Then I began to listen. And it changed. And oh, the pain I could have saved myself, had I just learned earlier, these 6 tips for getting traffic faster.

So I'll share them with you, in the hope that they also spare you pain.

Here they are:

1. WRITE TO A TARGETED AUDIENCE
   You'll end up with more sales if, instead of trying to attract everyone, you focus on a more defined market.
   
   It is better to write a separate ad for each of your keywords. That is, for each specified need of your audience. This way you will draw the most buyers for the least cost.
   
   
   
2. EMPHASIZE BENEFITS, NOT FEATURES
   What's the difference?

   A feature describes the product (or portion of it), or what it does. For example, if your parcel-stickers are self-adhesive, that's a feature - not a benefit.
   
   A benefit is something your product will do that helps solve a problem. So if your parcel stickers that are self-adhesive save the buyer time, that is a benefit.
   
   
   

3. BE SPECIFIC
   Tell the prospect EXACTLY what he is going to learn or get. People don't want generalisations. They want specifics.
   
   Here's an example, comparing two headings:
   (a) MAKE MONEY NOW
   (b) MAKE $1,624 ONLINE INSTANTLY

   Tell me, which would you read first? The second, of course. You want to know how much, exactly. And how soon you'll make it.
   
   
   

4. OFFER SOMETHING FREE
   Offer a FREE report, course, or newsletter. Many will knock down your door to get it. Once they're with you, you can follow-up with your sales product.
   
   
   
5. MAKE YOUR LAYOUT BRIEF AND ARRESTING
   This is where color, italics, underlining and bolding can help you.

   If your ad looks too cluttered, few will read it. At the other extreme, if it's plain boring, with very little emphasis, you may catch no one's eye. Try for the right blend of information and emphasis.
   
   Your product's main features can be bullet points, with some white space around. And put benefits in CAPITALS, to catch the eye.
   
   
   

6. INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION
   This sounds very easy. You simply say "Buy now", right? Not quite. You first need to be sure precisely what action you want your prospect to take. It might be signing up for your newsletter, or simply giving you their name, for later offers? But there must be some call to action.

   Support the call to action by the benefits that you have already listed.

Believe me. Such improvements as these can dramatically increase the response to your ads and bring you increased traffic.

And it doesn't matter whether your ad copy is in the form of an email, a classified or a banner. Jam-pack it with these 6 principles and your sales will improve.

Now to it!

2004 © Jonathan Gray. All rights reserved.


Jonathan Gray has been helping people succeed in small business for three years. Join his free "Help For Beginners" Course now - free tips on HOW to do it; WHERE to go: http://www.businessrich.com

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