One-Product Sales Sites: Avoid These Top Blunders

One product, one long web page: this kind of web site is sometimes called a sales letter site or mini-site, and it focuses on one and only one goal, as many sales of that one product as possible. With a one-product sales site, no distractions, no subsidiary goals, such as newsletter signups, are allowed to interfere with that goal. So let's look at some common mistakes and omissions for a sales letter site.

Your headline serves as the key point of orientation for the reader and should be as strongly worded and pointedly targeted as you can manage. Do not use the name of your product as the headline - that's a weak marketing message.

Instead, dramatize either the problem solved by your product or the solution offered, or both. For instance:

Discover Your Family's Roots Through Easy, Fun Internet Research

You can often add a subhead after the headline for even greater punch:

Turn Words into Money with Copy That Even a Skinflint Can't Resist!

Get a Juicier Return on Investment from Your Marketing With the Easy-to-Apply Secrets in This New Manual

Normally you want to start your sales page by building rapport with the reader with respect to the problem or goal at hand. Make sure, however, that you not only make your case in a positive way for your product but also address and head off each and every worry, objection or doubt the reader might have about buying your product. For instance, how can you know so much about knee injuries if you're not a doctor? Or, do these money-saving strategies apply if I live in Canada or Bermuda?

The biggest worry people have buying online from companies or individuals they've never heard of is, are you trustworthy? Am I going to get what I order and have some recourse if it's a pile of crap? A money-back guarantee goes part of the way toward assuaging this, as do testimonials, but just as important, and much more often neglected, is posting a mailing address and telephone number for the vendor.

If it's a physical product that will be shipped, make sure you explicitly say how and when it will be shipped and whether you can ship it anywhere in the world for that price. Don't make the reader click through to the order form to learn how much your product costs, or how much it costs with shipping.

As your copy builds toward its conclusion, remember to include what marketers term the "call to action": explicitly ask for the order. Do so prominently, so that someone skipping down the page can quickly find the "order now" button. Even better, insert an order button or link near the top of the page so that someone who arrives already wanting to buy can do so immediately.

When you've built the strongest possible case for your product and orchestrated your pitch properly, consider the formatting of your sales page. Since this sort of site doesn't have a left navigation bar, the column of text often ends up much too wide for comfortable reading. Studies have shown that paragraphs wider than six or seven inches are difficult to read on a computer screen. Add blank columns to the left and right of your sales copy to narrow it to that width.

Make sure too that paragraphs go on no more than seven lines, and a long run of paragraphs is broken up by subheads. And make those subheads interesting and meaty. Someone who skims down the page should be able to get the gist of your marketing message just from reading the subheads.

Marcia Yudkin is the author of Web Site Marketing Makeover and 10 other books. A four-time Webby Awards judge and internationally famous marketing consultant, she critiques web sites and performs web site makeovers for clients. Learn more about her detailed critique sessions on five different kinds of web sites (including one-product sites) at http://www.yudkin.com/websitequiz.htm .

limousine Ackley .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

A virtual private network can help ensure your information remains security and your privacy remains intact. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Artificial intelligence-based cameras are giving air defense operators unprecedented capabilities in monitoring and protecting airspace.
Apple's iOS 18.1 Inactivity Reboot automatically reboots your iPhone if it hasn't been used or unlocked for more than three days, providing better data protection.
An inventor designed rooftop solar panels for a Tesla that draws solar energy while the car is parked, adding travel mileage without plugging in.
There are currently no laws governing what artificial intelligence can and cannot do with the information it gathers; here are 10 things to avoid telling AI chatbots to keep yourself safe.
A credit union with over 240,000 members recently revealed it was targeted by cybercriminals, resulting in a data breach that was part of a two-month attack by hackers.
Scammers have become skilled at creating convincing fake websites that can easily fool unsuspecting users. The CyberGuy offers tips to protect yourself.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
CAPTCHAs, which are used by websites to confirm whether users are people or bots, are harmless, but hackers are using them to infect PCs with malware.
Hackers recently leaked personal information of about 500,000 Americans and stole patient medical records that included lab results and insurance details.
The holiday season sees a rise in mobile shopping scams. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to stay safe.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a VPN enhances online banking security by encrypting data and protecting privacy.
Beware of these six sneaky holiday scams. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives you tips to avoid falling victim.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to securely back up and factory reset your Android to protect your privacy and data.
Artificial intelligence is making life easier for cybercriminals, allowing them to create elaborate scams to trick people. Kurt the Cyberguy explains how to protect yourself.
Cut through all the digital clutter and delete multiple emails from your Android simultaneously. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how it's done.
Tips to prevent your holiday decorations from being stolen
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson lays out the immediate steps you should take if your phone has been hacked and your personal information becomes vulnerable.
Fraudsters are sending people bogus invoices through PayPal as part of a sneaky scam that is going around; here's how to protect yourself from being fooled.
A former Colgate-Palmolive employee was shocked to discover $750,000 had been drained from her 401(k) account. "CyberGuy" offers tips on how to prevent identity theft.
Electric vehicle maker Harbinger recently showed its electric delivery truck can handle icy roads with agility and stability in winter.
To make the busiest time of year more manageable, here are some tricks for tracking your packages, taking quality family photos and curating the perfect Christmas playlist.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how to keep your online Amazon gift purchases a secret from loved ones or friends this holiday season.

Adding the Right Keywords to Your Website Content

You've made your website, added a great title and keywords... Read More

How To Design A Web Site

I'm not a professional web site designer and openly admit... Read More

Simple Steps To Proper Web Design

Over the course of the last decade, the Internet has... Read More

Professional Web Design Companies - How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off

Building a website that is exactly what you want and... Read More

5 Ways To Improve Your Website Immediately

If you are reading this, I assume you either have... Read More

How To Create A Homepage That Works

Want to know what the worst thing to say on... Read More

What to Ask Your Web Designer

If you need a web designer, but have no clue... Read More

Make it Clear What Your Website is About

Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More

Top Ten Website Design Secrets for Internet Marketing Success

When it comes to marketing your website, you should really... Read More

Setting Up a Website

Where does a person start when setting up a website?... Read More

What Does Your Website Say About Your Business?

QUESTION: My business is very small, just me and... Read More

Creating the Perfect Website - A beginners Guide

Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More

Service Professions: Does Your Website Follow These 5 Simple Rules For Getting More Clients?

There are literally thousands of different options, styles and formats... Read More

Ten Design Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes and your site will be steps ahead... Read More

Design Your Site For Your Customers

The most important person that you need to please when... Read More

Effective Web Design Usability Principles

Website Design Usability Tips1. Getting to know about audience membersYou... Read More

E-covers for Your Niche Market

When creating an e-cover the what's the first thought that... Read More

6 Tips To Improve Your Business Website

There are six important characteristics that can play a major... Read More

Website Maintenance: What Does it Take to Manage Your Website?

Every action has a beginning phase where you launch your... Read More

KIS - Keep It Simple

There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles... Read More

Small Business Website Design - How to Get Professional Results on a Shoestring Budget

Just because you are a small business with an even... Read More

How Your Business Can Win Online

There are lots of websites out there that do little... Read More

Top 10 Web Design Mistakes

As a webmaster, you want to keep your visitors content... Read More

Tips On Effectively Organizing Your Navigation

Not all links are created equal.While all of your links... Read More

The Golden Rule Of Website Building

Copyright 2005 Robert EvansSetting yourself up to earn a steady... Read More

shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..