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Part Four: Writing
Effective Sales Letter Copy
A professional
looking website is a very important part of making sales. However, without
effective sales copy your website will be useless. Words make sales, not
fancy websites.
Your words are the entire foundation of your business. Your product, your
website and your marketing strategies all depend upon your words. You must
learn how to write persuasive words specifically written for your targeted
customer. You must feel your customers needs and write your copy with passion,
excitement and benefit.
Basic Copywriting Guidelines
Your text should
be written in a black, legible font with a light background. Avoid using
fancy fonts or backgrounds that will make your text difficult to read. When
you begin writing, write in small blocks of text with a space between each
block. There is nothing that will make your visitor click away faster than
a sea of black text, so make sure you use plenty of white
space.
Writing Your Sales Letter's Headline
Begin your sales
letter with a powerful headline that demands attention. This headline is
the most important part of your entire sales letter. If it doesn't grab your
potential customer's attention, they won't bother to read the rest of your
letter. Your headline should be displayed in a larger bold font and demand
your potential customer's attention to intrigue them to read
on.
Using Subheadings Throughout Your Sales
Letter
Use subheadings
(headlines) throughout your letter to capture the attention of those who
just scan your text. Your subheadings should provide highlights of each section
of your sales letter and be displayed in a larger, bold font.
Your Sales Letter's Introduction
Once you've captured
your potential customer's attention with your powerful headline, you should
now direct their attention to your introduction. Write a brief paragraph
about your product to let them know exactly what you have to offer them.
Keep your introduction brief and to the point with no filler content.
Once you've written your introduction, continue to write and tell your potential
customer why your product is the solution to their problem. Tell them exactly
how your product will benefit them. Identify a specific problem and promote
your product as the solution. This can be accomplished with the use of questions
that identify a specific problem that your product will solve. Ask your potential
customer questions that you know they can identify with -- feel their needs.
Every word, sentence
and headline should have one specific purpose -- to lead your potential customer
to your order page. When writing your sales copy, direct your words towards
one specific person. Use words like "you" and "your" rather than "them" or
"their." Write as if you are speaking with just one person -- one on one.
Write to persuade, that's the bottom line.
Use the following advertising formula when writing your website sales
letter:
A - Attention - Use a powerful headline that demands attention
I - Interest - Intrigue interest and create curiosity
D - Detail - Provide details about your product or service
A - Action - Call for action
Building Your Customers Trust
Many Internet
users are apprehensive when it comes to making a purchase on the Internet.
You must put their mind at ease by displaying your full name, company name
and contact information. In addition, you must completely remove their risk.
Provide your potential customers with a solid, no risk, money back guarantee.
This will put their mind at ease by building their confidence in you and
your product. In addition, include some of your testimonials within your
sales letter. Make sure you don't create a separate page for your testimonials,
as they most likely won't be read. Place your testimonials throughout your
sales letter to ensure their visibility.
Long Sales Copy or Short?
Studies have
shown that long sales copy out-sells short sales copy. However, some visitors
do prefer a short sales letter. To accomodate both types of preferences,
you can provide both. For those visitors who prefer a short sales letter,
provide them with an opportunity to click through to your sales page throughout
your sales letter.
When writing a long sales letter, keep in mind that with each additional
click, you will lose a percentage of your potential customers. Have you ever
read a sales letter page that forced you to click through several pages to
continue reading the sales letter? Many Internet users find this very frustrating
and just click away. Try to keep your sales letter all on one page for the
best results. Your visitors would probably much rather scroll through a long
sales letter than click through and load another page. Their time is very
valuable -- accomodate them.
Your Sales Letter's Call For Action
Once you've written
your sales letter and packed it with all of the benefits your product has
to offer, your next step will be to "call for action." Ask for the order
and provide an easy ordering process. Continue to reassure your potential
customer by reminding them of your personal guarantee and lead them to your
order page.
For potential customers that still aren't convinced, provide them with free
bonuses just for purchasing your product. Many times, you will find that
your customers purchase your product just for the free bonuses.
Including a Postscript
Within Your Sales Letter
Your final step
will be to close your sales letter with a PostScript. When your visitor scans
your sales message, chances are, they'll read your headline, subheadings
and your PostScript message. Place your most important benefits within your
P.S. message. It will get read.
Write your words so that they seamlessly flow together from your beginning
headline through to your order page. Pack your copy with all of the benefits
your product has to offer and keep it simple. The simple, well designed sites
with great copy make the sales.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design
Mastery.
http://www.webdesignmastery.com
And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book.
http://www.ebookstarter.com
Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips
and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies."
http://www.web-source.net
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,
in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author
bylines are included.
Part Three
Part Five
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