Web Copywriting Tutorial W2
"Long Copy Or Short Copy?"

"Ignore The 'Gurus'-
Which Really Is The Best Way?"

There's a great number of myths about writing for the web.

Like "no-one reads long copy"

Like "people won't scroll down long pages"

... ad nauseam (that's Latin for 'more theory')

Don't you believe it!

We will read long copy - if it's interesting.

We will scroll long pages - if we need the information.

Soft-sell works and Hard-sell works - depending on the offer and the target market..

In short - Copywriting techniques that sell off-line, sell on-line! With suitable adjustments.

The 'experts' who spread those myths should take a long hard look at one of Marlon Sanders' sites. Then ask themselves how a Website which breaks all those 'rules' has sold thousands of his Internet marketing books. 

Yes I agree they're excellent books. But the best Internet marketing book on the Web still has to be sold. Yet his sites have ...

Long copy

Long scrolling pages

Uses fast moving Hard-sell copy

Just like a good 'old fashioned' print ad or sales letter.

"So why do his sites sell?"

Would you buy a car if all you had seen was a photograph and a few lines of text? Of course you wouldn't.

You go to the showroom and drink in its looks, its color, its lines. You sit in it, you drive it, you touch it. You ask questions on price, engine size, servicing costs, fuel consumption, after-sales service, guarantee. You see yourself driving it, and imagine the benefits it will bring you. Questions, questions, questions. Information is what you need. Lots of it!

And if the salesman seems trustworthy - you buy it.

So why do so many people think we don't need the same amount of information from a Website? Why don't they realize that because we can't see, feel, touch and experience their product or service, the provision of information is even more important. It takes more courage for us to buy from a web page than it does from a store or showroom.

And information - good benefit-filled information - gives us the confidence and courage to put our money down.

 "A monitor screen is as long as you make it"

Because of the restraints of the monitor screen, far too many companies fall into the trap of skimping on content. This is a fatal mistake. And there are many successful entrepreneurs on the web who agree with me (or should that be the other way round?)

You must give a detailed and blow-by-blow description of the benefits of your product - no matter how much copy it takes. It's also important to realize that lots of detailed benefits and description gives a HIGHER PERCEIVED VALUE to the product.

Your prospect needs as much detailed information as possible to re-assure her that she is making the right decision. In fact she DEMANDS information - facts, figures and anything else you can give to help her find the courage to spend her money. And it's courage she needs-not just reassurance.

Your pages need a DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF EVERY BENEFIT AND FEATURE your product has to offer, no matter how far your prospect has to scroll down. If she is interested in what you have to offer she will stay as long as it takes to get the facts. Wouldn't you?

And if she has absolutely no interest in your offer she won't even read the first paragraph! She'll be long gone!

"Who says scrolling is hard work?"

Because they are very detailed, the tutorials on this site need long pages. Judging by the design of many Websites I see, most people would split the content into 2 or 3 short pages. Is it such hard work to scroll down a page? And which is better, scrolling down a long page, or interrupting the concentration of the reader by forcing him to click through to another page? And those who do that, severely risk losing the sale!

Every click-thru your reader is forced to make is another opportunity to lose him - and the sale - altogether.

"Long Copy in action"

If you seriously want to learn the art of good Long Copy writing, do yourself a big favor. Visit my Newbie Club site now and examine it in detail. And see long copy in action! I promise you will learn a great deal from the way I present each book - strong headline, sub-headings and lots, lots, and lots of detailed features and benefits. The use of testimonials and the way they are presented is especially powerful.

And take note of the absence of distracting links to other areas of the site - a common mistake on many Websites.

Using what I hope you have learned so far from my tutorials, examine the copy from those sales pages in detail. Print it out and write it out by hand! Yes, write it out word by word and phrase by phrase. This way you will actually feel the way it is structured and presented. You'll get a terrific insight into how really powerful selling copy should be written. And you will also discover why my books are such massive sellers!

In short, Copy techniques that work off-line, work on-line!

Visit The Newbie Club site here and pick my brains.  

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