News
 Long
Copy VS Short… Which One Sells Better?
By Susan Greene
If long copy leads to poor results, it isn’t because
of the length. Rather, it has to do with the copy’s
content. If the copy is boring or doesn’t contain
some kernel that the reader can instantly relate to,
then he’ll stop reading. However, if the copy,
lengthy though it may be, engages, entices, educates
or entertains, then you’ll have no problem keeping
the reader’s interest.
They say, “The Internet is a fast medium. People
don’t want to read long blocks of text. They’ll
click away.”
The reality is that prospects who are genuinely
interested in the product you offer always want more
information about it, not less. If they are not
interested in the product or not qualified, no
matter how long or short the copy is, they will just
never buy. They won’t read 15 words, much less
1,500.
If long copy leads to poor results, it isn’t because
of the length. Rather, it has to do with the copy’s
content. If the copy is boring or doesn’t contain
some kernel that the reader can instantly relate to,
then he’ll stop reading. However, if the copy,
lengthy though it may be, engages, entices, educates
or entertains, then you’ll have no problem keeping
the reader’s interest.
When it is well written, long copy can significantly
outperform short copy and lead to a much greater
level of response. Prospects want more product
information, particularly when buying on the
Internet where they can’t see in person, touch or
test-drive the product. Detailed feature and benefit
statements are the golden nuggets that tempt
prospects and cause conversions.
Shorter copy can lead to several potential outcomes:
a lower response rate due to lack of compelling
information; a barrage of information requests
because the copy didn’t successfully answer the
prospect’s questions; or a higher number of
cancellations or refund requests because the product
or service was not what the customer anticipated
based on the limited information he read.
So, if you’re writing for the Web, just how many
words should a page contain? The optimum size is 250
words for maximum effectiveness. While it may seem
like a lot, a 250-word count for each page balances
search engine and reader needs. Search engine
spiders crave content, especially keyword-rich
content. You may see “a lot of words,” but the
search engines see “a document with lots of
important data to extract.”
As long as you follow usability principles, you can
write tons of text without overwhelming your reader.
Besides if the search engines see a lot of key
phrases combined with a low-word count, they may
flag your site for spamming. A longer word count
makes it easier to include your key phrases without
sacrificing your marketing message.
Do you lose customers with scrolling copy? No,
according to a study by User Interface Engineering (UEI).
“One of the most significant findings of our
research on web site usability is that users are
perfectly willing to scroll. However, they’ll only
do it if the pages gives them strong clues that
scrolling will help them find what they’re looking
for,” reports the article As the Page Scrolls from
UEI. “In the trade-off between hiding content below
the fold or spreading it across several pages,
readership increases when the content is on a single
page.”
Susan Greene is
a freelance copywriter located in Orlando, Florida.
Visit her website at (www.SusanGreeneCopywriter.com)
or contact Susan at susan@susangreenecopywriter.com,
(407) 578-5528.
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