Professional web page
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When you see something that is very obvious or easy to you — you tend to not dig any further. But, if somebody just turns your head slightly, and points out a different view or angle, your eyes and ears light up in amazement. You ask: how come I couldn’t see THAT before? That’s exactly what happens when I explain to clients the process for writing and structuring their web page for sales conversions.

Furthermore, if you ask a 100 people how much they like, or what they like about a particular website design, a certain graphic, video or text on a web page layout, you’ll get close to 100 different answers. Nobody seems to agree. (Tip: if you actually want to find out what people think, try PickFU.com)

However, when it gets down to how to architect a web page copy for sales and conversion, there is a common ground all top online copywriters agree on. Users do too – even if they don’t know why – but, they tend to respond favorably.

The formula is simple. But what can you do for near perfection in web sales copy?

There are many different types of web pages. Some are more informational in type, others have a clear commercial intent (shopping-cart), and others again ask you to take several steps, fill out your information in a form to download software, or a free report, etc.

#1 – Purpose

Therefore, it’s wise to ask yourself what the purpose is of the page. What is the outcome? And, it needs to be clear. Having 3-4 different options on the same page is not smart. Pick one, a most-desired-action, and write and design to support that outcome.

#2 – Audience

Mac touch webpage
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Who are you writing for? If you were sitting across the table from the perfect prospect, what would he/she look like? I mean this in terms of age (range), income, sex, where they live, what demographics, techno-graphics and psycho-graphics they belong to.  Don’t try to be all things to all people. You can write different pages for a wider audience as you grow. Segmentation is key.

#3 – Needs Fulfillment

We talked about the purpose of the page, but you need to also make sure you understand where they come from. You can get a lot of this information from your web analytics. You’ll also know this from your online marketing campaigns — from email, from paid search (PPC), organic search (SEO) and perhaps partnership banners. There needs to be a level of consistency of copy on the page and the incoming visitor.  Therefore, it’s important to create relevant content so you can easily match it up with their “request”. We call this the $ense of information.

#4 – Copy Length

Every business is different, every market is different. However, there is no particular rule that says you need long copy versus short. How long is a piece of string?  But, the copy will match the “need” from above, and you should try to serve that request quickly. The best way to deal with this challenge, is to test it. You can use an A/B test script and balance two pages against each other, and find out which one converts best. The Web Optimizer from Google is free, and is simple enough to use.

#5 – Action!

Tell the visitor what to do when they get to your page. Make it simple. Don’t assume you know the best path. Test it, and validate from within your analytics and the lead stream/counts into your CRM. For example, if you are in the business of selling financial advice, use a “submit” button that says: “Get The FREE Money Tips Report Now”. Use action-oriented language, and tell them what to do.

In summary, if you can define and learn more about your prospects, they will become customers much faster, because you’ll have a web page with content that “speaks directly” to them.

What do you think?

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Entrepreneur Magazine says Jon Rognerud is one of the most sought-after Digital Marketing Experts. His clients extend from high-end brands and middle-tier businesses in both B2B and B2C. His SEO website optimization book, "The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Website" from Entrepreneur Press is in bookstores now.