Does your web site send the right message to potential customers? If you have a lot of traffic, but relatively few conversions, you may need to take a second look. Do your descriptions, tone, and listings generate buyer confidence? Your sales copy can have a big impact on your business ? it's important it be written in a way that adds to your credibility and tells visitors they're in the right place.

Is Your Sales Copy Doing Its Job?

There are certain things your copy should do for your customers:

1. It should present a problem and solve it.

Don't just state what your product is and what it does. Put forth a problem your customers can identify with, that your product solves, or create a situation where using it would be to their benefit. Recommends Phil Dunn, president of http://QualityWriter.com, ?Lead with questions that deal with customer needs ? talk about the end result they're getting from that product.?

2. It's language should reflect your target market.

Analyze your customer base, and talk to them in a way they'll respond to. You wouldn't market office supplies with terms like ?cool? or ?groovy,? nor would you try to sell iPods using phrases like ?prestigious? or ?renowned.? Know the demographic you expect to sell to, and write your ads and listings to appeal to them.

3. It should be consistent.

Your style and demeanor should carry through your entire site, and across all your selling venues. Part of branding is creating a recognizable image, and your copy's voice contributes greatly to that image.

4. It should be friendly.

Many sellers have gotten burned, and as a result, have rewritten their Terms of Service in an aggressive, negative manner. That kind of writing can scare off customers that were ready to transact. Rather than saying ?We don't ship internationally,? you might instead say, ?We're pleased to ship to our customers in the continental U.S.? The way you phrase something makes a big difference ? so always be positive.

5. It should be easy to read and understand.

As comprehension drops, so do Customer Retention and Sales Conversion. Avoid anything that makes your copy more difficult to read:

? reverse type (light type on a dark background)

? strange fonts

? right-justified or centered type

? excessive use of caps

? large text without breaks

Headings and subheadings go a long way towards increasing readability. Says Dunn, ?A lot of people don't use them in their descriptions, and they're so important.? Many visitors won't take the time to read the body of your text. They'll only glance at the headings and subheadings, so make sure yours contain your main sales message. If they like what they see, they may consider reading the rest.

What Does Your Web Site Say to Visitors?

Good sales copy tells your customers you know what you're doing. It gives them a sense of security that you're the best vendor to buy from. Sometimes, just rewording a listing or description can make you seem more knowledgeable or more competent. Objectively evaluate your sales copy and see if the signals you're sending your customers are the ones you intend, or if a few simple rewrites might boost your sales and increase your revenue.