Paraphrenitis Blog

What will visitors find when they click on a link that
takes them to your site?
1. Will the visitor arrive at a sort of brochure that
gives some information and has a products link somewhere on
home page?

2. Will they come to an online catalogue for a variety of
products and services?
3. Or will they land at a focused, straightforward sales
page promoting one specific product or service?

Your answer to these questions strongly affects the
profitability of your web site. Once you’ve got traffic
coming to your site, here are some useful principles that
will help make that traffic more valuable to you.

Market research is clear: confused site visitors with too
many choices don’t buy. They leave, most of the time never
to return. Your first goal, then, is to make it very easy
for the visitor to stick around long enough to become your
customer or client.

You can accomplish this in one of two basic ways.

One possibility: start with a brochure-type page where the
visitor signs up to be on your email list to receive
something of value for free. For example, offer a special
report or newsletter or digital download, etc. This is a
type of site often called a “capture page.” Then, follow up
with the visitor later via email to make offers of products
for sale. Note: in your email follow-up, always include
instructions on how to unsubscribe from your list, as well
as overall compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act.

Possibility two: start with a single-item sales page
promoting a low price-point item, the opening of your
“marketing funnel.” Your low price-point item will
demonstrate the quality of your product or service, and you
will get repeat business because you offer good value. At
that point, you can introduce your new clients to a wider
range of products and prices. They know you deliver, they
know they can trust you, and so they’ll wade through a bit
of information about products that don’t interest them to
get to those you have that do interest them. Besides, now
they are in your data-base, and you can market to them
again later when you have a special promotion or a new
product.

One thing that is usually not a good idea is to present a
first-time visitor with a big catalogue site. Lots of
products and prices and other distractions might look
impressive, but you’ve got less than 3 seconds to capture
the attention of a first-time visitor following a link as
they search on-line. A focused, compelling headline is the
best way to keep their interest and encourage them to stay
at your site.

If you’ve paid for the link the visitor clicked on to
arrive at your site, you naturally want to make the most of
the opportunity. You want to get your return on investment
(ROI). Many online business owners believe that means
making a sale immediately. However, the savvy online
business-person understands that making the most of the
opportunity really means beginning a relationship with a
new prospect, usually via email follow-up contacts.

That’s why you save the big beautiful catalogue site for
later, after they’ve become your client, and they know you
provide good service and a high quality product. Then,
after you’ve established a relationship, use a catalogue
site for back-end sales galore.

All right. That’s the story of why to use certain kinds of
sites. Now, when you’re ready to create your ‘capture page’
or your one-item sales page, you can find copy writing
resources on-line. The resources could involve hiring a
copy writer, using a copy writing product, or writing your
own page from scratch, depending on your budget and skills.
The following list contains nine essential elements of a
good page.

1. Headline

2. The Story

3. Credibility
4. Benefits
5. Features
6. Bonuses
7. Value build-up

8. Ordering information

9. Post Script

Use this as a checklist and look around for good models of
any of these elements. Use the examples you find as
inspiration, but you or your copy writer will use your own
way of saying it and applying it to your offer. You’ll
notice that copy writing is largely formulaic. If you find
and follow a good formula, you’ll profit from your efforts.

Loren Beckart, business consultant and internet publisher,
is a contributing writer for ClickTracs, offering
valuable marketing resources to help increase traffic to
your business web site. Articles by Loren can also
be found at Yes Education and
Fab-U-Jobs.