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How page design can change your copy.

I have been working on a sales page for a new client. Traditionally, in this particular niche, the most successful pages have always been designed in two columns.

I want to challenge the control page with a one-column sales page.

All my experience to date tells me that when it comes to sales pages, one column will always do better than two columns.

That said, you never know. In this particular niche I may find myself being surprised. I look forward to seeing the results.

Anyone, once I had written the singe-column version I was asked to create a two-column version, so they could be tested side by side.

No problem.

But now we get to the tricky part. As soon as I started to rearrange the one-column copy into two columns, I ran into trouble.

I moved things around as best I could, but it soon became clear that I couldn't simply take the same copy and rearrange it.

First of all, the two-column format meant that I had to make changes to some of the headings and subheads. For instance, I had to add a new heading to introduce the second column.

Beyond that, I then found that the body copy itself was no longer working as well.

In the single-column version I wrote the headline and body text in a simple, vertical sequence that led directly to an application form.

But in the two-column version the application form is on the right.

Suddenly my sequence was no longer vertical.

In my left side column I had to communicate the same sales message…but I also had to make sure that when people finished reading the sales copy they would move their eyes over to the right side and complete the form.

(Yes, I really do prefer a single column. It makes the process a lot simpler both for the writer and the reader.)

Anyway, by the time I was done I had made quite a few changes to the copy.

And guess what…it's no longer a valid A/B split test between one column and two. The layout is no longer the only variable. Some of the copy has changed too.

As and when I get the test results, I'll let you know what happened.

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