By Kim Roach of http://www.unleashthetraffic.com/traffic/ (c) 2006
Smart online marketers never guess. They base their decisions on
precise testing. Unfortunately, 90% of online marketers never
test at all. However, for those that take the time to test
properly, they can quickly rise above the competition.
Want to know how to increase your profits without increasing
your web site traffic? Proper testing and tracking is the key.
You should test all of your sales letters, landing pages, order
forms, and web designs. Here are some of the crucial elements
that you should test on every page along with some advice on
best practices.
Keep in mind that nothing beats your own testing because
different market segments will respond differently to your
sales copy.
Headline
Simple changes to the headline have been known to produce up to
a 1,900% increase in conversion rates. The headline is the single
most important part of your sales letter. If they don't read
past your headline, they will never reach the order button.
An effective headline will capture your visitors' attention and
draw them into your sales copy.
You only have about 8 - 10 seconds to capture your visitors'
attention. To do so, your headline must hit your visitors
deepest needs and desires.
One of the most powerful headlines is a question. Why? Because
questions irritate the brain and make your grey cells go
haywire. Psychologically, questions are extremely powerful.
Here are 3 quick tips for writing effective headlines:
- Ask a question that begs to be answered.
- Create curiosity. ( Our brains our naturally curious)
- Embellish your visitors deepest problem.
If you are not testing your headline, you are most likely
leaving lots of money on the table.
DropCaps
Many people ignore the possiblity of including a dropcap on
their sales page. However, through testing, it has shown to
increase conversion rates.
As online marketers, we have been left in the dark. Many offline
advertisers and marketers have been using dropcaps for years.
One of the first people to confirm this technique was David
Ogilvy. David Ogilvy wrote "Ogilvy On Advertising" and also
produced advertising for brands such as American Express, Sears,
Ford, Shell, Barbie, Dove, Maxwell, IBM, and Kodak.
Ogilvy is quoted as saying, "The drop capital increases
readership of your body copy by an average of 13%".
This one simple change could boost your bottom line.
Colors
Psychologists have suggested that color impression can account
for up to 60% of the acceptance or rejection of a product or
service.
Changing a few colors on your web site can instantly increase
your conversion rate. When color is used correctly, it can send
a number of messages to your readers. It can also highlight
important points.
Color triggers a variety of emotions. To know which colors will
appeal to your visitors, you must know your audience very well.
This is where market research comes in.
McDonalds has already done much of the testing for you. It is
certainly no coincidence that McDonalds uses the colors red and
yellow. They did intensive research before determining that
those were the colors that would attract the eye. Take a look as
you are driving down the street. There are now countless numbers
of businesses who use red and yellow in their advertising.
Red is one of the most effective colors to use for your
headlines and sub-headlines. Blue has proven to be the best
color for links. However, like all of the other elements of your
web page, you will need to perform your own testing.
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Click-here (http://www.unleashthetraffic.com/traffic/) to view
an example of an effective landing page.
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As a web master, color is definitely something you will want to
research and test on your web site. It could mean the difference
between a sale and a lost customer.
Offer a Strong Guarantee
Guarantees help to alleviate any anxiety that your potential
customers may have.
Give your customers a risk-free guarantee. Let them know that
they can take their time consuming your product and that if it
doesn't work out for them, they can quickly return it, no
questions asked. This may sound contradictory, but it's good
business for you and for them.
Guarantees will increase sales. However, many people do not know
that guarantees will reduce return rates as well. Therefore,
they are a vital component of your sales letter.
A longer guarantee creates fewer returns than a shorter
guarantee. A 90-day guarantee will produce fewer returns than a
30-day guarantee.
If you are truly marketing a quality product or service, then
you should not be afraid to back it up with a 100%, no questions
asked, lifetime money-back guarantee.
In addition, it has often been found that people return a
product less when they are allowed to keep some bonus items even
if the product is returned.
Here are a few techniques that have often been found to be
successful in creating a guarantee:
- Circle the guarantee
- Use a guarantee icon
- Write your guarantee in your own handwriting
P.S.
Believe it or not, the P.S is the second most important element
of your sales page. Many of your visitors may not read your
entire sales letter, but they will read your P.S. It is second
only to the headline.
In fact, did you know that P.P.S. is the most important
postscript.
Many successful online marketers use three postscripts. So, what
do you say in a postscript?
Listed below are some important topics to cover in a P.S.
Use one that identifies your risk reversal guarantee.
Use another to remind them of the urgency to take action now.
Use another to inform them on how life will be without your
product and how life will be improved with your product
Images of Your Product
No matter what you are selling online, you can increase your
conversion rates by using pictures of your products. This is
especially true for e-books. So much of the online world is
intangible. However, whenever you create a 3-d image of your
product, you turn the intangible into tangible.
If you decide to do this, make sure you have your images created
professionally. Nothing can kill sales like poor graphic
design.
Bullets
Bullets are captivating, short, sweet, and pleasing to the eye.
Not to mention, all of the top marketers, historic and
present-day, use bullets. Clustered bullets offer a burst of
benefits.
In your bullets, be sure to use the words, "you," "your,", and
"yours," rather than "I," "us," "our," or "we." By using
possessive words, you transfer ownership and allow them to
visualize owning your product.
Here are some phrases you can use to transfer ownership:
"Your widget will be delivered in 5 days..."
"You will receive... "
"You will learn... "
"You will discover... "
Tell a Story
Many people online forget that they're doing business with
PEOPLE. It is often easy to forget that each and every one of
your customers have emotions, thoughts, and ambitions, even
though you never see them face-to-face.
Successful selling is dependent upon creating relationships. One
of the most effective ways to develop a relationship with your
customers is by telling a story. By telling a story within your
sales copy, you become more human. You also establish
credibility and develop rapport.
Your visitors are able to connect and relate with your
experiences. Instead of thinking of you as a salesman, they
think of you as someone who has had the same burdens, troubles,
and even some of the same hopes and desires that they have.
By adding that personal touch.. that human factor.. you will
have more fun in your business and increase your sales at the
same time.
Background Color
The color of your background is a very simple change that can
instantly increase your conversion rate. The most effective
background colors include white, dark blue, grey, and black. Of
course, you will want to test this out for yourself to see which
works best for you.
The optimal background color can change depending on your target
market. Remember, nothing beats your own testing.
Add Your Picture, Signature, and Contact Information
Post your online and offline contact information on your web
site so that your customers know that your business is solid.
You should always have a phone-number on your site. What reason
do people have to trust you if they cannot contact you? By
adding your contact information to your site, you add an extra
layer of credibility.
Don't worry about receiving tons of phone calls, most people are
too afraid to pick up the phone and call someone new. However,
for those that do, you will have the opportunity to truly help
someone and create a lasting relationship with your customer.
By establishing yourself as someone who truly cares about your
customers and takes the time to help them with any problem they
might call in about, you develop a unique selling proposition
that is extremely valuable online. Most online marketers simply
aren't willing to go that extra mile.
Once you have implemented some of these strategies, test your
sales copy on a small scale. Optimize your copy to it's fullest
potential and then begin your major campaign.
Many online businesses do not test at all. They never optimize
their sales letter, landing pages, or order forms. As a result,
they are leaving money on the table.
I do not want you to make the same mistake!
Test Everything... Never Assume
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Kim Roach is the hip marketing gal at
http://www.unleashthetraffic.com/traffic/, where you can learn
how to drive tons of targeted traffic to your web site for free.
================================================================
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