What's the most important part of your web site? If you didn't say "the headline" then you probably need to work on yours.

Successful online entrepreneurs work on their headlines all the time -- they're short, they don't take a lot of time, and nothing improves your sales faster than a better headline. In fact, in one test, it was found that rewriting a headline increased sales overnight by 714%!

Your headline is literally the "do or die" part of your site -- a good headline can turn thousands of visitors into customers and a bad one can drive them away in a matter of seconds.

After all, your headline is the first thing people see when they come to your site, and more people will read it than any other part of your sales letter.

So how can you create a headline that will grab each visitor's attention in just seconds... and convince them to keep reading? You need a headline that works, and works fast.

Six Secret Formulas You Can Use to Create High-Voltage Headlines

Effective headlines follow simple, proven formulas. They work, and more importantly, it's easy to make them work for you. Think of these formulas as "fill in the blanks" tools -- just plug in the benefits your own product or service provides, tweak the copy to suit your site, and you'll have a personalized, effective headline.

How-to Statements: "How to TRIPLE Your Income in Three Simple Steps!"

How-to headlines work because the Internet is all about people looking for information. Headlines that start with "How to..." are made for people who want to learn. They get your customers' attention and compel them to read on to find the information you've promised.

Commands: "Submit Your Web Site to the Top 200 "Big Player" Search Engines -- Automatically!"

A command headline focuses on the most important benefit your product or service has to offer. It instantly demands your potential customers' attention and tells them what they will find if they keep reading.

News: "Incredible New Pill Burns Off Body Fat While You Sleep!"

News headlines build excitement around new products or services and show your readers how they can benefit from them.

Questions: "Are You Sick of Being Ripped Off by Sleazy Car Salesmen?"

Question headlines are very effective because they appeal to our emotions. When people read a headline written as a question, they answer the question in their mind. If the question identifies a specific problem that your target audience is actively seeking answers for, they'll be sure to read on.

Testimonials: "Emily S. Needed Her Kids to Turn On Her Computer -- Now Her Web Site Makes $7,000 Every Month!"

A testimonial can establish credibility by showing how people just like your customers benefited from your product and are happy with the results... and how they can benefit too!

Personal Success Stories: "Learn EXACTLY How I Made $16,000 Overnight With This One Simple Strategy!"

A personal story is proof that your product or system works, and that you have the expertise to show others how to get the same results.

Three Common Mistakes That Can Sabotage Your Headline!

Many people have trouble with headlines. If you have put time and effort into creating a headline that sells but you're still not satisfied with the results, then chances are, you are making at least one of these three common mistakes that ruin the effectiveness of headlines all across the Internet!

Mistake Number One: It doesn't explain what's in it for them.

Your headline needs to instantly communicate the biggest benefit of your product that attracts the most attention of your visitors -- you need to let them know as soon as you can what's in it for them. That's the only way to get them to read your carefully constructed sales copy!

It is crucial that you understand the difference between a benefit and a feature. A feature is something that your product does. For example, Mailloop e-mail management software can automate your customer service, send personal e-mails thanking customers for their orders, schedule follow-up e-mails automatically, and manage all your e-mail lists and newsletter subscribers. These are just a few of its basic features, or what the product is designed to do.

The benefits are the potential rewards a person would receive from using those features.

Some of the benefits of Mailloop include: increased profits from repeat customers, more word-of-mouth referrals due to professional and personal communications, hundreds of hours no longer wasted replying to individual e-mails, and many others...

Mistake Number Two: There's no incentive to read more.

The number-one most popular reason people go online (after checking e-mail) is to find information. Your target audience has a particular problem, so you need to offer them a solution to that problem.

Promise them the answers they're looking for -- right in your headline!

Make sure your headline offers a compelling reason to find out more. Studies show that if people don't find something that interests them in the first ten seconds or less on your site, they WILL leave -- so grab their attention in those first few seconds with a powerful headline!

Mistake Number Three: It's too hard to read.

Remember that "10 Second Rule?" Readers need to be able to absorb your headline as quickly as possible. For this, readability is crucial.

First of all, everyone needs to be able to see your headline instantly. It has to be big enough for your visitors to see, but small enough to read.

Black text on a white background has been proven time and time again to work best. Don't let your visitors be annoyed by too many fonts, images, and colors.

That said, the main words you want to emphasize can be highlighted with bold, italics, or color -- just keep it limited to one extra color.

Also try to create a good balance on your page. Too much white space will look empty, but too much text will look crowded. As long as it's easy to read, people will read it!

Headline Clinic: How to Rewrite Your Headline for MAXIMUM Results!

Ineffective headlines are everywhere and they're driving away customers every day. Let's look at one and rewrite it using our powerful new headline writing secrets.

Men's Barbering Services performed by Philadelphia's #1 Image Consultant and Grooming Expert!

Unique, personalized, and by-appointment only. My GUARANTEE to you is that you will NEVER wait for service! You'll leave here, looking and feeling great!

There are several problems with this headline. In fact, it's making all three of the most common mistakes.

First of all, there's also no clear benefit to the customer, other than not having to wait, and that's not exactly thrilling stuff. Since the writer is an image consultant, he needs to provide a benefit associated with improving your image.

Mistake number two is that there's no reason or incentive to read more.

And third, the blocky text and dark background make it unattractive and difficult to read.

We wanted to make the headline easier to read and show concrete benefits for the customer. Here's what the improved version looks like: