Order Form Headline Length Test Results
| VERSION A |
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How site visitors voted:
VERSION A (56%)
VERSION B (44%)
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Actual Test Results:
The longer, eight-word, order form headline convinced 113% people to sign up for a free trial when tested against a shorter four-word headline – even though both featured a big red ‘free’ which we always thought was the most critical copy element. Josh Baker, Manager, Online Promotions, Business & Legal Resources conducted the multivariate test on Safety.BLR.com’s trial subscription offer page using Google Website Optimizer. He and his team also tested changing the main page headline, free report vs. benefits body copy, and adding a ‘guarantee’ image to the page. None of the other tests moved the conversion needle significantly. “It did surprise me,” Baker admits. WhichTestWon.com is sponsored by: WiderFunnel, the A/B and multivariate testing firm that guarantees Conversion Rate Lift. Click here now for a FREE evaluation of your site! |
Has to be the use of the Word “Risk”….Its the old “dont think of a an elephant! what you thinking of?” theory… natural reaction of the user is to imagine the potential risk and as a result decide not to continue. Version B offers nothing but positive suggestion “Unlimited” and “Free”…what am I waiting for!
I think the takeaway here is that people still need to see the value in what they’re getting, even if it’s free.
I know there have been times where wrote that was too short because I figured, “It’s free — I don’t need to work that hard to sell this.”
Not true!
People still need to see that there are reasons why they should want something, even if it doesn’t cost them one thin dime.
In this case, I think the carrot of unlimited access gave people more motivation to try something out. What they were going to get became a little more tangible.
My $0.02. Overvalued at that.
Interesting. I would have thought highlighting the lack of any future unsolicited conversation would have been a bigger benefit than free unfettered access. Obviously the viewers want access to this site’s content.
Ahhh… love headline tests. My gut told me that the words FREE and UNLIMITED promised more benefit than simply RISK FREE which speaks only of the absence of pain, not positive gain.
It’s not the LENGTH that makes it work, of course… it’s what’s said WITHIN that space. A long, POOR headline would lose against a strong SHORT headline.
In addition, I believe the words CREATE YOUR PROFILE justifies the need to fill in such a long form. It suggests MEMBERSHIP… INCLUSION… and INVOLVEMENT.
Thanks, Anne… keep ‘em coming!
Drew Eric Whitman, D.R.S.
Direct Response Surgeon(tm)
http://www.AdSurgeon.com
http://www.Cashvertising.com
Author of:
“CA$HVERTISING:
How to Use More Than 100 Secrets
of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make
Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone”
Yes, the shorter one does raise the specter of “risk”; never a good idea. But I also would factor in my reaction to “Try…for 30 days”. That means something happens in 30 days, and so if I want to continue I need to do the research before going further to see what that “something” is. Will I start getting invoiced if I forget to cancel? Will a lien be placed on my house? “It’s all bad,” as they say. Of course, as with any of your tests, Anne, I always feel like I only have a 50-50 chance of guessing right–which is what makes it fun (and educational).
And who doesn’t want ‘access’ to something of perceived value? It’s like a key to the vault, no?