Your Site’s Sales Copy (Part 2)
By: John Elder posted in Internet Marketing
Hello good people!
Yesterday I talked about your web site’s copy. Today I want to expand just a little bit on that.
I talked about long and short copy.
Basically I recommended long copy as opposed to short copy.
Today I want to talk a little bit about long copy, how you should structure the layout of your long copy site.
There’s a basic format that is widely used when creating long copy web sites. It’s widely used because it works well. I use the same format whenever I create a long copy site and it always pulls good results.
Basically you start with a headline. I always use large font (size 5-7) and I center it on the page.
I could go on and on about creating compelling headlines, but this article is more a technical layout article so I’ll leave that for another time.
Next I space down and write a sub headline. For this I use regular sized font, but I make it bold.
The sub headline should expand on whatever your headline said, and at the same time create a compelling reason for the person to continue reading your copy.
After the sub headline, I begin with the body of my site’s copy.
I keep each subsequent paragraph 3 to 5 lines in length, and no longer. Why? Because people don’t like to read and I want to make it as easy as possible for them. That means small manageable paragraphs.
You’ll notice that the paragraphs of my newsletter are seldom more than 3-5 lines long. I do this for the same reason, because it’s easier to read.
I always add a double space between each paragraph. Whitespace makes it easier on the eye.
Next, every one to two paragraphs I add a one or two line sub headline which I center and make bold. This is another way to break up the long letter, and it also makes reading easier.
Often people won’t read your whole letter, but they will scan the sub headlines that are scattered throughout the copy. So those sub headlines should do two things:
- Summarize your whole letter themselves
- Create a compelling reason for the person to read the whole letter.
Next I end the letter with a call to action. Usually that’s a “Click here to Order Online Now” or something like that.
You have to TELL people to order or they won’t. Weird but true.
Next I add a PS and sometimes a PPS.
Like I said, often people won’t read your whole letter, but they will scan the sub headlines and usually they will read a PS if you have one.
So in my PS I usually either restate the main argument for buying my product, or I remind the person of a special bonus offer or something like that.
Remember, anything you can do to make the letter more readable is good. This includes breaking it up with sub headlines throughout, and adding bullets and things like that.
That’s basically the layout I’ve used time and time again and it always pulls the best results.
That’s all for today. See you next time!
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John Elder
The Marketing Fool!
