Picture this, a website with class "A" graphics, a beautiful flash menu, video with sound and all the bells & whistles. Now imagine this beautiful website without any physical words at all. How many sales do you think it would make?

Rudyard Kipling once said, "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." Words make us laugh, cry and fall in love. Words have started wars and ended them. Same thing holds true when writing ad copy for your web site. The words you use have the power to positively explode your sales, or completely terminate them.

Great copywriters of the advertising age have given us tested formulas for the mechanics of writing effective sales copy. Attention-getting headlines, body copy which appeals to your readers' emotions, and benefit-laden bullet points. You must answer the question "what's in it for me?" While you're at it, don't forget to build credibility, ask for the sale, offer a bonus and finish with a P.S. that reiterates the call to action.

You write the ad copy but something is still missing. What you may have left out is the importance of style and delivery. Great copywriters, like great musicians, have practiced their delivery for years, honing their skills to razor sharpness. Like a Les Paul guitar in the hands of Eric Clapton, an accomplished copywriter's skilled delivery requires more than just an intimate knowledge of the basic fundamentals.

What about the rest of us? What if I need to make sales NOW? Here is a secret that will speed you on your way to writing effective copy every time:

Make use of these words in your ad:

1."Fast" or "Quick"

2."Guarantee"

3."Limited"

4."Easy" or "Simple"

5."Testimonial"

6."Free"

7."Secret"

Even the best sales copy rarely converts more than 2% of prospects to customers. So, don't worry about the 98% you know will not be interested in your message.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when writing copy is that they fail to write to their single ideal customer. Instead of focusing on the millions of potential readers out there on the Internet, effective web copy is written with one single individual in mind… your ideal customer!

Imagine sitting in a bar or coffee shop, across the table from someone whose company you truly enjoy; a close friend, family member, or other loved one. Now, imagine that this person has just asked you for your advice or opinion about your favorite product. Write the ad copy as if you were talking to them out loud. Speak from the heart and do it quickly.

Remember one thing when writing an ad copy... -- People buy with their emotions NOT with their mind.

Make sure that you include some emotional words in your advertisement. Use words like: love, security, freedom, fun, satisfaction, etc., and you may also use words that provoke fear like: scams, mistakes, dangerous, etc.

Once completed, it is much easier to trim down a terrific piece of ad copy than it is to try and add life to boring, dry copy. Your ad copy will become exponentially more effective when you write to your ideal customer than if you try and write to the crowd.

That is my understanding of the foundation of writing ad copy that sells.