Does Longer Web Copy Sell Better?
2014-04-28 09:04:46
Pick up a book about online sales, or attend a few weekend seminars, and you'll surely come across the declaration that "longer copy sells better than shorter copy." That is, pages with more writing bring in more business than those with fewer words.
There are a lot of reasons for this theory, most of them centering on the idea that longer sales copy gives the marketer more of a chance to describe all the benefits of what they're selling, as well as answering the most pressing questions in the customer's mind. So that means you should probably rush out to add more text to all of the pages on your website… right?
Maybe, but maybe not. The proponents of "long copy" websites are usually people who are trying to make sales (often two credit cards, information products, and other impulse buys) using high-pressure tactics like pop-up ads and "limited time special offers." There is little evidence to suggest that having more writing on your small business webpage will help you make more money – in fact, it may even dissuade visitors by making it harder to find the information they're looking for.
The best advice you can find when it comes to online marketing is to try and test everything. Just because one "expert" or another says you should do something, don't take it as gospel until you've seen it work yourself. Longer copy might sell better than shorter copy in certain situations, but in the end it's better copy and better marketing materials that always win out.
