The words on your sales pages and squeeze pages have just one job and that is to create a need for your product that motivates a click on your "Buy Now" button or "Subscribe Now" link.
That's the only reason for writing a sales page. You have choices, however, about how to do that.
Some will believe that you have to paint pictures in your reader's mind about how much better their life will be if they dig out their credit card. Examples of this technique are responsible for all those pictures of some guy leaning against the fender of a sports car or waving at the camera from the deck of a yacht. Are they real? Who knows.
But they are supposed to increase sales when you can see yourself on that yacht or driving that sports car yourself. Some words you can use for visual readers would be "imagine," "visualize," or "see."
What will you do if your reader isn't a visual dreamer, but one who needs to hear your message? Sure, you could add an audio clip on your site for those who need auditory stimulus. Even then, you would still need to have some words that gently keep your auditory reader's attention. You could use phrases like, "Listen up" or "How does that sound to you?"
The last category of readers belongs to those who need touch or feeling to make a difference in their response to your sales letters. You would use action words to capture their attention, like "Can you feel ____" or "Plant your eyeballs on this..."
Since you do not know the type of readers who will land on your page, it would be a good practice to use an assortment of those words mentioned above throughout your sales page. Just be sure to use them in a generally conversational manner...don't just throw them together in a block.
What you should never lose sight of is that you have to create a sense of trust and need with words in your visitors. That's not an easy job.
You can create that sense of trust and need by carefully considering the benefits of buying your products and presenting them in a variety of ways on your sales pages. Don't be afraid of being creative. When you can do that, your conversion rate will increase and make both you and your banker very happy.
A sure-fire way to avoid this kind of response to your photo is to book a session with a professional portrait photographer. Find out who your friends, family, and colleagues have enjoyed working with. Or search your local listings for a few choices and get references from their previous clients.
I recently had my own portrait taken, so this topic is fresh in my mind. I was excited, but dreading it at the same time. Those who know me know that I absolutely hate (with a capital "H") having my picture taken. It ranks right up there with eating peas. As you might have guessed, I hate them too.
When I needed motivation to go through with it, I remembered why I called the photographer in the first place - because it was important for my business. So I pulled up my bootstraps, chanted my "Just do it" mantra, and forged ahead.
We spent the first couple of hours inside at the studio. I changed into several different outfits so that I would have lots of options to choose from.
Then we finished up the session by going around the neighborhood for outdoor shots. This is where we took one of my favorite pictures, standing in front of a beautiful Japanese maple. Because it was almost December in North Carolina, there was not a lot of autumn scenery left, so this was a lucky find.
A couple of more trips to the studio to pick out photos and pick up the CD, and I was done. Hallelujah.
To get the most out of my new photos, I plastered my favorites all over my website, eNewsletter, business cards, brochures, flyers, article bank profiles, promotional materials, and I am now planning on getting a large magnet done for my car.
Just think of all your current marketing materials that could benefit from having a fresh new picture of you!
Besides refreshing your marketing materials, there are a number of other benefits to adding a professional photo:
1) Credibility. Displaying a photo creates a sense of legitimacy and transparency, particularly in conjunction with a phone number and street address. These will all lend credibility to your website and other materials, by the simple fact that you're not trying to hide.
2) Connection. People will relate and connect to you more easily if they know what you look like. For those of us who work purely in a virtual world, putting a name to a face really makes a difference.
You may think that displaying your picture on your website or blog is enough. In reality, your photo should be on all of your marketing materials. The brain remembers images more easily than names.
If you're already following my advice about marketing to your clientele regularly, now you'll have your face in front of them as well as your name.
3) Great PR. Having professional photos in downloadable format (at least 300dpi) is a must if you want people to hire you, quote you in the press, or promote you as a speaker.
Trying to do-it-yourself is just not going to cut it. Your current web photo is most likely at 72 dpi for fast viewing. If you try to stretch or reconfigure that photo for print purposes or even for a larger version on another web page, you could end up with is a fuzzy distorted caricature. Definitely not the impression you want to make! Read November’s Tech e-Tips for my opinion on that.
Another great option is to add a "Press" or "Media" section on your website that includes a selection of high-resolution photos, as well as your biography. And don’t forget to highlight your expertise by posting your articles in PDF format for easy printing.
So hire the best photographer you can afford and put in the time and effort needed for this essential marketing tool. You will increase your credibility, create a better impression, and provide that personal connection with your audience. What's more, you will be far ahead of the game when the media comes knocking at your door.