| |
| |
|
|
Copywriting Information |
|
|
|
3 Ways to Increase Conversion Rates
In a previous article I talked about a few similarities between writing direct mail packages and writing web sites. In short, I concluded that as online writers we could learn a lot from direct marketers. In this article I'm going to take a look at just one of those similarities: both direct mail packages and web sites lose almost all of their readers before the 'task' is completed. Both media struggle with conversion rates that typically hover around the 2% rate. Most of us throw out or recycle direct mail pieces almost every day. And most of us know how many of our site visitors leave before buying, signing up, registering or completing some other task. Now for the difference. Direct mail copywriters work extremely hard to minimize the number of readers they lose, at every stage. How hard do you work to keep and convert your readers? Here are three tips taken from the world of direct marketing: Make a promise First, your homepage should make it very clear what you do. As in the statement, "We sell printer cartridges". But also make a promise. As in, "You'll never run out of printer cartridges again". The statement is about you. And it's useful in letting people know they are in the 'right place'. The promise is about them. And there is a real benefit stated there. This may be copywriting 101, to lead with a benefit, but it's surprising how many sites don't follow this simple and proven principle. Make an offer This is standard in just about every direct mail package. This isn't the same as a promise. An offer is when you give someone something extra, at no cost to the buyer. Maybe it's a free calculator. Or a better price if you subscribe for longer. Or 30 days free. Even a free serving of garlic bread with your pizza. Try to do the same with your web site. With a free report. Free shipping. A free download. A free consultation. A free gift. Or free gift wrapping. Guarantee it Direct marketers know that buyers are often nervous about buying over the phone or by mailing an envelope. So they wrap everything up in a guarantee. Be delighted or get your money back. Online we also know that many people feel nervous about parting with their money over the Internet, particularly if it is the first time they have bought something at our site. But where are our guarantees? Too often they are found in the small print somewhere, qualified with all sorts of legal nonsense. If you want to make your prospects and buyers feel secure, make the guarantee bold. Say it loud. Have it jump out at people. Let them know that they are protected if they choose to buy. These are just three of the ways direct marketers try to increase conversion rates. They keep people reading with a strong promise, an attractive offer and a cast-iron guarantee. Do you? Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.
MORE RESOURCES: This RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
42 Deadly Ad Copy Sins That Ive Made I have read thousands of ad copies online and offline over my lifetime. I have read excellent ad copies that made me buy right away and some that may have had a decent product, but had a poor ad copy that turned me away. Help, Help, Help, Sell Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for the web.. Dissolving Buyer Scepticisim ... A Lesson In Copywriting When making a purchasing decision, people have their "rip off radars" on high beam. They're wary and so they should be -- after all, they're about to spend money so they want to be sure they're not going to get ripped off, AND they want to be sure they're going to get the absolute best return on their advertising dollar. How Ghost Writing Articles And Booklets Can Earn You Big Money! Do you want to make $5000, $10,000 or more every month as a freelancer? Does your current published materials earn you that much or are you still struggling looking for new jobs every month? Well, ghost writing articles and books for businesses could earn you a lot of money and end your painful quest for writing jobs.Making money as a freelance writer can be tough especially for newbies with no samples or prior experience. What A Ghostwriter Needs To Do To Earn Top Dollar The huge demand for writers online is really for ghostwriters. A vast majority of the available online writing jobs for an online writer are for ghost writing projects. 10 Things You Should Expect From Your IT Copywriter Anyone who's ever tried marketing IT products or services knows that it's a specialist field. Your customers in the IT industry have very unique and specific requirements, and that means you do too. Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 2 of 2 In part one of this article series we began looking at the Cruise Vacation Center site: a travel site whose copy was sorely lacking in emotional appeal and visual imagry. (You can see the previous version of the copy here: http://www. Making a Living as a Copywriter; Freelancing Versus Agency So You Want To be A Copywriter?Wannabe copywriters often check out my site for information relating to my services and fees. And quite right too! I still give my competitor's websites a 'gander' every now and then, in case they're doing something that I should be doing. Memorable Sales Copy -- How to Write it Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your customers long after they've finished reading it?Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your customers' heads.If you can describe your products or services in such a way that it forms images in your customers' heads, well, then you've just created something that will last long after the marketing is over. Step One for Copywriters: Understand WHAT to Say Find a passage of poorly written copy, and chances are you will have found a copywriter who never figured out what it was that he or she was trying to say. Whenever I have trouble with some copy, I stop, sit back and then write at the very top of the page. Killer Business Headline Templates - So How Do You Write Killer Headlines in Minutes? You Cheat! According to Branding and Advertising legend, David Ogilvy: 5 times as many people read the headline than they do the body copy in a sales message. This means that unless your headline actually helps sell what you've got to offer, you'll have wasted 90% of your time, money and energy. Give Me $1 And Ill Have A Powerful Marketing Weapon One of my most powerful marketing weapons costs me less than $1. I buy it once and it lasts me a lifetime. Content is King IntroductionA pencil. Yes, a pencil. Beyond Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales arent the Only Thing Needing Catchy Openings Once a upon a recent time in a galaxy not so far away, I received an e-newsletter that provided valuable dos and don'ts for email newsletter publication. Ah, something about this newsletter didn't pull me in to read its tales nor did I take out the sword to slash my name from the e-newsletter distribution list. Should You Use Testimonials When You Create A Web Site? You've probably seen web sites with testimonials - they can add legitimacy. But sometimes they are believable, and sometimes they are not. Headline Writing Can Lead To Fortunes: Here Are The Basics Of Writing Headlines Headlines attract attention. Headlines generate interest. Five Sections of Your Copy Guaranteed To Get Read Only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned. How To Write An Effective Ad A letter or postcard allows you to "talk" one-on-one to your prospect. That means you should use "I" and "me" and "you" in your sales letter. 9 Tips for Great Design of Your Marketing Materials 1) Don't just hire a good designer. Hire someone who has had plenty of experience designing business collateral. Copywriting and Your Five Senses In its most basic form, copywriting is, among other things, the art of conveying a message in writing for the purpose of persuading someone to do something. This is especially true when writing descriptive copy.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |