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I’m writing this while it’s fresh in my mind and pumped… actually totally psyched
about this subject. Copywriting is something I’ve personally been
working on perfecting ever since I made that initial decision to take
a stab at making a dollar or two online. You see… copywriting is the single most important skill you can ever learn in marketing. You either learn to write it, or pay someone else dearly to write it for you. Personally… I’d rather keep that kind of money in my own pocket and just learn how to write it.
You can actually have a
shithouse product, but if your sales copy screams a pot of gold at
the end of a rainbow… Then it will sell. I’m sure you’ve
experienced this before… You find yourself so engrossed in a sales
page, you can’t take your eyes off “what will be said next”…
This is what you’re aiming for when you write your own copy! Heck… doesn’t just
apply to sales pages… Have you ever had an ad that comes on TV…
and you cannot change the channel? You feel compelled to watch every
part of it… You know you’re being “sold to” but you just
can’t resist! You’ve got to watch every part of it! In fact… it just
happened to me 5 minutes before I began writing this… I’d just
finished watching a movie and when I flicked to the tv there was one
of those “infomercials” on. And you know what? I COULD
NOT SWITCH THE CHANNELS! Anyways, lets get to it… Right now, I’m going to
show you what system I use in order to pull an at LEAST 1%
conversion. Most of my conversions sit around 1.5% to 3%. Here is my formula… Headers They
look pretty don’t they? In fact… it often gives the page a much
more professional feel… Depending on my sales copy… I may or may
not use one. Let
me explain… If
I’m selling a product for under $20 and I’m planning on selling
it to my subscriber list then I will usually create a banner for a
slightly more professional feel. (Especially if I’m planning on
only writing a small sales page for it…2 to 4 pages). In
order to use this feature though, you need to ensure it blends in
with your page, not stands out like dogs dicks. You don’t want it
to take away the focus of what you are selling.
If
you are using a blue background then a red colored header is going to
look inappropriate. Yes… it will stand out like dogs dicks! (Excuse
my French) Perhaps
a good indicator of this is for you to reflect and think back before
you begun marketing… How many websites did you buy from that had a
header? When
I go back and think of what I bought when I first began buying online
I can honestly say… most of it didn’t have a pretty header and
these were $100 to $200 products I purchased. It’s
indicated by some of the world’s top copywriters that they noticed
a marginal increase in sales when they took headers out. I
nearly cried when I took out my very first header… after all I had
spent so much time making it look sooooo pretty…. But I have to
agree with them… my sales increased when I did this. You’re
Headline This
is acclaimed to be the most crucial part of your sales copy. And it
really goes without saying doesn’t it? How
often have you been searching for something online, and because the
first thing you saw didn’t grab you and drag you in to want to know
more… you just clicked the site away and went in search for another
website instead? Or
better yet… how often have you read a stunning headline that
grabbed you by the eye sockets and there laid your eyes glued to the
monitor to find out more!!! This
is the best time to “create” curiosity.
I’ve also found by using a “YOU” in my headline ALWAYS converts better. Speak to your visitor right away, that’s what they want. Isn’t that what you want when you visit a website?
In
fact… this can be your one calling card to throw in the “what’s
in it for me” straight away. Take
for example… “Finally… Now You Really Can Put an End to That
Stray Cat Spraying on Your Front Porch”. Straight
away the visitor knows he is about to find out how to stop that
wandering tom cat from leaving that filthy smell on his front porch. There
seems to be this myth going around lately that your headline seems to
need to read more as a “paragraph”. I’ve tested this theory…
and I can honestly say I’ve pulled better results without the extra
glam. You
can often use this (or what you might use in a full paragraph as your
sub headline) Another
important factor when you create your headline is the color, font
style and font size. This
should stand out more then any other part of your sales page. I find
often a red or blue and/or combined of both to work well. I usually
make this the largest size possible (depending on the entire length
of my headline). The
font needs to be readable and bold. My favorite is “Verdana”…
Here is an example: Finally…
Now You Really Can Put an End to That Stray Cat Spraying on Your
Front Porch It
stands out so it will attract the reader visiting; it is also easy to
read. Basically they’d stand a better chance of dodging a sumo
wrestler standing a few feet away ready to rub tummies with them then
miss this headline! So
many times I see headlines that blend in like a prey mantis does to a
branch and most often then not their sales page is really quite good,
but if your headline doesn’t stand out then your conversions WILL
suffer for it. I’ve
heard many top copywriters say you should write out 100 headlines
before choosing and testing. To
be completely honest with you, I have NEVER done this. I
usually write out and fiddle with 20 maximum of 30 headlines. I also
do this by writing it out by hand first instead of typing them out on
the computer. I
find it sticks better in my mind… plus I can’t do the simple
“backspace” and often although you might come up with a headline
that you think sucks… but there is often some words you want to
take from that and add to another. It’s
from building from one of those shitty headlines that I can usually
create something effective. If
you’re not pulling good conversions… consider your headline
first… get others opinions… the warrior forum are great for that.
As the old saying goes… Two heads are better then one… In the
warrior forum you’ll probably get 20 heads working to help find you
a headline. Sub
Headlines This
is almost as important as your headline. If your sub headline sucks
then you lose the visitor just as fast. Keep
creating more curiosity to your offer. Take
for example, we already have the headline: “Finally…
Now You Really Can Put an End to That Stray Cat Spraying on Your
Front Porch”. And
NO! This method doesn’t include shooting the rotten tom cat, or
setting harmful traps that will end in an enquiry from the SPCA! In
this sub headline I have answered some questions that might be
looming in the visitors mind, yet still created curiosity.
I’ve
also taken away the most obvious answers and leaving the visitors
wanting to know “more” about this apparent “solution” I have
to their problem. You
will notice in the example… I’ve made the sub headline still very
large, but still smaller then the main headline. It is also a
different color. I
find this to be important because you don’t want your sub headline
to steal the attention of your main headline. You simply want to hold
and maintain the interest of your visitor. Opening
Your Letter This
is usually where I place the:- From: Your Name Here
It just makes it more
personalized. They know now right off the bat I’m writing to them
and I am <Your name here>. The first paragraph I
ensure I get them to envision their dream. For example… we’ll
stick to the same subject I’ve started on (by the way, I’ve made
this up as a pure example, I truly have no idea how to stop tom cats
from spraying on your front porch ;-) ) How many times have you
wished you could wake up each morning to reach for the daily
delivered newspaper from your front porch breathing in the fresh
crisp morning air and smelling the soft sweet scent of your rose
bushes without the competing sickening smell of cat spray… if you
can relate to this, then you need to read this letter. Now… by this stage
you’ve answered the age old question “what’s in it for me” …
You’ve told them what its NOT… You’ve created curiosity and now
you got them dreaming! Here is where you start
your story of the troubles you experienced… Example: Just two years ago I
was in your exact same shoes. I was ashamed and completely
embarrassed to bring friends and family to the front door. With the occasional
comment of “Ewww… what’s that smell?” and of course some
looked just as embarrassed as I did and said nothing, but you could
tell by the looks on their faces they copped a big wiff of it too. In these two paragraphs I
have sympathized with the visitor. I understand their problem, I tell
them the “obvious” of what they’re experiencing. We all want someone to
relate and sympathize with our problem! Next paragraph I would
begin to mention “what” I’ve tried in order to help the
problem. Likely just like you, I
was out their on my front deck everyday scrubbing with powerful
agents, and yeah this worked for a short amount of time… but that
same cat came back the next day to leave his mark once again. It felt hopeless… I
would never resort to any type of cruelty to animals, I don’t
believe in that. I even considered moving house to erect the issue
but that was far too expensive.
Now your following
paragraph should tell your visitor how you come about the solution to
the problem without “actually” telling them what the solution is. It was by chance I
happened to stumble across the solution… etc… etc.. I could finally walk
out onto my front porch without the horrible stench of etc… etc.. Now this is your chance to
build your credibility… You’re going to answer why they should
truly be listening to you… Since I discovered this
method I’ve been teaching thousands of others word wide… Now is the time to back up
your credibility with testimonials… Don’t just take it
from me… listen to what others have to say when they tried my
method… Testimonial goes here Testimonial goes here Testimonial goes here Try to ensure you add a
name and where they live. If you can, also try to get a photo of
happy customers. Depending on what it is that you’re selling,
perhaps you could even get photo proof of them using your product. Using photos of yourself
using your own product can be very effective also.
I heard a story of one guy
who sells info products on how to get hot women… Apparently he
would get hot women that he woed to hold a sign up saying “The
something method worked on me” with his arms around the ladies. Photos bring greater
credibility… it paints a picture in the mind of the reader. Take
Corey Rudl’s website for one… he actually goes all out and has
actual video’s of his happy customers speak of the success they had
using his product. They do this exact same
thing in the “infomercials”!!! In fact… something I’ve
noticed from these type of commercials is most of their advertisement
IS testimonials. ANY documentation of proof
you have… ADD it! It will only add to your credibility and ensure
your reader your not just pulling their leg. Features/Benefits There
has always been the great debate between some top copywriters
screaming “State benefits not features” and others that say the
complete opposite…
Well
my simple solution was just state both! This
is where you really need to get creative and stick the meat in. For
example:
You
know the old saying… Curiosity killed the cat? Well using bullet
points like this will drive your reader crazy with curiosity he
probably won’t even think twice about ordering! He WILL want to
know! Oddly
enough… I’ve even read sales pages where I’m not particularly
interested in what they’re selling, but the bullet points have
created so much curiosity I felt compelled to want to know the
“great” hidden secret they had landed upon. After
stating what type of features it has… I would then progress into
benefits… Example:
Bonuses And
if all that wasn’t enough to sweeten the pot… You slam on the
bonuses. Now,
a fatal error I made in the earlier days is I didn’t add a value to
my bonuses. When I was pulled up on it, I was asked… “Don’t you
value your bonuses? Because if you don’t value them then why should
your customers?” It
was a poke between the eyes… but a good one none the less! ;-) I
usually bullet point some features/benefits of each bonus as well. Next
Step… Guarantee
This
is always a great debate… most say you “have” to give it a
guarantee. I’ve tried both methods. I can clarify that a guarantee
does pull more sales however I have also tested different methods of
writing a guarantee to “lessen” the amount of refund requests
that come through. I’ve
found that certain ways you put your guarantee can lessen the amount
of refund requests. But
if you want the maximum possible amount of sales then tell them in
your guarantee… Example: 100% Unconditional No Questions Asked – NO if’s NO but’s If
you’re not completely happy with this product even if you so much
as spot a cat hair within a 5 yard radius of your front porch then I
want you to email me right away for a prompt and courteous full
refund of your money! I
like to use these next paragraphs to let them know how much of a good
deal they’re getting. Usually
comparing to what they might pay for this product else where and then
ensure them they won’t have to pay that much from me for the
solution. Or
another great line is initially making the price point higher eg.
This is valued at $1,000 but today when you order you get all this
including all bonuses for a measly $497.
This
will usually give the reader a sigh of relief and excited that he is
getting it at this bargain price. Walk
Your Customer through the Steps of Ordering The
first words I begin with in this process are: Place
Your Risk-Free Order Now using
our Secure Server Provided Straight off the bat I’m
asking them to place their order at the same time soothing their
doubts about ordering online by letting them know about the secure
server used to process the payment. This is also a good time
to mention “how” they will receive the goods they’re ordering.
i.e. Will it be posted? Is it downloadable? Sign your letter off! Sincerely, Set up your order button.
You will want this to be outstanding. Not something they will skim
past un-noticed. Placing an order here can
easily be over-looked.
Then hit them with a
strong P.S. This is where you create
the urgency and need to buy right now Example: P.S. This offer is time
limited, I can’t guarantee if you come back tomorrow or the next
day the price wouldn’t of risen P.P.S. A great smelling
porch is just minutes away, don’t delay Etc.. etc.. More
Tips Tables
– Use one! How horrible is it when you go to a website and you’ve
got to read from one side of the page to the other without a neat and
small table? Unpleasant isn’t it? Backgrounds
– They say that blue backgrounds are the tried and tested and pull
the greater response. I also agree with going with a theme. For
example – if you’re selling something about love, then set the
mood with a red background; if you’re selling golf tips then a
green background would be a suitable theme. Your
main text should be on a white background with black text. Don’t
use fancy and/or hard to read font styles. You want the page to be as
“readable” as possible. Add
visuals to your products. If it’s a digital product you can still
bring it to life with creating a digital 3D look and appearance. Hi-lighting
– This is effective providing you use it sparingly… It will lose
its effect if over used. Make sure you only use this to hi-light
dramatic important parts in your copy. Getting
effective testimonials Honestly…
everyone likes to run around and say you just have to “ask” to
get testimonials… I can assure it’s rare that you actually
receive a hum dinger of a one. Most of them will just be one liners
“It was great, thanks heaps”.
Especially
in niches that aren’t marketing orientated. The customer doesn’t
realize the type of impact a testimonial can have on your business. So
here’s an idea you can utilize to increase the quality of your
testimonials… Send
out an “unadvertised” bonus a few days later… Completely free
of charge! On the page add a feedback form with a few questions. Some
example questions might be: Could you tell us your story as to what’s brought about X problem? What results have you received from using our product? Would you recommend this product to others? If so, who do you think it would be most suited to? Do
you believe you got value for your money? Then
simply ask permission to correlate this into a testimonial you can
use on your webpage. Of
course, within all this said… there is still one very big secret to
writing killer copy that will hit your readers between the eyes. And
this is writing with persuasion. Good Luck!
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