I've been performing a bunch of sales letter critiques during the past few months. In the process, I keep running into the same copy roadblocks time and again.
What is a "copy roadblock" you ask?
I define it as anything that derails the flow of your sales letter copy and lowers its chances for success.
You see, reading a good sales letter is like driving down a smooth highway towards a relaxing destination. You become lost in a trance and completely caught up in the drive itself.
Signs tell you where to go so you don't have to think about it. Distractions fall to the wayside as you stay focused on the road ahead.
But what happens when a giant boulder suddenly appears and blocks your path? That's right. You jolt back to reality, slam on the brakes, and try not to ram into it headfirst.
Then you start to look for a way around the roadblock without running into oncoming traffic. Should you call the police? What about warning oncoming traffic?
Within seconds, you are completely distracted from your smooth ride and out of that trance you were so peacefully enjoying. There are suddenly more pressing issues with which you must contend.
The same things happens with sales copy.
You may be taking your prospects down a nice slippery slope with fantastic copy (that you spent many hours or lots of money to have written) and suddenly, BAM! They hit a roadblock and become distracted by something else on the page.
And once your readers become distracted, there's no telling when -- or if -- they'll ever get back on track. That path you spent so much time and effort paving has just produced another copy casualty. No sale for you!
Therefore, one of the fastest ways to boost your conversion is to remove as many copy roadblocks from your sales letter as possible. Here are just a few of many to look out for:
1. Multiple calls to action.
You should only have one call to action in a sales letter. Do not ask readers to opt-in to a newsletter if the goal of your letter is to get them to buy your product. You want them to make one decision, and one decision only -- yes or no. Anything more is a roadblock.
2. External hyperlinks.
Very rarely, if ever, should you send your readers to another web page while they are reading your letter. But if you need to, make sure the hyperlink opens up a new browser window so they can immediately get back to your letter. If you're listing a URL in a testimonial, making the hyperlink inactive will decrease the chances that your readers will go to that site instead.
3. Navigation bars.
Again, your readers should only have one decision to make -- whether or not to take you up on your call to action. If you have a navigation bar at the top or side of your letter that takes them to another web page, you're only setting up a giant roadblock.
An alternative is to provide a navigation bar with anchor links to different parts of your sales letter. This lets the readers go to the sections that interest them the most, while still remaining on the road to decision.
4. Pop-up windows.
Sometimes you want to include pop-up windows with definitions or more detail than you can fit into the flow of your letter. This is fine, albeit potentially distracting. The best advice here is to tread lightly. One or two pop-ups are alright, but too many more may steer your readers off course and into frustration.
5. Poor layout.
Once their interest has been piqued by a strong headline, most people will scan a sales letter before they dig in any further. This is why having a clean and scannable layout is absolutely crucial. You need to make sure those subheads pop out and grab their attention. And that the copy and flow looks inviting and easy to read. Without a great layout, your sales letter will be littered with roadblocks.
Take a look at your current sales letters and see how many of these roadblocks you can find. You may be surprised.
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