“Visit our website for more information.”



Too many sales letters invite prospects to visit websites that actually contain less information than what's found in the sales letter. This makes no sense when the goal of a business-to-business direct mail letter is to make a sale or generate an inquiry.

So think carefully about what you want your prospect to do after reading your letter, and then write, design and code your landing page with that goal in mind.

Your friend, the forward slash

I'm talking about a campaign-specific landing page, the kind that you create for a particular direct mail campaign. These landing pages have a unique URL and unique content designed to move a particular prospect to take a particular step in the buying process. The URL for campaign-specific landing pages should look enticing and promise value. For example: www.sharpecopy.com/man-with-two-wooden-legs

Over, please

The best way to write an effective landing page is to think of it as the irresistible continuation of your sales letter. Your pitch on paper describes the crime scene. Your landing page reveals who dunnit.

This means your landing page creative has to match your sales letter creative. Visually, the two should share a common theme and color palette. And tactically, each should share the same goal.

If your visitor wants more information, put it all on the landing page and then ask for the order. Don't make visitors hunt around by clicking all over your site. Give them what they need in one place. Remove from your landing page any graphics, navigation buttons and copy that have no immediate bearing on your goal—moving your visitor to act.

For example, if you're selling Product A, do not show a photo of Product B. If you want your visitor to download a white paper and supply an email address, do not also request that the visitor complete an online survey. Stick to your single-minded goal of moving your prospect to take the next step in your direction. Eliminate all distractions.

Sell them again

And remember that you need to sell your visitor again. Your landing page needs to reiterate the same sales proposition and offer that you featured in your direct mail piece. Word your offer in the same way. Name your product or service in the same way. Feature your price, guarantee and product photos in the same way.

Make sure your landing page stands alone as a complete sales pitch in itself, in much the same way that business reply cards and paper order forms (assuming you still use them) reiterate the offer found in your sales letter. Your prospect may chuck your letter but bookmark your landing page, or forward the landing page URL to a colleague. So make sure you tell your landing page visitors everything they need to know to respond, including how to respond.

Buyers today prefer to visit a website than mail in a reply card and wait weeks for a catalog or product brochure to arrive. Capitalize on this trend by writing sales letters that motivate buyers to visit your landing page, and then writing and designing your landing page to deliver on your promise.

© 2006 Sharpe Copy Inc.