What do you want new visitors to find when they click on a
link and arrive at your site?
1. Do you want to present first-time visitors with
something like a brochure, that has a home page giving
information and links to products?
2. Would you want your new visitors to find an online
catalogue that offers a variety of products and services?
3. Or, do you want your visitors to arrive at a focused,
straightforward sales page promoting one specific product
or service?

Your decisions regarding these three questions determine
the profitability of your web site. If you've gone to the
effort and expense of getting traffic, do what you can to
get as much value as possible from their visits. Here are
some suggestions.

Common sense is supported by market research, which
clearly shows that confused site visitors don't buy. If a
visitor encounters too many choices, they leave,
overwhelmed. Most of the time, once they're gone, they're
gone forever. Your objective is to encourage them to stick
around. Make it easy for new visitors to become your
customer or client.

Basically, you can accomplish this in one of a couple
different ways.

One method: using a brochure-type page to offer useful
information, give the reader a compelling reason to opt-in
to your email list. Perhaps offer something of value that
they can get for fr~ee: a digital download, subscription to
a newsletter, a special report, etc. This type of site is
usually called a "capture page." You follow up via email
with the visitor, giving additional information and making
offers of products for sale. Remember always to include in
your emails instructions for people to unsubscribe to your
list, and in every other way, comply with CAN-SPAM Act
requirements.

Option two: use a sales page promoting a single item that
has a fairly low price-point, and is likely to appeal
widely to your target market. This is the opening to your
marketing funnel. This item should demonstrate the quality
of your product or service, leading to repeat business
because you offer true value. Once an individual has made a
purchase with you, then you introduce your new client to
the broader range of products and prices. Since they know
you deliver and they know they can trust you, they're more
willing to wade through a little bit of information about
products they don't want right now to get to information
about things you have that do interest them. Also, once
they are in your data-base, you can contact them again
later when you have special promotions and new products.

In general, it is not a good idea to present a first-time
visitor with a catalogue site. It might seem impressive to
have lots of products at a range of prices and to have
distracting graphics, too. But it doesn't work. Think about
it: you've got just a few seconds to grab the interest of a
first-time visitor who is following links as they search
for something online. The best way to capture their
attention is to have a single, compelling headline.
Encourage them to stay at your site with good sales copy
and an excellent, beneficial offer.

Especially if you've paid for the visitor who has arrived
at your site, you naturally want to get your return on
investment (ROI). Many online business owners believe that
ROI means one thing: making an immediate sale. However,
savvy online business owners realize the lifetime value of
their clientele is key to success, and comes from
developing relationships. Online, this usually takes the
form of email follow-up.

That is why you have the big beautiful catalogue site.
It's for later, after the prospect has become your client.
Once they know you provide good service and a high quality
product and you've got a relationship underway, use your
catalogue site for back-end sales aplenty.

Now, you have a rationale to help you decide which type of
page to use. When you are preparing your 'capture page' or
your sales page for a single item, find copy writing
resources on-line. Depending on your skills and budget, the
resources could range from hiring a professional copy
writer, to using copy writing products, to writing the page
yourself. The list below is of the minimum, the nine
essential elements, of a profitable page.

1. Headline
2. The Story
3. Credibility
4. Benefits
5. Features
6. Bonuses
7. Value build-up
8. Ordering information
9. Post Script

Search for several examples of the type of page you want
to create. Then, use these nine items as a checklist to
study the models you've found. Using the models you've
selected for inspiration, you or your copy writer will
create your unique way of saying it and applying it to your
product. You'll find that copy writing is largely about
using a formula. If you follow good models and use your own
words, you'll enjoy and profit from the results.

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