Photo by DerrickT
One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing web copy and trying to make a sale is making things sound more complicated than they really are.
Don’t say something like “Your order qualifies for complementary shipping when you spend $50 before December 1” when you could say “Free Shipping on Orders of $50 Until December 1st” Making things sound complicated is a surefire way to confuse people and make them buy from someone else.
Sure you can spice up your ads with silly, ‘high falutin’ words and long-winded ‘proper sounding’ sentences, but who the hell cares about ads like that?
Honestly, when is the last time you ever responded to an ad because it used fancy words or pretty fonts? More than likely you skipped it entirely, because it went completely over your head and made you feel like a dim-wit while reading it.
And that’s not just YOUR response either… that is the response you’re likely to get from just about everyone. Stick with the K.I.S.S. method people… keep it simple, stupid!
Another way to make your ads more appealing to a variety of readers is to use very a plain ‘ole black font. Don’t use cursive scripts or wing dings that take a magnifying glass or a pair of binoculars to read. Fancy fonts are a wasted effort.No one wants to work hard to read an ad!
And yes, you may sound more intelligent if you use complicated phrases and big words, but you can’t pay your bills with intelligence. Your landlord only wants you to ‘show them the money’, and the only way you can ‘show them the money’ is by making things as simple as possible for your buyers.
When you write an ad, you should think about how you can make it universal so that you sell your products to as many targeted people as possible. That’s why simplifying your ad copy is one of the best ways to appeal to a wider range of customers.
You have to make it as easy as possible for people to see your products and make the decision to buy them. Your offer can be irresistible, sure, but if no one can understand it or respond to it, you’re just wasting time and money.
Fancy just doesn’t cut it when it comes to ad copy… it only ends up smelling like bull sh*t.
Just sayin’.
How about you? Does ads that use big words and fancy stuff entice you to buy? Or make you wrinkle your forehead and click away in irritation? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Warm regards,
