Web Copywriting - The biggest mistake people make

Whether you're creating a subject line that will ensure your e-mail gets opened, writing a sales letter, creating a compelling title for your new article - or simply crafting a 140 character tweet for your Twitter followers - you need to observe the rules of compelling web copywriting. And that starts with the headline.

Most copywriters write anything from 25 to 100 headlines, because they realize the importance of those first few words the reader sees. They are so crucial, it's been estimated they represent 80% of the whole.

That's because unless they convince the reader this is something they should check out, the rest of the content will never, ever be seen.

And that should give you a clue as to the true purpose of a headline. It is NOT to sell the product.

It's sole purpose is to sell the idea that here is something that could be to the reader's advantage and therefore they should stop what they are doing and read on.

Sounds simple, but - in truth - it requires a mixture of four elements to succeed. And, as the success of your web copywriting hangs on these four elements, we'll look at them in detail.

Here's a headline I wrote for a client, which must have hit the spot, because it got a 12.5% conversion rate right off the bat...

"Finally... You Too Can Crack The Internet Lifestyle Code By Copying This Elite Band
Of Wealthy Internet Marketers... Without Paying Outrageous Fees For Software Or Being A Computer Geek"

Read on to discover how the guy who made $1.6 million in seven days will now help you explode your income to a whole new level

1. First and foremost it must stop the reader in their tracks by chiming with the dominant emotion in the mind of your reader, which is something you need to identify before you write a single word. You see, humans buy with emotion and only then do they justify their decision with logic. So you must decide what is the dominant emotion of your particular market and then home in on it with the tenacity and accuracy of a cruise missile.

In this case, the product is aimed at the internet marketing market, so the dominant emotion here is the desire to take up the "internet lifestyle"... get off the hated job treadmill, sleep late and work in your pajamas. So the power words here are "Crack The Internet Lifestyle Code"

2. In order to rivet the attention of the reader, you should use curiosity. So the curiosity element here is the promise of copying a certain elite band of wealthy internet marketers, the implication being you will ALSO end up as one of this wealthy elite. So it lights a fire under the reader who will be all agog to know WHAT elite band they will be copying and maybe joining.

3. Yet - despite arousing that curiosity - there is no mystery about the promise - which is clearly the opportunity to become wealthy.

4. Finally, it provides both proof and reassurance by mentioning the credentials of the product owner who is going to help them achieve their dream "the guy who made $1.6 million in seven days" and assuring the reader they don't have to be a technical wizard or pay a fortune for software.

As I said at the beginning, a compelling headline is 80% of the whole. So, once you've mastered headline creation, you'll be well on your way to making a success of your web copywriting.

And you can get great copywriting to explode your sales, profits and happiness here.

© copyright 2009 Paul Hooper-Kelly and InternetMarketingMagician.com all rights reserved reproduction strictly forbidden.