Copywriting is NOT the most important skill for online success. Heresy?

Sep 5
18:52

2006

Eric Graham

Eric Graham

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

What's the most important skill to master to make a fortune online? Many marketing experts say that copywriting is the most important skill you need to learn to build a profitable online business.

mediaimage

Copywriting is the SECOND most important skill to master for online success.

What is the most important skill to master if you want to make a fortune online?

Many online marketing experts and gurus say that copywriting is the most important skill you need to learn to build a profitable online business.

And while I agree,Copywriting is NOT the most important skill for online success.  Heresy? Articles copywriting is a critically important skill to master. There is another skill that is even more important and profitable.

In fact this skill is so powerful that if truly mastered, it will make you a great copywriter by default.

So what is this powerful skill?

Simple.  It's testing.

I am not aware of a single world-class, millionaire marketer who is not also a fanatical tester.  If I had to choose one skill that differentiates those who make millions of dollars per year online and those who struggle to make a few thousand dollars each year, it would be testing.

Not copywriting. 

Not list building.

Not traffic generation.

Not joint ventures.

Not product creation.

Not search engine optimization.

Not affiliate marketing.

But testing...

Granted, all of these other skills are important.  And having excellent copy to begin with will give you a strong foundation to begin your testing and it will help maximize your initial conversion rate.  But over time and with continual testing even the most mediocre initial copy can be transformed into a profit pulling masterpiece.

(The real magic occurs when you combine world-class copywriting WITH world-class testing...  That's the stuff fortunes are made of!)

Unfortunately, after performing web site evaluations on hundreds of sites in dozens of niches and consulting on a daily basis with web site owners and online marketers who are desperate to improve their conversion rates, it's painfully obvious that less than 1% of online businesses conduct ANY form of regular testing. 

They are leaving obscene amounts of money on the table and don't even know it!

It doesn't matter if Gary Halbert, Michel Fortin, Clayton Makepeace, John Carlton, Gary Bencivenga and Dan Kennedy all sat down at a table and wrote your sales letter together.  What ever masterpiece of written persuasion generated by that world-class dream team of copywriting geniuses could still be improved over time by continual testing.

In fact if you talk to any of the top copywriters (both online and off-line) they will all tell you that the way they became a top copywriter is by learning what works and what doesn't through rigorous and continuous testing.

So the bottom line is this...

You can have the greatest product in the world.  You can spend $15,000 on a sales letter written by one of the best copywriters on earth.  You can attract dozens of superstar joint venture partners to e-mail your offer to their 100,000+ subscriber mailing lists.  You can drive millions of visitors to your web site each month with top paid and organic search engine listings.

But... if you are not continually testing and improving your conversion rates, you are still leaving a tremendous amount of money on the table!