When writing sales letters for online products, it’s easy to get preoccupied with the actual product. Sure, talking about the product and demonstrating its benefits is hugely important, but there’s much more to successful sales letters than waxing lyrical about the product!
You see, there are 6 crucial “add-ons” that absolutely HAVE to be included in your sales letters if you want to maximise conversions, and over the next few minutes, I’m going to tell you exactly what they are…
1. The Headline
Okay, it’s an obvious one I know, but you’d be amazed at just how many people neglect to give the headline enough care and attention. The fact is, headlines are absolutely crucial, not only on sales letters, but on media publications, magazines and newspapers, too. The Sun, for instance, is famous for its catchy headlines which use amusing word play and puns to attract customers, and they’re masters at utilising them to generate sales. So when writing your sales letters, you need to make sure that your headline is either intriguing, shocking, eye-catching or downright controversial! You need to capture your prospect’s attention so that they stay on your sales letter and read further down the page…
2. The Testimonial
When it comes to writing sales letters, the product owner is obviously a little biased! And the prospect knows this. Therefore, however much you claim the product or service in question will change their life for the better, make them richer, help them lose weight, etc, your reader will require third-party proof. And what do I mean by that? Well, I’m talking about a testimonial from someone not directly associated with the product owner who can vouch for its quality and effectiveness. Include a few of these on your sales letters and you immediately look a lot more credible to your potential buyer. The best testimonials are those that include a picture and a full name and location, while a website address can also be beneficial because it will enable the prospect to check out the person giving the testimonial, if they wish to. The worst testimonials are those with no image that simply say something like “Mary K”. They mean absolutely nothing, and even if they are genuine, they certainly don’t look it!
3. The Money-Back Guarantee
When your prospects are hovering over the order button, considering whether or not to buy, many of their thoughts will revolve around risk. Can these guys be trusted? Will I receive my product? Will I get my money back if I don’t like it? These are typical concerns which practically all customers will have, so it’s vital that you take away all of the risk associated with the purchase and provide your prospect with complete peace of mind. If they see that you have a full, money-back guarantee, then you’ll immediately appear more trustworthy and honest, and the chances of them purchasing from you will increase. If you turn your offer into a risk-free trial, rather than a risky non-refundable purchase, you’ll soon see the difference in the conversion rate, and that’s a guarantee!
4. The Postscript
As a direct response copywriter with many years of experience writing sales letters for clients, experience has taught me that a lot of your prospects will read your headline and then head straight for the important part of your sales letter – the price! So essentially, they will be skipping a lot of the copy and scrolling right down to the bottom of the page. So in order to maximise your chances of converting these types of prospects, you need to include a postscript, or four! A postscript is simply the information that you write next to the P.S. sign at the end of your sales letters, and it provides a great opportunity for highlighting the main benefits of the product, and any other information designed to encourage them to act quickly, such as discounts or deadlines for ordering. And for prospects who have read all of your sales letter, the postscript is still a great tool for reminding them of why they must have your product!
5. The Bonuses
These days, consumers expect a lot more for their money, whether it’s on the high street or online. And internet marketers have cottoned onto the need to provide added value in order to secure a sale. The fact is, it’s simply not enough anymore to sell one product, and one product only, especially when your major competitors in the industry are offering bonuses themselves. Indeed, whatever you’re selling, there will be many other products just like it available online, so it’s imperative that you stand out from the competition and give your prospects more value. And of course, the easiest way of doing this is to offer a series of relevant and useful bonuses towards the end of your sales letters to create greater perceived value. Ultimately, if your visitors feels as though they’re getting great value for money by signing up to your offer, they will be a lot more likely to click on that order button.
6. The Call to Action
Finally, you need to make it clear what you want your visitors to do towards the end of your sales copy. Many sales letters I see just come to an abrupt end, and then a “BUY NOW” button appears out of the blue! This method is crude and not nearly as effective as a proper call to action, which cajoles and encourages the reader to click on the order button with sentences like; “To secure your copy of Belly-Buster 3000 today, and lock in your 50% discount, click on the order button below… You’ll be given immediate access to your very own explosive fat-busting secrets, so you can start shedding those pounds right away and get that flat stomach you’ve always wanted!” See, it’s a lot more effective than BUY NOW isn’t it?!
If you add these 6 components to your future sales letters, I can assure you that more of your visitors will hang around on your sales page, and more of them will click on that order button!
