Does Your Web Site Beat The Clock?

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Tick, tick, tick.
That's the sound of those all ... 10 ...
away - the average amount of time a visitor remains at a web site before clicking on.That is, unless you give them a reason Tick, tick, tick. That's the sound of those all important 10 secondsslipping 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 yourfavor? What does a visitor first see when they arrive? Does theheadline make them screech to a halt? Does your sales letter'sfirst paragraph hook them in? Tick, tick, tick....
remember, 10seconds is all you have.If your conversion rate is telling a dismal tale, it's time to makesome changes. And, as unglamorous as it may be, it all comesdown to your sales letter.
If your sales are nonexistent, now's thetime to act. Fast.
Before your business becomes one of the 95%that fail.Here's the infamous 'Top 10' checklist - does your sales letter dothe following?1) Does it engage the reader on a personal level? Write likeyou're talking to your best friend, your grandmother, whomeveryour target market is. If it's not personal, it's useless.Use the words 'you' and 'your' whenever possible - try to forgothe words 'I' and 'me.' After all, it's not about you -- it's aboutthem.2) Try to incorporate your target market into your headline.
Ifyou're going after car enthusiasts, say 'Car Enthusiasts UsuallyDisagree... Except On This One Thing.' If you're going after doglovers, it would be 'Dog Lovers Usually Disagree...Except OnThis One Thing.'Do everything possible to make your reader identify with thesubject matter, to hook them into reading more.3) Always use the KISS principle when writing (Keep It SimpleStupid).
Don't get lost in your own words - this is not the time toimpress 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 howCEO's and politicians always use stories in their speeches? They're communicating through mental pictures, to get theirideas across in another way.Everyone has a different frame of reference - try using a personalstory to produce that 'yes! they're talking about me!' reaction.5) Break it up with bullets.
For those readers who are intoskimming, organizing your most important points in bullet formhelps to communicate the benefits FAST.Put your most important points at the top, in case the persondoesn't make it to the bottom. And there's no rule that saysyou're only allowed one bullet list - put one close to the top ofthe letter, and perhaps another towards the bottom.
Test, and keep whatever converts best.6) Use benefits over features. Always.
They don't care thatthe 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 'MasterpieceTheatre' here.
Formality is out; friendly is in. And I give youpermission to start your sentences with 'And' (note how thissentence 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 wordsare ok. Like this.
Short, quick 'eye bites' communicate fasterwhen 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 buildyour credibility. Or conversion level.If you incorporate these ideas into your sales letter, you're boundto beat the clock and begin building a better conversion rate.====================================================Paula Morrow heads http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com.
Shespecializes in public relations, information marketing and creatingcashflow systems. Her newsletter, IDEALProfits, is now read in 12countries.
Subscribe and receive 5 BONUS ebooks!http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/subscribe.html==================================================== Article Tags: Tick Tick, Sales Letter Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .