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This free report
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THE Most Instructive
Course Online
The Internet Success Blueprint
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a complete BLUEPRINT. Spread this baby out and see the complete picture,
including: a 279 page, step-by-step manual for "internet success," 3 videos
to watch on your computer that actually SHOW you how to do it, Informative
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
32 Easy Ways To Breath New Life Into Any Web
Page Sales Letter
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It's true.
Ask the CEOs of
Yahoo.com and America Online. They'll tell you it's true. Send
an email to Terry Dean or Allen Says or Jim Daniels and ask them about
it. They'll agree 100% that it's true. Don't just take my word
for it.
In fact, you can
contact any of the 10,000 folks online selling web marketing resources,
and they will all tell you emphatically, without question, no doubts whatsoever,
that it is absolutely true.
It's true.
ANYONE can earn a living online. Really, they can. But, it
takes several very important components to join the 5% who are successful
on the web.
One of those necessities
is a website.
Now, your website
does one of two things...
...it either makes
the sale, or it doesn't.
For 95% of online
businesses, their websites simply do not
produce results.
And there is a
very simple reason for poor performance. Poor sales letters.
Does your website
convince people to make a purchase? If not, here are 32 easy ways
to breathe new life into your sales letter...
1) Write your
sales letter with an individual in mind. Go ahead and pick out someone,
a real person to write your sales letter to. Doesn't matter if it
is grandma or your next door neighbor or your cat. Write your sales
letter just like you are writing it to them personally. Why?
Because when your potential customer reads, it then it will seem personal,
almost like you wrote it with them in mind. Too often, sales letters
are written as if they were going to be read to an audience rather than
one person. Keep your sales letters personal, because one person
at a time is going to read them.
2) Use an illustration
to get your point across. In my sales letters I have told stories
about my car stalling on the side of the road to illustrate the idea that
we must constantly add the fuel of advertising to keep our businesses running.
I have compared the hype of easily making millions online to the chances of me riding
bareback across Montana on a grizzly bear. Leads have read of how
getting to the top of an oak tree relates to aggressively marketing online.
People love a good story that pounds home a solid message. Tell stories
that illustrate a point you are trying to make. Emphasize a benefit
by sharing an account from the "real world." It effectively creates
interest and further establishes the point.
3) Create an interest
in the reader from the very first line. Your first line of the sales
letter should immediately create a desire in the reader to want to know
more. Go back to the beginning of this article. The first words
were, "It's true." I can guarantee you that either consciously or
subconsciously you thought "What's true?" Immediately, your mind
wanted to know what I was talking about. Before you even knew it
you were right here, 8 paragraphs into this article. Carefully craft
your first line. If you can immediately get them wanting to know
more, you've got a winner.
4) Use bullets.
People spend a lot of time reading bulleted lists. In fact, they often
reread them over and over. Use bulleted lists to stress the benefits
of your product or service, to spell out exactly what is included in your
offer. Use an extra space in between each bullet to really highlight
each line and create a sense of more length to the list.
5) Launch into
a bullet list immediately. Shortly after your opening line, immediately
give the reader a bullet list of benefits to absorb. Hit them with
your best shot. Pull out the big guns and stress "just a few of"
the most important things the reader will discover. By offering a
killer list early in your sales letter, you will automatically create a
desire in the reader to continue through your ad copy. After all,
if they are already interested after the first list of benefits, they will
certainly be open to finding out even more reasons why your product or
service will aid them.
6) Just let it
all flow out. Write down everything that enters your mind as you
are writing your sales letter. You can edit it later. If you
just sit and start writing everything you know about your product or service
and how it will benefit your customer, you will be amazed at how much information floods your mind. Write
it ALL down. Then read through it - you'll be able to add a lot more
detail to many of the points. Edit it after you have exhausted all
of your ideas.
7) Make your sales
letter personal. Make sure that the words "you" and "your" are at
least 4:1 over "I" and "my." Your ad copy must be written about YOUR
CUSTOMER not yourself. I'm not sure how the old advertising adage
goes, but it's something like this, "I don't care a thing about your lawn
mower, I just care about my lawn." Leads aren't interested in you
or your products, they are interested in themselves and their wants and
needs. When you are finished with your sales letter and have uploaded
it to a test web page, run a check at http://www.keywordcount.com and see
what the ratio between "you" and "your" versus references to "I," "me,"
"my," etc. It's a free service. Make sure it's at least 4:1
in favor of the customer.
8) Write like
you speak. Forget all of those rules that your grammar teacher taught
you. Write your sales letters in everyday language, just like you
would talk in person. Don't be afraid to begin sentences with "And"
or "Because." Don't worry about ending a sentence with a
preposition. Write like you speak.
Your sales letter isn't the great American novel, so don't write it like
you are Ernest Hemingway.
9) Use short paragraphs
consisting of 2-4 sentences each. Long copy works...but long paragraphs
do not. Use short paragraphs that lead into the next paragraph.
Don't be afraid to use short sentences. Like this one. Or this.
See what I mean? Shorter paragraphs keep the interest of the reader.
Longer paragraphs cause eye strain and often force the reader to get distracted.
10) Stress
the benefits, not the features. Again, readers want the burning question
answered, "What's in it for me?" What need is it going to meet?
What want is it going to fill? How is your product
or service going to be of value or benefit to the reader? Spell it
out. Don't focus on the features of your product or service , but
rather how those features will add value to the life of your reader.
For example: If you are selling automobile tires, you may very well
have the largest assortment of tires in the world, but who cares?
I don't care about your selection. But, I do care about keeping my
3-month-old baby girl safe while we are traveling. So, instead of
focusing on your selection, you focus on the fact that my baby girl can
be kept safe because you have a tire that will fit my car. You're
not selling tires, you're selling safety for my family. Stress the
benefits, not the features.
11) Keep the reader
interested. Some sales letters read like they are a manual trying
to explain to me how I can perform some complicated surgery on my wife.
They are filled with words and phrases that I need a dictionary
to understand. Unless you are writing to a very targeted audience,
avoid using technical language that many readers might not understand.
Keep it simple, using words, language and information that are easy to
understand and follow.
12) Target your
sales letter. When you are finished with your final draft of the
sales letter, target it to a specific audience. For example:
If you are selling a "work at home" product, then rewrite the sales letter
by adding words in the headlines and ad copy that are targeted towards
women who are homemakers. Then, rewrite the same sales letter and
target it to college students. Write another letter targeting senior
citizens. Still another could be written to high school teachers
wanting to earn extra income during summer vacation. The possibilities
are endless.
All you
need to do is add a few words here and there in your ad copy to make it
appear that your product or service is specifically designed for a target
audience. "Work only 5 hours a week," would become "College Students,
work only 5 hours a week." Your sales letter is now targeted.
Upload all of the sales letters to separate pages on your website (you
could easily target 100's of groups).
Then, simply advertise
the targeted pages in targeted mediums. You could advertise the "College
Students" page in a campus ezine. The "Senior Citizens" page could
be advertised at a retirement community message board.
By creating these
targeted sales letters, you can literally open up dozens of new groups
to sell your existing product to. And, in their eyes, it looks like
the product was a match made for them.
13) Make
your ad copy easy to follow. Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Break up the sales letter with attention grabbing headlines that lead into
the next paragraph. One thing that I have always found to work very
well in sales letters...
...is to use a
pause like this.
Start the sentence
on one line, leaving the reader wanting to know more, and then finishing
up on the next line. Also, if you are going to use a sales letter
that continues on several different pages of your website, use a catchy
hook line at the end of each page to keep them clicking. "Let's get
you started down the road to success, shall we? CLICK HERE to continue."
14) Use similes
and metaphors for effect. When the customer purchases your product,
they will generate "a flood of traffic that would make Noah start building
another ark." If they do not order today, then they will "feel like
a cat that let the mouse get away." Use words to create a picture in the readers' mind. When
you think of Superman, what comes to mind? Immediately, we remember
that he is "faster than a speeding bullet." "More powerful than a
locomotive." "Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound."
See how word pictures stick in our minds?
15) Focus on one
product or service. Don't try to sell your customer multiple products
at the same time. It only confuses the reader. Keep your ad
copy directed at one specific product or service. Then, use other
products and services as back-end products.
16) Make it stand
out. Don't kid yourself. There are hundreds, maybe thousands
out there on the web doing the same thing you are doing. How will
you stand out among the crowd? Your sales letter must inject personality.
It must breathe of originality. Your product or service is different.
It's not like all of the rest. It is unique. Right? Your sales letter
must separate you from the competition. It must create a feeling
of "You won't find this anywhere else."
17) Be believable.
"Earn $54,000 in the next 24 hours!!!!!" Delete. Good grief,
do they think I am an idiot or something? Get real. Don't make
outrageous claims that are obviously not the truth. You'll ruin your
reputation. Let me tell you a simple universal fact that cannot be reversed. Once you have been branded
a liar, you will NEVER be anything but a liar. It doesn't matter
if you launch the most respectable, honest business available anywhere,
people will always have doubt because they remember the crazy stuff you've
said before. Be believable. Don't exaggerate, mislead, stretch
or distort the truth.
18) Be specific.
Don't generalize your information, but rather be EXACT. Instead of
"over 100 tips for losing weight" use "124 tips for losing weight."
By generalizing information, it creates doubt and questions in the reader's
mind. "What am I really getting here? Does he even know?"
When you use specific information, the reader begins to think, "This person
must have counted. I know exactly what I can expect." "Platitudes
and generalities roll off the human understanding like water from a duck,"
wrote Claude Hopkins in his classic book "Scientific Advertising."
"They leave no impression whatsoever."
19) Be complete.
Tell the reader everything they would want to know about your product or
service. Answer all of their questions, anything they would want
to consider before making a purchase. Think about it from their point
of view. Ask yourself, "Why wouldn't I buy this?" Then, address
that in your sales letter. Remove anything that would keep the reader
from making the purchase.
20) Use
testimonials to boost your sales. Share actual excerpts from what
your current customers are saying about your product or service.
Many websites have an entire section or even a separate page that has
endorsements and compliments listed. Satisfied customers remove some of the doubt in the mind of
the reader. "If these people have found a lot of value and benefit
in the product, then I probably will too." Especially effective are
testimonials from respected, well known "authorities" within your target
field.
21) Use headlines
over and over throughout the sales letter. A headline isn't just
relegated to the beginning of your ad copy. Use them frequently -
but don't overuse. A well-placed headline re-grabs the reader's attention,
brings them deeper into the letter, and readies them for the next paragraph.
You will want to spend as much time working on your headlines as you do
the entire sales letter. They are that important.
22) Avoid asking
stupid questions. "Wouldn't you like to make $1,000,000 a year?"
"Doesn't that sound great?" "Would you like to be as successful as
I am?" Avoid any question that insults the intelligence of your reader
or makes them feel like they are inferior.
23) Offer a freebie
even if the customer doesn't buy. If the customer decides he or she
isn't going to make a purchase, then you want to follow-up with them later
to try to influence them to buy in the future. By offering a free
item, you can request their email address in order to obtain the
freebie. By doing this, you can now follow-up with the customer for
a potential future sale. Additionally, you can continue the sales
process by having your ad copy, banners, flyers, etc. within the free item.
And, of course, if your free item is a high quality, useful product or
service which impresses the customer, they probably will be back as a customer
soon.
24) Use bonuses
to overwhelm the reader. One of the things that I have found very
effective in writing sales letters is to include bonus items that OUT-VALUE
the actual product I am offering. Ginsu made this one famous.
They were selling a set of steak knives, but before the commercial was
finished, you had so many bonus items on the table it was hard to refuse.
Make sure you provide quality bonuses and not some worthless, outdated
junk that damages the credibility of your main offer.
25) Use connective
phrases like "But wait, there's more" and "But that's not all." These
phrases effectively lead the reader from one paragraph to the next, particularly
when the next paragraph is a bullet list of benefits, or leads into bonus
items. Again, the idea is MORE and MORE value and benefits to the reader.
26) Always include
a deadline. By including a deadline, you create a sense of urgency
in the mind of the customer. "If I don't order within 24 hours, then
I won't get the bonuses." "Oh no, there are only 10 items remaining,
I've got to hurry." Let the customer know what they will be missing
out on if they don't make the deadline. Remember, they won't miss
out on your products or bonuses, they will miss out on all of the benefits
of your products. Deadlines are very effective. Every sales
letter should have one.
27) Tell
them exactly how to order. Be clear as to the order process.
Point them towards the order link. Tell them what methods you offer.
(I.E. credit cards, checks, etc.) Make this process as simple and
clear as can be. If it takes more than 2 steps, most people won't
continue.
28) Explain
when the product will be delivered. How quickly will the order be
processed? When will the order be available? Let the customer
know exactly what they can expect when they place their order. The
more specific you can be here, the better. Let them know that you
have a system in place. "Operators are standing by." Their
order will be handled properly. Tell them.
29) Offer a money
back guarantee. Take away their last reason to hold back. Offer
a "no questions asked" 30 day guarantee. Most people may not realize
this, but in most cases, it's the law of the land. You are REQUIRED
to give them their money back if they are not satisfied with the product
or service. Since it's the law anyway, why not make it a benefit.
Let them know that they are purchasing your product or service RISK-FREE.
30) Instruct them
to respond immediately. Many people just need to read those words,
"Act Now!" "Order today!" "Click Here to Instantly Place Your
Order." You've got them this far, now tell them what you want them
to do. Get them to "Act Fast!" Have you ever heard a mail order
commercial on television that didn't prompt the viewer to order right way?
31) Include a
post script. People will always read the P.S. Always.
In fact, the P.S. is one of the MOST IMPORTANT parts of your sales letter.
Why? Because in many cases the visitor at your website will scroll
immediately down to the end of your page to see how much it is going to
cost. A P.S. is a perfect place to recap your offer, so when they
see your price tag, they will also see a very detailed description of what
they will receive for their money. Use your P.S. to restate your
offer in detail.
32) Include a
second post script. You better believe if they read the first P.S.,
they will read a P.P.S. Use this post script to remind them of the
deadline or offer another bonus or point out some compelling factor that
would make them want to order. I guarantee you they will read it.
Use these 32 tips
and I guarantee you that you will see a significant increase in the amount
of responses you receive from your sales letters. In fact, it would
be impossible for your responses to not improve.
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Copyright © 2000 Jimmy D. Brown. All
rights reserved worldwide. Jimmy D. Brown is helping average people get
out of the rat-race and earn a full-time living online. For more
details on firing your boss and creating your own internet wealth, visit
us at ProfitsVault.com
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