Element #1

Headlines are the crucial first element of your web page copy. Their purpose is to grab the attention of your target customer. Remember– everyone will see your headline– and that headline could be the difference between a web page visitor wanting to find out more, and exploring what you have to offer, and moving on.

Some ways to approach writing a headline:

• Promise a major benefit
  Reduce Your Waist Line By two Inches In 31 days!
• Offer a solution to a problem
  Learn How To Reduce Your Credit Card Debt Instantly By 30%!
• Flag your target customer
  Attention Homeowners! – Reduce Your Rates Bill By Over 50%!
• Ask a question
  Have You Ever Been Ripped-off By a Used-Car Salesman?
• Quote a testimonial
  Thank You So Much! – My Website Sales Have Increased By 217%!”
• Sound a warning
  Your Air-Conditioning Unit May Be Killing You!

Use ‘power words’ within your headlines. ‘Power words’ convey strong emotions with a lot of different readers. The strongest ‘power word’ is - Free. Some phrases that incorporate the ‘Free’ power word are:

• Sign-up today to collect your free report!
• Register for our free trialFree gift (worth $19.95) for all new subscribers
• You get our e-book ‘Secrets of Website Success’ free!
• Register today for a free demonstration
• Sign-up today for our risk-free offer.

Another effective set of ‘power words’ is the “How to” phrase. For example:

• how to avoid…
• how to reduce…
• how to save…
• how to create…
• how to impress…
• how to become…
• how to generate…

“Learn” is another great power word:

• learn 10 wealth secrets that every millionaire knows!
• learn the top 32 rugby coaching techniques used worldwide!
• you will learn the secrets used by New Zealand’s top investors, who generate millions of dollars every year!
• learn my 10-point checklist for every property purchase!

There are many ‘power words’ that can be used effectively to give your headlines a boost.

Here are some more ‘power words’ that work well: you, save, know, understand, results, proven, now, today, immediately, money, powerful, trust, create, secrets and discover.

Review and rewrite your headlines – make them as sharp as possible.

A good headline will often require lots and lots of reworking. You must get it right first time because your visitor may choose not to visit your website in future if the headline didn’t show them that they were in the right place to have their needs met.

Finally, make sure you format your headlines well. Use a large font size, with a bold style. Capitalise the first letter of every word. Consider putting quotation marks around the headline.

And remember– you can track and measure your results. So do. You have control so try different headlines; test them for results and keep fine-tuning for maximum success.