There’s an old adage in direct marketing that goes: The more you tell, the more you sell. It’s every bit as true today as it was back in the 1950s.

Most amateurs think a sales letter, landing page or online sales page ought to be as short as possible. I’ve often had clients tell me there are too many words in an ad, and that people will “never read all that.”

This myth is totally incorrect. People don’t buy because the advertiser is kind enough to leave out a bunch of words. People buy because they’re excited about the product on offer, and the advertiser was thoughtful enough to answer all their questions on the sales page.

The less you tell, the harder it is to buy

Consider this from the perspective of someone looking to buy life insurance on the Internet. What are the questions such a person might ask?

• Is the product right for me?
• Is the company credible?
• Can I afford it?
• Is it overpriced?

These are the key questions relating to life insurance, in the mind of someone who has already decided to buy.

A web page that aims to sell life insurance must answer every one of these questions. If it doesn’t, the person is unable to buy. He or she is simply left with unanswered questions, and will be forced to leave the sales page to get the answers they need. As soon as that happens, the sale is lost.

So how much should you say?

That’s a good question. I learned everything I know about writing sales copy from a genius, who consistently produced wildly successful ads. He would answer this question with an exasperated grunt and a roll of the eyes…

You say exactly as much as you need to say to get the sale. And no more.

In other words, leave out everything that doesn’t contribute to the sale. Exclude nothing that’s necessary to close the deal. If you can say it all in two sentences, then do so. If you need 100,000 words to get the sale, that’s how many you should write.

It sounds simple, but it takes experience and skill to get it right. All you need to do is try different versions of your sales page, and measure the results. You’ll soon find out which approach works best.

Fast to download

Most people now have a fast Internet connection. We no longer have to wait more than a second to view a web page. Even so, you should make sure your sales page loads as quickly as possible.

Get rid of any graphical elements you don’t need. Keep the design simple, and eliminate other distractions. After all, this is your sales page. It should contain only those elements necessary to get the sale.

Easy to read

Your sales page must be easy to read. The color of the text ought to be radically different to the background color. For example, having light blue text on a slightly darker blue background is insane.

The body copy fonts should be reasonably large, but not too large. You’re looking for something that is both easy on the eye, and easy to read.

You can enhance readability by limiting the width of the page. I like to keep the width of the actual text down to around 500 pixels. Any more than that, and the eye has to scan too far to find the beginning of the next line.

The basic rules of page design apply to web page design. Include plenty of “white” space, guidelines to help the reader’s eye, and ways to keep people reading.

Don’t split the page

With direct mail, you’re often forced to continue a sales message over multiple pages. You don’t have to do this on the web. So don’t.

The problem with spreading copy over multiple pages is that people often stop reading at the end of a page. Your goal is to keep people reading all the way to the end. On the web, the best way to achieve this is to keep everything on a single page.

NOTE: There are special instances where you do want people to click through to the next page. These are more likely to occur in lead generation rather than sales copy.

Pack a punch

Most products and services don’t require that you adopt a sophisticated tone. Taking on “airs and graces” will kill the sale stone cold dead.

If you’re selling something that regular people are going to buy, your sales copy needs to pack a punch. You should use short, power-packed words that excite the reader.

As a general rule of thumb, the old-English (often with a Saxon root) version of a word is the better one to choose. It will tend to be short, and guttural in sound. In almost every case, it’s more powerful to use short punchy words than longer soft-sounding (often with a Norman root) words.

Treat sentences like words

Your sentences, like your words, will sell more when they’re short and punchy. One trick I use to keep sentences short, and easy to understand, is to limit a sentence to a single point. For example…

The new 64-bit processor is faster, and more powerful than the old 32-bit processor, yet costs the same, giving you the power to do more without spending more!

This sentence is unnecessarily complicated, because it attempts to cram two separate points into a single sentence. This makes the sentence harder to understand, and the benefits are lost as a result.

The two points are more powerfully expressed in this two-sentence version…

You get more done in less time with the powerful new 64-bit processor. And best of all, you get it for the same price as an old-fashioned 32-bit processor!

Splitting the sentence in two makes it possible to inject extra power (e.g. the words powerful, old fashioned) into the point being made. The author is able to focus on each point individually, and so has the ability to highlight the benefit. At the same time, the paragraph is simplified and easier to understand.

Tell the client to buy

Are you a polite person? If so, you’re at a disadvantage when it comes to writing copy for the closing part of a sales page. Impolite, but highly successful advertisers, do not ask the client to buy.

They tell them!

And when I say tell, I mean they assume the sale and tell the client what to do to place an order. Here are two different ways to ask for the sale…

If you’d like to order, please click here.

Click here now!

The first example is very polite, but it’s also weak. The second example might seem abrupt, but it’s much more likely to result in a sale.

We’re talking about the end of the sales message here. At this point, everyone who isn’t interested has already stopped reading. The people who are still reading are very interested in your offer.

They’re also human beings. They spend their whole lives avoiding action. The last thing they want to have to do is make a decision.

The very last thing you want to do is leave the decision in the hands of your potential clients. It’s far more effective to avoid the decision altogether, and tell the client what he or she needs to do to place an order.

Don’t ask — tell. Assume the sale, and it’s usually yours.

Please note that I’m talking about the end of the sales page here. Don’t use this technique at the start of the sales page. If you start your ad with a headline that says “Read this now,” you’ll lose most of your potential clients right there.

The forcefulness I’m talking about is only appropriate at the end of a sales page.

And even at this point, you’re not really being rude. You’re simply assuming the sale and explaining what’s required to make the purchase. In context, it’s not being rude. It’s being wise.

Summary

Your sales page can only be successful if you give your prospects all the information they need to buy. Don’t leave any important question unanswered.

Your sales page needs to load quickly, and contain short exciting words that pack a punch. Keep everything on one page, and remember to tell the prospect exactly what he or she needs to do to buy.