Preamble: In response to some excellent rebuttals as well as countless comments I’ve received on my previous post, “The Real Sinister Side of Forced Continuity,” I believe some people are missing the point of my argument, and I want to clarify a few things.

I’m not a lawyer by any stretch. But as a copywriter and business owner, I do know the rules enough to know that there’s a difference between “optional continuity,” “forced continuity,” and “hidden continuity.”

Optional continuity is self-explanatory. Forced continuity is a very common marketing practice (I’m not a fan of it, but I don’t mind it). In fact, there’s nothing wrong with forced continuity in and of itself.

What’s wrong is when it’s used in a wrong way.

The real problem, I believe, is that good marketers, including marketers using “forced continuity” in an ethical and legitimate way, are getting a bad reputation because some marketers unscrupulously misuse forced continuity.

The lack of transparency is the real culprit — such as hiding it or disguising it. Especially when it’s done on purpose. That annoys me. Because it’s no longer an issue of misuse. It’s out-and-out abuse.

But what bothers me more is how it affects us all. And it affects us all, both customers and marketers alike, in more ways than you think.

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“What am I supposed to do?”

You may not know it but that’s a question your readers, visitors and prospects may be asking right now. And it’s also one you need to avoid at all costs, or else it will cost you in wasted traffic and sales. In other words, if people become lost on your website at any point, or while reading your copy, you in turn will lose them.

Forever.

Granted, your copy may compel your reader’s attention and present an irresistible offer. But if it fails to propel their actions too, you will probably wonder why it’s not producing any sales or why it’s getting such a poor response. If that’s the case, here are three quickie suggestions you can implement.

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