10 Little-known Secrets to Writing Your Own Powerful Web Copy!

No introduction needed here. I'll just jump right in with the tips. I promise you'll save lots of time with these -- simply go over your copy and "test" it to see if it contains all of these important elements that no web copy should be without in today's web environment! Don't hesitate to email me if you have a question about any of these tips, okay? I wish you lots of sales!

• 1. Before you start to write your sales letter or web copy get yourself in the mode of talking directly to your current potential client. It's easy. Just browse online and find a photo of a person that looks like your average prospect.

Print it and place it where you can see it while you write. Imagine yourself talking directly to that person as if s/he were sitting in front of you.

• 2. Write in short paragraphs. Place those paragraphs in smaller, divided spaces. Link to the longer copy from within these short blurbs.

• 3. Use "you" five times more than "me," "I," or "we" in your copy.

• 4. Show - don't tell: My friend Diane needed to write an ad to sell a meditation program she'd developed and asked me how to go about it. I told her that she'd get astonishing results if she told her prospects a story instead of flat out trying to sell them.

"For instance, ‘you'll achieve great results with my new meditation program, I promise,' sounds boring, right? Plus, you want to sell your prospect the program, so you sure as heck won't say that it's just a so-so program," I said to Diane. "And your prospects know this," I added.

"Well, what do I do then?" asked Diane.

"Why not tell the story of a happy customer -- someone who used your meditation program and loved it. Then, it's the happy customer telling your future customer about your meditation program, not you, the seller. Lots more power in that! See..."

"John wrote me to say ‘your meditation program is the best of its kind. I should know. I tried at least three others before I bought yours because I felt so frustrated with the others. I don't know how to thank you! I've never, ever, found it so easy to meditate before in my life -- I can go deeper and stay there longer! I like it so much, I just ordered another one for my son.'"

"You see, using this kind of story telling goes right into your prospect's subconscious mind." "You slip right past their mental radar and they trust you now. You really could sell them anything you want!"

Diane's sales have improved so much with just this one change she made in her copy that she's in the process of developing a second program!

• 5. Use any of the following words in your headline and you're guaranteed to attract attention:

Discover, Guarantee, Easy, Bargain, Free, Quick, New, Sale, Proven, Why, Results, How To, Introducing, Just Arrived, At Last, Announcing

• 6. Destroy the following objections as you write your copy:

a. I don't have time

b. I can't afford it

c. This is for other people, not me.

d. I don't believe you

e. I don't need it.

• 7. Use action verbs. Get rid of as many "is," "are," "was" as possible. "Stephanie is the best CPA in the world," will make you yawn. "Stephanie saves her numerous happy clients up to $100,000 in taxes every year!" will make you notice her, right? If you're looking for a CPA right now, I'm pretty sure you'll call Stephanie.

• 8. Use as many testimonials as you can fit in! Nothing beats a "plug" from a current or former client to increase your credibility and your sales!

• 9. Talk to your prospects like you talk to your friends. Check this out. Would you buy a tomato from speaker A or speaker B?

Speaker A. Those tomatoes look rather ripe and luscious. I do believe I'll buy a few to take home and make a salad."

Speaker B. "Wow, check out those tomatoes! They look so ripe. Look how red they are! I can't wait to get some home and make a salad with them. Ooh yes...these babies are mine!"

I'd say that 99.9% of the population would connect with Speaker "B." And this despite the conventionally poor grammar. In copywriting, you need to ignore most of the grammar you learned in school. Really.

• 10. People buy with their emotions, and justify their purchase with logic. So, sell them by playing on these trigger emotions (these are not all emotions on which you can play, but the one I feel affect people the most:

Curiosity, Benevolence, Exhaustion, Insecurity, Optimism, Boredom, Happiness, Complacence, Laziness, Anger, Pride, Desperation, Love, Loneliness, Annoyance, Surprise, Envy, Sympathy, Disgust, Shyness, Lust, Embarrassment, Guilt, Indifference, Fear, Vanity, Confusion, Wit, Stupidity, Confidence.

• 11. ASK FOR THE ORDER! Tell your prospects exactly what action you wish them to take!

Example:

"Buy Now - Offer Expires at Midnight Tonight!"

"Click Here to Purchase Now!"

BONUS TIP: Always give your buyers a little more than you promise in your copy. This will surprise them and make them want to read any new offer you send their way. And it will keep them buying products from you in the future.

BONUS BONUS TIP: Turn your website into a multi-sensory environment. Include features such as audios describing your product, videos where you teach your prospects something of even just look straight into the camera and talk about your product. Use testimonials, and shorten your webpages then link to deeper info.

Write On!

Silvianne T. Steinbach ;~)