Six Steps You Need to Follow to Guarantee the Success of Your Online Business! by Derek Gehl - HTML preview

"Welcome to www.WidgetWorld.com!"

We'll tell you right from the start: This does NOT qualify as copy! You cannot fill your homepage with some enormous, vague headline, and expect it to do all of your selling for you.

What you need is carefully constructed salescopy that takes your visitor by the hand and leads them through all the necessary steps in your sales process. Before any person makes a purchase, online or offline, they need to know what's in it for them. They need to be convinced of the merit of your offer.

In some cases, this will mean you need short, compelling chunks of text that detail your products or services and create excitement around your offer. Each blurb of text will present the benefits of each specific product or service to your audience, in order to generate enough interest to persuade visitors to click through to product pages where you can present your offer in more detail.

In many other cases, it will mean you need a long salesletter. "Long copy" on the Internet takes its cue from direct marketing salesletters that have been tested over and over again for about a century now — and have never stopped working.

Long copy salesletters can be anywhere from 6 to 100 pages long — most run around the 8–20 page mark. These highly structured letters are specifically designed to lead readers through a proven sales process.
Generally speaking, long salescopy works best for sites that sell one product or service, while short copy works best for “catalog sites” that sell a number of different products.

3. The 10 essential copy elements of a successful online business

No matter whether your site requires long or short copy, there are 10 essential “musthave” salescopy elements that EVERY site needs to have in order to lead its visitors through the buying process and straight to the order form.

Read on to discover what these 10 elements are!

 

#1: Your unique selling proposition

Successful salescopy will position your product offer from a unique sales angle: What is your "Unique Selling Proposition," or "USP"? What is it that makes your product stand out from the competition's? What is the main selling point of your product?

For example, if you are selling toasters, what makes your toaster different from the thousands of other toasters out there? Why would anybody buy your toaster instead of your competitors'?

FedEx promises to "Get it there overnight" — something that no other mail carrier could do when they first broke into the marketplace and made a name for themselves.

Domino's Pizza used to guarantee "30-minute delivery or it's free!" They didn't even TRY to sell you on the quality of their pizza, because they guaranteed fresh, hot pizza at your door in 30 minutes or you didn't pay. And that made them stand out from all the other pizza joints in town!

To fine-tune YOUR unique selling proposition, start by asking yourself:

 

How does my product do its job better than the competition's?

 

Going back to the toaster example, the question would be: How does my toaster make toast better than the competition's?

 

Okay, this question might seem a bit silly (unless you're selling toasters), but ask the same question of your product or service. Then continue asking yourself questions like:

• Does my (toaster) cost less than the competition's?
• Does my (toaster) last longer than the competition's?
• Does my (toaster) look more attractive than the competition's?

Does it ship faster? Come with special features? Burn less toast? Use up less energy? Magically get rid of toast crumbs? What does your product or service do or offer that makes it unique?

That’s what you need to emphasize in your salescopy!

 

#2: Language that speaks to your target audience

Defining your market is one of the steps that should be taken in the early stages of setting up your business, so if you still don't know exactly who you are targeting, you'd better get a move on!

But knowing who your market isn't necessarily enough. Now you are confronted with the task of being able to target your audience.

 

That means knowing who your audience is and what they might be looking for.

Ask yourself: Does your product or service appeal to children or teenagers? Moms or dads? Businesspeople in New York City? Surfers in Southern California? Small-business owners or multinational corporations?

How old are they? What kind of education do they have? What are their salaries?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, go back and do a little more market research... If you DO know the answers to these questions, then start thinking about the best ways to target this audience.

What are their fears? What keeps them from succeeding in what they want to do? What limits their abilities or their freedom? What are they really excited about? What are their "hot buttons"?

How can you show them that you understand their needs and wants... and give them exactly what they're looking for?

Don't be afraid to ask. By surveying your customers (or potential customers) you can sometimes discover that they buy your product or service for reasons that never occurred to you.

#3: An attention-grabbing headline and sub-headline

No matter what the subject matter of your web site, you can benefit from a compelling headline on your homepage. Your headline should immediately communicate the biggest benefit of your product or service and attract enough interest to draw readers further into your site. It's the key to enticing new visitors to stick around during that crucial "stay or go" decision.

While the main purpose of your headline is to attract the attention of your visitors, the other main purpose of your "grabber" or headline is...

 

To get your visitor to read your sub-headline.

 

And the main purpose of your sub-headline, of course, is to lead your visitor into the rest of your salescopy – your product descriptions, images, testimonials, and so on.

We test out different headlines on our sales material all the time... and we know for a fact that a simple headline change can increase (or reduce!) sales by up to 714%. And that's just a number from our own personal experience — plenty of other studies report headlines that increased response by up to 1,700%!

When writing your headlines, you should concentrate on communicating the benefits that your product has to offer to the reader. And create enough curiosity that they'll be compelled to read your sub-headline... then your first paragraph... and then be pulled into your salescopy.

A really good headline should accomplish some or all of the following:

• Emphasize the key benefit of your product or service
• Emphasize the biggest solution that it provides
• Generate curiosity and pull visitors into your web page
• Capture the essence of the main attractions or power of your product or service

The only type of headline worth writing is a headline that jumps off the page, seizes your reader, and forces them to pay attention... How can this lofty goal be accomplished? By giving your customers a powerful taste of exactly what they stand to gain from your web site.

Once you've written a few headlines, test them. Run them for a couple of weeks, then compare the results against other headlines. Then, tweak them and test them again! You may have to do this a few times before you hit on one that pulls consistently... but it's definitely worth the effort.

#4: Proof you’re a credible business

Internet users are a skeptical crowd. They're constantly on the lookout for bogus information, false claims, and online scams. Plus, there's a lot of competition out there, and it's all too easy for your visitors to simply move on to another site. So not only do you need to let them know you're reliable... you also need to assure them that you're the best person for the job!

The sooner you establish credibility, the sooner your visitors will begin to trust you and accept what you're telling them. By being up front and personal with your visitors about who you are, you'll help them feel more comfortable doing business with you — and they'll be far less likely to worry that you're hiding something from them or that there must be a "catch."

You can establish your credibility in a couple of different ways. i. Provide your credentials: Explain what makes you an "expert" in your field by providing information about your experience and your credentials. Discuss your business experience, your achievements, awards, and accolades. Boast about your success. Brag about your company. Heck, on one of our sales pages, we even include one of our financial statements!

ii. Include customer testimonials: Testimonials are an extremely convincing way to let your visitors know that other people have risked doing business with you and have been very pleased with the results. In fact, testimonials are so effective that they can EASILY increase your sales by more than 250%.

You can distribute testimonials strategically throughout your sales pages or display them on your homepage. If you have a left-hand menu bar with blank space below your menu, you have a perfect spot to fill up with testimonials. And you can always collect all of your testimonials and repeat them on another page of your web site called something like: "Read what our customers say about us!"

Customer testimonials are one of the most powerful tools you can use because they prove that you have delivered on your promises. Your readers will be more convinced by what your customers have to say about your product than by what you have to say about it — guaranteed.

#5: Benefits, benefits, benefits!

Killer salescopy doesn't focus on the features of your product or service — what it does, how it operates, or what it looks like. It focuses on how the user will benefit from these features. This is a subtle difference that people regularly miss when writing their salescopy, and it's a mistake that costs them countless sales.

The difference between a feature and a benefit is this: A feature is something the product has or does, while a benefit is something it does for you:

 

• A FEATURE is one of the components or functions of your product or service.

 

• A BENEFIT is something your product or service will do for your buyer to somehow offer a solution to a problem.

 

Emphasizing benefits is the number one most overlooked rule of copywriting, and this lack of emphasis is one of the top reasons advertising falls flat.

If this sounds a little complicated, just keep in mind that benefits are directly related to features. You can usually list all of your features first and then go through your list and identify the corresponding benefits.

Here are some examples of features and their corresponding benefits:

 

• Fact/feature: Deluxe Autowasher reduces water use. Benefit: You save money.

• Fact/feature: Wash, wax, and rinse with the same unit.
Benefit: Extremely easy and convenient to use. You save countless hours every month.

• Fact/feature: Sturdy, polished aluminum construction.

 

Benefit: Unit will last longer, so you'll save money on replacement costs.

Did you buy a car with air conditioning just because it had air conditioning... or because it would keep you cool and comfortable on hot days? Did you buy a minivan because it had anti-lock brakes and airbags... or because it was very safe for you and your family? See where we're coming from?

Benefits are not "quality and service" or "cheapest." They are the answers to "what's in it for me?" or "why should I keep reading?" or "why should I order?"

If you are selling a service that will increase your clients' sales, give specifics. Don't just say, "By using this product, you will increase your sales!" Get specific and say, "Your sales will increase by up to 22% in 30 days or less!"

By offering benefits instead of features, you are creating a higher perceived value, which translates into more sales. This will be what pulls readers through your salescopy, straight to your order form!

#6: An iron-clad guarantee

These days, shoppers have been trained to be incredibly skeptical. They've been hardened by experience to doubt nearly any advertising they see or hear. We've all been burned before... and every time it happens, it becomes harder for us to trust anyone. Guarantees help to alleviate any anxiety the customer may be feeling about ordering from you.

If you are marketing a quality product or service, then you should not be afraid to back it up! Offer a 100%, no-hassles, no-questions-asked, lifetime money-back guarantee!

 

Right now you may be thinking that offering a lifetime guarantee sounds risky, right? Well, you may be pleasantly surprised...

Did you know that the longer your guarantee is good for, the fewer returns you will receive? It's a fact! You will receive fewer returns for a lifetime guarantee than a oneyear guarantee. And you will receive fewer returns for a one-year guarantee than you will for a 30-day guarantee.

Why? There are two reasons...
• The customer feels more confident that your product or service will live up to your promises because the long guarantee indicates that you have confidence in what you are offering.

• The customer doesn't feel that they are on a strict time limit to return the product or feel rushed to review the product as soon as they get it to qualify for the 30-day return period. With a one-year guarantee (or longer), even if they want to return it, it is easy to put off because they know they have a long grace period.

An iron-clad, no-questions-asked guarantee goes a long way towards letting customers know that you're reliable, and that if they aren't satisfied with what they received, they won't lose a thing. This is especially important on the Internet because, of course, the majority of your first-time customers don't know you and don't have any reason to trust you with their business.

And if you’re worried about getting scammed by customer who return your product right before the guarantee ends, don’t be.

The fact is, very few people go to the trouble of returning anything. Unless they're absolutely infuriated, people are either too busy or too lazy to go to the trouble of returning something. And, of course, you're smart enough not to do anything to infuriate your customers!

#7: Free bonus items to create added value

 

When you create a blockbuster package that clearly exceeds the value of what you're asking your customers to pay you can easily double or triple your sales.

 

You pile on so much value, the customer can hardly believe that they're getting everything in your package at such a reasonable price.

The easiest way to do this is by creating a package of bonuses that, combined with the value of the product itself, is perceived to be worth much more than the price they're being asked to pay — so the customer will feel like they're getting more bang for their buck.

When you're deciding what to offer as a free bonus, your options are almost limitless.

 

However, there are two basic rules that you should follow:

 

Rule 1: Make sure that your "bonus" is of value to your target market.

 

Rule 2: Choose something that is related to your product or service, or something that will enhance your product or service in some way.

Here are some bonuses that you could create to "plump up" your offer:
• Consider writing an eBook on a topic that is related to your product or service. For example, if you sell gourmet puppy food, you might consider writing an eBook titled, Training Secrets That Will Have Every Puppy Housebroken and Learning Basic Obedience in Less Than One Week!

• Offer a special video that complements your product or service. For example, if you sell fly-fishing gear, you might offer a video that teaches people how to build on their fly fishing skills.

• Use your newsletter subscription as a bonus, especially if your newsletter provides powerful information your customer couldn't get without purchasing your product.

• Offer a bonus product that complements your product. For example, if you sell hockey jerseys, you could offer customers a hat with the same team logo on it as a bonus.

There are a few things, however, that you should definitely NOT include as a bonus item.

For example, you should NEVER offer a coupon for, say, 20% off their next order. This is NOT a free bonus! It means your customer needs to spend more money in order to receive the benefit, and they'll be more inclined to resent the offer than appreciate it.

And don't offer any old item that people might be interested in, unless it specifically relates to your product or service. If you're selling puppy food, that means you should NOT offer an Elvis clock, a Backpacker's Guide to Borneo, or anything that puppy owners will not be interested in! In this case, you should offer a puppy training eBook or free puppy toys — something that the vast majority of your target audience will want.

#8: A sense of urgency to encourage immediate sales

Okay, so your readers are compelled by your copy... they are intrigued by your benefits... they've been drawn through your salescopy and they're almost ready to make a buying decision.

At this point, if you don't instill a sense of urgency in the reader, far too many of them will simply think: "Hmmm. This is interesting. Maybe I'll come back and check it out later." (Which, of course, they'll probably never do!)

... Unless you give them a reason why they absolutely MUST buy right away!

By creating a sense of urgency, you can prompt readers to take immediate action and go through with their purchase. This is a guaranteed way to add a significant boost to your bottom line!

You can create urgency in a number of different ways:

 

• Limit the time for which your offer is available — "Available for the next FIVE DAYS ONLY!"

 

• Limit the quantity of products or services you can offer — "Available only to the first 250 people to order!"

 

• Include a discount for a limited time or on a limited quantity of products.

 

• Include bonus items for a limited time or on a limited quantity of products.

Of course, if you limit the time for which your offer is available or limit the quantity of items being sold... you have to actually stick to these limitations! Otherwise, your customers won't believe you when you create these special offers. So do regular promotions and change your offer from time to time to ensure that you are creating an URGENT offer that prompts customers to buy now!

#9: A strong call to action that gets your visitors to BUY

After you've grabbed your visitors' attention with your compelling headline... established your credibility... presented your offer... and included all the other essential copy elements that we've just described, you might think your visitors are a sure thing. After all, they've come this far, so they're sure to buy now, right?

Wrong! This is the moment when you have to spell it out for them as clearly and blatantly as you possibly can. And that means you need to...

 

Ask for the order! Ask for the order! And then ask for the order again!

 

Everything we've discussed up to this point has been leading to this one crucial make-itor-break-it moment of asking for the order and closing the sale.

And it takes a LOT of work to close the sale -- which is why you can't just skip to this point right away! Unfortunately, nobody is going to be persuaded to purchase your product or service by a "buy now" button. So you need to spend quite a bit of time building your credibility, explaining the benefits of your product or service, convincing readers of what's in it for them...

If you haven't led up to your close with all of these important elements gaining momentum and ushering your reader towards the "buy" decision, you won't be able to accomplish the task using the "close" alone.

But once you've made it to the point where your reader is ready to hear it, you MUST ask for the order.

Here are a few examples of simple, but direct, ways of asking for the order:
• "Just click HERE to order NOW — Risk-free!"
• "To order your copy today, along with your 5 FREE bonuses, click here now!"
• "Click here now to take advantage of this limited time offer!"

In the moment of the "hard sell," you will want to restate the strongest benefits and main selling points of your product or service, then clearly direct your reader to your order form. Without this direct approach to asking your customers for the order, they won't be given that final "nudge" they need to pull out their credit card and start purchasing!

#10: Your contact information

Once you’ve asked for the order, it’s extremely important that you make it as easy as possible for your customers to contact you! Give them a number of different ways to order your product or service — like via secure online order form, phone, or mail/fax order forms.

Also be sure to provide plenty of contact information so that a potential customer who still has a few questions can feel perfectly comfortable about getting in touch with you to ask. Provide your email address and phone number (a 1-800 number is best), and state the best times of the day to call.

Include names of people to talk to so people can feel better about calling or e-mailing.

 

When a sales offer says: "Call this number to speak to a representative," it's much less inviting than saying: "You can call us any time at (number) and ask for Sam."

 

This may seem like an obvious part of your sales process — but it's shocking how often it's overlooked! A separate page of contact information on your web site is not enough.

 

You need to extend a personal invitation to call or email with questions or concerns, right at the end of your salescopy.

 

Okay… so those are the 10 essential elements to create good salescopy. Think of them like the ingredients of a recipe: skip one, and your entire cake will be ruined.

 

But once you start practicing a little, you'll be surprised at how quickly you get the hang of incorporating these elements into your own copy.

And the surprising thing is, even if you think you've made a bumbling attempt at creating urgency... or including lots of benefits... or solving the problems of your audience... chances are, your copy is still hundreds of times stronger than it would have been without at least an attempt to include these important techniques!

And as we've said, it's all a matter of science. Just stick with the copywriting techniques that have been tested by the experts over and over again for the past few decades... because they will definitely help to improve your sales and your business! Keep testing the important elements of your copy, like your headline or your bonuses — over time, until you hit on the combination that always delivers the maximum returns.

No matter what your business... no matter who your audience... no matter what type of product or service you offer... the techniques we've discussed are a fundamental requirement of your sales process and the key to your business success.

Step #4: Design a website that compels visitors to take action

Now that you have your salescopy, it’s time to build a home for it! In this Step, we’ll cover the basics you need to know in order to build a website that leads people straight to the order button.

1. The 10-second rule: Why you must plan BEFORE you build

According to market research from Gartner Group, more than 50% of Web sales are lost because visitors can't find what they're looking for! Imagine spending all the time, effort, and money attracting visitors to your site, only to lose them because they can't find their way around!

You know those spy movies where the hero has 10 suspense-filled seconds to dispose of the message detailing his latest assignment before it self-destructs? Well, you have an equally short 10 seconds to grab your visitors' attention before your chances of making a sale self-destruct... and your first-time visitors leave your site forever.

You have to make those critical 10 seconds count by ensuring that the first fold of your web site (that's the first screen of your web site visible without scrolling) snags the attention of your visitors. And to do that, you need to provide a compelling benefit that persuades them to stick around to find out what you offer.

This probably sounds simple enough; however, most web site owners make fatal mistakes within their first fold that drive visitors away and limit the sales potential of their sites. In the process of trying to "tell it all" ... "sell it all" ... or "dazzle 'em all," they just end up "confusing 'em all." Or they assume that their web site will sell the offer itself, and they don't provide enough information.

Think about all of those times you've arrived at web sites that:

• Overwhelm you with graphics
• Point you in 14 different directions with links here, there, and everywhere
• Annoy you with flashy banners
• Slow you down with a long, pointless Flash presentation
• Spend the entire first page talking about "Mission Statements"
• And just plain drive you away with a lack of relevant information

... We've all been to these sites — and left them in a hurry, no doubt!

 

Make sure your visitors don’t flee YOUR site. Give them what they expect to find – as well as lots of compelling reasons to stick around and discover more!

 

2. The “standard” pages your visitors expect to find on your site

While every site is different, there a