The truth is that most types of marketing copy work. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t still be around. What you need to figure out, as either a copywriter or a business owner / webmaster, is what kind of copy will be most effective for what you’re selling to the specific audience you’re targeting.

So please, stop simply copying what everyone else seems to be doing in the moment, and start taking time to understand your audience and what motivates them to act or buy. Test different types of Web copy, or even test different language choices. Watch what happens to your conversions.

And remember, the best copy isn’t necessarily the type of copy you think you want going into a project. You may want something touchy-feely, and find out that it’s not what actually sells to your audience (what they tell you they want and what makes them buy aren’t always the same thing; that would be like asking any of us if we want commercials playing during our favorite TV shows — we don’t, but that doesn’t mean they never work). Or perhaps you want something flashy, but your audience would respond better to a serious case study. The audience comes first. Then comes testing. Then, and only then, comes your amazing, high-converting copy.

Here’s something else to keep in mind: Just because something “works” doesn’t mean something else wouldn’t work better. Don’t stop testing and tweaking just because you’re satisfied for now. Would you really be happy with a 20% increase in conversions if a different style of copy could net you an 50% increase? Probably not.

This post was originally featured on July 27, 2008.

The post The Importance of Testing Web Copy appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Hard Sell – This is the more aggressive form of selling. Think of infomercials and peppy spokespeople on commercials shouting out you enthusiastically about a new product. Hard sell techniques can be very blatant and in-your-face.

Soft Sell – Soft sell techniques are more toned down, less direct, and on the subtle side. The idea is to make a potential buyer see a problem and see your product, service, or company as a solution worth considering without directly saying so.

Let’s look at selling a book as an example:

Hard sell techniques for selling a book might be things like blatant paid advertisements, having the author on a radio interview pitching the book by literally telling them to buy it (and where and how they can do that), etc.

Soft sell techniques for selling that same book might include the author publishing free articles or excerpts that let people have a glimpse at what the book has to offer, and how it may answer a question or solve a problem they have. A lot of publicity tactics can also be looked at as soft sell techniques, such as press releases which help to raise awareness about the book and the author, as well as the book’s purpose and how it might benefit future buyers.

Some people find hard sell techniques to be obnoxious, but in some markets they’re extremely effective. In some industries too much soft selling might not get the desired results, and in others it can lead to huge sales volumes. The key is in knowing your target market and what kinds of messages and outlets are most likely to appeal to them (and of course knowing your own selling abilities and preferences).

The post Soft Sell vs Hard Sell appeared first on Pro Business Writer.