If you have multiple product options, try to keep it to one, two, or three options — but no more than three. Too many choices leads to confusion and lost sales.
Here’s why:
Choices overwhelm people. Too many choices offered at once produces inaction.
In other words, if you give a person too many ways to say yes, you will make it easier for the person to say no.
Making a decision is hard work. It’s emotionally taxing. The more choices and variables involved, the harder it is to decide.
Famous copywriter Joe Sugarman once wrote a newspaper ad selling a watch. His client wanted to sell three styles in three different colors for a total of nine different watches.
Joe wanted to only sell one watch: the men’s watch in black.
His client agreed to an A/B split-test. The results were surprising…
When both versions ran, the ad that featured only one men’s watch out-pulled the other version that featured nine models by a surprising 3 to 1 ratio. In short, for every watch we sold from the ad that featured the nine styles, we sold three in the other ad that showed just the one black watch. (Advertising Secrets of the Written Word, p. 162)
Even prior to this split-test, Joe had told his client, “…offering a customer too many choices [is] a dangerous thing to do.” (p. 161)
If you want to improve your sales, give your prospects fewer choices. Not only will they be happier, you’ll make more sales, more money, and more profit.
-Ryan M. Healy
P.S. I specialize in writing direct response sales letters and emails. Contact me if you have a project in mind. Limited availability. Email at rhealy@gmail.com or call 720-344-7788.
About Ryan M. Healy
Ryan Healy is a direct response copywriter. Since 2002, he has worked with scores of clients, including BoostCTR, Alex Mandossian, Terry Dean, and Pulte Homes. He writes a popular blog about copywriting, advertising, and business growth, has been featured in publications like Feed Front magazine, and is a regular contributor to WordStream.com, BoostCTR.com, and MarketingForSuccess.com.
Direct response copywriter. 10 years experience. Available on a limited basis to write long-form sales letters, direct mail packages, space ads, emails (broadcasts and autoresponders), video scripts, opt-in pages, and copy for product launches. Learn More Here » |
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