Writing Effective Sales Copy

Introduction to Writing Effective Sales Copy

Sales copy is the single most important component that allows a website to “sell” online. Without “sales", there would be no transactions online and there would be no such things as affiliate programs, and for that matter, Internet marketers. Luckily, there are several techniques that you can use to become good at writing sales copy and that will help you become a self-sufficient copywriter.

A highly profitable affiliate/merchant is usually one with very good sales copy. Whether they have written the content themselves or outsourced it to a professional, the fact of the matter is good sales copy will distinguish your website from that of an amateur. If you can master this art you will be able to convert at a very high rate and will be able to make money within ANY industry.

Benefits & Components of Effective Copy

Before we jump into how to write good sales copy, we will give you an overview of some of the benefits that good sales copy can bring to your website.

(1) Increase the amount of sales and your overall conversion ratio
(2) Allows you to connect with a customer on an emotional level.
(3) Can increase the number of products you sell at the same time (up-selling)
(4) Earn the respect from your visitor and will allow you to create long-term relationships with them
(5) When you make a sale, you are essentially creating a list of “buyers”…the ultimate list to have

The Essential Components of Great Sales Copy

There are certain “catch phrases” and items that you can use within your sales copy to increase conversions. We have created a list of 30 of the most essential components of sales copy that you can add to your page to increase conversions. You obviously will not want to use all of these (especially if you have a review page or a short copy squeeze page), but using some of these points within your copy will work to your advantage.

(1) Telling a story
(2) Originality of the information
(3) Customer service/support
(4) The “complete” resource
(5) Based on your real-life experience
(6) Very popular (appeals to the followers – if others like it I will too)
(7) Can be accessed within minutes (instant access)
(8) Easy to understand/use
(9) Straight forward/includes instructions
(10) Can only buy online
(11) Regularly updated
(12) Secret/underground information
(14) Save by buying today
(15) Break down the costs ($/per day)
(16) New information (not rehashed or recycled)
(17) Offer a sneak peak
(18) Tell them who endorses the product (i.e. testimonials)
(19) Navigation of the book (table of contents screenshot)
(20) Accuracy of information
(21) Proven (look at the results)
(22) Can be used as a reference guide over and over again
(23) Offer free bonuses
(24) Limited time offer / limited number of copies
(25) No risk, full guarantee
(26) How the book will pay for itself over and over again
(27) Release date (in new -> just released)
(28) Credibility of the author/company
(29) Describe the benefits in a list
(30) Exclusivity

All of these components will obviously add to your sales pitch. Unless your sales copy is several thousand words, we suggest that you do not attempt to use all of these within one page. However, using some of these within your sales text will increase the power of your sales copy and will result in better conversions (and make your page a more entertaining read).

Headlines

When someone comes to your web page, you typically have 5-10 seconds to grab their attention. The easiest way to compel someone to stay on you website is through a “catchy” headline. An effective headline can increase the length a visitor stays...which is very important if you want them to read your content!

Here are some ways you can begin a headline:

-“How to…
-“Discover…
-“Imagine…
-“Attention:
-“Learn…
-“Warning…
-“Stop…
-"Who/What/Where/When/Why...? (any question)

Be unique with your selling proposition and tell your website visitors right away how your product/service will benefit them. A headline should be the most powerful phrase on the entire page. A headline is also a perfect opportunity to include the most relevant keywords within the text. This relevance will further increase the visitors interest in your page.

Note: It has also been proven to increase the length of stay drastically if you put your headline in quotation marks.

Action Phrases

In order for people to perform an action on your website, whether it be ordering, going to a merchant web page, visiting an outbound link, or opting into your mailing list, you need to make it very clear to your visitors HOW to take the appropriate action. You can have the best sales copy in the world, but if your visitors are left confused as what “action” they are supposed to take, you are going lose a lot of potential customers.

Terms that entice people to take action are called “call-to-action” phrases. These are very effective and below we have provided a list of some of the top performing “call-to-action” phrases:

Join Today…
Order Now…
Order Today…
Don’t Wait…
Buy Now…
Sign-up Today…
Subscribe Now…
Become a Member…
Learn More…
Find Out…
Get Your…
Take Action…

Adding “call-to-action” phrases has been proven on many platforms to increase conversions greatly (ads, opt-ins, sign-up pages, etc), and your web page is not different. If you want someone to “take action”, you need to tell them to do so or they may not do it.

Conclusion

Whether you are creating a review style page, a testimonial page, writing an article, or you have your own product you are selling, writing quality sales copy should be a priority. You will be wasting a lot of money if you do not spend sufficient time on writing good sales copy.

In essence, an affiliate marketer is someone who is highly capable of selling things online. There really is not a whole lot of difference between someone who is selling things online and one who is selling offline. The concepts are the same and if you can become effective at writing quality, and emotionally riveting sales copy, you are headed towards a lucrative career in online marketing.