If there’s one thing I’ve learned in more than a decade marketing online it’s this…
Every recommendation you hear or get about something that’s “killing it” in terms of conversions… you need to test and prove for yourself. In your own niche. With your own funnel. For your own product.
I recently got some info about a video sales letter template that’s been the “unbeatable control” for a particular company.
So, like any good marketer… I put it to the test with a little bit of cold, paid traffic coming first to a simple Traffic Captivation Page (opt-in page).
Here’s the new video sales letter page/template we tested:
The results?
It got KILLED!
It actually DECREASED sales conversions by over 70%.
Ironically enough, the page we tested it against… our current control for this offer…
A good ole’ fashioned long-form sales letter.
And keep in mind, aside from the headline, the body copy of the long-form sales letter is identical – word for word – to the script used for the video sales letter.
Does this mean the video sales letter template we tested… the one purported to be the “unbeatable control”… is no good and shouldn’t be tested again within a different funnel?
Of course not.
I have no doubt it may be working for the marketer and the company I got it from. But in this case, in this funnel, it’s a loser.
And right there is the lesson I want you to walk away with:
Testing data and test results from other marketers are only valuable in giving you fresh ideas for things to test in your own funnels.
You should never blindly accept that a testing variation that produced a winner for one marketer, in one niche, with one particular product, is going to do the same for you, in your niche, with your product.
Everything needs to be tested.
As well, just because some variation or tweak produced a winning result in a certain area or part of your funnel doesn’t mean it will produce the same winning result in another area or part of your funnel.
For example:
Just because a delayed add to cart button produces a winning result on your main offer page… doesn’t mean it will do the same on your first add-on or upsell offer. Or your second add-on or upsell offer. Etc.
Each new tweak needs to be tested with all the different stages of your funnel.
Every niche can produce different results.
Every product can produce different results.
Every funnel can produce different results.
And every funnel stage and step can produce different results.
That’s why everything needs to be tested and proven within your own marketing context.
As well, just a little aside:
Don’t be so quick to automatically assume a video sales letter is the best choice for delivering your marketing message.
This test is one of many for us where the long-form sales letter out-pulled the VSL. And in many cases, just like this one, significantly.
Remember, when it comes to optimizing your sales conversions, don’t assume anything. Nothing.
There’s no room in direct response marketing for assumptions, opinions, or guesses.
Test everything.
Got it.
Good!
