Contributing Writer: Hans Klein
What you are about to hear could double, triple, or even quadruple your online
sales if you avoid the following mistakes.
Just the other day one of my e-zine subscribers requested a Web site review.
The person asking for a review said that he had just reworked his sales letter,
and it was only pulling in ½ percent sales conversion rate.
A half percent is not terrible, but it is certainly not good. So I opened up
the Web site and took a look around. The Web site seemed to follow all the common
Internet marketing rules. It had a nice layout; there were no grammar mistakes,
and it had a very professional feel to it.
So I started reading the sales letter further and it hit me… the mistake
was tiny, but extremely important at the same time. The problem was all in the:
1. Subheadlines - The person I was reviewing had a benefit-packed and
intriguing headline, but he forgot about powerful, benefit-filled subheadlines.
By leaving out powerful subheadlines, the Web site didn't attract all the visitors
who were in a hurry and just needed to know what it was all about before they
completely read the copy. So I let the subscriber know about this little discovery,
and a few weeks later, he emailed me back to let me know how much this little
change had helped him.
When I sat down to write this article, I thought about how common this problem
is and about the other problems I see a lot. So here is the list.
2. Focus on a single goal. - When I first started selling products on
the Internet, I made the fatal mistake of giving the visitor too many options.
I had three different products that offered the same benefits. The visitor then
became confused, and they did not know which one to choose.
After a while, making absolutely no sales, I decided to choose one product
and focus on it. The result was immediate sales and less confused prospects.
3. Too many graphics - I enjoy looking at graphics, but not if it takes
over 30 boring seconds of starring at a blank screen before the Web site comes
up.
When designing your webpage, you must keep in mind who is looking at your site.
There are many people who still have a slow Internet connection and if you Web
site takes too long to load, they will just click away to another site.
Yes, graphics do make your Web site look more professional, but you must weigh
balancing loading time with how attractive you want you site to look.
4. Web site compatibility - There are many different settings on your
different visitor's computers, and it is very difficult to make your Web site
look perfect on every computer. Keep in mind that your visitors may use Netscape,
AOL, Internet Explorer, or even the Opera browser, and each one makes your Web
site look different.
In addition to different browsers, many people have their screen resolution
set at the various settings which also changes how your Web site will look.
"So what do I do?"
I have two quick solutions for you:
- www.anybrowser.com
- This Web site will put you in the shoes of your different prospects, and
you will see your Web site through their eyes.
- Download the different browser, and check them whenever you make a change,
they are free.
5. Make it easy to read - People are busy, and they don't have all day
to squint at computer screens and read long, drawn-out paragraphs.
That's why you should:
- Have, at most, 5 concise sentences per paragraph. You should really aim
for 3.
- Use lots of bullet points, so you visitors can quickly get the information
they need.
- White space is a reader's friend. Try to create lots of room, so the visitor
can easily read your Web site.
- Put your entire sales letter on one page because you will lose a significant
number of visitors if you ask them to continue reading on to a separate page.
People are lazy, and if they don't have a substantial benefit to click on,
they won't.
These common Web site mistakes can make the difference between getting a few
sales and getting a massive number of sales. That's how marketing works. If
people like what you say, they read on, and, if not they become turned off and
move on. So your goal is to communicate with people, gain their trust, and you
WILL make the sale!
==========================
100% Free- Discover more Internet marketing tips, tricks and strategies to quickly
and easily promote your business or product on the Internet. Just visit www.WealthStarters.com
to learn more. Plus for the month of February you can receive a free bonus "These
7 Secrets Make Cash Like Clockwork" by Marlon Sanders.
==========================
