Boost Your Conversion Rate In Three Steps

When I critique, edit or rewrite sales copy, I discover that many clients commit common errors. Granted, not all of them are writers. But most of them fail to drive customer actions not because they lack writing skills but because they fail to look at their copy from their readers' perspective.

Although unintentional, they're so involved with their business or product that they tend to forget their prospects. They tend to explain things in ways that only they understand. They tend to forget the number one axiom in copywriting:

Different words mean different things to different people.

Let me share with you at least three simple steps you can take now to increase the readability of your copy, the excitement level of your offer and the responsiveness of your readers.

1) Lace Your Copy With Headers

On the Internet, people don't read. They scan. Unlike a book that's purchased for the purpose of being read from cover to cover, people seldom read entire web pages from top to bottom.

How often do you read entire newspapers, for example? More than likely, you scan them quickly and stop at any headline that captures your attention, piques your curiosity and pulls you into the article. On the Internet, that behavior is even more prevalent.

Moreover, reading web or sales copy, especially long copy salesletters, is a wearying task and hard on the eyes. So, don't write to be read. Instead, write to be scanned. Keep paragraphs brief, and incorporate headers throughout your copy in order to direct your readers' eyes.

Make your lines short, either within small tables of no more than 600 pixels wide or 70 characters in length. And refrain from writing your paragraphs deeper than four to five lines, too. If you have to, cut them up into smaller ones. Above all, add a header at every two to five paragraphs.

Make your headers prominent by using different sizes, colors or fonts. And avoid overused, stale and hackneyed expressions, such as the common "Welcome to [Whatever]." Lace your copy with powerful yet brief headers that are inviting, invoking and informative.

When your readers scan your copy, your headers must be strong enough to stop them in their tracks and to make them feel that the following text cannot be ignored. In fact, write your headers with the assumption that the preceding text was not read at all.

Here's an example. Let's say you promote business opportunities or show people how to find them. Instead of, "Home-Based Business Success," use, "Uncover Profitable Opportunities Hidden In Your Home!" Rather than, "Affordable Diamond Business Opportunities," say "Mine Your Own Business ... At Rock Bottom Prices, Too!"

2) Blend Your Copy With Bullets

Directing the eye is an important element of copywriting. In order to direct your readers' actions, you must first direct their attention. While an effective headline will capture it, captivating their attention is a whole different issue.

Maintain your readers' attention with bullets. Bulleted lists are effective because they are captivating, intriguing and pleasing to the eye. They can help to reinforce the offer, give readers a visual break and are clustered for greater impact. This is particularly true with long copy offers.

In fact, an effective way to use bullets is when they follow the words "you get" and "reasons why," such as "with this [product] you get" and "here are the reasons why [you must buy now]." They give the reader the ability to know, instantly, what they get out of reading further or responding.

Here's an example. Let's say you sell an exercising machine that helps to strengthen the abdominals. You can say, "With your new Abdominoflex Machine, here's what you get," and then you follow it with a bulleted list of the various benefits a customer receives from your machine, such as ...

• A system that provides an easier yet intense workout that will burn off unwanted calories more rapidly and enjoyably;
• A scientifically designed exercise regimen laser-targeting specific areas for a faster, firmer and shapelier figure;
• A compact, lightweight and space-saving machine that can be stored right under your bed and pulled out only when needed;

... And so on. Also, you can use bullets to list the various consequences of going ahead (or not) with your offer. For instance, you can use them to reinforce scarcity-enhancing elements (such as deadlines) and emphasize the negative consequences of not enjoying the benefits of your offer.

3) Paint Your Copy With Pictures

Another strategy is to use words and phrases that help to paint vivid pictures in the mind. When people can visualize the process of doing what you want them to do, including the enjoyment of the benefits of your offer, you drive their actions almost instinctually.

The brain, according to "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, is a goal-seeking mechanism. If I told you not to think of a white flower, you would still think of one because I directed your mind by giving it a goal. But if I told you to think of a pink one, you would then not think of a white one.

In order to direct your readers' actions, you must also direct their minds. Use mental imagery and picture words that invite, entice and incite. Guide the mind and you guide the action.

We think in relative terms. And we are predominantly visual, too. Our brains have a tendency to translate messages into their visual equivalents in order to appreciate what they are being told. In plain English, the mind thinks in pictures, and not in words or numbers.

For example, if I told you to think of a garbage can, you're not going to think of "G," "A," "R," etc. You'll visualize a garbage can. The more I describe it to you as well as the more senses I engage in my description, the more realistic it becomes in your mind, including its color, smell and texture.

During a televised newscast, a reporter, flying over the scene of a forest fire in her station's helicopter, was asked, "How big is the fire?" In a voice partially drowned by the whizzing sounds of helicopter blades, she said, "It's over 140 acres of land, which is about 200 football fields back to back."

Similarly, compel your readers not only with vivid picture words and mental imagery but also with stories, examples, analogies and metaphors that they can intimately understand and appreciate. Help your readers to paint the kinds of pictures you want them to paint.

The more vivid the words paint, the easier it will be for the mind to decode the message you are conveying into something your readers can understand, appreciate, relate to and, above all, act upon. In Conclusion, Remember This ...

I agree that copywriting may not be an easy task for many. But one of the most important steps you can take is this: look at your website through your readers' eyes. Imagine coming across your site for the first time. What would you read? Where would your eyes go? What would your mind think?

More importantly, what would you do?

If you hesitate at any point, realize that hesitation on your part is confusion on the part of your readers. And confusion often leads to procrastination. If your readers are confused, they will do nothing.

About the Author

Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker and consultant. His specialty are long copy sales letters and websites. Watch him rewrite copy on video each month, and get tips and tested conversion strategies proven to boost response in his membership site at http://TheCopyDoctor.com/ today.

---

Your USP is Useless

One of the keys to writing good marketing copy is to differentiate your product or service from the competition with an effective selling point. And it is... Read More

Hook Your Direct Mail Sales Letter Readers With Good Transition Sentences

Anglers in Maine catch trout using dry flies with barbless hooks. Unless they keep tension on the line all the way to the net, they lose the... Read More

Three Tips For Magnetizing Your Copy

The difference between good copy and great copy is the number of actions it generates. The more actions the copy drives, the greater the copy is.My friend... Read More

Freelance Technical Writers - How Much Are You Worth?

Where can you find out about freelance technical writing pay? Is there a place where you can go and find out where you stand? As with any... Read More

Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price

Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing sales letters and proposals for our own direct marketing services and for our clients.It's all about "price".I... Read More

The Secret to Drilling Down Deep in Your Target Market

Here's another drill ripped out of the Field Guide for my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp. There are 20 drills total which take 15 minutes per day (my... Read More

Can Honest Copywriting Succeed?

I confess--I'm a marketing heretic! I've built my career on breaking all the rules--and one of the rules I break is that I don't hype.Do I put... Read More

Working With a Freelance Editor

If you are interested in creating information products, you will very likely deal with editors throughout your career. You may need someone to edit a book, review... Read More

Want to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer? Here are 10 Reasons To Consider Copywriting

Looking to chuck that full-time job for a life of full-time writing? Or maybe you've already dumped the day job but aren't quite as busy as you'd... Read More

Promote Your Business and Get Paid for Doing It!

How can you gain credibility and exposure for you and your business, reach a motivated audience, develop a far-flung network, hone your presentation skills -- and get... Read More

The One Word Every Prospect Craves

It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like "free," "new" and "savings."I'm talking about "you.""You" is... Read More

Bullshit Avoid the use of the word Bullshit

It is important in this new paradigm of political correctness to tone down the language a bit. In this present period if you use such words like... Read More

How To Make A Career Out Of Copyediting And Proofreading

Do you possess the qualities of a good proof reader? Are you good with details, spotting errors in spelling, grammar, and the flow of a piece and... Read More

Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional

It's time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe some web content. You've done all your research, and you're staring at a blank computer screen. You... Read More

Advice for Copywriters: How to Win the Freelance Bidding War

Are you a freelance copywriter working from home? If so, you've probably been on the project bidding war sites, like elance.com. You've probably seen ads like this:"Need... Read More

Kick-Start Your Juices

Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time is pressing, tighter and tighter. You are hoping to come up with some topic for your project.....However,... Read More

Be That Copywriter Everyone Wants to Work With

So many copywriters think that it's enough to be a stellar writer and grammatical genius. Oh, but this is so far from true. One of the most... Read More

Can Anyone Succeed as a Freelance Copywriter?

This is a question that can be answered in a lot of different ways.But let's start with a perfectly simple and honest answer.No.No, in spite of what... Read More

How To Personalize Your Headlines For Increased Profits!

Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve your sales response. You can do this by mentioning a person by name, their city, their career... Read More

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... Read More

Website Advertising: 10 Tactics To Make Your Ad Copy More Impactful

If your ad is not generating a lot of sales, the reason may be because it is not effective.Here are secret website advertising tactics to make it... Read More

Ad Copy - Your 12 Point Inspection!

You're ready to launch that new product or promotion, & you're really counting on a piece of advertising copy to come through for you.You're looking for stellar... Read More

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. Don't... Read More

How to Get Instant Attention

Most of us have seen a heckler at a baseball game. Sure, he's likely to draw attention, both positive and negative. The louder he hollers, the more... Read More

Its the Headline, Stupid! - Writing Powerful Headlines

"It's the headline, stupid," is the sign that hangs over my computer screen. It reminds me that to write effective articles, press releases, sales letters--whatever I want... Read More

A Free Lesson On How To Easily Write Ads That Are Guaranteed To Make You Money

COPYWRITINGAfter determining what we are going to sell, the next task is to effectively convey our message.Copywriting is the art of writing words and messages that successfully... Read More