Explain Your
Features Or Specifications Thoroughly
Have you noticed that, so far, we really haven't explained much about the
product or service we are selling? That's because you're not trying to sell a product or service; you are trying
to sell benefits. Benefits sell products, and once the decision to buy has been made (which is typically an
emotional response), then you can start to list the features or specifications of the product or service in
detail.
If you were to try doing it the other way around, you would more than
likely bore people to tears. Ever have the uncomfortable experience of walking into an electronics store and
being assailed by a tech geek trying to sell you the latest computer based on the features and specs of the
machine?
Odds are, you don't know why you'd want a certain speed of machine, why
one video resolution is better than another, or what any of those weird terms the guy is spouting mean. It's
just plain awkward. You aren't there to buy a particular machine based on the specs and features. You are there
to buy a machine that solves your problems and makes your life easier.
If those features and specs do that, great! But no one wants to know how
they work; they just want things to work. They also definitely don't want to have to guess from the features of
specifications how that machine is going to work out for them. They want to be told how it solves their problems
and benefits them personally. The same is true of any sales copy you write to sell products or services on the
Internet. Benefits sell; product features and specifications should be detailed, but only after the benefits are
listed and clearly explained.
Be Precise and Honest
No matter what you are selling, try to give a very thorough detailing of
the products and specifications. Are you selling a CD set of seminars for financial investing? Then clearly
state how many CDs are in the set, how many hours of seminars they'll enjoy, and what types of exercises or
teaching is involved. Don't just detail the products, though. Get them to understand how they can expect to
receive the product and the timetable for delivery.
Whatever you promise in the features and specifications should be exactly
what you deliver. If you want a repeat customer, don't try to con anyone into buying something that is actually
less than what you've stated. Particularly in these harsh economic times where no one wants to lose money,
delivering a product or service that actually exceeds the customer's expectation is the best way to retain loyal
customers. That's what you want at a time when paying customers can be sparse and hard to find.
Include Powerful Images
The Internet is the perfect medium, not just for sales copy, but also for
inserting images that create that emotional reaction that is going to lead to a sale. People tend to react much
more strongly to images than to words, and while people can escape from reading your copy by scanning the page,
it's not possible with images. If you want to really grab the reader and make him/her want to read your copy, be
sure to add some powerful images to the sales letter. Here is the correct way to do this.
The Top Of Your Sales Page
Add a banner image that can really spur the imagination of your reader
and get him/her excited about your copy. It's not enough to just put a logo or a bland image of your product;
instead, tie it into your headline. Are you talking about how the biggest benefit of your product is that it
keeps you from wasting paper? Why not show an image of someone drowning in paper and trying to find that one
piece of paper they need to complete a project. Then, the headline can tie into the picture with the benefit
that relates to the picture.
Spread Throughout The Copy
Add images every couple of pages or so to bring the reader through your
copy as he/she scans the sales page. Be sure to put a witty subheading on the image to bring out the point you
are trying to make. Keep these images much smaller than the banner image as they are meant to draw the reader
further into the copy, not to hog the limelight or steal the show.
Using Triggers With Images
Some of the ways to impact the psychology of the reader who visits your
sales page is to use visual triggers. Humor is a sure way to draw the reader into your copy; just be careful not
to make it crass, unprofessional, or so simplistic that it insults the reader. There's a fine line between humor
and disgust.
Hitting the right note can lead to a wonderful way to connect to the
reader and bring them into a more intimate relationship with your products and services. The best types of humor
are the ones that take some common facet of human behavior and lightly pokes fun at it. It immediately brings in
the reader who can relate to the image and helps to put them in position of being able to laugh at the human
condition. It's absurd, but it can also be an opportunity to sell your biggest benefit if your products or
services are able to confront that situation and provide a result.
Promote Value Offers
And Bonuses
During tough economic times, the single biggest marketing strategy is to
provide value. Consumers, these days, are seeking value like they haven't since the advent of the Great
Depression. It's not enough that your product has the best features in the market; it has to be the best value
too. That means that you will have to prove to the visitor who stops by your sales page that he/she is getting
exceptional value for his/her money. There are several ways to do this without actually having to come out and
compete on price.
Increase Perceived Value
Value is very subjective. Often, it's not price that determines value;
it's the quality of the offer. That's why benefits sell. The more benefits something provides, the higher the
perceived value of a product. To increase perceived value, you want to make sure that you provide much more
product, or quality of product, for the price than what your competitors are willing to provide. Bonuses to the
offer, especially when you use the word “free,” tend to really excite customers who love getting something extra
for nothing. It's also a great way to increase the perceived value of an offering.
Some Values That Are Important Now
Also, the type of benefit is important when determining value. You won't
find many people wanting to buy housing as an investment right now. However, housing as shelter is a good value
in many depressed markets. How you frame the offer to get it to sell is dependent on the value that the consumer
wants, not the value that your product actually has in the marketplace. So, frame your offer using some
desirable values in today's marketplace: economy, frugality, longevity, quality, smart buys. Things like
convenience or luxury just aren't good values to sell on right now when money is so tight that people are
willing to give these features up to get better value for their money.
Price Is Important, But...
It's not the only thing. Don't compete on price to raise the value of
your offering. This is financial suicide. If everyone competes on price, there will be very little profit to be
made and you'll soon be out of business. Instead, focus on adding value through things that cost little money,
but create an impression of high value, like infoproducts, higher customer service, and potential usefulness and
longevity of your offerings.
Maintain A Suitable Online Presence
If you are selling computers, your online presence will want to focus on
an image of professionalism and efficiency. If you are selling skateboards online, the image you want is to be
fun and up on the latest skating trends. You want your online persona to be authentic, and also suitable to the
market niche if you are using it to sell your products or services. Not everyone wants to be known as an expert
in the products and services they target, but those that do have to pay special attention to this
area.
Online consumers are very savvy, and putting your name in a search engine
is going to bring up everything you've got online. Don't try to play games by presenting one online image one
place and another somewhere else. Be as authentic as possible and develop your credibility this way. At the very
least, keep from associating with other people of dubious character or whose values contradict with those of the
image you are trying to present for yourself personally or for your business.
Authenticity Counts
You may have a profile on several social networking sites. If that's the
case, you know that authenticity counts. You can't put up a fake name, fake interests, or fake credentials and
not eventually be tripped up by it. People talk about other people, and you want to make sure that what's being
said about, particularly online, is positive and beneficial to your business. The way to ensure that is to be as
honest and open as you can be about who you are and what your products and services are about.
Sponsored Or Celebrity Testimonials
Some people pay for testimonials to help them achieve instant credibility
in the eyes of the public. Sometimes, it is a venture partner who wants to promote your products and services
for free because they benefit him too and he has more experience and credibility in the field than you. Having
his or her name in a testimonial can generate sales. Other times, you get people to sponsor your products
because they are a celebrity. Either way, if something happens that makes that celebrity or sponsor appear to
violate the professional image you need to sell your products, you have to remove their testimonials and sever
the relationship with them. Only associate with people who can promote the image you need to be consistent in
the values you are promoting. Bad press for them can definitely mean bad press for you and loss of sales. Guard
your professional online reputation very well by making sure the things being said online about you are
positive.
Ordering: A Call To Action
Every sales page should have a call to action. You might think that
visitors have enough self-initiative to find the “Buy Now” button and click on it. Often, that's not the case.
People should be led every step of the way through your sales page so that they know what's expected of them and
what you can offer them in return. It may seem simplistic, but asking for the sale is one of the most important
things you need in your sales page. It can literally double your effectiveness by making that call to
action.
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