In the same way that there are many styles of successful fiction and non-fiction writing, there are many styles of successful copywriting, which is the professional term for selling a product or service through the medium of words on paper, or, in this case, words on a web page. However, just as for every successful style of fiction or non-fiction writing, there are hundreds, if not thousands of poor styles, the same can be said about copywriting.
However, only the successful styles succeed in their objective, which is, of course, the sale of the product being promoted. Sales pages must be written in a very inviting and persuasive manner to be successful and, few, if any, poorly put-together sales pages will result in any sales at all, even if there is a plentiful supply of targeted visitors.
So, in order for you to meet your dream of making a living from the internet, your sales page must be one of the successful ones. In the following paragraphs I set out one style that has been proven by several successful Internet Marketers to bring success. However, as I have stated above there are many successful styles out there, "hidden" amongst the host of poorly written sales pages that litter the internet. I am therefore not claiming that the following is the one and only key to success.
In the style of sales letter I am proposing, there are seven distinct steps, or what I will call 'sections', not numbered of course, that you must address. They are set out below, in the order that they should appear on your web page. When writing each of these steps one thing must be uppermost in your mind. At every step you MUST keep your visitor interested enough at the end of each section to read onto the next. Clicking an icon to leave a web page can be done in a fraction of a second, and if a prospective customer gets the slightest bit bored, or begins to lose interest, this is exactly what he or she will do. There is an old adage in many aspects of life, including Internet Marketing. It is called the 'KISS' syndrome. Normally 'KISS' is an acronym for 'Keep It Simple Stupid'. In the case of writing internet sales pages 'KISS' could still mean 'Keep It Simple Stupid', but in addition, and possibly more importantly, it could mean 'Keep It Stimulating Stupid'.
1) AN ATTENTION GRABBING HEADLINE OR HEADLINES
The headline is of utmost importance. It should only be about two to three short sentences full of powerful, interesting words that any reader who is remotely interested in the subject matter will find irresistible. To confuse matters further it should contain your main keyword or phrase once, but SEO ((Search Engine Optimisation) is a deep and complicated matter which is outside the scope of this article, so we will leave it alone for now.
Use a secondary heading, if necessary but your main heading should be bold, centred, and in the largest font. ('h1', inside less than and greater than symbols, in HTML language). Capitalise the first letter of every word, and it should also be in a colour other than black, which should be the predominate colour throughout the rest of your website. I have heard or read more than one successful Internet Marketer state that the best colour to use is red. I find this very surprising as red, to me, stands for 'danger' or 'beware' or, as an accountant, 'losses'. However I am assured that many tests have been carried out and red has always come out on top as the best colour to use. I am in no position to argue, so red it is. I understand that the second best choice is blue, which personally I find much more appealing.
If you include a secondary heading it can be longer, still in bold, but use a smaller font, (say, 'h3', inside less than and greater than symbols, in HTML language). Revert to black text and it need not be centred. That's up to you.
It is also becoming more and more common to use audio or video or both as part of your headline, but the most important thing is that it must be attention grabbing to ensure your visitor stays on the page to carry on reading the next section.
2) ENCOURAGEMENT TO IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE TO OWN THE PRODUCT
After the headline, back in normal sized font, ('p' inside less than and greater than symbols, in HTML language) bombard the visitor with the word 'imagine'. Get him or her to imagine what it would feel like to own the product, how it would change his or her life for the better, how envious his or her friends and relations would be, how his or her lifestyle would be improved by owning the product or receiving the service.
Before choosing what motor car to buy, a prospective purchaser will imagine speeding along an open highway in it and, in the same price range, the car he or she imagines would give him or her the most enjoyable experience will be the one which is purchased. The same thought process goes for much less expensive items, although the prospective purchaser may not be so aware that the imagination process is going on in his or her sub-conscious mind. However, whether you are writing about a $500,000 vehicle or a $7 e-book, you should make every effort to force these imaginative thoughts into the prospects mind.
3) EMPHASISE THE PRODUCT'S UNIQUENESS
People love to own unique things. Things that have characteristics that are out with the norm. Things that make their possession stand out from similar ones owned by their peers. So after you have saturated their imagination, emphasise what makes what you are selling stand out from the crowd. Why should someone buy your product rather than the one on the site next to yours on the Google search page? You have to convince your audience that there are many good reasons why they should buy your product rather than your competitors'.
Every product or service has its own U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition). You must be able to put your product's U.S.P. into words, not only to help with the sale but also to help your purchaser to explain why they bought your product rather than your competitors when they are asked that question by anyone who is interested.
4) LIST OF BENEFITS
Even if you have to repeat things that you have written in sections 2 and 3, list EVERYTHING that would benefit the prospective purchaser if he or she bought your product. Use bullet points to separate and distinguish each individual benefit. Do not hold back. Do not think your list is getting too long. It can never be too long. The more points you can list the better, but try not to repeat yourself.
Each benefit must be unique, and usually consists of a feature of your product or service matched with the benefit the feature will bring to the potential purchaser. For example one feature of your e-book may be that it contains diagrams. The benefit that the diagrams will bring to any purchaser is that they make points raised in the publication easier to understand.
5) MAKE YOUR OFFER TOO GOOD TO REFUSE
Begin this section with the first mention of the cost of whatever it is you are selling. Make sure the price is reasonable, depending on what exactly the product or service is, but, on the other hand, do not make it too cheap, which will suggest that it is trashy. There have been many recorded occasions when sales volumes have actually increased when the price has been raised.
Also it is important to offer your potential customer two or three free bonuses. People just love to be given free things. These bonuses need not be very expensive and are usually downloadable electronic products like e-books or videos. However they should be related in some way to the product you are selling. The web is littered with free downloadable products which can be on-sold or given away as bonuses. Just make sure you are conforming to the conditions attached to them.
Give your bonuses a value, and make sure that the total value of the bonuses exceeds the cost of your product. If the customer thinks that they are receiving $150 worth of goods for a payment of $27, your sale is virtually assured. This is assuming, of course, that sections 1 to 4 have been written well enough to ensure that your potential customer has reached section 5 without leaving the website!
6) TESTIMONIALS AND GUARANTEE
Getting testimonials is not easy, especially for new products which have just been launched. One of many ways that there are to obtain testimonials is to offer additional free bonuses in exchange. However there are many rules regarding the collection and publishing of testimonials, which will be the subject of another article I will write in the future. NEVER just make them up. If you do you will regret it in the end; I can assure you. Group about seven to ten testimonials towards the end of your page, but if you have more, it is quite acceptable to sprinkle them throughout the whole sales page at random, between what I have been calling 'sections'.
It is about this time that you should offer an unconditional 100% guarantee of a full refund of all monies paid if the customer is not satisfied for any justifiable reason. However it is reasonable to put a time limit on the guarantee, like 60 or 90 days. Highlight you guarantee by putting it in a box with a coloured background and, if possible, obtain a guarantee symbol like a silver star or similar to put in the corner. This adds a touch of professionalism and sincerity to your written statement.
7) FINAL SUMMARY WITH COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO ORDER, AND PERHAPS A FINAL (NOT AVAILABLE FOR LONG) BONUS.
There should be two "Click Here to Order" links or "Add To Cart" buttons further up your page for those few people who may get convinced early on that your product is for them. However, here at the end you should summarize what is on offer, complete with bonuses, not forgetting their value. Explain, in very simple terms, exactly what process they will need to follow after clicking the adjacent button, emphasising how easy it will be. NEVER state that the product or the price is limited in number or is only available for a limited time, unless it is true. Repeat the price and remind your readers of the guarantee. Some marketers like to add an extra bonus at this point, but I am not of that opinion, thinking that all bonuses should be grouped together in section 5. Sign off with a friendly "good bye", "good luck in your future endeavours" or similar greeting, followed by your name and contact email address should they have problems completing the order or wish to ask further questions before ordering.
Phil Ramage CA (Scot) CA (Aust)
For more information and, the opportunity to download a free e-book expanding on the subject of sales page creation, go to: http://www.todaysonlinemarketingsolutions.com/sales
Phil also has a very informative blog at http://www.phil-ramage.com/
(C) 2011 Philip Ramage All rights reserved
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