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The most important words you'll ever write

Written by: Mathew Tamin

Article Overview: Do you want to know the secret to selling things successfully online? It's finding the RIGHT WORDS for the job. Most visitors take 8 seconds or less to decide whether to stick around or move on to the next site. Just 8 seconds -- that's all the time you have to convince them YOUR site is where they want to be. It doesn't matter how well designed your site is... ... How high your search engine ranking is... ... Or how amazing your product is. If you don't GRAB your visitors' attention right away, they're going to leave and probably never return. Of all the words on your site, the most important are the ones in your HEADLINE. Your headline is the first thing your visitors see. It needs to capture their attention -- spark their curiosity-- and compel them to read further. And it has to do it fast.

The most important words you'll ever write

To guarantee YOUR headlines jump off the page and pull potential buyers deeper into your site, always follow TWH''s Top 3 "Unbreakable" Headline Rules: Rule #1: RELATE A PROBLEM

Most visitors, when they come to your site, are looking for information -- probably in relation to a problem they want to solve.

Maybe they're curious about local flight schools in their area. Maybe they're searching for molded chrome fenders to put on a 1953 Chevy Bel-Air. Or maybe they're trying to figure out how to "unshrink" wool clothes that accidentally ended up in the dryer.

Whatever their problem is, relate to it. Show them YOU know what it's all about. Demonstrate a clear and genuine understanding of their wants and needs -- and they'll be far more willing to buy from you.

Rule #2: PRESENT A SOLUTION

You've described a problem. Now you've got to solve it -- in a way that creates a powerful image in the mind of your visitors.

Tell your visitors they're about to discover how to get the most qualified flight instructors at the lowest price in town. Describe how their new chrome fenders will help them outshine the competition at the next state-wide car show. Promise them their wife or girlfriend will NEVER know her favorite sweater once shrank small enough to fit a chihuahua.

Get them to envision the end result -- and you're more than halfway to making the sale.

(NOTE: "How to..." and "Discover..." headlines are good at getting people to imagine the end result.)

Rule #3: FOCUS ON BENEFITS -- NOT FEATURES

People aren't so interested in what your product or service is. They want to know what it does.

Specifically, they want to know what it'll do for THEM.

Tell them they'll get the real "inside scoop" on the flight school scene -- because they'll be learning it from someone who's been a pilot in the area for more than 30 years. (Provided that's true, of course.)

Have them imagine the honks, smiles, and admiring glances their car will get every time they drive it down the road. Describe the relief they'll feel when they know they're back in their wife or girlfriend's good books.

Remember the most important question that's on all of your visitors minds -- "What's in it for ME?" -- and make sure you answer it.

Proven headlines you can outright steal

To get you started, here are five proven salescopy headline templates you can try on your site. These templates are among the most successful ever written -- and chances are they'll yield great results for you, too.

1. Warning: [Blank] -- For example:

Warning: 89% of All Online Businesses Fail in the First Year -- Will Yours Be One of Them?

2. Do You Make These Mistakes? -- For example:

Do You Make These Mistakes with Your Adsense Campaigns?

3. How [blank] Made Me [blank] -- For Example:

How One Simple Can Make you $1,000's

4. [Blank] Ways to [blank] -- For example:

7 Ways to Grow Your Blog Readership

5. If You're [blank], You Can [blank] -- For example:

If You're a Stay-at-Home Mom with a Computer, You Can Make an Extra $250 a Day

Remember, your headline can have a massive impact on your sales, so you'll want to spend lots of time on it.

We spend HOURS writing our headlines, and we often test four or five of them before we settle on one that works. But that time is always well spent.

In fact, we once made one tiny tweak to one of our headlines...

... And overnight our revenues jumped by 714%!

Once you've written a few different headlines, TEST THEM. Run them for a couple of weeks, then compare the results against other headlines. Then, tweak them and test them again!

You may have to do this a few times before you hit on one that consistently yields great results -- but it's definitely worth the effort.

(Editor's note: the article below this one talks about "power" words that have been proven to capture people's attention, so make sure you keep reading! You'll want to make sure you're using these words in your headlines.)

Of course, before you start working on your headline, first you have to know what you're going to sell...

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Article Tags: 1953 chevy bel air, chevy bel air, chihuahua, end result, fenders, flight instructors, flight school, flight schools, girlfriend, headline rules, headlines, pilot, rule 1, scoop, wool clothes



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