LOL! Yes, the "challenges." Gotta love the "challenges." And yet, if they've got money to spend, I figure it's my job to get them to spend that money with us instead of our competitors.
Of course, there are some who just won't read anything, no matter what. Or who can apparently read, but whose comprehension skills are clearly lacking. There's not much to be done about them, unfortunately. But sometimes it's just people who are in a hurry, or who are a personality type that prefers to make quick decisions, not spend a lot of time pondering their choices.
For those folks (and to try to catch as many of the non-readers as I can), I put a section right at the top of each product page. Three to five bullet points highlighting important benefits, with short sentences citing specific features as support for each benefit. I call it the product "At a Glance." The idea is for this section to display above the fold and give quick top-level info. The idea was inspired by the "Just the facts, M'am" feature listing product descriptions I see on a lot of websites, but with more emphasis on the benefits, with the features taking a supporting role.
If that "At a Glance" section meets their informational needs, they can go ahead and order without having to wade through the rest of the page. If instead of reading they prefer to call or email for answers to specific questions, we've got a "contact us" link prominently included in several places on each page.
And for those who want more info, all they have to do is keep reading, because below the "At a Glance" section lurks all the rest of the explanatory text. Yes, it covers some of the same ground as the "At a Glance" bullet points, but arranged a bit differently, including additional secondary features and benefits and going into a
lot more depth.
--Torka
