Does Your Web Site Beat The Clock?

Tick, tick, tick. That's the sound of those all important 10 seconds
slipping away - the average amount of time a visitor remains at a
web site before clicking on.

That is, unless you give them a reason to stay.

Take a good hard look at your web site - is it optimized in your
favor? What does a visitor first see when they arrive? Does the
headline make them screech to a halt? Does your sales letter's
first paragraph hook them in? Tick, tick, tick.... remember, 10
seconds is all you have.

If your conversion rate is telling a dismal tale, it's time to make
some changes. And, as unglamorous as it may be, it all comes
down to your sales letter. If your sales are nonexistent, now's the
time to act. Fast. Before your business becomes one of the 95%
that fail.

Here's the infamous 'Top 10' checklist - does your sales letter do
the following?

1) Does it engage the reader on a personal level? Write like
you're talking to your best friend, your grandmother, whomever
your target market is. If it's not personal, it's useless.

Use the words 'you' and 'your' whenever possible - try to forgo
the words 'I' and 'me.' After all, it's not about you -- it's about
them.

2) Try to incorporate your target market into your headline. If
you're going after car enthusiasts, say 'Car Enthusiasts Usually
Disagree... Except On This One Thing.' If you're going after dog
lovers, it would be 'Dog Lovers Usually Disagree...Except On
This One Thing.'

Do everything possible to make your reader identify with the
subject matter, to hook them into reading more.

3) Always use the KISS principle when writing (Keep It Simple
Stupid). Don't get lost in your own words - this is not the time to
impress with your astonishing vocabulary - write for the common man/woman. Don't bore them into clicking away.

4) Do you use stories to illustrate your point? Ever notice how
CEO's and politicians always use stories in their speeches?
They're communicating through mental pictures, to get their
ideas across in another way.

Everyone has a different frame of reference - try using a personal
story to produce that 'yes! they're talking about me!' reaction.

5) Break it up with bullets. For those readers who are into
skimming, organizing your most important points in bullet form
helps to communicate the benefits FAST.

Put your most important points at the top, in case the person
doesn't make it to the bottom. And there's no rule that says
you're only allowed one bullet list - put one close to the top of
the letter, and perhaps another towards the bottom.

Test, and keep whatever converts best.

6) Use benefits over features. Always. They don't care that
the refrigerator has a big vegetable bin or automatic icemaker.
They want to know that it keeps their vegetables from drying out,
and their beer/lemonade refreshingly cold on a hot summer's day.

7) Write in your own voice. We're not talking 'Masterpiece
Theatre' here. Formality is out; friendly is in. And I give you
permission to start your sentences with 'And' (note how this
sentence started!) and 'Because.'

When writing for the real world, write like you speak.

8) How long are your paragraphs? If longer than 2-4 lines,
break them up. And keep sentences short - even 2-4 words
are ok. Like this. Short, quick 'eye bites' communicate faster
when you're racing against the clock.

9) Focus on one product/service per sales letter. Period.
No exceptions.

10) And, finally, watch the grand, sweeping statements. Using
'Earn $1 Million In Two Days While You Sleep!' won't help build
your credibility. Or conversion level.

If you incorporate these ideas into your sales letter, you're bound
to beat the clock and begin building a better conversion rate.

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Paula Morrow heads http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com. She
specializes in public relations, information marketing and creating
cashflow systems. Her newsletter, IDEALProfits, is now read in 12
countries. Subscribe and receive 5 BONUS ebooks!
http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/subscribe.html
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