Not long ago, I suggested (caustically, I admit) that we do need to tell people about the service they're signing up for in order to secure said signup.
Today, I came across this little gem, in which 37signals explain that and A/B test of a long page and a short page saw the long copy win (that is, garner more signups) by 37.5%.
I can't endorse the letter-style sales page. I really can't. That 37signals "signature" makes me want to set my hair on fire.
Similarly, given the comparison here, it's difficult to tell if it's the sales-letter style that's making the 37.5% of difference,* or the fact that the long page is neater, clearer, and far less demanding on the eye than the short one—and appears to present more information on the service.
While only a screencap of the short-form page is pictured, at first glance it's something of a dog's breakfast, don't you think?
However, what we can say is that this test indicates the following:
- Information aids conversion.
- Clarity aids conversion.
At its root, this means:
- Information aids communication.
- Clarity aids communication.
Balancing those two factors is, of course, the challenge.
*The fact that 37signals have moved away from the sales-letter style in their current sales page (accessible when you click through from the homepage) speaks volumes, to me at least, on this point.
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