Sales Letters That Sell - 6 Tips to Improve Online Conversion Rates with Profitable Sales Writing

Your main landing page (the website page where most people first find you) may be in a sales letter format or it may be a brochure type page that explains who you are and what you do.

Whatever format you choose your reader need to take some clear action or they'll click out. In this article, I'm calling that action "conversion" - the process of landing on your site, then taking a specific action.

When someone lands on your website, what do you want them to do? Some common actions include:

Read about you and your services
Fill out an inquiry form
Buy a product
Sign up for a service
Opt-in for an e-course or ezine
Download a free report
Your first step is to be crystal clear about what you want your reader to do. hen make it as easy as possible for them to do it.
Below are 6 tips for increasing conversion:

1) Have a clear action for your reader to take. Too many choices may feel overwhelming and no specific direction will lead them straight out the door. Stick to one action per page or even one action per website.

2) Qualify your reader immediately. People go online looking for information. The casual browser will rarely find your site and may have no interest whatsoever in what you do. So highlight your target market right up front.

3) Provide immediate value. I'm a big believer in offering something usable in your sales copy. People will read your letter and it lends tremendous credibility to you; if you're giving away good information how much more do you give when you're selling it?

4) Make it really easy to buy. Whatever you're selling or giving, make it super easy to sign on the dotted line. An opt-in form should be limited to three boxes (name and email). Your shopping cart should work seamlessly.

5) Display your product or service. A product should have a picture attached. Even an e-product can have a virtual cover that lends substance to it. You can go to Elance.com to take your pick from dozens of designers. If you're selling a service create a picture around it by offering specific testimonials or case studies. The idea is to encourage your prospect to see themselves benefiting directly from your offer. Very simply, if you offer a service to "make people happy", show happy people.

6) Highlight your money back guarantee. Experience proves that guarantees increase conversion significantly. An alternative to the money back guarantee is the free trial.

Focus Summary: Probably the greatest barrier to conversion is confusion. Invite an 8 year old to try to order something from your site. If they have trouble, I encourage you to continue implementing these 6 tips into your sales letter.