Effective e-Sales Copy
EFFECTIVE E-SALES COPY
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copyright (c) Pavel Lenshin
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Selling online is mostly about psychology of people. Consumer
marketing evolves to the extent when right psychology attitude
to the customer plays the crucial role in the game called
product selling. This process like any other has two opposite
effects: positive and negative.
Firstly about positive effect, which is that companies start to
find SOLUTIONS to people's problems and needs more actively. No
need to develop feature that doesn't solve any particular
problem of the consumer market. Customer becomes the epicenter
of professional marketing activity.
What may be negative with this process? The answer is HYPE!
People don't compare products' features any longer, in other
words, they don't compare facts, hard cold facts about
products/services. They compare professionalism of the
copywriters, who have written respective sales copies. The more
trustful sale copy sounds, the more beneficial it will seem to
potential buyers and, therefore the more chances of closing a
sale. Have you noticed any reminder of the quality of the
product itself anywhere? Neither do I. That is what I meant by
mentioning negative effect.
I truly believe that your business offer is of high quality and
rich on both features and benefits. Below we will examine the
most adequate elements of your sales copy.
Headline
Your headline should point to the biggest advantage or solution
your product offers. It must be catchy and clear. Some hidden,
but understandable meaning may reinforce your headline. If the
design of your web-page is not too amateurish, you will have all
chances that visitors will read your web-site headline and
behave in accordance with psychological effect they got.
Short Description
One, two sentences of the core idea behind your offer. While
"surprises" or "pleasant secrets" you may leave for a desert,
visitors should have clear understanding of what your offer is.
Your one line headline may not be able to explain visitors what
your product is all about. On the other hand, if you are
web-hosting reseller, there may be no point in the additional
description as anyone who wants to put his/her web-site online
knows what web-hosting is about.
Sub-headlines
Those who don't have much time or just check your sales copy for
"relevancy" will scan your copy by sub-headlines making decision
about is your copy worth their time spending. In this regard
your sub-headlines should be intriguing and develop the positive
image about your offer. With their help you also have an ability
to point visitors' attention to some crucial ideas or explain
some controversial moments.
Features/Benefits
For me benefits and features are twin-brothers. I don't like
much when I am being told about "unbelievable benefits", when I
cannot compare the features and make my own judgments. Average
customer cannot make right decision basing solely on benefits -
it is not hard to write that your offer is the best. To make a
picture clear you should also provide visitor with features, to
reassure him/her you don't have to hide anything, because your
offer is THAT Damn Good! I hope it really is :0). For pleasure
reading it is suggested to present them in the form of a bullet
list.
Clients' feedback
If your first clients are glad and delighted with your product,
then ask them if they wouldn't mind your putting their
unsolicited feedback online. This tactic may substantially
increase the credibility of your offer in potential buyers'
opinion.
Analysis
Guide your visitor to the sole and obvious conclusion that your
market offer is a worthy purchase. If your product doesn't have
competitive advantages, then your research and planning on the
stage of product development has failed and I would advice to
stop promoting that product. It has little or no future at all.
The analysis part of your sales letter is important. The buyer
should not be "pitched" with your promotional advertising or
selling advices, s/he must be presented with objective facts
that would help her/him to see the obvious benefits of your
offer. While almost all yelling about stressing the benefits not
features, product/service benefits are not enough in today's
world of marketing. 99.9% of businesses would tell that their
market offer is the best in the whole Universe, saves thousands
of dollars and months of time. You should prove that it is true
with the facts and clear arguments, no marketing fluff. In this
way you will much easier gain people's trust in your product.
Action
Ask or even demand for taking an action. The action you want is
a closing a sale itself or having autoresponder course,
visitor's sign up may be second satisfactory action. Popular way
to do this is to create a limited tme offer, stressing the
importance of making a purchase right now! Guide the reader to
click on the order link by reminding the product biggest
strengths, mentioning an unconditional iron-clad money back
guarantee that should waive the remaining doubts and then point
to the shortage of time for decision making process. Explain, if
needed, the ordering process in details, as it may be
disappointing to lose sales due to the buyer confusing caused by
your complicated ordering process.
P.S.
Use it as a summary of your sub-headlines. "PostScript" is also
very often scanned for "relevancy". Describe with its help the
main benefits of your offer; repeat the guarantee terms and/or
other.
Sales copywriting advices
* Identify yourself with your potential buyer. Write your copy
from the customer's point of view. What does s/he want, feel and
think? Your copy should be addressed to personality in the clear
to your target market way. * Try to be cheerful, positive and
optimistic. People are attracted by joy and positive mood. They
also want to feel like you, so they associate your positive
attitude with your product. At the best your writing style
should contain an intrigue, provoke curiosity and excitement. *
Don't forget to address to people's emotions. Textbooks are
boring to read because they don't have a bit of author's
emotions. Your task is to make your prospect feel the way you
do. * Provoke curiosity to read further. Visitors should be kept
excited while they read your sales copy. Excitement may play the
role of final buying or non-buying verdict. * Refer to losses
reader will suffer if s/he turns your offer down. It is proved
that people are afraid of losing the opportunity. Everyone wants
to be with winners, not losers. You can take advantage of it. *
Try to avoid any assumptions about visitors' origin, religious
identity etc. Your claim or joke may be faulty interpreted and
you will convert "almost a client" to "an irritated visitor".
Even if you deliberately want to select some particular group of
people, it is better to clearly state from the very beginning. *
The final advice is to be honest, even at the sacrifice of the
correct marketing strategy. My own viewpoint is that it is
better to have 7 sales than 10, but enjoy clear conscious.