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Help Web Site Visitors Say that Silent “Yes”.

To turn visitors into customers or subscribers, you need them to say Yes...

and not only as they begin to complete that final form, but a number of times before that also.

Here is a checklist of the times you need a visitor to say Yes.

1. Yes, I think this site could help me...

This moment takes place within two or three seconds of a visitor arriving at your site for the very first time.

He or she has something in mind, he’s looking for something. Those first few seconds will result in him either thinking, “Yes, it looks like I’m in the right place”...or not.

This means that you need to get your basic value proposition very clearly communicated on the first screen. Use short words and short sentences.

If people can’t figure out what you do and what you offer in those first few seconds, many of them will leave.

2. Yes, I’m pretty confident I can find exactly what I’m looking for...

We’re now a few more seconds into that first visit. Your visitor thinks maybe he’s in the right place, but now he’s scanning the subheads and link text. He’s thinking, “Yes, they sell widgets, but I wonder if they carry the Widget 45XT.”

He doesn’t want to spend too long on the site if you don’t have what he wants. So he’s looking for clues. He wants to see a short piece of text that will make him confident that you have what he’s looking for.

3. Yes, I have enough information here to feel comfortable about moving ahead...

Now he has found the page with information about the Widget 45XT, and he’s reading the detailed text. Before he makes a purchase, he wants to be sure that this is the exact widget he needs.

Are you telling him enough? Are you making feel comfortable about moving forward and making a purchase?

4. Yes, I trust these people enough to give them my email address and credit card information...

Can he trust you? Has he heard of your site or business before? Is he willing to share his personal and credit card information?

The answer is probably yes. But you need to reassure him.

Use testimonials. Join BBBOnline and similar organizations, and show their logos.

Offer a cast-iron guarantee, so the purchase is seen as entirely risk-free.

5. Yes, I want this badly enough that I’m prepared to go through the undoubtedly painful process of completing their unnecessarily long subscription or purchase pages...

Here is the spot at which you will lose a lot of potential customers at the last moment.

Completing overly-long purchase or subscription pages is a pain for everyone.

And the longer the form, the more people you will lose.

So keep the number of questions and fields to an absolute minimum. Ask yourself how much you really need to ask in order to accept an order. And don’t ask for anything else. You can always come back and ask more questions later.

Concluding thoughts...

All too often we focus our attention on writing a great home page and sales page, with varying degrees of success.

However, the process of having a prospect sign up or buy is more complex that that. You need to look carefully at the entire sales pathway, page by page, line by line.

And always ask yourself the question, “Is this page or headline or block of text going to help my reader say Yes?”

Resource Reviews:

Selling Yourself as a Copywriter: How to Earn $100,000 a Year

This is course is for ambitious freelance copywriters who recognize they could make a lot more money if they worked harder at promoting their business and finding better-paying clients. Read my review of 'Selling Yourself'...

Secrets of Writing for the Business to Business Market

There are 8 million business-to-business companies out there. And they all need good sales copy. The opportunity in B2B copywriting is huge, and this 350+ page course tells you everything you need to know about getting your own slice of the market. Read my review and find out how...

Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

This is the course I always recommend for anyone who wants to learn how to write copy that generates results. Perfect for direct marketers, and also excellent for online copywriters who want to increase conversion rates. Read my review of Michael Masterson's copywriting course...

DOUBLE Your Profits in 12 Months Or LESS!

This 215-page e-book by Clayton Makepeace gets to the heart of what it takes to be a successful copywriter. He gives advice not only on how to write great copy, but also on how to be a great marketer. It's a killer combination. Read my review of this excellent book...

Writing For the Web #1

7 Challenges every Writer and Copywriter faces when writing for the Web

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My Courses and Guides

Breakthrough Freelance Success - a course for ambitious freelancers.

Nick Usborne's How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites.

Nick Usborne's online copywriting course

Copywriting 2.0 - Your Complete Guide to Writing Web Copy that Converts

Nick Usborne's
Writing Kick-Ass Website Sales Copy

Writing Rituals

A guide to help writers and copywriters increase their levels of productivity.