Based on what actually works best –and does not work—from writing dozens of websites for clients, here are the Top 9 website copywriting secrets. By applying them, your website will be a major marketing success for the business and its bottom line.

1. The website must have a strong, reader-benefit headline. The headline is by far the most important part of the website as far as its effectiveness. The words used (i.e., the copywriting) must give a reader benefits of the product or service, a big promise, a reward that the reader wants badly and be as specific and concise as possible.

2. What benefits will the reader get? Why should he believe it? Answer these questions immediately. The reader will leave the website unless these three questions are clearly answered in the beginning seconds.

3. Focus the copywriting to accomplish one main goal, which should be to get the interested reader to call you or place their order. By laser-focusing on this one action the reader should do, the copywriting will be targeted, specific and powerful.

Of course, there will be other information and details on the website and there will be a secondary goal for the reader to sing up for a newsletter or download a report … but focus mainly on the one specific action the prospect should take.

4. Be exciting, informative, to the point, interesting. People will not read something that is boring if they don’t have to. Make sure to avoid “corporate talk" that is loaded with “we" and general information the reader already knows.

5. Write mainly to get sales or leads; and not for the search engines. Your website may be listed high by a search engine, but what good is that if it does not bring leads and sales.

6. Encourage interested readers to telephone the business. A good salesperson can sell much more effectively by talking to a prospect than by just emailing. Talking builds rapport, trust, and questions asked so it is customized to the prospect’s specific needs and wants.

7. Words sell and graphics are secondary, so be sure to invest properly in the copywriting on the website.

8. Answer the concerns and objections the reader has. Make a list of frequently asked questions. Answer them for the reader on the website. Overcoming objections and concerns is what often clinches the sale.

9. Use proven winners for successful copywriting. These include reader benefit copywriting, be specific, tell the full story of why this is the best choice for the reader, use customer testimonials, make an offer, use a guarantee, get action now.