Sell More by Testing your Web Headlines and Home Page

by Judy Cullins

A client asked me, "At what point do you change your Web site when not making enough sales?" My answer? Within a month or so because as long as your ad copy is weak, those weak sales numbers will continue. My Web master says "It depends on how much traffic you're getting. If you are getting a lot of traffic but no sales, you should change it a lot sooner."

Your coach is number three on Google and 35 other search engines. While my site's hits are high, I noticed a less than 1% conversion rate for one top eBook. The culprit? My sales letter for that book.

Ways to Reach your Web Sales Dream

Test your Web site headlines and home page content to be sure your sales message is strong. Use a casual marketing survey. Send different Web site parts such as each headline that takes the visitor to the sales letter or the sales letter itself to your friends, business associates, other writers, and editors.

Say, Dear friends and Associates, "I need your brain." My Web site is not selling "Quadruple your Online Sales Within Four Months with Free Articles" as well as I want. Will you rate each of these parts?

1) Home page and sales letter headlines. Includes four or five varieties of one headline. Ask your associates which headlines convince them to look further or buy your product or service. To make things simple ask them to vote from 1-5.

2) The "who" I am. Include several blurbs on your bio. Ask your associates to vote from 1-5 and add new phrases they think are stronger. Remember, you site is not about you. It is about your potential customers. Make sure your bio is short enough to make room for what counts--benefits.

3) Benefits and features. Know that you need to answer the question by your visitor, "What's in it for me?" From a working list of 5-10 benefits and 5-10 features, choose the top few to include on your web site home page. Benefits are outcomes your buyers want after they use your product or service. Examples of benefits are: more consistent higher income, saving time and money, or creating a balanced life. Benefits sell, features explain or describe your product.

Features include phrases such as "5 steps to...," or "7 Sure-fire ways to ..." Once you know the difference, then you can combine them to read something like this: "7 Sure-fire ways to increase profits from your eBook."

In your survey, ask your people which phrases convince you to buy?

Give people a finish line (some people call it a deadline) so you can gather this valuable information quickly. Offer a free report or eBook to anyone who takes the time to respond. Give them all the vital contact information in your signature file at the bottom with links to your email to make it easy to contact you.

Bring those visitors back for more, applauding you and saying BRAVO! They will create a buzz about your great site, and send you many more visitors through word of mouth. These visitors are your personal 24/7 marketing team.