• THE HEADLINE grabs the reader's attention.

• THE SUBHEAD reinforces the main heading.

• ILLUSTRATION or PHOTO emphasizes the headline benefit.

• THE BODY COPY starts with a compelling paragraph that leads the reader in to the next section.

• FURTHER PARAGRAPHS support and reinforce the benefits of the offer.

• PENULTIMATE PARAGRAPH warns the reader of the consequences of missing out on the offer.

• FINAL PARAGRAPH stimulates response. (Order now)

• PS gives a further reason to respond and reinforces the offer.

• COMPANY LOGO (almost) ALWAYS goes at the end. Except web pages.

• TAG LINE makes the reader feel comfortable about the company, eg AXG Computers - we never let you down

If you're writing a direct response sales letter, this structure should almost always be used, (along with the many other successful marketing ploys that are added to your sales package). Web pages require a slightly different technique, but the overall principle is still the same;

• Grab Attention

• Stimulate Interest

• Build up Desire

• Urge the reader into Action!

 "Oh no, not A.I.D.A. again!"

'Fraid so. But if it makes you feel any better I could re-phrase it. How about ...

• Stop him in his tracks

• Pin his ears back

• Excite him to fever pitch

• Tell him that because your offer is so fantastic only a fool would let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass him buy and he must order now or else he'll regret it for ever so he should grab his credit card now and enjoy the life-style of his dreams and be the envy of his friends forever!

It means the same but I think AIDA is easier to remember.

ATTENTION. INTEREST. DESIRE. ACTION. Keep these four 'triggers' in the forefront of your mind when writing your Copy, and I promise you won't go far wrong.

 "We are all selling something"

One more point. I keep using the word sell throughout these scribblings of mine. The object of all advertising is to sell something but not necessarily for cash gain.

If you have a 'free information' website you must sell the idea that your information is credible and of use to the reader. When advertising in the press for charity workers you have to sell the benefits of being a volunteer. And a brochure about the local library must sell the reader the benefits of it's location, and how his or her life-style would be greatly improved etc.

So whatever you're selling, remember this extremely important point. Don't try to sell the product or service. Sell the 'BENEFIT TO THE READER' of sending for your free information or whatever. Burn that into your brain because if you fail to sell the benefits, you sell nothing.

We just aren't even remotely interested in how technologically advanced your new software is. Or how fast it is. Or that it took 3 years to design and Bill Gates is shaking in his boots.

We are turned on when you show us the benefits of how much time it will save us, and how much our friends will admire those fantastic Christmas cards we'll be designing in 10 seconds flat.

So show your reader BENEFITS, BENEFITS, and MORE BENEFITS!

Now let's find your Unique Selling Point below

Without a USP You're Dead.
So Create One Now And
Watch Your Sales Rocket!

Competition. Oh dear!

Unfortunately this aggravating obstacle keeps getting in the way of our first million. Or perhaps in your case your second. But with so many people selling almost identical products, it's often difficult to tell the difference.

So how do you persuade your prospect to buy yours, and not one of the dozens of others so readily available? Obviously you have to stand out from the crowd. If you're competing in a crowded marketplace you must at least appear different. How? You've obviously seen the answer in the headline.

You have to isolate your product's Unique Selling Point and THRUST IT at him. If you don't, you're dead in the water.

"Yes you do have something unique to offer"

What's that - your product is similar to your competitors? Join the club! Let's consider my position as a Copywriter and Marketing Consultant. (Yes I know you've been waiting for the commercial. But at least this one is educational.)

There are lots of 'average' copywriters around. And a few really good ones. Yet even though many of my clients tell me that I am a cut above the rest, I still have to convince potential new clients that they will be wiser choosing me.

So I had to identify my USP. And what is it? In which area am I different to most other copywriters. And more importantly, what can I offer my clients that would specifically benefit them?

It's 30 self-employed years in marketing and one-to-one sales. And the fact that I rely on my Copywriting skills to sell my own books through my own Direct Marketing company. So I have a very unique benefit to offer my prospective clients. I have hands on practical experience of doing exactly the same thing they are doing - selling a product through advertising.

They realize that while many 'book trained' copywriters are learning their trade by using other people's advertising revenues, I have done it the hard way. So my clients get more than just professionally crafted words. Their sales results benefit from skilled advertising copy filled with marketing experience, and my natural instinct to sell.

As David Ogilvy said of himself "Once a salesman always a salesman". That's my USP. And there is no point in being coy about it, so I thrust it up front for everyone to see. And they buy.

David Ogilvy, as you probably know, is regarded by many as the most successful advertising copywriter of his generation, building one of the largest Advertising Agencies in the world.

So don't kid yourself that your product, or service, has no USP. If you can't find one, you have to work hard to create one. Fast!

"What can you offer that's different?"

Deliver your gizmo by hand. Plate it in 14ct gold. Give a longer guarantee. Give a Free Bonus (make sure your bonus will be of benefit.) Open longer hours. Give Free training. Add some bells and whistles. Slash your price (WHAT!!!! No don't do that.) There are countless things you can do to make your product, and your company, stand out from the rest! And very often, a sales-winning USP can be created from a feature that is common in all other products similar to yours. For example;

I recently went to buy a loaf of bread from my local supermarket. A simple enough task you may think. Not exactly. There must have been at least 30 different brands, and prices, stacked high on the shelves. Then I chanced to over-hear a lady remark to her friend "Oh I think I'll buy a couple of these - it says on the side it's suitable for vegetarians!"

Now I'm no dietician, but I'll bet good money that many of the other 29 brands were just as suitable. I read the list of ingredients of 8 different brands and 5 of them simply mentioned in tiny print that their bread contained 'no animal fats'. But they hadn't told the prospect that 'no animal fat' made their bread suitable for vegetarians. One enterprising company had created a USP from a feature common in many of it's competitors products. Then thrust it up-front for everyone to see.

And the Advertising Hall Of Fame is filled with high profile examples of this very thinking. "Our toothpaste is approved by the British Dental Association" (not 'Recommended' but simply 'Approved' like many other toothpastes.) "Bathtime Toilet Soap stops B.O." (if you bathe often enough doesn't all soap achieve the same thing?).

"All it takes is a little work"

So sit down and list every single feature of your product or service, and look at each one from a different angle. Put yourself in your prospect's shoes. And as you examine each feature write alongside it the answer to the question that everyone of us asks when an ad makes a statement or claim. "What's in it for me? Or if you want some really revealing answers read your feature out loud and ask "So What?" You will be surprised at the answers you come up with. But eventually you will reveal a benefit that you just know is a winning USP.

And remember. To achieve maximum impact, your USP must be offered as a benefit. Do not simply tell your prospect you give a 12 month guarantee because it will come over as a feature, and get lost in the rest of your ad. 'No animal fat' is a feature - 'suitable for vegetarians' is a benefit.

So before you attempt to write any copy for your product or service, you must identify your USP. Get knuckled down and spend a great deal of effort - nay a huge amount of effort - on this vitally important task. You will find that writing your advertising will not only become a great deal easier, but you will see a dramatic increase in your sales. And that, as the man said, is what it's all about!

Now what's next?

---

Oh yes. Let's write some Headlines Below

---

"8 Out Of 10 Readers
Will 'Scan' Your Headline"

"So Doesn't It Make Sense To Spend
80% Of Your Effort Writing It?"

Yes, you read it correctly.

Reliable research has shown that 8 out of 10 of us scan the headlines in a newspaper or sales letter, until we find a headline interesting enough to draw us into the actual content. And when it comes to browsing Web pages, we both know that scanning for the 'interesting bits' is the norm.

We just don't have the time, or the inclination, to search through long blocks of text to discover what the writer is trying to tell us. It's headlines that turn 'scanners' into prospects.

So doesn't it make a heck of a lot of sense to spend a high proportion of your Copywriting efforts coming up with a 'stop-em-in-their-tracks' headline? Why so much time?

Well, you can write the most brilliant, motivating, and inspirational piece of body copy that anyone has ever written. But if your headline doesn't interest your prospects they sure won't read the rest of your masterpiece. You've lost them. And you'll never get a second chance.

It's a hard cold world out there, so you'd better make absolutely sure your headline hits the reader right between the eyes and shouts;

"Hey Read This-
It Concerns YOU"

But a good headline must do more than just grab attention. It also needs to identify those who are the best prospects for your product. And then guide them to the benefits of buying it.

A headline saying " World Will Crash On December 31st." will catch the eye. But many readers will feel cheated enough to stop reading when you go on to talk about a fix for the Millennium Bug. But a headline reading "World Will Crash For Computer Owners." will interest your target audience - computer owners - enough to at least read the first few lines of the body copy. Then you have a chance to steer qualified prospects toward your fantastic offer.

So your headline has to perform many tasks. It therefore makes much sense to devote a lot of time and care in its preparation.

After one of my clients complimented me on a particular headline I had just written for him I thought to myself, "I'm glad you like it because it cost half my fee to create it".

"Where do you start? How do you start?"

First of all you need to know your product's Unique Selling Point, or USP, as it is known. You shouldn't attempt to write any advertising until you determine the USP of your product or service.

I have already written about this extremely important subject, so I am going to assume you already know what makes your product, service or subject matter different or better than your competitors. ( You have no competitors? Lucky you but you still need a USP.) If you haven't yet identified your USP, I have written a tutorial that will help you. To read it click here.

Now this will make make a lot of people sit up!

"Fire Your Biggest Gun First!"

That's correct. Write down the greatest possible benefit that your prospect can gain by owning your product, AND HIT HER WITH IT STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES. And don't be shy about it! There is absolutely no point in holding back your greatest benefit until you get half way down the page. Because unless your prospect is hooked right away she won't even make it past the first couple of lines. So your headline should ideally shout the greatest benefit your product will give to the reader.

Some copywriters make the serious mistake of starting with a lesser benefit (or no benefit at all) and gradually building up the benefits within the copy. They do this in the mistaken belief that this will build up a desire for the product until the prospect is so fired up he will be eager to buy.

Wrong!

Fire up your prospect right from the start, and keep him hooked by piling on even more benefits with professional, motivating copy.

Then close the sale!

Let's assume our world-beating product is a lightweight, compact device called Speedy Iron. This amazing appliance enables anyone to iron clothes 6 times faster than the conventional ironing method.

You have already determined your USP. Speedy Iron saves up to 3 hours a week on ironing chores. Also, it only weighs 6 ounces, folds flat in 3 seconds, and hangs on the wall. These are its features.

Now put yourself in your prospects shoes. How will Speedy Iron help me? How will I benefit by having this product? What will it do to improve my life? Write down as many features and benefits as you possibly can, in as many words as you need, until you run out of ideas.

e.g. 'Saving 3 hours a week' is not a benefit - it's a feature. 'Helping me spend more quality time with my kids' is a benefit.

"Now translate each feature into a benefit"

For example "Folds flat" (feature) "will save me storage space" (benefit). Then reduce each of these benefits down to as few words as you can. Now list your benefits in order of importance. Closely examine each sentence and pick out Key Words that you think will be powerful triggers in your headline. For instance 'Affordable. Family. Leisure. Chore-free. Kids. Easy storage. Relax. Handy. Lightweight. Easy to use. Free Time. Envy (of the neighbors) and so on.

OK let's write our first headline. How about;

Speedy Iron Cuts Your
Ironing Time By Over 80%

Hmm, it identifies your prospect, but it describes a feature rather than a benefit. It doesn't exactly jump out at you does it? Let's put some emotion into it. We buy when our emotions are stirred, then we often justify the purchase with logic. ("I'm glad I chose that red 2 seater sports car, because now I won't be asked to take the neighbors kids to school.") Let's try;

"FREE To Every Busy Mom,
3 Hours A Week To Spoil Yourself!"

Yes that's much better, but No that's not the actual headline I would use. I have used this to illustrate how the headline can be structured. I am sure you could come up with something much better.

First I have used one of the many powerful words that are proven 'triggers' to excite and motivate readers. I have listed some of the most commonly used 'power words' in the left hand margin of the page. I cannot stress enough, the proven power of these 'triggers.' Study them and others you will come across in your readings, and refer to them every time you sit down to write. They are gold dust.

The trigger word I have used is 'Free' and it fits in nicely with the message. And I have used the word we all love to hear 'You'. Or in this instance 'Yourself'.

Next I have identified my target, or prospect, 'Busy Mom.' (Or I could have targeted 'Harassed Homemakers' or whatever.)

Then I have fired the main benefit, 'extra time to spoil yourself.'

We now need a subheading to expand on the headline. How about;

FREE To Every Harassed Mom,
3 Hours A Week All To Yourself

Because When You Own
A Speedy Iron You Will
Hardly Ever Use It!

Now that you know how to create really powerful headlines, I'm sure you can come up with a far superior 'knock-em-dead' eye-catcher of your own. All it takes is knowledge of the basics and PRACTICE, PRACTICE and even MORE PRACTICE. Yet once you have the headline, a remarkable thing happens.

Because you have examined every feature and every conceivable benefit of your product, the writing of the Body Copy very often writes itself! It just seems to pour itself out onto the paper.

Notice I said paper. Unless you are an extremely speedy typist it's better to let your pen flow fast and furious, without having to break your train of thought with problems of grammar, structure and the rest. That can be sorted later in a calm and professional manner!

"For the final professional touch"

NEVER USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IN YOUR HEADLINE.
It's very difficult to read and extremely off-putting. Just read that first sentence again and notice how you slow right down to read it, then speed up again to read the rest of the paragraph.

"Always Write Headlines In Quotation Marks".
It's psychological. Your headline is your personal communication directly to your reader. And you should always strive to achieve that one-to-one feeling.

Begin each word in your headline with capitals. Sorry;

Begin Each Word In Your Headline With Capitals.
See the difference? It emphasizes the importance of your message, and makes it stand out from the normal text of the body copy. It's these, and other small but proven techniques, that will help make your copy a winner. We'll discuss many more of these as we explore the other areas of sales-generating Copywriting.

For Your Sub-Heading Use A Smaller Font Than Your Headline. Otherwise you may lessen the impact of your main message.

Don't Put A Period At The End Of Your Headline
Yes I know you probably think it's a small point (pun definitely intended) but if some of the top copywriters in the world believe it's important why argue? We'll discuss many more of these as we explore the other areas of sales-generating Copywriting.

"Just one last thing"

I mentioned earlier the valuable use of powerful trigger words - both for headlines and throughout your copy itself. These are your stock-in-trade. The experience of some of the world's most successful copywriters has proved that changing just one or two words in a headline can increase response by as much as 300%. So if you are really serious about writing sales-grabbing copy (and I'm sure by now you must be), buy yourself a really good reference book of powerful 'trigger' words'.

Strangely enough good ones are hard to come across, but the one that I have had on my desk for over 10 years is 'Words That Sell' by Richard Bryan. I hardly ever fail to find the very word or phrase I am looking for on those occasions when I seek inspiration. It contains over 2500 trigger words, slogans and phrases. And even better news is that it's cheap! Get it from Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

---

Now let's see how to write your main body copy below

---

Now You've Aroused Them
Show 'em Your Great Body

Words. What are they? They're magic!

Politicians use them to wield power. Poets reduce us to tears with them. One word can cut like a knife and another lift us to cloud nine. And they enable ordinary guys like you and I to motivate readers into spending their hard earned cash. Magic indeed! I think I'm getting carried away.

Hold on to your seat as I repeat my dictionary's definition of 'word';

Word: "One of the units of speech or writing that native speakers of a language usually regard as the smallest isolable meaningful element of the language, although linguists would analyze these further into morphemes." Hang on while I look up morphemes...

Whenever I read the writings of 'highly literate and educated' scholars it makes me feel so pleased I became a copywriter. At least my readers can understand what I am saying! But here's another description taken from a second dictionary;

Word: "Written or spoken representation of an idea or image".

Now I can understand that! And it took less than a third of the words that the other took to describe the word 'word'. (What am I talking about!) Let's get to the point because we can learn an important lesson from this.

"Never over-estimate the
'intelligence' of your readers"

That first description came from an expensive three feet thick dictionary which presumably is bought by the more affluent 'educated' section of the public (mine was a Xmas present.) The second was written for a cheap dictionary which probably far outsells the first. So the publishers know that to be successful, the cheap dictionary has to be understood by the 'masses'.

And so it has to be with your Copywriting. Your message has to be understood by everyone - not a select few. Even when your message is aimed at 'technical' people you will find that too much 'Jargon' will turn off a fair proportion of your intended audience. Even if they understand the jargon they will find it too boring to read.

You don't have to learn
German to buy a Mercedes

Think about it. Do structural engineers eagerly look forward to a cozy night by a log fire, with a technical manual on the breaking threshold of high tensile steel! I have lost count of the number of software ads that totally confuse me with technical jargon. Yet even though I am reasonably 'computer literate' I simply do not understand. Their ads are completely wasted on thousands of potential buyers.

Example "......program for getting files from FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, GOPHER and DICT servers, with URL syntax support." Now you may understand it. I don't. And I guarantee that TENS OF THOUSANDS of others don't either. Yet that piece of software may be of immense benefit to me.Why do they do it? Because they don't know any better. So next time you see an ad like that, direct the writer to this site.

People who know the 'BIG' words
know the 'little' words too

Copywriters are often accused of taking liberties with the language. And it's true. We start sentences with 'And' or 'But'. We often reduce paragraphs to a mere couple of lines. And we highlight important blocks of text in a way that makes creative writers curl their toes in horror. But the purpose of Copywriting is not to impress the reader with our literary talents. It is to SELL. And as every successful salesman will tell you, before you can make a sale you first have to make a friend.

No-one buys from a salesman they don't trust. We can't 'warm' to someone who bombards us with a stream of obvious sales blurb. And we certainly don't feel comfortable with a person who thinks he is 'superior'. Yet if you're not careful your copy can create the same impression. So keep it reasonably friendly if you wish, and skillfully present your 'sales pitch' with the use of carefully crafted phrases. If you treat your reader with respect, and speak in words of one syllable, you have a fighting chance of gaining his confidence.

Copywriting should "communicate and sell a message, with the least number of words". That's why you have to take liberties with the language. Incidentally, do you think the academic who wrote that first description of 'word' would give your ad a second glance if it were written in the same cumbersome style? And if he did read it, would he understand it?

"So how do you start writing your copy?"

Actually, now that you have written the headline you have already started. So the first sentence of your body copy should flow from the headline. You have made a statement. And your reader expects you to supply her with more information NOW. Not three paragraphs down the page. Because you can guarantee she won't go looking.

FREE To Every Harassed Mom,
3 Hours A Week All To Yourself

Because When You Own
A Speedy Iron You Will
Hardly Ever Use It!

Independent tests by Clothes Ironing Weekly reveal that ironing clothes with the revolutionary Speedy Iron saves busy homemakers at least 3 hours every week over traditional steam iron methods...

Again, it's not intended as a finished job. But this opening paragraph illustrates one of many ways you could use to open your ad. Notice how the ad flows seamlessly from the headline, through the subheading, and into the main message. And notice also the use of certain words that will trigger different emotions in the mind of our busy mom;

'Independent tests' - credibility.

'Clothes Ironing Weekly' - I trust them.

'Revolutionary' - new idea, ultra modern.

'Saves 3 hours every week' - increases my free time every week.

'Busy homemakers' - that's me!

'Traditional steam iron methods' - old fashioned.

Why not carry out your own exercise and see how easy it is when you follow these few basic guidelines. This is by no means the only way to write copy. Heaven forbid! There are scores of different ways to write an ad. And this is just one of them. But we have to start somewhere.

Now that your prospect is hooked don't keep her dangling. Pile on the benefits. Reveal feature after feature. Push your USP. She wants to know more. Fill her imagination with 3 hours a week in a hammock! And don't you dare relax for one second with stories of research and development costs and the best scientists in the industry - she's not interested. She wants to know what's in it for her if she buys this wonderful appliance. So each time you mention a benefit imagine her saying "So What!" And if her answer isn't "that's great!" then re-write it.

"Now set her up for the Close"

OK your prospect is really excited about this fantastic product of yours. She's all fired up by it's range of features and benefits. The 50 year guarantee is unbeatable. Your credibility is firmly established and she can afford it. So she rushes to the phone and places her order right? Well after you've woken up from that wonderful dream, you have to face up to the reality. You have to ask for the order first! And to get the order you must tell her exactly what to do.

Don't assume she will scour the ad for ordering details...

She won't.

Don't 'suggest' she should telephone you some time...

She won't.

If she has to tour the shopping mall to find one ...

She won't.

Tell her exactly how to order it and tell her to do it NOW.

Take her by the hand and make it as easy as is humanly possible for her to own this wondrous product and begin enjoying the great benefits straight away! She has to be told which store to buy it from, how to fill in the order form, and which free telephone number to ring.

"Don't let her think about it!"

Every salesman hears these 6 words every working day of his life. "I want to think about it." Ever said it yourself? Of course you have. It's our defence mechanism against making an instant decision. However much we tell ourselves we would really like that new car, a little safety valve in the deep recesses of our subconscious opens, and a tiny voice says "Hold on, what's the rush? Don't decide now, you may find a cheaper one down the road." The salesman of course has the skill and experience to overcome this, and carries on with his presentation.

But you're not face to face with your reader. So you have to overcome the objection in other ways. It's a fact of life that your prospects need a little 'push' now and again before they make a buying decision. They need reassurance. They need to justify in their minds that they are making a logical decision and not simply being carried away with emotion. And it's your job as a copywriter to plant that 'push button' into the prospect's mind.

There are many ways you can achieve this. So let's look at one of them. I'm sure you will recognize this example;

".....the revolutionary Speedy Iron is covered by our 365 day 'No Quibble' Money Back Guarantee and can be yours for the remarkably low price of only $29.95
.
But here's some even better news. Order within the next 7 days and we will slash the already low price down to an amazing $19.50. That's a HUGE SAVING to you of over $10.00.

But we must receive your order by 23rd Sept. to qualify for this incredible offer. So FREEPHONE 800 1234567 NOW and start planning your free mornings right away. Don't you deserve it?

Just in case you didn't spot it, the guarantee is the reassurance, the push button is the time limit of 7 days. And the $10 saving is the incentive.

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Why don't we look at writing specifically for the web? So what's so different about the Web?

---

So What's So Different
About The Web?

To write powerful web copy, you should first know how to successfully write for off-line publications.

So, if you haven't already done so, I strongly advise you study the previous copywriting tutorials before reading this page any further. Why?

Because Copywriting techniques that work off-line, also work equally well on-line! We have to make some minor changes of course to accommodate different reading habits, and the problems that navigation sometimes presents.

But the basic techniques for effective web copy remain the same. And these are more than adequately covered in the Copywriting Tutorials.

Good web Copywriting doesn't attract the attention it deserves. Copy just isn't cool. And good persuasive Copy doesn't attract attention to itself. It sits there on the page delivering its message skillfully and unobtrusively, focusing attention on the product and the reader, and quietly doing its job of selling. And most of the really successful Internet marketers employ excellent, uncluttered copy on their sites. That's why they are successful.

It's so easy and cheap to build a Website these days and set up a storefront. And that's great. There's room for the small guy to compete alongside the 'big guns'. And with no previous business or advertising experience he can build a 100 page super-duper animated site in minutes. But when the sales don't come in the answer seems to be to change the animated Gifs, Java scripts, site banners and other gizmos to grab the attention.

Meanwhile the clever marketers, the successful ones, rake in the sales with strong, professionally crafted selling copy. And it's copy they've taken the time to learn for themselves, or they've employed a good professional copywriter to do it for them. They know it's words that sell, not gizmos. And they know it's what you say that sells, not just how you say it.

"Too many 'experts' - not enough facts"

If you stick your head above the parapet you'll be shot at. And I'm just as likely to fired upon as anyone if I criticize someone else's opinions. But I'm going to do it anyway.

I recently read an ezine article written by an 'expert' web content writer headed (as I remember it) '10 Important Points To Remember For A Good Website.'

1. Overall look.

2. The Message

3. Speed

4. Graphics

5. Text Readability

6. Skimmability

7. Fonts

8. Navigation

9. Privacy Statement

And number 10 - the last 'important' point?

WORDS - but not the copy. No it was about 'attention to spelling, grammar and professional look'. I despair!

"So what's your 'expert' opinion Joe?"

Easy...

Write It To Sell! Never lose sight of the fact that you're in business to SELL! Keep focused on your goal at all times and make sure you SELL!

These tutorials are not an ego trip. We're not giving away free information just to make us feel good. They're here to help you to SELL! Because when you sell - WE SELL!

So after you've drawn up the approximate overall structure of your site, and before you design the fine details, decide what you're going to say and who you are going to say it to. Then begin writing your copy.

Write it, re-write it, cut out the dead wood, hone it, sharpen it and examine every single word for relevancy and maximum effect. Compare your finished work with the advice in the tutorials and keep re-writing it until you're sure it's a winner!

Don't be tempted to 'make do'. If it takes a week and it's still not right - spend another week until it is right. And a third week if need be until you're absolutely convinced you can't improve another single word. Remember-it's your profits that's at stake!

"Here's an excellent tip"

Print out your copy and read it out loud. If it doesn't sound like an everyday conversation there's something wrong. Have a friend read it out to you. If she stumbles over any words, or has to re-read a sentence, you will know that it needs re-writing.

Then build the web site around your copy.

Only add pictures and graphics if you're convinced they enhance and support your copy! That way you will see that most of the beautifully designed logos, banners and gizmos you had in mind, will simply distract your readers from the one most important thing on your site - your sales message.

Here's a few other important points to incorporate into your pages;

If your web pages haven't got headlines, give them one NOW. Far too many web sites have no headline. Have you ever seen a sales letter, ad, or magazine article without a headline? And if you did would you read it?
Just because your reader is already at your page doesn't necessarily mean he knows what to expect. A headline tells him what to expect. It also gives you, your company and your site an identity that hopefully your reader will remember.

Fire your BIGGEST GUN first - in your headline.

Push your USP into your reader's face.

Pack your message with benefits, benefits and more benefits.

Use plenty of white space.

Break your copy up into bite-sized chunks.

Make it easy to contact you from every page.

Place a 'HOME' button on every page.

Make your copy as long as it needs to be, to get your whole message across.

Emphasize your key points.

Describe every single benefit your product can offer.

Use Testimonials with imagination. Don't just list them on a separate page. Your readers won't look for them.

Make it extremely easy to order.

Tell your reader what to do. (e.g. Order Now!)

Show your reader how to order.

At the ordering stage re-state your guarantee.

After she has submitted her order make sure she is told the order has been received. Then send her a Thankyou email containing lots of re-assurance and details of delivery etc. She needs to be re-assured she has made the right decision. Prevent 'Buyers Remorse' or she may cancel!

Be totally professional about absolutely everything.

Let's consider if we should use Hard Sell or Soft Sell on the web.

"Long Copy Or Short Copy
- Does Size Really Matter?"

There's a great number of myths about writing for web pages.

Like "no-one reads long copy."

Like "people won't scroll down long pages"

Like "Soft-sell works better than Hard-sell".

... ad nauseam (that's Latin for 'more theory')

Don't you believe it!

We will read long copy - if it's interesting.

We will scroll long pages - if we need the information.

Soft-sell works and Hard-sell works - depending on the offer.

In short - Copywriting techniques that sell off-line, sell on-line! With suitable adjustments.

The 'experts' who spread those myths should take a long hard look at the Copy Ken Evoy and I have written for Make Your Words Sell - MYWS. Then ask themselves how a Website which breaks all those 'rules' is proving so successful.

Yes I agree it's a brilliant book. I'm bound to - I wrote it! And I believe it's the best Internet Copywritingting book on the Web. If you haven't got one yet - get it! (Even better, sign up as an Affiliate.) But the best Internet Copywriting book on the Web still has to be sold. Yet the Sales Copy has ...

Very long copy, and ...

Long scrolling page

Just like a good 'old fashioned' print ad or sales letter.

"So why does long copy sell?"

Because we will read long copy if we think the contents will benefit us. If we are really interested in what the writer has to offer we DEMAND information - bundles of it.

Would you buy a car if all you had seen was a photograph and a few lines of text? Of course you wouldn't.

You go to the showroom and drink in its looks, its color, its lines. You sit in it, you drive it, you touch it. You ask questions on price, engine size, servicing costs, fuel consumption, after-sales service, guarantee. You see yourself driving it, and imagine the benefits it will bring you. Questions, questions, questions. Information is what you need. Lots of it!

And if the salesman seems trustworthy - you buy it.

So why do so many people think we don't need the same amount of information from a Website? Why don't they realize that because we can't see, feel, touch and experience their product or service, the provision of information is even more important. It takes more courage for us to buy from a web page than it does from a store or showroom.

And information - good benefit-filled information - gives us the confidence and courage to put our money down.

"A monitor screen is as long as you make it"

Because of the restraints of the monitor screen, far too many companies fall into the trap of skimping on content. This is a fatal mistake. And there are many successful entrepreneurs on the web who agree with me (or should that be the other way round?)

You must give a detailed and blow-by-blow description of the benefits of your product - no matter how much copy it takes. It's also important to realize that lots of detailed benefits and description gives a HIGHER PERCEIVED VALUE to the product.

Your prospect needs as much detailed information as possible to re-assure her that she is making the right decision. In fact she DEMANDS information - facts, figures and anything else you can give to help her find the courage to spend her money. And it's courage she needs-not just reassurance.

Your pages need a DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF EVERY BENEFIT AND FEATURE your product has to offer, no matter how far your prospect has to scroll down. If she is interested in what you have to offer she will stay as long as it takes to get the facts. Wouldn't you?

And if she has absolutely no interest in your offer she won't even read the first paragraph! She'll be long gone!

"Who says scrolling is hard work?"

Because they are very detailed, the tutorials on this site need long pages. Judging by the design of many Websites I see, most people would split the content into 2 or 3 short pages. Is it such hard work to scroll down a page? And which is better, scrolling down a long page, or interrupting the concentration of the reader by forcing him to click through to another page?

Any good salesman will do everything possible to hold his prospect's attention. Because any tiny distraction - an incoming phone call, interruption by another prospect - can kill the sale. It gives the prospect time to 'cool off' and make an excuse to wander away. And it's exactly the same on the web!

Every click-thru your reader is forced to make is another opportunity to lose him altogether.

"Long copy in action"

If you seriously want to learn the art of good Copywriting, do yourself a big favor. Read the MYWS! Sales Copy now. And examine the way it is constructed, as well as the way it is written. I promise you will learn a great deal - strong headline, sub-headings and lots, lots, and lots of detailed features and benefits.

Using what I hope you have learned so far from my tutorials, examine the copy in detail. Print it out and write it out by hand! Yes, write it out word by word and phrase by phrase. This way you will actually feel the way it is structured and presented. You'll get a terrific insight into how really persuasive Sales Copy should be written.

In short, many Copy techniques that work off-line, work on-line!

Read the Copy here, and study it carefully. Some 'experts' will say it's far too long. And some potential buyers may think so too. But waht matters at the end of the day is that it works for the majority of readers. And the sales prove it!

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Finally, let's look at tips and tricks the pro's use. 

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