Strategy: Photos, Audio and Video
When it comes to making your website convincing, you'll find that sales copy is an excellent idea and it is very powerful too. Some sites rely on only text with great success and they don't use any type of multimedia on their site.
Although not all sites use it, you'll find that using various forms of media, such as audio, video, and pictures can really help to add more value to your site. Today people have faster connections than ever and there is no reason to have to worry about bandwidth.
HOWEVER, coming from the direct response school of marketing as I do, my only proviso is that audo-visual content should be used to enhance and reinforce your selling message.
There are many great pictures that are great options for your website. You may want to have photos of the premises, some graphs, images of the author, pictures that show off products, and more. You should be sure to come up with good captions too, since they draw the eye and can help to increase conversions as well.
You can use both video and audio content too and it can help provide even more conversions. For testimonials on your site, doing them in audio is an excellent option and there are several great open source recorders that can help you to do this.
Video can also be used in a way to boost conversions as well. However, you'll want to do some testing on the best way for you to deliver the content that you want to visually.
Strategy: Reprints PR Articles and Media Comments
Press releases and media comments can produce enormous traffic spikes in a short period of time (one article in the Brisbane Courier Mail drove over 1,000 opt-ins in a few days to one of our clients, an independent real estate agent.) But the buzz tends to die down just as soon as it began.
Reprinting can help you keep the buzz going longer. You can do this by taking the articles and putting them on your site or sending them out to your clients to reuse them again. When people see information from a 3rd party, they are often very impressed.
Strategy: Never Use Hype or Exaggeration
This is something that's going to get more important as people everywhere yearn for a bit of authenticity from the companies they do business with. You should check your copy for exaggerated claims that we've all indulged in before. If you've ever seen one of uber-copywriter Michel Fortin's video copy critiques, one of the things you'll notice is that he often tones down over-the-top statements - one exaggerated claim can break your audience's connection with what you have to say, even if your product or service is very good.
Strategy: Talk To Your Prospects
When you're speaking to a target audience, you need to speak like they do. Use the same type of words and even phrases that they would use. You can find out how to speak by spending time with the customers that you want to reach. Great copywriters talk on the level of customers that they are trying to reach, and you can do this too if you take the time to do some research.
Strategy: Show that Your Business is a "REAL" Business
It's important that you show your business to be a real one, especially with all the scams out there today. Make sure that your phone number is included and that you have other contact details that will work. Including pictures can be helpful as well. When you are selling products, such as informational products, which are not tangible, then you need to work even harder to show that you are a "real" business.