... E-SALES ... (c) Pavel ... online is mostly about
EFFECTIVE E-SALES COPY
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copyright (c) Pavel Lenshin
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Selling online is mostly about psychology of people.
Consumer marketing evolves to the extent when right
psychology attitude to the customer plays the crucial role
in the game called product selling. This process like any
other has two opposite effects: positive and negative.
Firstly about positive effect, which is that companies start
to find SOLUTIONS to people's problems and needs more
actively. No need to develop feature that doesn't solve any
particular problem of the consumer market. Customer becomes
the epicenter of professional marketing activity.
What may be negative with this process? The answer is HYPE!
People don't compare products' features any longer, in other
words, they don't compare facts, hard cold facts about
products/services. They compare professionalism of the
copywriters, who have written respective sales copies. The
more trustful sale copy sounds, the more beneficial it will
seem to potential buyers and, therefore the more chances of
closing a sale. Have you noticed any reminder of the quality
of the product itself anywhere? Neither do I. That is what I
meant by mentioning negative effect.
I truly believe that your business offer is of high quality
and rich on both features and benefits. Below we will
examine the most adequate elements of your sales copy.
Headline
Your headline should point to the biggest advantage or
solution your product offers. It must be catchy and clear.
Some hidden, but understandable meaning may reinforce your
headline. If the design of your web-page is not too
amateurish, you will have all chances that visitors will
read your web-site headline and behave in accordance with
psychological effect they got.
Short Description
One, two sentences of the core idea behind your offer. While
"surprises" or "pleasant secrets" you may leave for a
desert, visitors should have clear understanding of what
your offer is. Your one line headline may not be able to
explain visitors what your product is all about. On the
other hand, if you are web-hosting reseller, there may be no
point in the additional description as anyone who wants to
put his/her web-site online knows what web-hosting is about.
Sub-headlines
Those who don't have much time or just check your sales copy
for "relevancy" will scan your copy by sub-headlines making
decision about is your copy worth their time spending. In
this regard your sub-headlines should be intriguing and
develop the positive image about your offer. With their help
you also have an ability to point visitors' attention to
some crucial ideas or explain some controversial moments.
Features/Benefits
For me benefits and features are twin-brothers. I don't like
much when I am being told about "unbelievable benefits",
when I cannot compare the features and make my own
judgments.
Average customer cannot make right decision basing solely on
benefits - it is not hard to write that your offer is the
best. To make a picture clear you should also provide
visitor with features, to reassure him/her you don't have to
hide anything, because your offer is THAT Damn Good! I hope
it really is :0).
For pleasure reading it is suggested to present them in the
form of a bullet list.
Clients' feedback
If your first clients are glad and delighted with your
product, then ask them if they wouldn't mind your putting
their unsolicited feedback online. This tactic may
substantially increase the credibility of your offer in
potential buyers' opinion.
Analysis
Guide your visitor to the sole and obvious conclusion that
your market offer is a worthy purchase. If your product
doesn't have competitive advantages, then your research and
planning on the stage of product development has failed and
I would advice to stop promoting that product. It has little
or no future at all.
The analysis part of your sales letter is important. The
buyer should not be "pitched" with your promotional
advertising or selling advices, s/he must be presented with
objective facts that would help her/him to see the obvious
benefits of your offer. While almost all yelling about
stressing the benefits not features, product/service
benefits are not enough in today's world of marketing.
99.9% of businesses would tell that their market offer is
the best in the whole Universe, saves thousands of dollars
and months of time. You should prove that it is true with
the facts and clear arguments, no marketing fluff. In this
way you will much easier gain people's trust in your
product.
Action
Ask or even demand for taking an action. The action you want
is a closing a sale itself or having autoresponder course,
visitor's sign up may be second satisfactory action. Popular
way to do this is to create a limited tme offer, stressing
the importance of making a purchase right now! Guide the
reader to click on the order link by reminding the product
biggest strengths, mentioning an unconditional iron-clad
money back guarantee that should waive the remaining doubts
and then point to the shortage of time for decision making
process.
Explain, if needed, the ordering process in details, as it
may be disappointing to lose sales due to the buyer
confusing caused by your complicated ordering process.
P.S.
Use it as a summary of your sub-headlines. "PostScript" is
also very often scanned for "relevancy". Describe with its
help the main benefits of your offer; repeat the guarantee
terms and/or other.
Sales copywriting advices
* Identify yourself with your potential buyer. Write your
copy from the customer's point of view. What does s/he want,
feel and think? Your copy should be addressed to personality
in the clear to your target market way.
* Try to be cheerful, positive and optimistic. People are
attracted by joy and positive mood. They also want to feel
like you, so they associate your positive attitude with your
product. At the best your writing style should contain an
intrigue, provoke curiosity and excitement.
* Don't forget to address to people's emotions. Textbooks
are boring to read because they don't have a bit of author's
emotions. Your task is to make your prospect feel the way
you do.
* Provoke curiosity to read further. Visitors should be kept
excited while they read your sales copy. Excitement may play
the role of final buying or non-buying verdict.
* Refer to losses reader will suffer if s/he turns your
offer down. It is proved that people are afraid of losing
the opportunity. Everyone wants to be with winners, not
losers. You can take advantage of it.
* Try to avoid any assumptions about visitors' origin,
religious identity etc. Your claim or joke may be faulty
interpreted and you will convert "almost a client" to "an
irritated visitor". Even if you deliberately want to select
some particular group of people, it is better to clearly
state from the very beginning.
* The final advice is to be honest, even at the sacrifice of
the correct marketing strategy. My own viewpoint is that it
is better to have 7 sales than 10, but enjoy clear
conscious.
