You only have about 8 - 10 seconds to capture
your visitors' attention. To do so, your headline
must hit your visitors deepest needs and desires.
One of the most powerful headlines is a question.
Why? Because questķons irritate the brain and
make your grey cells go haywire. Psychologically,
questķons are extremely powerful.
Here
are 3 quick tips for writing effective headlines:
- Ask a
question that begs to be answered.
- Create
curiosity. ( Our brains our naturally
curious).
- Embellish
your visitors deepest problem.
If you are not
testing your headline, you are most likely
leaving lots of monėy on the table.
DropCaps
Many people ignore the possiblity of including a
dropcap on their salės page. However, through
testing, it has shown to increase conversion
rates.
As online marketers, we have been left in the
dark. Many offline advertisers and marketers have
been using dropcaps for years.
One of the first
people to confirm this technique was David
Ogilvy. David Ogilvy wrote "Ogilvy On
Advertising" and also produced advertising
for brands such as American Express, Sears, Ford,
Shell, Barbie, Dove, Maxwell, IBM, and Kodak.
Ogilvy is quoted as saying, "The drop
capital increases readership of your body copy by
an average of 13%".
This one simple change could boost your bottom
line.
Colors
Psychologists have suggested that color
impression can account for up to 60% of the
acceptance or rejection of a product or service.
Changing a few colors on your web site can
instantly increase your conversion rate. When
color is used correctly, it can send a number of
messages to your readers. It can also highlight
important points.
Color triggers a variety of emotions. To know
which colors will appeal to your visitors, you
must know your audience very well. This is where
market research comes in.
McDonalds has already done much of the testing
for you. It is certainly no coincidence that
McDonalds uses the colors red and yellow. They
did intensive research before determining that
those were the colors that would attract the eye.
Take a look as you are driving down the street.
There are now countless numbers of businesses who
use red and yellow in their advertising.
Red is one of the most effective colors to use
for your headlines and sub-headlines. Blue has
proven to be the best color for links. However,
like all of the other elements of your web page,
you will need to perform your own testing.
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Click-here to view an example of an
effective landing page.
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As a web master, color is definitely something
you will want to research and test on your web
site. It could mean the difference between a sale
and a lost customer.
Offer a Strong Guarantėe
Guarantees help to alleviate any anxiety that
your potential customers may have.
Give your customers a rķsk-free guarantėe. Let
them know that they can take their time consuming
your product and that if it doesn't work out for
them, they can quickly return it, no questķons
asked. This may sound contradictory, but it's
good business for you and for them.
Guarantees will increase salės. However, many
people do not know that guarantees will reduce
return rates as well. Therefore, they are a vital
component of your salės letter.
A longer guarantėe creates fewer returns than a
shorter guarantėe. A 90-day guarantėe will
produce fewer returns than a 30-day guarantėe.
If you are truly marketing a quality product or
service, then you should not be afraid to back it
up with a 100%, no questķons asked, lķfetime
money-back guarantėe.
In addition, it has often been found that people
return a product less when they are allowed to
keep some bonus items even if the product is
returned.
Here are a few techniques that have often
been found to be successful in creating a
guarantėe:
- Circle the
guarantėe
- Use a
guarantėe icon
- Write your
guarantėe in your own handwriting
P.S.
Believe it or not, the P.S is the second most
important element of your salės page. Many of
your visitors may not read your entire salės
letter, but they will read your P.S. It is second
only to the headline.
In fact, did you know that P.P.S. is the most
important postscript.
Many successful online marketers use three
postscripts. So, what do you say in a postscript?
Listed below are some important topics to
cover in a P.S.
Use one that identifies your risk reversal
guarantėe.
Use another to remind them of the urgency to take
action now.
Use another to inform them on how life will be
without your product and how life will be
improved with your
product
Images of Your Product
No matter what you are selling online, you can
increase your conversion rates by using pictures
of your products. This is especially true for
e-books. So much of the online world is
intangible. However, whenever you create a 3-d
image of your product, you turn the intangible
into tangible.
If you decide to do this, make sure you have your
images created professionally. Nothing can kill
salės like poor graphic design.
Bullets
Bullets are captivating, short, sweet, and
pleasing to the eye. Not to mention, all of the
top marketers, historic and present-day, use
bullets. Clustered bullets offer a burst of
benefits.
In your bullets, be sure to use the words,
"you," "your,", and
"yours," rather than "I,"
"us," "our," or
"we." By using possessive words, you
transfer ownership and allow them to visualize
owning your product.
Here are some phrases you can use to transfer
ownership:
"Your widget will be delivered in 5
days..."
"You will receive... "
"You will learn... "
"You will discover... "
Tell a Story
Many people online forget that they're doing
business with PEOPLE. It is often easy to forget
that each and every one of your customers have
emotions, thoughts, and ambitions, even though
you nevėr see them face-to-face.
Successful selling is dependent upon creating
relationships. One of the most effective ways to
develop a relationship with your customers is by
telling a story. By telling a story within your
salės copy, you become more human. You also
establish credibility and develop rapport.
Your visitors are able to connect and relate with
your experiences. Instead of thinking of you as a
salesman, they think of you as someone who has
had the same burdens, troubles, and even some of
the same hopes and desires that they have.
By adding that personal touch.. that human
factor.. you will have more fun in your business
and increase your salės at the same time.
Background Color
The color of your background is a very simple
change that can instantly increase your
conversion rate. The most effective background
colors include white, dark blue, grey, and black.
Of course, you will want to test this out for
yourself to see which works best for you.
The optimal background color can change depending
on your target market. Remember, nothing beats
your own testing.
Add Your Picture, Signature, and Contact
Information
Post your online and offline contact information
on your web site so that your customers know that
your business is solid.
You should always have a phone-number on your
site. What reason do people have to trust you if
they cannot contact you? By adding your contact
information to your site, you add an extra layer
of credibility.
Don't worry about receiving tons of telephone
calls, most people are too afraid to pick up the
telephone and call someone new. However, for
those that do, you will have the opportunķty to
truly help someone and create a lasting
relationship with your customer.
By establishing yourself as someone who truly
cares about your customers and takes the time to
help them with any problem they might call in
about, you develop a unique selling proposition
that is extremely valuable online. Most online
marketers simply aren't willing to go that extra
mile.
Once you have implemented some of these
strategies, test your salės copy on a small
scale. Optimize your copy to it's fullest
potential and then begin your major campaign.
Many online businesses do not test at all. They
nevėr optimize their salės letter, landing
pages, or order forms. As a result, they are
leaving monėy on the table.
I do not want you to make the same mistake!
Test Everything... Nevėr Assume
About The Author
Kim Roach is the hip marketing gal at http://www.unleashthetr
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