In the days before computers, if you wanted to sell something, direct response was your best bet.
It didn’t matter what your media was — ad, radio spot, television commercial, or sales letter — to get response, you had to, well, yell.
First, you’d catch people’s attention. Then you’d build interest, stir desire, and finally, call for action. Often loudly.
Over the years, these tactics were refined to the point that they were nearly fool-proof. You didn’t even have to write well. Just plug in the formula, and you could sell anything.
It’s no surprise, then, that these same tactics migrated to the internet: the yelling… hawking… pushing… like junk mail on steroids.
But honestly, is it really necessary to yell at your online visitors?
Let me tell you a story…
Imagine, for a moment, that you walk into your favorite shop. Guys, that may be Home Depot or Cabela’s. Gals, you may prefer a shoe store or clothes boutique. The store itself doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you see yourself stepping into the store.
The smell of “new” floats through the air. Your favorite music mixes with the ambient noise of busy shoppers. And after a quick glance around the store, a display catches your eye.
Interested, you weave around one or two clusters of shoppers as you make your way to the display. Then as soon as you arrive, a clerk steps up.
You’re expecting her to ask, “Can I help you,” and you’re already shaking your head and waving her away.
But that’s not what she says. Instead of a polite greeting, she starts selling to you — at a volume you’d like to turn down. That’s right. She’s yelling at you… hawking her wares… pointing out every benefit of the product on display so you can’t miss them… pushing, driving you to buy today.
As you picture this scenario unfolding, what’s your reaction? Do you try to engage with this clerk or do you run away as fast as you can?
If you’re like me, you walk out of the store, never to return.
The truth about your website’s visitors
The myth about Web writing is that it’s just direct response copywriting published digitally. Click to tweet.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Direct response copywriting is penacle of persuasive writing, which is why it works. Misused, it can be pushy, or even spammy. But it doesn’t have to be. And it shouldn’t be: or people consider it “junk.”
Basically, direct response is a tactic. The Web is a medium. They aren’t the same thing. Nor should be used the same way.
Think about it… Direct mail is a type of interruption marketing. Like advertisements in the middle of your favorite TV show, it has to get your attention so you’ll read and respond. To do that, it has to turn up the volume.
Not so on the Web. When you search for something on Google, isn’t it because you need or want some information?
No one is forcing you to pay attention. You have a question, and you want the answer in as few clicks as possible. Your goal is to find one useful website that will tell you what you want to know.
Now imagine that you’ve just done a search and clicked on a link that looks promising. But as soon as you arrive, the website starts shouting. It may or may not have the information you want, but you can’t tell because you can’t see past the bolds, highlights and exclamation points.
Be welcoming, not aggressive
The thing to remember is that your visitors chose to visit your site. Just as you don’t want a sales clerk shouting at you when you visit a store, your visitors don’t want you shouting at them when they visit your website.
Make your marketing stick: Each page should be dedicated to answering a particular question or providing a particular piece of information that your visitors are looking for.
Be helpful. Be clear. Be concise. Organize your information so it can be found at a glance.
But whatever you do, don’t shout. It won’t help you get people’s attention… If anything, it will drive them away.
Interested in learning more about web writing? The best program on the market today was written by Nick Usborne, one of the pioneers of internet marketing. Try it today.
Or, if you prefer, let me help you update your old website with today’s best practice — or write copy for a new site. I’ll help you create web copy that draws traffic rather than driving it away.
