some of your buyers are similar thinkers.

We are the buyers who prefer sales copy that is clear, gets to the point, is totally transparent, ie price and payment method is clearly defined, as is what the product can do for us.
Then we buy based on that criteria.
It's not rocket science. As marketers you need to consider that not all of your buyers are mindless drones.

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

As marketers you need to consider that not all of your buyers are mindless drones.

So, anyone whose purchasing pattern is different from yours is a mindless drone?

You just flunked marketing 101. Remedial classes start in June. Until then, just keep repeating to yourself, "I am not my market. I am not my market. I am not..."

Paul

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Intrepreneur 15 years ago

May I be the first to insert the word "sales copys".. Yup they put me off, I listen out for the advantages and disadvantages of anytning, not read a salescopy and suck it all up.. So salescopies don't do it for me, proof in the pudding and honest talk, e.g. WF Product reviews forum section.
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Karen Blundell

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

So, anyone whose purchasing pattern is different from yours is a mindless drone?

You just flunked marketing 101. Remedial classes start in June. Until then, just keep repeating to yourself, "I am not my market. I am not my market. I am not..."

Paul

funny!...some of the sales copy out there is so full of hype it couldn't possibly be believed by anyone other then mindless drones. Forgive me if that sounds cynical. And forgive me if I offended anyone by my words.

I think there are several different types of buyers out there and in the mix there are people who will believe anything, hence the easy sale. Then there are the kinds who need convincing. Then there are those who, like me, just want the straight facts, man, no bullshit...They have a quick mind, catch on fast, and will buy if it benefits them. Period.

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

Karen,

I think there are several different types of buyers out there and in the mix there are people who will believe anything, hence the easy sale. Then there are the kinds who need convincing. Then there are those who, like me, just want the straight facts, man, no bullshit...They have a quick mind, catch on fast, and will buy if it benefits them. Period.

Read what you wrote. You have yet again suggested that anyone who has a different buying process than you is somehow inferior to you.

An experienced marketer understands that, while their legitimate prospects have something in common, a desire their product can hopefully fulfill, they are each unique human beings, with slightly different concerns and often wildly different approaches to making decisions. A properly constructed sales letter contains all the elements necessary for each of those people to make their decision based on their own unique approach.

It is the very fact that we don't perceive our markets as being full of identical "mindless drones" that makes us provide a means for each person to use their own process. To make their own decision in their own way.

Only an elitist would assume that a single approach to decision making was the only valid approach. To paint anyone who uses a different approach as somehow inferior is, to put it mildly, somewhat high-handed.

Isn't that sort of "We know better than you" thinking what makes people dislike so much of marketing?

Paul

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Karen Blundell 15 years ago

Paul, I don't think I'm better than everyone...There are people smarter then me. If I come across as elitist, I'm sorry..I was just trying to prove a point. I know I'm not the only person who thinks like me when it comes to sales copy. I'm just more outspoken and that sometimes gets me in trouble.
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- Paul Myers 15 years ago
  
  Karen,
  
  I know I'm not the only person who thinks like me when it comes to sales copy.
  
  That is absolutely true. There are a lot of people who feel the same way, including an unusual proportion of businesspeople.
  
  I've had several similar conversations today, in at least two threads, with people who seem to generalize from their own perspectives to judgments about other people. I don't often argue personal preferences, but I'll question those types of generalizations almost every time.
  
  Paul
  
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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

15 years ago

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

What she was saying is that like myself, not everyone likes to see or read exceptionally long sales copy, that's all.

No, that's not all she said. That may have been her intent. If so, it was very poorly communicated.

As far as the ADD stuff, I didn't make any such reference. None in this thread, and rarely in reference to long form sales copy. Wrong target.

If we express interest in a product, there's already a good chance that we will buy into that product. However, upon reading a sales pitch that is so longwinded that it actually achieves the opposite effect and puts off the perspective buyer, what good is that to anyone?

May I suggest that you read further down the thread, (response #59) where I explain to Karen how the nature of properly constructed sales letters take those varying desires into account?

If you are excluding a segment of your potential buyers, the only person you are hurting is yourself.

Specious argument. All advertising excludes some segment of the potential market. Always. It is not possible to avoid that. One makes choices based on the optimum benefit to their business and their prospects.

Failing to recognize and accept this leads to trying to please everyone, which is a sucker's bet. You'll lose it every time.

I like to see the strongest points emphasised quickly and to the point. An exceptionally long sales pitch I find often is simply an insult to my own intelligence, treating me as a potential buyer as though I am stupid, explaining every tiny detail at great length. It's not required, I don't want it, I don't want to see it let alone waste my time reading through the labyrinth of words.

Ah. Giving you the details assumes you're stupid? What about the people who want all that information? The ones who care about the details, and want to make what they feel to be a fully-informed decision, in their own way?

If a sales letter is structured properly, you super-intelligent types ought to be able to skim through and find what you need quickly and easily. If you can't, perhaps the problem is the structure of the letter, rather than its length.

Ah wait! I wasn't trying to sell you anything though, therein lies a bit of a difference, what say you?

I say you're peddling rose food with that last bit.

You're trying to sell me on the idea that merchants should adjust their approaches to match what is demonstrably a minority of their potential prospects, at the expense of the majority.

While I don't know if this next bit is true of you, I do know that a lot of people who claim to hate long copy, to the point where they'll rant about it bitterly in this forum, will read it and buy from it, if they're interested in the product.

How do I know this? I look at what people have said here who've later bought things from me, via long form sales letters.

As a separate issue, most of what I sell personally is information. I tend to pack it quite densely, to the point where it often requires significant effort of thought. If someone can't be bothered to read, or at least effectively skim, the sales copy, there's little chance they're going to put in the work of reading and applying what I'm selling. Thus, they're unlikely to be legitimate prospects for my products anyway.

To me, a legitimate prospect is someone who will use and benefit from my products. Not just someone who'll hand me money.

Now, let's see who has ADD?

Indeed. Who was it that got that reference mixed up with my comments?

Paul

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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

15 years ago

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

I think you just enjoy arguing for the sake of it.

Your ADD is showing again. That comment you quoted by Randy wasn't directed at me.

Just as an FYI, it's generally considered both sloppy and rude to quote an entire lengthy post in order to add one line of comment.

That said, while I do enjoy a good debate (this doesn't really qualify), I don't waste my time on it in a public forum unless there's a purpose to be served. In this case, the purpose is to demonstrate the fallacy of your reasoning to those who may not have already made up their minds to believe these unsupportable positions.

If you wish to actually refute any of my comments, I look forward to your thoughts. If you're just going to leap to tall (and silly) conclusions in a single bound... well, you get to sit on the other side of Karen from Randy in remedial marketing 101.

Until classes begin, just keep telling yourself, "I am not my market. I am not my market. I am not..."

That is, by the way, the entire curriculuum.

Paul

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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

15 years ago

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

Point proven.

If you believe that, I think your username is significantly overstated.

Paul

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Steven Wagenheim

15 years ago

Hey folks, to everybody arguing the long vs short copy thingy, it all comes
down to one thing for the merchant of the product.

Test to see what converts best for YOU.

Everything else is immaterial.

And yes, if my long copy converts 2% better than my short copy, I don't
give a rat's behind if I am alienating 5% or even 10% of the population out
there.

I am looking for the biggest return possible on my product.

That's the bottom line.

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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

15 years ago

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Steven Wagenheim

15 years ago

Originally Posted by WordPro

I appreciate your points given Steven, however, there is no argument, at least not from this end.

Cool. For what it's worth to you, I have also received my fair number of
tongue lashings here...and well deserved.

Let me explain why it happens so that you understand.

John Doe says, "I hate long sales copy. It should be short and to the point or
I won't read it and you'll lose my sale."

Johnny Newcopywriter reads it and says, "Wow, I better not make my
copy too long because this guy, and a few other guys say that they
hate long copy. Must be true for EVERYBODY."

New people here, especially those who are seeking knowledge, can be
very impressionable. Therefore, it is important for them to understand
the facts and not take the opinions of others as gospel.

The copywriters who write the copy that they do, do so because it
works. Folks much smarter than me (which is not saying much) have
tested these processes to death. They know what they're doing. So when
somebody comes to the forum and expresses their opinion as fact, the
protection shields of some of the members go up. I used to make this
mistake constantly, giving my opinion as "this is the way it is". Why?
Because I thought I had all the answers. Newsflash, I don't. And what
you're seeing here is simply people who actually understand this stuff
trying to get the facts out there, and not emotional opinion.

Once you learn to understand that about this forum, you'll be all right. It
took me a long time...way too long.

Don't make the same mistakes that I made.

Anyway, this is just some friendly advice from somebody who's been in
the trenches in this place and has had his head handed to him.

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ExRat

15 years ago

Hi Paul,

Thanks, as usual. Although these popcorn threads do have that strange feeling of deja vu.

If you believe that, I think your username is significantly overstated.

I do have to pick you up on one thing though Paul - it's not like you to make assumptions. But in this case, I do think it's worth considering that abbreviations can often have more than one unabbreviated word associated with them.

:rolleyes:

Justin1 said -

Anyone can fake a paypal screen shot, or a paypal video, so there is no point in showing them anymore, I hate them

Points proven.

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

Roger,

I do have to pick you up on one thing though Paul - it's not like you to make assumptions. But in this case, I do think it's worth considering that abbreviations can often have more than one unabbreviated word associated with them.

Ouch! OW. OW. OW!!!

[chuckle] Thanks, Roger. I haven't been that cleanly slapped in a long(ish) time.

Paul

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ExRat 15 years ago

Hi Paul,

it's obvious that you just want to argue just for the sake of it

I haven't been that cleanly slapped in a long(ish) time

No, that's next door. This is the 'being hit on the head' forum. Now hold your head like this and go 'Wah!'
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- Paul Myers 15 years ago
  
  Roger,
  
  No, that's next door. This is the 'being hit on the head' forum. Now hold your head like this and go 'Wah!'
  
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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

jasonl70 you say this is a meaning-less thread, because bonuses work... I want to know what else people dont like, so even though bonuses might work ect ect, it still gives a good idea of what else others dislike and turns them off a purchase.

my bad, as that wasn't really how I intended it to come across... I was referring to threads like this becoming outlets for things like "longcopy sucks" type rants, where an individuals opinion is moot when you look at the big picture.

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

I agree with Jim Talbott, about the bonuses and opt-in. I remember joining PPC classroom - not a bad course as for the info, but the amount of offers that they kept throwing at everyone was insane, and made me leave the course.

Trying not to get off topic, but a example of a bad bonus was PPC givning me a 60 day free trail of Speed PPC, after all PPC was teaching you how to build a camapgin and then they give u speed PPC which does it differently?

I would agree - this would seem like a bad choice to me..

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Johnny12345

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Hey folks, to everybody arguing the long vs short copy thingy, it all comes
down to one thing for the merchant of the product.

Test to see what converts best for YOU.

Everything else is immaterial.

And yes, if my long copy converts 2% better than my short copy, I don't
give a rat's behind if I am alienating 5% or even 10% of the population out
there.

I am looking for the biggest return possible on my product.

That's the bottom line.

I think you're right, Steven. It's really about what it takes to make the conversion.

In my view, the long vs. short debate is moot. It's not about long or short. It about how much copy it takes to sell the product.

If you're in the middle of the desert, you could put a sign up with a single word -- WATER -- and sell every person that wanders by. However, if your in the Arctic, selling ice, it's probably going to take more words to convince people to buy. If you're selling sunscreen on a Mexican beach -- short copy. If you're selling a $35,000.00 3D echo-cardiogram machine to a doctor -- long copy.

It's about how many words it takes to make a persuasive case for buying your product -- not about the actual number of words. However, that said, long copy is probably almost always the safer bet.

Why?

Because people who are interested will tend to want in-depth information and people who don't like long copy can simply scan it (if you've used subheads properly).

One final note: This is a GREAT thread -- because instead of only thinking about what you can DO to sell your prospect, it gives insight into what NOT TO DO.

Great stuff.

Johnny

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sylviad

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Karen Blundell

ADD? are you kidding me? Sales copy that insults my intelligence, drives me bananas. Long-winded sales copy drives me bananas. I do not have ADD. I'm intelligent and a busy person, thank you very much, and as marketers you need to consider that some of your buyers are similar thinkers.

We are the buyers who prefer sales copy that is clear, gets to the point, is totally transparent, ie price and payment method is clearly defined, as is what the product can do for us.
Then we buy based on that criteria.
It's not rocket science. As marketers you need to consider that not all of your buyers are mindless drones.

Karen, you and I are on the same page here. I, too, like the writer to just get to the point. Skip all the hype, the testimonials and pay stubs (which I tend not to believe anyway), and the ongoing threats about why I really need to get that product this very instant or lose out forever. Yeah, right. Give me a break. If you want my order and I can't get it in your timeframe, tough. Something just as good, if not better, will probably come along when I'm more prepared to buy.

Then there's the obstacle course to finding out how to actually get the product - wading through tons of bonuses and streams of testimonials and not seeing the price written anywhere. And then, there are those one-time offers when you finally decide to buy. In fact, I've turned away from products I was about to buy because they had about 10 OTOs leading up to the final payment page.

I want to know what the product does, how it helps me, how I'll benefit, how it works and whether I can implement it quickly and easily.

As you say, I'm busy. Get to the point. Give me the facts so I can move on. Isn't that what Joe Friday said from the old Dragnet TV show? "Just the facts, ma'am".

HOWEVER...

Sometimes, I DO like to see a good long sales letter with details and testimonials that will help me to understand about the product's features, benefits, uses and successes. If a product is a little out of my price range, I definitely will go back and re-read the sales page several times, bookmark it, and come back again the next day to read it again before making my decision. That happens rarely, but when it does, I do feel that I have made a wise decision in buying.

So as Paul says... there are all kinds of buyers out there, all looking for different things and needing different approaches. We can't please them all, so the best we can do is go with the masses. According to what's been offered here so far, it would seem that a good sales letter with hype, bonuses and urgency wins out over those that just get to the point.

All we can do is study our specific market, decide which approach works best, and go with it.

Sylvia

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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting 15 years ago

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- jasonl70 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by WordPro
  
  The original question was, "What puts you off buying a product?"
  
  I answered that from my own perspective, honestly.
  
  I appologize - I did lay into you for your opinion..
  
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blargins

15 years ago

Originally Posted by WordPro

In one word - Hype. I cannot stand the American commercial style of selling, it's so over the top, demanding that the product in question is the next best thing to sliced bread.

I feel like screaming at the computer sometimes (totally irrational I know lol), "Get to the bloody point!"

All that waffle, it drives me up the wall, just tell me what it does, what problem it solves, how it will save me time or money, or make me money in one short paragraph, when they go on and on and on, I just think, well if it needs that much padding and fluff to disguise the true nature of the product, well it can't be much good.

Internet marketer's especially, their sales pages sometimes, they just drive me mental, rambling on and on and on and on and on and on and on with their never ending drivel about why I can't do without their latest offering, aghhhhh!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

I come across one, if I can't understand the concept in precisely 30 seconds, exactly what it does, I tend to just think, well stuff em, I'll go off in search elsewhere, for something that does exactly what it say's on the tin.

But wait! There's even more!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

I agree. I really hate those pages, but the thing is, they work.

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ldsmedia

15 years ago

I am an American (but I think I was supposed to be born in Europe) because I heartily agree with you. I hate the sleazy tactics used to sell Affiliate Marketing ebooks, courses and memberships. they just don't deliver, so I rarely even look at the ones that hit my mail box and I have cut off most of the gurus who I gave my email address to previously.

I will probalby cut off all of them soon.

:confused:

Originally Posted by WordPro

In one word - Hype. I cannot stand the American commercial style of selling, it's so over the top, demanding that the product in question is the next best thing to sliced bread.

I feel like screaming at the computer sometimes (totally irrational I know lol), "Get to the bloody point!"

All that waffle, it drives me up the wall, just tell me what it does, what problem it solves, how it will save me time or money, or make me money in one short paragraph, when they go on and on and on, I just think, well if it needs that much padding and fluff to disguise the true nature of the product, well it can't be much good.

Internet marketer's especially, their sales pages sometimes, they just drive me mental, rambling on and on and on and on and on and on and on with their never ending drivel about why I can't do without their latest offering, aghhhhh!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

I come across one, if I can't understand the concept in precisely 30 seconds, exactly what it does, I tend to just think, well stuff em, I'll go off in search elsewhere, for something that does exactly what it say's on the tin.

But wait! There's even more!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

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MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

15 years ago

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

WordPro,

The outright refusal as seen above by one or two baulking at my idea, just proves the sheer arrogance of a few internet marketers, who basically couldn't give a flying sh__ about providing high quality service to as wide an audience as possible.

Again, you're assuming motivations for which there is no evidence, other than that some people haven't accepted your suggestions as Gospel.

Why purposefully exclude segments of your potential market when you don't have to?

The traditional sales letter, as I've pointed out several times, makes the necessary information available to you to do this yourself, very quickly.

That said, it would be interesting to test your idea. I'd wager that, if there were any change in conversion rates at all, it would be in a negative direction.

I would explain that thinking, but you'd brush aside the lifetime of sales experience behind it, and dismiss it as yet further proof that we don't care about people.

While I can't speak for anyone else, I can tell you that I design my systems with the intention of weeding out people like you before the sale. Anyone who asserts malevolent indifference based on the use of proven methods is very likely to leap to equally tall and unpleasant conclusions after their purchase. And to make similarly reckless public accusations over the slightest imagined issue.

I don't know if that's true of you personally but, as a bet, it'd be a really good one.

By the way... Your comments about the time it would take to write such a short summary of any offer that warranted a long form letter shows that you haven't a clue about the print sales process from the perspective of an experienced merchant.

I once wrote a 32-page letter for a client (it was a $12,000 product), and it took me nearly as long to write an effective 2-page executive summary as to do the letter itself.

Anyone who's done that type of package can tell you that the executive summary is nothing but pre-selling to get the busy person to read the sales letter, or to pick up the phone and ask their questions of a live human being.

It should also be noted that, at least with more complicated products, any information that's too short runs the risk of leaving out, or under-emphasizing, important details that could lead to the customer buying under a false impression. From a legal and ethical perspective, that's much worse than not making the sale at all.

Paul

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BrianMcLeod

15 years ago

Originally Posted by WordPro

The outright refusal as seen above by one or two baulking at my idea, just proves the sheer arrogance of a few internet marketers, who basically couldn't give a flying shit about providing high quality service to as wide an audience as possible.

What an obnoxious point of view.

Let me try and make this easier for you to understand, since you seem determined not to get it...

What you describe as "arrogance" is a process known as qualifying your prospect. The fatal mistake newbie marketers make over and over again is trying to please everyone, to appeal to the widest market possible.

What that actually does is the exact opposite of what you hope to accomplish. It dilutes the effectiveness of your sales message for qualified buyers, the ones who BUY instead of pissing in their cornflakes and fleeing the page after 10 seconds because there's "too many words!".

Understand this... If your sales page is converting at 10% -- a number that even the most competent marketers would view as a fairly remarkable achievement under typical circumstances, that means 9 out of 10 people viewing it don't buy.

That's NOT a problem -- it's REALITY.

A sales letter that happens to be long becomes crap not because of its length, but because of it's ineffectiveness.

A great sales letter that is formatted well and structured properly, regardless of length, gives you exactly what you keep crying out about - a quickly skimmable path (skim the subheads, read the offer/order form and the PS's and you've just gotten the gist of most long-copy letters).

On the other hand, a poor sales letter, without adequate information and without enough clear and obvious benefit to the reader, will not keep your attention or move you to action whether it's 7 paragraphs or 7 pages.

Is this making any sense to you at all yet?

Brian

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Steven Wagenheim

15 years ago

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

What an obnoxious point of view.

Let me try and make this easier for you to understand, since you seem determined not to get it...

What you describe as "arrogance" is a process known as qualifying your prospect. The fatal mistake newbie marketers make over and over again is trying to please everyone, to appeal to the widest market possible.

What that actually does is the exact opposite of what you hope to accomplish. It dilutes the effectiveness of your sales message for qualified buyers, the ones who BUY instead of pissing in their cornflakes and fleeing the page after 10 seconds because there's "too many words!".

Understand this... If your sales page is converting at 10% -- a number that even the most competent marketers would view as a fairly remarkable achievement under typical circumstances, that means 9 out of 10 people viewing it don't buy.

That's NOT a problem -- it's REALITY.

A sales letter that happens to be long becomes crap not because of its length, but because of it's ineffectiveness.

A great sales letter that is formatted well and structured properly, regardless of length, gives you exactly what you keep crying out about - a quickly skimmable path (skim the subheads, read the offer/order form and the PS's and you've just gotten the gist of most long-copy letters).

On the other hand, a poor sales letter, without adequate information and without enough clear and obvious benefit to the reader, will not keep your attention or move you to action whether it's 7 paragraphs or 7 pages.

Is this making any sense to you at all yet?

Brian

Brian...even I understood that.

Thanks for a great explanation.

Now, what did I do with my cornflakes??? :confused::confused::confused:

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p2y

15 years ago

Yea bonuses annoy me too, it makes a lot of products look like they are not good enough on their own. Another for me is that fake countdown script that tells you that "this special offer is only available for the next 45 minutes" LOL.

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jmccarthy1948

15 years ago

I agree with the poster who said he hated the endless opt-ins required for bonuses. I get why people do it, but it is such a time suck and exponentially increases my email load.

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internetwarrior97

15 years ago

Several factors:

1. Messy landing page where information is not presented in a cohesive, coherent manner. If I can't figure out the value of the product within couple of seconds, I will exit out.

2. Lots of grammar and spelling errors in the sales letter. If I am spending my hard earned money, I expect the person selling me the product to be as professional as possible. Do you have to have good grammar or be a good speller to develop a good product? Probably not, but it does reflect the professionalism of the person/company selling the product.

3. Hidden continuity programs. Should people read the fine prints? Of course - but the fine prints should not be buried in the page somewhere. This just reeks of shady business practices.

4. Unrelated bonuses. I love bonuses. I seriously absolutely love free stuff - who doesn't??? However, it starts to look like the site is overcompensating if bonuses unrelated to the main product are offered. Stay focused and stay relevant!

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Randy Bheites

15 years ago

Interminably long copy.

If you can't sell me in a couple of paragraphs and a picture, you don't understand your product well enough and/or it is crap and you have to blahblahblah forever to justify the sale.

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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Randy Bheites

Interminably long copy.

If you can't sell me in a couple of paragraphs and a picture, you don't understand your product well enough and/or it is crap and you have to blahblahblah forever to justify the sale.

And yet I see you're chosing to promote a product that uses a long copy sales letter... do you think it's crap?

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Randy Bheites

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

And yet I see you're chosing to promote a product that uses a long copy sales letter... do you think it's crap?

Pardon me, but was the question not "What puts you off buying a product?", with "you" being the operative word? OP was asking for a personal opinion on a personal like or dislike, which is exactly what I provided.

I'm pretty sure had I said something like "long copy is crap and all people are put off by it", you would be all over me like that cheap suit.

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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Randy Bheites

Pardon me, but was the question not "What puts you off buying a product?", with "you" being the operative word? OP was asking for a personal opinion on a personal like or dislike, which is exactly what I provided.

I'm pretty sure had I said something like "long copy is crap and all people are put off by it", you would be all over me like that cheap suit.

here's is what you said, and you stated it as an absolute:

If you can't sell me in a couple of paragraphs and a picture, you don't understand your product well enough and/or it is crap and you have to blahblahblah forever to justify the sale.

so which is it?

Are you promoting a product that is crap, or does the author not even understand his product?

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Paul Myers

15 years ago

Randy,

You want to be careful mixing personal opinions with absolute statements. For a fine example of a statement of personal opinion, see Sylvia's comment, just 2 posts below yours.

You get the desk next to Karen's in remedial marketing 101. Same advice until then. Just keep saying to yourself, "I am not my market. I am not my market. I am..."

Paul

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TheRichJerksNet

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

Randy,

You want to be careful mixing personal opinions with absolute statements. For a fine example of a statement of personal opinion, see Sylvia's comment, just 2 posts below yours.

You get the desk next to Karen's in remedial marketing 101. Same advice until then. Just keep saying to yourself, "I am not my market. I am not my market. I am..."

Paul

So Paul how big is the class going to be when it starts in June ...

James

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Paul Myers 15 years ago

James,

So Paul how big is the class going to be when it starts in June ...

Not nearly as big as it should, I fear.

Paul
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Randy Bheites

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

You get the desk next to Karen's in remedial marketing 101. Same advice until then. Just keep saying to yourself, "I am not my market. I am not my market. I am..."

Well now, that's really the point in this little dustup, isn't it? because the OP was not asking what works, he was asking what turns us off personally.

And I don't mind sitting next to Karen, as long as I'm not close enough for you to kick the back of my chair, as *I* find that annoying.

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Paul Myers 15 years ago

Randy,

Well now, that's really the point in this little dustup, isn't it? because the OP was not asking what works, he was asking what turns us off personally.

Which is why I pointed out your mixing of your opinion with the absolute statement about long copy indicating that the seller doesn't understand the product, or it's crap, or whatever.

Those are two entirely separate things. One is a preference, with which I don't generally argue. The other is an unfounded statement of fact, which I tend to call out as bullshit.

Paul
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- TheRichJerksNet 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Paul Myers
  
  The other is an unfounded statement of fact, which I tend to call out as bullshit.
  
  Paul
  
  Randy should enjoy your class.. I mean having ateacher that puts things so subtle is great ..
  
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Randy Bheites

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

here's is what you said, and you stated it as an absolute:

If you can't sell me in a couple of paragraphs and a picture, you don't understand your product well enough and/or it is crap and you have to blahblahblah forever to justify the sale.

If you can't sell ME.

*I* don't like long copy. I don't find it effective in selling *me* on something. It makes *me* suspicious of the marketer and the product.

Me.

Responding to the OP request for what works on *me*. Is that too hard for you to understand? Really? Let me break it down into tiny steps for you:

I don't like long copy.

I use long copy sometimes, in the right context, because it works for a great many people.

I'm not selling to myself when I use long copy.

Still too much? Let me Google that for you

:rolleyes:

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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Randy Bheites

If you can't sell ME.

*I* don't like long copy. I don't find it effective in selling *me* on something. It makes *me* suspicious of the marketer and the product.

Me.

Responding to the OP request for what works on *me*. Is that too hard for you to understand? Really? Let me break it down into tiny steps for you:

I don't like long copy.

I use long copy sometimes, in the right context, because it works for a great many people.

I'm not selling to myself when I use long copy.

Still too much? Let me Google that for you

:rolleyes:

You went well beyond saying you didn't like long copy.

You said anyone who uses long copy doesn't understand their product, or that their product is crap.

You said this very precisely and clearly.

If this is what you THINK, then you THINK you are promoting a product that is crap, since it uses long copy.

If this is NOT what you think, then you probably shouldn't have said things in the absolute and inflammatory manner in which you did.

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Randy Bheites

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

You went well beyond saying you didn't like long copy.

You said anyone who uses long copy doesn't understand their product, or that their product is crap.

You said this very precisely and clearly.

If this is what you THINK, then you THINK you are promoting a product that is crap, since it uses long copy.

If this is NOT what you think, then you probably shouldn't have said things in the absolute and inflammatory manner in which you did.

Okay, now you are just being thick and needing to pick a fight. We're done.

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TheRichJerksNet

15 years ago

Here are some things

Hype - I really do not need to exlain this any further..

Fake Testimonials - You ever see those testimonials that was so very well written like everyone that bought the product (many cases they did'nt) had a degree in business writing. The testimonials are so very well written that they just so happen to even include major keywords for seo purposes.. Come on people are not that stupid!

Lame Bonuses - Let's face it many "eBooks" as many already know are useless (many are good) but still many have been used over and over with their MRR that it is sick. If you offer bonuses and I can go to google and find it for free, on some JV Giveaway or something then I sure am not going to bother to buy your main product. I have seen some are still trying to push "Free2Sell" as a bonus .. OMG how old is that useless thing .. about 8 years old ????

Count Downs - Ok this has been over played so much that it is unreal... If I leave your site and clear my cookies I will just come back nd get the same freaking price a week later... We all know this and even many not in IM know this.

Those are just to name a few and ofcourse are just my opinion which may not mean much but means a great deal to me when spending my money.

James

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ShelbyC

15 years ago

I would say a long form sales letter. I like bullet points telling me exactly what I'm going to get and what the product's going to deliver. I rarely if ever read a sales letter all the way through, I scan then decide if it's for me.

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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by ShelbyC

I would say a long form sales letter. I like bullet points telling me exactly what I'm going to get and what the product's going to deliver. I rarely if ever read a sales letter all the way through, I scan then decide if it's for me.

I will venture a guess that purchased xsitepro. So the long sales copy didn't seem to prevent you from purchasing it..

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Craig Fenton

15 years ago

Hi Aaron:

No matter the product and the price if I submit a question if there is not communication in a timely manner I will not purchase.

Thank you for letting me share my view.

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Ram 15 years ago

The only thing that puts me off from any product I might otherwise be interested in is if the product is completely made up of online video or audio with no transcript or accompanying written manual. A complete written manual, I should add. By that I mean I don't have to watch the videos or listen to the audios to understand the product.

If the salesletter doesn't make it clear, and I still have any interest, I will email the seller to make sure.

If it's a physical product and there are DVDs I can plug into my player and watch on TV, fine. I can live with that. But not if I have to watch them on the computer. I don't have a remote for my computer!

But that's just me. I'm not saying it will or will not affect sales. You have to test. I suspect though, that it never hurts to include at least a transcript. I know there are people that it wouldn't bother. But I don't care for online videos. I like to read on my timetable, any time, any place, not be a slave to the computer video. Personal preference.

Ram
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- jonb 15 years ago
  
  Typos, misspellings and grammar issues. If you can't put up a clean sales letter, I have little faith in your ability to deliver a good product.
  
  Also, I'm not a fan of overused headlines like "Who else wants...." and "My friends all laughed when..." It's not a dealbreaker, and I know these things "work", but really, show some originality and I'll be in a better mood to buy. But that's just the copyrwiter in me taking
  
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GeorgeO7

15 years ago

Wading through some 300 foot long squeeze page kills it for me.

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spiceman

15 years ago

Exactly what i was thinking!

Originally Posted by GeorgeO7

Wading through some 300 foot long squeeze page kills it for me.

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Jeff Henshaw

15 years ago

Going back to the original topic of the thread (What puts you off buying a product?) and this post quote in particular:

For me its the "bonuses". This almost always makes me not want to buy the product. Lets say the product is a "Copy me to make money" product and as a bonus the person offers several other products related to this.

If there is a convincing sales letter and especially a long one, then if the product seems to be what I want, I will be ready to buy. No amount of bonuses will entice me to do anything else, other than possibly leave the page.

If the bonuses are few and relevant to the product then perhaps they will be perceived by me as a plus and a further incentive - but rarely, especially if I have already been convinced by a long sales letter.

Bonuses are proved to increase perceived value (so we are told and I don't doubt that in principle), but if used incorrectly they will certainly stop the customer from buying. How do I know? Well, bonuses have, without doubt, put me off of buying products. Not very often, I'll admit, but it has happened - and more than once.

If The above is my experience then it must be the same for others - even if we are in the minority.

Just my thoughts.

Jeff Henshaw.

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AnneE

15 years ago

I don't like long copy either, BUT... that is not my answer to the question. The question is what puts you off buying a product. So while long copy might make me think the seller is overdoing it, it won't stop me from buying.

What will keep me from buying? Let's see, there is...

1) A high-price

2) Feeling like the seller is a jerk (I don't want him to have one dollar of my money). Sellers that are a little too proud of all that they've accomplished qualify as 'jerks'. Sure, I need to know that the product has worked for you, but I don't need to see you and your trophy wife driving your overpriced sports car up to the big house. Just tell me that it's great to be able to live life the way you want to, don't rub my nose in it.

3) No guarantee or a situation where it is hard to get my money back and a feeling that the product won't work... especially if the price is high for me

So those are the reasons I most frequently choose to not buy.

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Aaron Elliott

15 years ago

Originally Posted by AnneE

I don't need to see you and your trophy wife driving your overpriced sports car up to the big house. Just tell me that it's great to be able to live life the way you want to, don't rub my nose in it.

Agree! I cant stand when they have video's / sales letters talking about their expensive stuff & holidays - who cares. Show me examples of your work, not what your worth...

Thanks Craig Fenton, thats a good idea - Sending them a support question and checking how long the response time is before you buy.

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Craig Paulson 15 years ago

1. Typo's in "Salse lettrs". Drives me crazy. It's like going to a job interview with dirty fingernails. When you're out there selling yourself or product, on-line or off, there is no excuse for having "dirty fingernails"

2. Outrageous claims - "Made $101,765 while I was in the shower this morning"; "Added 6,532 new subscribers while choking on a ham sandwich"

3. Garbage Bonuses - I know they are a "proven" method, but I've never gotten a "bonus" and actually used it.

4. And my favorite - Marketers who absolutely HAMMER their lists daily with zero content and endless offers - "Ready to buy?.... How about now?... How about now?... How about now?"
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CBA 15 years ago

I think my biggest turn off is when the offer is not credible or valuable to me.

Craig
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Alan Mc Donald 15 years ago

All of the silly bonuses and long drawn out sales letters put me off buying products
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zeasondesign

15 years ago

It's because of the big competition between similar products and if they want to survive, they should offer some bonus. Especially if they realize their product is not good enough and the sale rating is always down.
But as you said, they're won't focus and consument won't focus too

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WareTime

15 years ago

This puts me off.

P.S.

P.P.S.

P.P.P.S.

P.P.P.P.S.

P.P.P.P.P.S. (yes, I have seen 5P's)

And I agree with the OP on the 1 Trillion dollars worth of bonuses if you buy the $27 dollar product. It detracts from your product.

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maxhomebits

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

For me its the "bonuses". This almost always makes me not want to buy the product. Lets say the product is a "Copy me to make money" product and as a bonus the person offers several other products related to this.

My thinking is well how good can the actual product be if he has to throw in bonuses? I want one complete product, no bonus otherwise its just too much and I will loose focus. Not to mention the main fact, that if the product being sold is good enough, you shouldnt need any bonus.

That's a good point and it put's me off buying as well. My biggest turn-off is long squeeze pages that never seem to end and have to many recommendations. I don't know about the US but here in the UK people don't like long squeeze pages. I think most people after a while see through the BS and make their own informed decisions.

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sylviad

15 years ago

Originally Posted by maxhomebits

That's a good point and it put's me off buying as well. My biggest turn-off is long squeeze pages that never seem to end and have to many recommendations. I don't know about the US but here in the UK people don't like long squeeze pages. I think most people after a while see through the BS and make their own informed decisions.

Agreed. When the hype goes on for too long, it stops working, which many marketers don't seem to realize. Imagine having a jokester in your house. After awhile, it's just not funny any more. Rather, it is irritating.

Someone said that bonuses shouldn't be necessary if the product is complete. What they are not considering is that a product can only be so big before it's just cumbersome (I'm talking ebooks). My dog product main book is 160 pages, but there was a lot more I wanted to add. So I tacked on several additional related products to round out the package. And because people have come to expect bonuses, I threw in 3 of those as well.

Now, if people look at the page, they could interpret the different books as bonuses when, in fact, they are part of the package.

Regardless, my point is that bonuses can be an excellent opportunity to round out an otherwise great product - by making it even better - and certainly more convenient.

So I disagree with that poster's comment that if bonuses are added, it must mean that the product is inferior in some way. It all depends on how the product is presented and whether the bonuses enhance it or are just gimmicks to make the sale.

Sylvia

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Aaron Elliott

15 years ago

jasonl70 you say this is a meaning-less thread, because bonuses work... I want to know what else people dont like, so even though bonuses might work ect ect, it still gives a good idea of what else others dislike and turns them off a purchase.

I agree with Jim Talbott, about the bonuses and opt-in. I remember joining PPC classroom - not a bad course as for the info, but the amount of offers that they kept throwing at everyone was insane, and made me leave the course.

Trying not to get off topic, but a example of a bad bonus was PPC givning me a 60 day free trail of Speed PPC, after all PPC was teaching you how to build a camapgin and then they give u speed PPC which does it differently?

Anyway..

Because if the product is good you shouldnt need ANYTHING else. Not to mention almost all of the bonus you had to op-in for, and now IM stuck on Mike G's list....

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John Taylor

15 years ago

There's one overriding factor that will put me
off buying a product... When the answer to
the question: Do I really need this? is: No!

I don't have a problem with long copy, I simply
skim it and look out for the information that I
need to make a decision.

Short copy, however, can put me off if it does
not provide me with sufficient information to make
my decision.

If bonuses are offered and they are well matched
with the primary product then the right bonus may
give one competing product an advantage over
another.

I've actually bought some products because they
came with unique bonuses that had more value for
me than the products themselves.

John

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dsmpublishing

15 years ago

Its a badly designed sales page to me. The dodgy fonts and the webpage that looks like an ebay auction.

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Justin1

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

For me its the "bonuses". This almost always makes me not want to buy the product. Lets say the product is a "Copy me to make money" product and as a bonus the person offers several other products related to this.

My thinking is well how good can the actual product be if he has to throw in bonuses? I want one complete product, no bonus otherwise its just too much and I will loose focus. Not to mention the main fact, that if the product being sold is good enough, you shouldnt need any bonus.

Yeh I have to agree with what you say. I really dont like it when there is a full page full of other crap, not just the bonuses. Lets say its one system, like that copy n profit thing, which I heard was pretty ordinary. I looked at that and there was so much other stuff with it, I dont want the other stuff as its just more stuff to clutter up my head and bog things down, I like just the bare guts of the system. So long as it isnt a course Im buying which then its cool there is stuff each week.
There are so many other programs I want to buy but I have enough in my head and on my computer NOW to make a lot of money really, its just the work and mind set I need to perfect, I dont need any more systems, although I am a JUNKIE when it comes to these products, I am like a woman is with shoes.........I just want to go get something now, Im tempted to go into the wso thread........but I wont.......

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Justin1

15 years ago

Oh and my real HATE these days is all the paypal screen shots and HUGE CLAIMS. Anyone can fake a paypal screen shot, or a paypal video, so there is no point in showing them anymore, I hate them.

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Paul Myers 15 years ago

Ron,

My above points, which I went into at length, merely stated a few opinions from my own pov as a buyer and what puts me off buying into a product offering.

Would you like me to point out where you went from, "This is my preference" to "This is what you must do to best market your product?"

I find it... illuminating... that, while I answered your points one at a time, logically, you feel the need to use contrived one-liners, or claims of my childishness in response. Actual logical refutation on your part seems surprisingly lacking for a "WordPro."

Perhaps it would be useful to you to re-read my comments to yourself, Randy and Karen. They make it very clear why I countered your points, and left actual statements of opinion or personal preference unmolested.

Oh. Wait. That would require honest and thoughtful introspection.

Never mind.

Paul
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- MarkAndrews IMCopywriting 15 years ago
  
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  Paul Myers 15 years ago
  
  Ron,
  
  As I said Paul, it's obvious that you just want to argue just for the sake of it
  
  Despite my saying explicitly that this is not the case, you insist that it's obviously so. Not only are you calling me a liar without basis, you're denying the educational value to others of challenging comments such as yours in open discussion.
  
  I have a pattern of challenging such comments that stretches back 10 years or so in this forum. I don't back down from logical disputation, and I have never squelched sensible disagreement.
  
  You're not helping your cause, sir.
  
  Paul
  
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daryamconsult_aust

15 years ago

I like to buy a complete product.
If there are bits and pieces you need to buy in addition to the product, I lose interest quickly.
It's amazing how sometimes you think a product will cost a certain amount, and by the time you buy all the add-ons required, you've spent way more than you expected.
Remember to ask (before you buy) what is required to meet all your needs, add up the costs, and then decide if that's what you want to spend.

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Hafsoh

15 years ago

what put me off a product is product without bonus on gift, i always like to buy one get one free, unless if i have doubts about the product!

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CathrynL

15 years ago

I, personally, don't like the mile long sales pages--along with all the 'typical' elements on them--the umpteen bonuses, the personal 'rags to riches'/'grief to glee' story, the over-zealous testimonies, and so on. And what really 'chaps my hide' are those talking people, the "Who Else Wants to..." statements, and the never ending on-exit pop-ups. BUT...I too have followed these methods because they've been proven.

Is it just us IM'ers that are turned off by these typical formats because we've seen them one too many times? Or, has it become so redundant that these tactics are turning away buyers? Maybe it will soon be time for a change. A 'new', refreshing type of sales page...until that too becomes burnt out and another altering takes place.

What happened to truth in advertising....or was there ever such a thing?

With that said, I will admit that if I'm truly interested in a product, my dislikes of the sales page aren't going to prevent me from buying.

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MarkWrites

15 years ago

While an obnoxious list of bonuses is a pet peeve of mine, especially when the bonuses don't even relate to the product that I'm interested in, my number one turn off is transparently fake or over-hyped testimonials. When you read a testimonial and think, okay there is no way this person would say something like this about this or any product, it just makes me not trust anything else on the sales page.

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majidmaskat

15 years ago

the thing that puts m off from buying, like all the other warriors so naively brought forward is the bonuses, i mean sometimes t doesn't make sense that they will throw you a $800 bonus for purchasing a $49 product, that is one thing. the other is the exagerating of the products by adding numorous testimonials, what's the point!.
Also i hate long sales pages, Man I hate long sales pages, can't you get the jo done in 500 words? I~ think that lon sales pages is just there to cover the awfulness of the actual product

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TristinTaylor

15 years ago

Someone mentioned above that countdowns annoy them...well i have seen that in fact they DO WORK BIG TIME...and in fact if i didnt use them I probably would not sell anything...

You MUST create urgency on the web to sell anything! People think that just because it is on the web it will be there forever..hence they put it off and never buy!

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AnthonyWilson

15 years ago

I have been actively marketing online for a year now, but spent many years before that just browsing, buying and learning stuff so perhaps like many other warriors on here I have seen so much that I have become immune to sales copy BUT...

When I first open up a sales page I notice the headline, graphics and layout of the page. I then drag the scroll bar down the page skipping past the paypal & clickbank screen shots, past testimonials, notice a few bullets and further headlines as I skip by, scan for the price/order button and bonuses then finally the PS's.

I actually "expect" to see all of these things within the body of a long-copy sales letter from a professional marketer who knows what they are doing.

So paradoxically, what puts me off is NOT seeing all (or most) of these elements. So long as they are all there, thoughtfully put together and the bullets, and headlines have caught my attention as I scanned down the page I will go back and read most of it

PS - I often try to do this with Frank Kern type video sales messages once the stream has buffered- they last for hours don't they - and they still contain these elements.

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folkcare

15 years ago

Yes, the price and jerk in a sports car Force my hand to hit the back button.

The thing that gets me is ... the format of them. They're all the same! The ps and pps and all that. If you just read them, you have it in a nutshell. And the order even at 2am bit, which is a little dated now.

One twit must have NOT ordered early in the morning because of the 'ungodly hour' and since then they've all jumped on the bandwagon.

I don't buy anything at all now unless I can make direct use of it. I'm very unlikely to join $99 forums either.

What else ? I think the 'history of my life and how I came to be in this (wildly) successful position is a bit overdone now. Do we give a ?

If they cut it down to a quarter I start to look at it more seriously, but in the old days I used to print these out and sometimes, I'd regret it. They were over 20 pages.

What else? More to the point I have my radar out for reality, for just a modicum of sincerity or smartness, if I don't pick it up I move on.

Well that's my bit. I guess you won't be hiring me for copywriting now will you

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bryce

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

For me its the "bonuses". This almost always makes me not want to buy the product. Lets say the product is a "Copy me to make money" product and as a bonus the person offers several other products related to this.

My thinking is well how good can the actual product be if he has to throw in bonuses? I want one complete product, no bonus otherwise its just too much and I will loose focus. Not to mention the main fact, that if the product being sold is good enough, you shouldnt need any bonus.

I totally agree! A product that is worth anything at all should be able to stand tall on its own merits. I was recently convinced to spend $17 on a "well known" guru's product (initials of EC) and it had a whole database (pdf) of "valuable" links that were called "bonuses". When I got the product I went straight to the bonus section and started clicking on the links. Some were inactive, some produced pages (sites) that had not been updated for up to 2 years, and almost all were available in other packages. It was a no-brainer that I claimed my money back from the seller.

Originally Posted by Shakul

Hello Aaron,

You really picked up a good point... When people offer bonuses, it looks like they are just trying to bribe the buyers to buy....

Regards
Shakul

Thats it - they are!

Originally Posted by mailco

The income statements that appear unreal, eg; make $50,000 a month

Originally Posted by JaySabree

I think the craziest bonus I ever saw was Joel Comm bonus for the Next Internet Millionaire Series... Reality TV on the Web - The Next Internet Millionaire with Joel Comm- Over 10,000 thousand dollars in bonuses for a $19.99 product!!!

So, that was a little extreme! But the series was entertaining... Check it out

Not so long ago I secured a "script" that will actually allow you to edit ANY online page (including Paypal statements) so that you can take a screen capture of the edited results and then attach the screenshot as proof of earnings. Because of this script I will NEVER believe another screenshot of income or traffic validation. The only thing that would semi-convince me now, is an online "live" presentation of someone accessing their account in front of the camera. This way I can actually see them access the account, and I can recognise the legitimacy of the website.

Originally Posted by WordPro

In one word - Hype. I cannot stand the American commercial style of selling, it's so over the top, demanding that the product in question is the next best thing to sliced bread.

I feel like screaming at the computer sometimes (totally irrational I know lol), "Get to the bloody point!"

All that waffle, it drives me up the wall, just tell me what it does, what problem it solves, how it will save me time or money, or make me money in one short paragraph, when they go on and on and on, I just think, well if it needs that much padding and fluff to disguise the true nature of the product, well it can't be much good.

Internet marketer's especially, their sales pages sometimes, they just drive me mental, rambling on and on and on and on and on and on and on with their never ending drivel about why I can't do without their latest offering, aghhhhh!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

I come across one, if I can't understand the concept in precisely 30 seconds, exactly what it does, I tend to just think, well stuff em, I'll go off in search elsewhere, for something that does exactly what it say's on the tin.

But wait! There's even more!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

Totally agree! In all long sales pages I scroll to the bottom immediately to find out the price. If it is not in my range, I leave the page or bookmark it for future reading.

Originally Posted by jasonl70

Income statements most certainly do NOT make most people run away. You should not state your personal opinion as a fact like this.

I've tested this myself just recently, and I have zero doubt as to the effectiveness of income statements, particularly in the form of screen shots and videos.

Do you think Frank Kern's income statements drove people away from his products?

Videos yes - if done live! As for Frank Kern, his reputation sells his products, not his screenshots!

Originally Posted by Karen Blundell

ADD? are you kidding me? Sales copy that insults my intelligence, drives me bananas. Long-winded sales copy drives me bananas. I do not have ADD. I'm intelligent and a busy person, thank you very much, and as marketers you need to consider that some of your buyers are similar thinkers.

We are the buyers who prefer sales copy that is clear, gets to the point, is totally transparent, ie price and payment method is clearly defined, as is what the product can do for us.
Then we buy based on that criteria.
It's not rocket science. As marketers you need to consider that not all of your buyers are mindless drones.

Couldnt have said it better myself. Be honest, tell the visitor what they want to know, and let them get on with their day. Asking someone to sit and read countless pages of hype is nothing short of arrogance.

Originally Posted by internetwarrior97

Several factors:

1. Messy landing page where information is not presented in a cohesive, coherent manner. If I can't figure out the value of the product within couple of seconds, I will exit out.

2. Lots of grammar and spelling errors in the sales letter. If I am spending my hard earned money, I expect the person selling me the product to be as professional as possible. Do you have to have good grammar or be a good speller to develop a good product? Probably not, but it does reflect the professionalism of the person/company selling the product.

My own research conducted both on and offline, showed me very clearly that more than 60% of all traffic leaves a site for this reason. I am actually in the process of establishing a business around this very subject.

Great thread!
Bryce

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Bizsouth 15 years ago

LIES! Special offer ends at midnight or a certain date. That's more times than not just an outright lie. Same for price going up tomorrow.

Videos: The latest must have for all sales copy. Personally I am burnt out on
videos!!!!! Most way to long, just filling up space. Cut to the chase and get it said in less than two minutes. There are exceptions, but most long vids only have maybe 30 seconds of info I need to know.

The videos that feature someone that seems to have just taken an overdose of speed, or just the opposite that sound almost asleep.

I check for how to contact the merchant first, if no way I don't even read the sales copy.
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- Karen Blundell 15 years ago
  
  Paul, I'm sending you a pm.
  
  To the OP, thanks for this thread. It certainly is an eye-opener.
  
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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by bryce

Videos yes - if done live! As for Frank Kern, his reputation sells his products, not his screenshots!

His reputation is from his initial income statements, his $million a year from a list of a few thousand people, his 6 figures from silly little niches, etc.

Evidently he felt his income was important enough to his sales efforts to make it prominent when he first launched MC. Heck, his name wasn't really main stream until that launch, as it was his first branded IM product promoted to the public in many years.

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bryce

15 years ago

Originally Posted by jasonl70

His reputation is from his initial income statements, his a year from a list of a few thousand people, his 6 figures from silly little niches, etc.

Evidently he felt his income was important enough to his sales efforts to make it prominent when he first launched MC. Heck, his name wasn't really main stream until that launch, as it was his first branded IM product promoted to the public in many years.

Point taken but Frank Kern never does anything by halves, and although I can't say I saw him back in the pre-launch period, I can only assume that (a) the screenshots he used were only 1 component of his offer, and (b) this was in the days when screenshots were still considered genuine. Since then we have seen the script that I had, photoshop, and a whole raft of other editing tools that make producing fake statements as easy as creating an empty webpage. There is NO way to validate that a screenshot is 100% legitimate, and for this reason alone they mean nothing to me.

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anildewani

15 years ago

when i see something like

"Buy products of 400$ for just 20$" :p

Now, is that believable?
Unbelievable facts turns me off from buying a product

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Woody C

15 years ago

PERSONALLY, two things turn me off from buying a product more than anything else:

1. 3/4 of the sales page being testimonials. I hate reading about testimonials. Just tell me how it will help ME.

Yes, I know that social proof works, but I hate it when they are lazy and can't use just 3-4 but feel they have to use 34,394 testimonials.

2. More than 1-2 bonuses. I get this sick feeling of overwhelm even before I buy the product. I want something that will be the least amount of reading and work and will help me out the greatest. 45 bonuses does not help me get this feeling.

--> This was not in the original OP question, but I absolutely despise more than one upsell. Don't take me thorough 5 pages of upsells and downsells just to get the product I want. If you do, then I will not buy from you again because I now know about your not there to provide value, but rather just to make some money.

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TheCren

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Woody Crenshaw

2. More than 1-2 bonuses. I get this sick feeling of overwhelm even before I buy the product. I want something that will be the least amount of reading and work and will help me out the greatest. 45 bonuses does not help me get this feeling.

That seems to be the consensus here as well: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...f-bonuses.html

It makes sense, but when it comes to IM affiliates I think more bonuses is kind of necessary (say 5 or 6) to stand out and make it worthwhile for someone who could simply use their own link to click yours instead. I only recently started promoting products in the IM arena and I am facing the question "How many is too many?" with regard to bonuses.

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JohnMcCabe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by JaySabree

I think the craziest bonus I ever saw was Joel Comm bonus for the Next Internet Millionaire Series... Reality TV on the Web - The Next Internet Millionaire with Joel Comm- Over 10,000 thousand dollars in bonuses for a $19.99 product!!!

So, that was a little extreme! But the series was entertaining... Check it out

Both Joe Vitale and mark Joyner have Joel beat. They both launched physical books using the 'make me an Amazon best-seller' model. I forget which was which, but one offered $20,000 of bonuses and the other $30,000.

To be fair, some of the "bonuses" were darn good. A lot more were worthless - to me. Someone else may have swapped those evaluations even up...

Originally Posted by jasonl70

I do agree that some bonuses do not seem to be well thought out, but let's ignore poor implementation for the moment and concentrate on the model.

More on this later, but you've nailed the core issue. It isn't the tactic that turns people off, it's poor execution.

Originally Posted by Woody Crenshaw

--> This was not in the original OP question, but I absolutely despise more than one upsell. Don't take me thorough 5 pages of upsells and downsells just to get the product I want. If you do, then I will not buy from you again because I now know about your not there to provide value, but rather just to make some money.

Up until very recently, I was of the same opinion. I recently read the freebie "leaked chapter" for the upcoming launchtree product. If you read the report, watch the video and think about it, you might reconsider.

The bottom line is that all the things people on this thread and others like hate about one sales model or another can be traced back to execution or bad market match.

Take the 'I hate long copy' camp...

I don't hate long copy, I hate poorly done long copy. As Paul mentioned (more than once), a properly constructed sales letter caters to both the skimmers and the word-by-word folks.

I generally skim sales letters. If it's a problem or desire I'm really interested in, I'll dig in and devour the thing and it won't feel long. I've closely read sales letters I though were fairly brief and had them print out to over 20 pages.

If the subject is one that captures your attention, the human mind doesn't perceive the letter as 'long', so you don't notice it. If it loses your attention, and you slog through anyway, it can seem very, very long.

And the 'I hate video' folks...

What I hear you saying is that you don't like to sit through a lot of material that doesn't hold your attention.

One of my own pet peeves is webinars/teleseminars that promise 60 minutes of useful content, then the first thirty minutes is a bio of the product creator. The verbal equivalent of the beauty shot with the house and car, along with the income statements. Then comes 15 minutes of vague content meant to set up the "case study" which is actually just a verbal testimonial with no substance. The actual pitch is next. No problem, that's the point of the exercise. Finally comes the gushing "thanks for all the great content, now all you suckers go by this stuff right now" wrap-up.

I don't hate webinars or teleseminars. I hate bad ones where I hang up and tell myself, "there's an hour of life I'll never get back."

To actually answer the question in the OP, there's a lot of things that put me off buying a product, but almost all of them come down to poor execution.

What makes me buy a product?

It has to pass 4 filters...

1. As John Taylor mentioned, "do I need it?" I've had my cursor trembling over the buy button, ready to pounce until I get a 'no' on that filter.

2. Does it look like the product will provide the result I'm looking for?

3. Do I trust the product creator to fulfill that promise?

4. Do I have enough cash on hand, in the right form, to pay for the product.

Four yeses, and the product is sold...

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Ram 15 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

And the 'I hate video' folks...

What I hear you saying is that you don't like to sit through a lot of material that doesn't hold your attention.

I think I was the only one to mention video. And you heard wrong! LOL

What I meant was just what I said. I don't want ANY product that is just online video or audio. I can live with a product that includes physcial DVDs that I can watch on TV, use my remote, easily fast forward, rewind, pause, go get a snack, come back tomorrow. I've bought DVD seminar recordings, for example. But I will NOT buy any product that is ONLY online video or audio with no transcript or manual.

With a transcript or manual I can print it out. That way I can go anywhere I want, anytime I want and read it at my pace. But I refuse to be a slave to a computer monitor.

I don't care if it's a great online video product. If there is no transcript or accompanying manual, I am not buying. Period.

Cheers,
Ram

BTW - there are two threads mixing about here. I'm not talking about what sells, only about my personal preference.
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BrianMcLeod 15 years ago

What puts ME off buying a product?

1) An unnecessarily convoluted or confusing checkout process (think poorly designed ecommerce carts).

2) Short copy for the sake of "short copy" -- the kind that fails to address whether or not the product or service will meet my specific and unique needs. This is a perfect recipe for REFUNDS, ya know.. those things that make existing sales VANISH?

3) BAD long copy... the kind that has been mentioned in this thread over and over again. Of course, as often happens in discussions like these, LONG copy gets confused with BAD copy.

Can't we all agree that there's a world of difference between a 40 page Gary Bencivenga letter about a remarkably delicious holiday ham that leaves your mouth literally watering and a "long copy" letter from some underskilled $97 knucklehead?

What "puts me off" about this thread?

I keep seeing an awful lot of the word "should" attached to a subjective personal preference. That's a mighty BIG word to be using in such a cavalier way -- especially by those who purport to be marketers or at least students of the craft.

What a marketer SHOULD do is test and measure, or as OLD Paul Myers likes to say: "Count."

Numbers typically reveal a very different story than opinions on forums.

It's been a fun thread though and I really do appreciate the honest answers I've read.

My takeaway is to pay more attention to how bonuses are being presented and making sure that their direct correlation to the product is clearly stated.

Thanks for that...

Best,

Brian
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Eric Graudins 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Woody Crenshaw

I absolutely despise more than one upsell. Don't take me thorough 5 pages of upsells and downsells just to get the product I want.

I'll second that.
And add hidden forced continuity to the list as well.

I had a recent experience with a certain hypnotic marketer that ended up being quite a test of endurance and skill before I could finally read the product I purchased.
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Alminc 15 years ago

If the headline promises or mention any amount of dollars
that I am GUARANTEED! to make ...bla, bla....I don't read
the rest
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Tyrus Antas

15 years ago

1 - Too many bonuses
2 - Testimonials from people involved in the same niche
3 - No personal feel to the salespage(who is the person? photo? video?)
4 - Off the shelf salespage templates put me off. However if it is someone I know, I usually ignore it.
5 - Wild claims.

Tyrus

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oleskool

15 years ago

For me it has to be the income statements that make it seem so easy to make the good money that you would be real dump to not purchase the product.

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yourreviewer

15 years ago

As Jason mentioned, the problem is when people tend to generalize without having any stats to back their reasoning. Yanik Silver is a master in crafting the bonuses and he mentioned how bonuses increase conversions. He says, 'Think what else my customers would need that would compliment my product and offer it'

Test, see the results and test again

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TheRichJerksNet

15 years ago

So Paul I see you have 3 in your class now ... lol

Still not enough!

James

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rootpixel

15 years ago

Personally, I don't like long sales page with lots of text to read.

Sales pages should be divided into different tabs - Overview, Screenshots, Testimonials, Company info and Buy Now! link.

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JohnMcCabe

15 years ago

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

And the 'I hate video' folks...

What I hear you saying is that you don't like to sit through a lot of material that doesn't hold your attention.

I think I was the only one to mention video. And you heard wrong! LOL

What I meant was just what I said. I don't want ANY product that is just online video or audio. I can live with a product that includes physcial DVDs that I can watch on TV, use my remote, easily fast forward, rewind, pause, go get a snack, come back tomorrow. I've bought DVD seminar recordings, for example. But I will NOT buy any product that is ONLY online video or audio with no transcript or manual.

With a transcript or manual I can print it out. That way I can go anywhere I want, anytime I want and read it at my pace. But I refuse to be a slave to a computer monitor.

I don't care if it's a great online video product. If there is no transcript or accompanying manual, I am not buying. Period.

Cheers,
Ram

BTW - there are two threads mixing about here. I'm not talking about what sells, only about my personal preference.

Ram, the threads are mixing. And I wasn't referring to you or your dislike for streaming video products. I understand your point and respect it. If I've paid for a product, I don't want to be at the mercy of someone forgetting to pay a hosting or domain bill, or just giving up and letting things slide.

Maybe it was in another thread, but I think there were folks here who didn't like video on sales pages or squeeze pages because they didn't like sitting through a lot of fluff.

The impression I got was of people implying that since bad videos suck, all videos suck.

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Aaron Elliott

15 years ago

Well this turned out to be a long sales letter in its self - thanks for all the responses, ive had a good read

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Bizsouth 15 years ago

Many of you have mentioned testimonials, which brings to mind another reason I click off a sales page: GURU Testimonials!!!!!!! Everyone knows they have list up to hundreds of thousands and with one email blast can make a great deal of money even promoting a crappy product. A so called Guru testimonial is a huge red flag to me! In particular, when I see _ _ _'s (female) face on a sale page testimonial I can't hit the X fast enough. I lost count how many times I've seen her testimonials, of course always with her own business URL, which in my opinion, is where she generates a large amount of business.

She's not the only one, you all know the one's that show up on so many sales pages. I'll even go out on a limb here: My opinion of a guru testimonial is it's just a variation of a JV in disguise!!
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cashforlifetv

15 years ago

Long sales sheets. I just like the benefit, email capture, and thats it.

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124711

15 years ago

The thing that puts me off is mainly the p.s., p.p.s., p.p.p.s. etc that ends some long copies. If there are so many post scripts, why not put them in the copy itself?

I'm all for bonuses though... I will look at the price again to see if the bonuses make the product more valuable or not...

That's my 2 cents worth...

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Joeez

15 years ago

What puts me off buying now is not the same thing that used to put me off.

In other words, now that I have more experience, I am much more cynical. So to answer the question, the following things make me run away:

1. No money back guarantee.

2. Over the top income statements. They used to get me all ready to buy instantly, but now they make me laugh.

3. Personal stories of how the seller used to be "just like me." Again, when I was new to all of this, those personal stories convinced me to buy, but now they put me off.

So I think marketers simply need to understand their target audience. Different sales copy is needed depending on whether or not the product is intended for beginners or experienced marketers.

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countonuspr

15 years ago

A personal feel and touch is very important in the sales process now which is why I think sales videos are starting to do so well. I personally like to know who I am dealing with. Some things that bother me are ridiculous claims. I like claims that seem legitimate like you can make an extra $2,500 per month with this strategy instead of saying you can make $175,000/month with this one technique. The lower price point is much, much more believable and easy for everyone to comprehend.

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JohnMcCabe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by 124711

The thing that puts me off is mainly the p.s., p.p.s., p.p.p.s. etc that ends some long copies. If there are so many post scripts, why not put them in the copy itself?

Because a lot of people jump to the bottom, looking for the price, before they have a chance to read the copy. Odds are, the info in the post scripts is already in the copy, and the copywriter want to pull out important points and reemphasize them.

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BenQ

15 years ago

Monthly memberships and too many upsell attempts before getting the final product. I recently bought something, and was presented with 4 upsells before I got the product. It was too frustrating and I cancelled it all.

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Kezz

15 years ago

I actually like the bonuses most of the time, provided I feel I can actually make use of them.

What turns me off is anything that makes me feel I have to get away from the page quickly - like videos that can't be stopped, stupid chat boxes and opt in boxes that block my view of the page, and anything that is in my face and is fastest removed by clicking the big red X.

Oh and poor web design. I always feel that a person's level of professionalism is reflected in their site. If they couldn't be bothered creating a quality site, I assume they couldn't be bothered creating a quality product.

And another vote against excessively long sales copy here. If I want to buy, and the page won't get to the point and tell me what the darn product is, I give up and look somewhere else.

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napoleonfirst

15 years ago

I think bonuses are a waste of time in most cases.

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sbucciarel

Banned 15 years ago

a boatload of fake testimonials, fake revenue screenshots, wild, unfounded claims of making thousands in no time at all, stupid looking cars that imply the car belongs to him and you will get one too, ditto for estates and chics, claims of making a fortune either in your pajamas or while sleeping, time ticker saying price is going up in 3 hours and you come back a month later and it still says same thing ... pretty much over 90% of the sales pages out there.

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Steven Wagenheim 15 years ago

In going back over this thread, I realized that I never did answer the question.

Before I do that, to the OP.

I don't know what your motives were behind asking this, but for what it's
worth, if they were for research purposes, to see what people like and don't
like, so that you can create the "proper" sales page, be careful.

A lot of marketers are simply jaded and may not be your target market,
especially if you're creating a product outside of the MMO niche. Listening
to the responses here and taking them as the gospel can be dangerous.

It's always best to test your sales process and see what works best for you.

Now, let me answer the question.

Honestly, nothing turns me off about a sales page.

And here is why, and again this is why you have to be careful about what
you take as gospel.

I am not your typical buyer. As somebody who actually studies sales
pages in order to improve my own copywriting, I look to see how the page
is constructed. I look to see how successful the product is, though the
copy is not always an indication of that success. Sometimes something
sells simply because the merchant has a huge list or a following to begin
with. I've seen some sales pages that, IMO, weren't all that great and yet
the product sold very well.

When I buy something, I almost don't even have to read the sales page
because usually, I buy it for 2 reasons.

1. Mainly because I feel it's something I need that will help me.
2. Secondly, the reputation of the person.

There are some people here who, if they tell me about a book about a
method that I know I need to learn more about, I'll buy it without even
looking at one word of copy.

I will then go back and study the copy, after purchasing, to see how it
was crafted.

Again, I am not the typical buyer so you can't go by me if you're using
this as any form of research for your own products and sales pages.

The only thing that ultimately matters, when it comes to writing a sales
letter, is results.
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Igor Kheifets

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Aaron Elliott

For me its the "bonuses". This almost always makes me not want to buy the product. Lets say the product is a "Copy me to make money" product and as a bonus the person offers several other products related to this.

My thinking is well how good can the actual product be if he has to throw in bonuses? I want one complete product, no bonus otherwise its just too much and I will loose focus. Not to mention the main fact, that if the product being sold is good enough, you shouldnt need any bonus.

Hey Aaron,
the reason for the bonuses is simply
because you always want to provide more
value then anyone else..PERIOD.

This is how this industry works..

Igor

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Aaron Elliott

15 years ago

Originally Posted by igorhelpsyousucceed

Hey Aaron,
the reason for the bonuses is simply
because you always want to provide more
value then anyone else..PERIOD.

This is how this industry works..

Igor

Only problem is how many people actually use the bonus and I have found that most bonuses are just junk or require a opt in, therefor are not a 'bonus' for me.

A 'cash back' bonus is a great bonus.

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tamaradaria

15 years ago

This question really made me
think...

And to be honest with you,
what puts me off the most
is when I don't see the price
fairly soon in the letter.

I hate it when I have to click
the "Order Now" button to
see how much the item is.

It's like they are keeping it a
secret, and heck - I'm not
going to buy if I can't afford
it anyway.

Just my 2 cents worth...

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dorim

15 years ago

Grammar and spelling errors turn me away quicker than anything else. When I see your instead of you're or there instead of their I click off the page. Somebody on another forum was trying to promote his article writing service and in bold font he states 'your going to get 2 articles for the price of 1.' Hmmmmmm

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HDRider

15 years ago

I can not get off sites fast enough that..

Start talking
Have talking sales people
Fade out the page for you to opt in while you are trying to reading

Then there is the exit pop ups, fake chat windows popping up or making it difficult to leave the site....click Ok...no cancel...wait...can we offer you a discount

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amotivatedmom

15 years ago

Personally I do not want to read a seemingly unending sales letter. Granted details are important however more often than not it just takes entirely too long for them to get to the point. Tell me what it is, why I need it and how much in 200 words or less, lol, if possible.

I do appreciate truly honest testimonials, I am more swayed by if it works for others than I am with pages of hype.

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blogginvixen

15 years ago

I don't buy eBooks anymore unless I can view actual testimonies from someone who has purchased the product, implemented it, and has given feedback on their results. 9 times out of 10, this will be an eBook that is listed on a forum because I simply don't purchase from websites as I've been burned too many times.

I recall one eBook that I purchased which was simply printed pages that had been PDF'd. Another instance was when I fell for the reviews/testimonies on the website since they had a link back to each individual, however, once I got the eBook it was simply a compilation of the author's blog posts.

In order for me to buy any type of product I'd have to see first-hand knowledge of multiple people who've had success with the product before I even consider reaching for my credit card!

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joan.gibbs.27

15 years ago

Bonus is simply a promotional activity. Sometimes they get good response and sometimes they do not. Recently I went to a shopping mall and saw a company is offering a microwave oven free with some non-stick fry pans. We should really avoid these type of bonuses because it is so obvious that either the microwave has some problems or the house apparels. I think we should justify the product along with the bonuses before we buy it.

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venomous2000

15 years ago

If they have it "The Call To Action". This is the "If you don't buy in 24 hours the price could rise" and you figure out it hasn't, that just puts me off

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RonaldBoyd0602

15 years ago

Inconvenience pursuades me to not buy. If it takes forever for a page to load, it doesn't matter what the content loading is. Graphics are a major villain in my view of the world. I am an adherent to Ewen Chia's opinion that a sales page should load in 20 seconds across a 44 kbps modem.

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jasonl70

15 years ago

Originally Posted by sbucciarel

a boatload of fake testimonials, fake revenue screenshots, wild, unfounded claims of making thousands in no time at all, stupid looking cars that imply the car belongs to him and you will get one too, ditto for estates and chics, claims of making a fortune either in your pajamas or while sleeping, time ticker saying price is going up in 3 hours and you come back a month later and it still says same thing ... pretty much over 90% of the sales pages out there.

lol.., and every one of these are simply assumptions usually.

"a boatload of fake testimonials"
- how can you determine if they are fake?

"fake revenue screenshots"
- again, how can you determine that?

"wild, unfounded claims of making thousands in no time at all,"
- I made around 1 grand profit my first month in affiliate marketing, starting from nothing and only putting minimal effort into it. Within a few months it was 3k a month. A year into it, and I do 6-7k a month. Not everyone struggles, not everyone chooses methods that take a long time to bear fruit.

"stupid looking cars that imply the car belongs to him"
- it does not take a large increase in income to have a very nice car. Heck, Lambo's can be leased for $1,000 a month, or about $500 a month more then the typcial loan payment on a new car.

"ditto for estates"
- let's say you live in the midwest. A nice 2500-3000 sq foot home can be had here in ohio for as little as $200,000. Let's say the mortgage is $1500 on it. Well, if you make an additional $1500 a month with IM, you can now afford quite a nice/large home with that combined 3k.

So, if you can make an additional $2000 a month (if you already were somewhat typical middle class), you are now living in a fancy house and driving an exotic car. Granted, you may not have a penny to spare at the end of each month, your house may be empty of furniture and your car overdue on very expensive maintenance

Some people see signs of success and disparage it ("stupid looking cars") - and in the case of IM, assume it is faked. I think this says more about the persons own self esteem ('lack of'), their concepts of what is possible, their current financial situation or even a self-imposed 'station in life', and potential psychological issues they may have regarding money.

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Johnny12345

15 years ago

It doesn't matter if your prospect's assumptions are wrong. If they don't believe your claims, they probably won't buy -- even if your wild claims are absolutely true. Perception is reality, in the mind of a prospect.

Ask almost any copywriter and they'll tell you that they have, on occasion, had to scale back the claims of a successful product to make it more believable.

But your point is well taken. Not all those crazy sales letters are fake -- they just need better copywriters.

Johnny

Originally Posted by jasonl70

lol.., and every one of these are simply assumptions usually.

"a boatload of fake testimonials"
- how can you determine if they are fake?

"fake revenue screenshots"
- again, how can you determine that?

"wild, unfounded claims of making thousands in no time at all,"
- I made around 1 grand profit my first month in affiliate marketing, starting from nothing and only putting minimal effort into it. Within a few months it was 3k a month. A year into it, and I do 6-7k a month. Not everyone struggles, not everyone chooses methods that take a long time to bear fruit.

"stupid looking cars that imply the car belongs to him"
- it does not take a large increase in income to have a very nice car. Heck, Lambo's can be leased for $1,000 a month, or about $500 a month more then the typcial loan payment on a new car.

"ditto for estates"
- let's say you live in the midwest. A nice 2500-3000 sq foot home can be had here in ohio for as little as $200,000. Let's say the mortgage is $1500 on it. Well, if you make an additional $1500 a month with IM, you can now afford quite a nice/large home with that combined 3k.

So, if you can make an additional $2000 a month (if you already were somewhat typical middle class), you are now living in a fancy house and driving an exotic car. Granted, you may not have a penny to spare at the end of each month, your house may be empty of furniture and your car overdue on very expensive maintenance

Some people see signs of success and disparage it ("stupid looking cars") - and in the case of IM, assume it is faked. I think this says more about the persons own self esteem ('lack of'), their concepts of what is possible, their current financial situation or even a self-imposed 'station in life', and potential psychological issues they may have regarding money.

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amotivatedmom

15 years ago

Wow Jason thank you for stating those facts as per your situation. I guess after being around IM, people get jaded even us newbies can be suspicious of all the claims when we still haven't see our first $1.00 and it is unfair of us to lump everyone into the same group. For every unsavory IMer there are 1000's more who are honest and state honest facts. Thanks for the reminder.
Brittain

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sam12six 15 years ago

I'll chime in with the majority and say it's bonuses. Here's the thing though: bonuses that are useful are good. If I saw a page that said, "Here are a couple of bonuses that will help you use the main product more effectively", and maybe even sold the bonuses a little, I'd see the bonuses as a positive thing.

When I see bonuses that are extremely out-of-character with the main offer or give me the impression that someone had a bunch of stuff with MRR on their hard drive and wants to throw enough crap at me to distract from the original product (and therefore forget to request a refund), then it's a turn-off.

It's not a deal-breaker, but I (and a lot of other IMers, I'm sure) find just about everything that works to be annoying. The countdowns, popups, "last minute" discounts, and pictures of a guy sitting on a nice car (though I do get a chuckle out of it when the guys obviously had someone snap the pic at a car lot or something).

As annoying as I find these things, I use a lot of them. It's one of the ironies of being in sales in general. Don't proven sales techniques piss us all off in the real world? I can tell you that from my personal experience, they started pissing me off even more when I went into sales and studied the various techniques. That said, there's a reason these tactics exist and are taught...
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GarryMSayer

15 years ago

If there's too much fluff and not enough content about what the product actually does on the salespage, then I am instantly disinclined to purchase.

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Bizsouth 15 years ago

I hate it when a sales page states they don't need my money, so they could care less if I purchase. What the #*&#?^&? Must be some kinda psycho babble that's supposed to entice you to buy.
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Andy LaPointe

15 years ago

The one killer for me is when a site owner or product creator is just hyping and spinning the product they even get dizzy trying to sell it. The hype is the main killer for me.

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What puts you off buying a product?

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