Realize the Power of the Written Word: Web Site Face Lift: Writing Exercises

by Judy Cullins

If your Web site has been up more than a few months, and you haven't gotten any business, consider reconstructing it so it pulls sales. Here are four writing exercises you must do before you hire anyone to lay your site out.

1. Know your specific audience, their needs and desires. This profile needs to include their problems, interests, values and how they like to receive a service.

2. Use a worksheet to preplan your Web site. Include your purpose. Do you want to make money, gain credibility, share your unique message?

3. List at least 10 benefits your service provides. Discover the five best benefits. Too many coaches and speakers don't know how to talk sales language for their services. They mistake features for benefits. Features don't sell, benefits do.

4. List 5-10 features too. These are features:

-you offer phone sessions for the convenience of the client
-you email back up support and information to help solve a particular problem
-you take quick phone questions in between coaching sessions
-you give a specific strategy session to accomplish a client's goal

5. Connect your five best benefits with your best features--the how you will accomplish the benefits. Includes: 5 Tips to..., 7 Steps to..., 9 Ways to....

Create a variety of headlines that have marketing pizzazz. They can be in the form of a question, a command, a shocking statement, but they are all full of specific benefits. "Quadruple your Online Income" is not enough. You must show how much time that takes.

Create a picture of the outcomes your client will see, hear and feel. You must touch your potential client's soft spot--that nerve center that says Yes, I want that!

Tap into your creative side, either with a friend, associate, or a Web coach who knows this uncharted territory--the language of sales.

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