This is for when you're pre-selling, trying to convince them to go to the sales page but are not writing an article or a review.

There are people who claim that graphics is what keep people on their pages.  Saw this in the Forum, here at WA.  

Images, especially images of pretty faces, do slow people down, they have to look.  But if the site doesn't have a good headline nearby, the visitors move on to the next site. I've done it myself once or twice, stopped on a site, distracted from my quest, by the image of a pretty woman with high pectoral IQ.  You've done it too.

Did you stay on the site?  If yes, it was because there was a headline, a subtitle close to the image that caught your attention.

A good page will have a great headline (a pretty face, man or woman, near the headline), and great copy.  

A great line identifies the target customer you're after in such a way that he/she has instantly recognizes herself/himself.  While all the other people who come across your page instantly figure out your page is not for them.  

Compare the following headlines:

Attention!

Attention Dog Owners!

Attention Dalmatian Dog Owners!

Attention Dalmatian Puppy Owners!  Or Attention Female Dalmatian Owner!

The last two are very specific.  If you own a Dalmatian puppy and you come across "Attention Dalmatian Puppy Owners!" you're going to be intrugued.

The next thing you have to do is a sub-title (sub-headline).  Which as to tell them what the site (page) is about.

Attention Dalmatian Puppy Owners!

Stop Your Dalmatian Puppy From Chewing Your Sofa Legs

Learn How To Stop Your Dalmatian Puppy From Peeing All Over Your Floors

Then you need to write the first paragraph.  The first paragraph has to describe their problem, rub it in their face (in a nice way, so they get pissed off at the problem, not at you) and at the same time show them that you understand them, that you know what you're talking about.

I'm not into pets.  I don't get the concept at all.  So my example will most likely strike dog-lovers as not 100% convincing on the last part.  If Dalmatian puppies are not into chewing sofa legs, they've already figured that part out.

Anyway, consider the following openings:

Your puppy pees all over your floors and you don't like it.  

Aren't you tired of your puppy peeing all over your floors?

Aren't you tired of coming home from a hard day at work only to find that your Dalmatian puppy has peed on the floors again?

Aren't you tired of coming home from a hard day at work only to step in Dalmatian puppy pee?

You've had a hard day at work.  You finished the project on time, but your boss was in a bad mood and chewed your ass anyway.  But you're not happy when the day is over.  You're not sure what you're going to find when you get home.  Will you find your carpet soaked in puppy pee?  Will you have to wash the carpet again?  Worse, has the carpet got now to a point where washing doesn't help anymore?  Where you have to spend your hard earned money to change a carpet that should have lasted you at least 3 more years?

Then you have to tell them they can put all that stress away, you have a solution.  You then describe the solution.  Make sure the solution really is a solution, and that you clearly show how it is the solution to that particular problem.  I.e.,

This e-book will show you 17 things to do to get your puppy to stop peeing on carpets.  It will teach your puppy 3 ways of telling you it needs to go.  It will teach your puppy to love peeing outside, specifically, on grass.

About this time, you should also make an offer. Or present the offer the product seller is making at the time. The better the offer, the better your copy.  But you don't control that.  Unless you want to make an additional one.  Like, buy this product by the end of the month and I'll give you $10 back (with proof of purchase). (Giving money back is not a great idea but is a great offer, from the buyer's point of view.   Your offer should be something that costs you little and only one time, like an information product, an e-book to go along with whatever they're buying.

To stick with the peeing Dalmatian, you could put together a report on how to properly feed a Dalmatian, or on the problems the breed has and how to know that your dog has the problem and what to do about it.)

This gets you half way to the sale.  What you do now depends whether you're selling your own product or promoting someone else's.

Since most people here do the latter, I'll just cover that.

First, you have to give them guarantees, take the risk from buying the stuff.  To do that, you just tell them what the product owner guarantees. If it's a good product with an owner that understands this kind of thing, it will be something like: Your money back, no questions asked, if you let me know in the first 30 days.

But you don't just want them to buy.  You want them to buy through your link.  So you add your own guarantee.  Something like: if you email me a copy of the receipt, I'll send you X.  If I fail to send it to you within 15 days, I will give you X amount of dollars.  

Now, if they don't know either you or the product seller from Adam, your word is not good enough.  They still can't be sure that the product works, that the product owner stands by his/her guarantee, that you stand by yours.  So you bring in social proof, testimonials.  Things like, as seen on TV work.  

Testimonials.  If someone says, I use product x. It's excellent, you have a worthless testimonial.  

Testimonials have to address objections.  (Works best if you address the objection in your copy, then bring one or more testimonial to support it.)

I was about to give away my Dalmatian puppy.  I just don't have enough money to change carpets that often.  I came across product x.  Within 3 days, I got my puppy to nozzle my calf, then go to the doors and bump the door with his nose 3 times every  time he needs to pee.  Better yet, if I'm busy and don't notice, he does it again and again till I do.  And he hold it till he's outside.

You should have at least 1 testimonial for every possible objection.

Lastly, you should have at least 1 PS (but more is better).  The reason?  Lot's of people aren't going to read your fine copy. They'll read the headline and sub-headline, they'll skim through the offer.  Maybe.

So you want a PS for every important point:

1 for the offer

1 for the seller's guarantee

1 for your guarantee

 Best thing to do, don't be bland.  Which means you don't say things like:

Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

You say, instead,

If I don't give you the x information product within 3 days of purchase or if you think it's garbage, I'll eat my hat and give you $30 back.  (If I weren't tired, I'd have come up with something better.  When you come up with yours, don't be tired.)

Voila, or shall I say wualah?