How To Increase Your Website Sales

 
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned so far, it’s that nothing beats good sales copy for generating lots of sales!

You may have found a way to bring in ten thousand visitors a day to your website, but if your sales copy isn't very good, you’re just wasting all your efforts. Websites are only as good as their copy, so if you want to run a successful website, check and double-check your pages' copy!

Here are thirteen simple tips to improve your sales copy and boost your sales:

1. Use short, benefit-focused headlines. You need to grab your readers attention from the very first line by piquing their curiosity. Ask a question or make a statement that causes a question to be formed in the minds of your readers. This will get them to read on as they attempt to satisfy their curiosity. Be creative... And if that fails, be informative.
    
2. Make your sales copy short and to-the-point. Your potential clients love easy-to-read and easy-to-digest material, so keep your paragraphs short. Three or four sentences per paragraph are fine, anything more is probably too much.
   
   Double-check the format of the pages too. Make sure the column width of the copy is around ten words across. Learn from the experts - newspapers publishers have known for years that narrow columns and short paragraphs keep people reading. 
    
3. Use lists that are easy to read and follow. Bullet or numbered lists have to be the best things around for copy writers. The human eye naturally gravitates toward a list.
   
   A list is similar to a desert oasis - even people who are inclined to skip over long, wordy sales copy will still look at bullet lists. So use this fact to your advantage by listing the awesome benefits of your offer. 
    
4. Put yourself in your targeted visitors’ shoes. Ask yourself, “why are they at my site?” People only want two things: 
    
   1. Free content such as articles or tips about your service or product
       
   2. How you can solve their problem or challenge - the top benefits you offer.
       
5. Aim your copy at your targeted market. Focus, focus, focus. I dare say that in any venture, be it online or offline, the most important factor that determines its success or failure is the amount of focus. If you spread yourself out too thin, then you’re heading towards failure.
   
   The biggest mistake that can be made is not to define the target audience before writing the copy. When spread-shot promotion tactics are used, the focus is lost on too many groups. In the end, the website loses the visitors’ attention and loyalty.
   
   Choose one defined audience first and aim your copy at them. Don’t worry about the other audiences, you can add special links for them later when you become successful.
    
6. Give your website's visitors lots of high-quality, free information. Everyone is attracted by free stuff, and that will be one of the reasons why visitors come to your site. After visiting you five to ten times, they are more likely to buy from you.
   
   Include on your website your updating schedule, or put up a email group, so that people can be notified by email whenever there are updates on the website.
    
7. Create useful links for more information related to the topic of the page. Instead of the tires old "Click here" link, experiment with other more useful-sounding links such as phrases that describe the link’s destination. Examples: “free ebook download on cooking”, or “list of top ten products”.
    
8. Keep your language simple. Use the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle when you are preparing your copy. Also, write your copy as if you are speaking with a friend. Nothing stops the sale faster than a dry and run-of-the-mill sales pitch.
   
   Use “you” and “your” words liberally and “I”, “me” and “us” words infrequently. Everyone likes to hear, or read about themselves. They like to feel like they are the center of attention.
   
   Using “you” and “your” will help them feel that the product may address their needs. Always remember, the focus of the copy should be the prospective customer, and not the person selling the product.
    
9. Make a list of five to ten benefits your product or service provides. Forget about lengthy descriptions of you and your mission. Nobody reads them! You need to shift your focus to the more important aspects of your website.
   
   Concentrate more on the benefits you can give your visitors. They came to learn about how they can benefit from your service, so make sure they will be convinced enough to say, “This is amazing. I want this!”
   
   Tell the reader how the product or service will benefit them. Throw the technical details aside. They don’t belong in your sales copy, they belong in an appendix on a linked page for those who are interested.
   
   Sales are made by appealing to the reader’s basic needs of comfort, security and acceptance. Your copy should explain how your product can address one or more of these needs. 
   
   So try using benefit-focused statements such as “Reduce your monthly bills by $200 with our product” or “Be able to function in the dark” to market your product or service, and you should start to see an immediate increase in interest!
    
10. Avoid the hype. Your visitors are intelligent people and they are not going to believe in hype. On the contrary, hyped up copy will just turn them away. Don’t make ridiculous claims and while your offer may be really too good to true, don’t state it that way. 
     
11. Solicit and publish customer testimonials. Your current customers will be more than happy to support you if you provide good service and a solid product.
    
    Ask them for their opinions and comments regarding your product. Get permission to use their words and publish them on your web site. Testimonials are a very powerful selling tool that you can not afford to ignore.
     
12. Offer a rock solid, no questions asked, money back guarantee. Offer a great money back guarantee and always honor it. Why? Because what better way to get someone to buy your product than knowing that they can do so risk-free?
    
    Besides, you will be surprised at how few people will be unsatisfied enough to make use of your guarantee. Sure, some customers may take advantage of it, but I think the increase in your sales should be more than enough to offset the few unscrupulous characters you may meet. 
     
13. Ask for the sale! I repeat, ask for the sale! You’ve got all the great benefits listed, and you’ve offered a money back guarantee. Now don’t stop there!
    
    Many sales pages neglect to ask the customer to buy. So lead your customer through the purchase process. Be sure to thank customers for their purchase and inform them how and when they will be receiving the product that they have just purchased.

About the Author:

Alvin Poh has been specializing in website development, content distribution, advertising and marketing strategies since 1995. You can find more of his articles at xodes.com.

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