It doesn’t matter how many people see or read your advert or website, if it doesn’t compel them to buy it’s no good.

How many times have you landed on a sales page or looked at an advert just to think “interesting…” and then move on to something else?

Interesting doesn’t get you sales. Your copy and your approach has to be proactive to make people part with their hard earned cash.

Here are 7 tips to help you convince people to buy from you.

1. Make your ad copy like a conversation

Don’t talk at your readers, talk to them. Write as though they are in front of you and you are having a conversation with them. Use words such as “you” and “your” to build a relationship with your reader.

1. Participate in online forums

Online forums are great for promoting yourself and increasing your credibility as an expert in your field. Fill out your profile (gaining those all important back links) and visit the forums as often as possible. Why not contribute articles – giving free advice helps build trust.

1. Make your call to action clear

A website sales page is no good if you don’t tell your reader exactly what you want them to do. Your call to action must be clear, leaving them in do doubt about what they need to do – tell them to “buy now”, “subscribe to your newsletter”, “call to make an appointment” etc.

1. Focus on your reader

There is only one thing your reader is interested in, and that’s themselves. You must focus your copy on what it is they want. If they can’t see what’s in it for them, they won’t be interested.

1. Keep it simple

There is only one thing on your website that will sell to your reader – words. Graphics and pictures all look pretty but they won’t sell a sausage. It is through the power of the written word that you will convince your reader your product is the one they have been searching for.

1. Create your own ad copy

You will probably have several competitors out there. By all means study their copy but don’t be tempted to copy their style and content. Try something different – stand out from the crowd.

1. Update regularly

Your readers will get bored if they are constantly faced by the same old adverts and web copy. Change your ads regularly to keep them fresh and relevant. Don’t forget people normally have to see an ad 7 times before they actually buy anything – they’ll soon get fed up if they keep reading the same stuff.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter offering a comprehensive range of copywriting services to businesses locally, nationally and internationally.

Every business should have a website, but not just any old website.

How many times have you seen a website that has been unreadable? I’m not just talking about dodgy website copywriting that has been over stuffed with keywords, or bad translations of foreign sites. I mean where the site is literally unreadable because of the layout and colours.

If you already have a website or are thinking about building one, here are 8 tips to bear in mind to make sure your site is readable.

Make it easy to read

Don’t use light coloured text on a white background, for example yellow on white, because it will be unreadable. By the way that works for dark text on a dark background too.

Get them in the mood

Use colour to create the mood – red for excitement, green for greed etc. But don’t over do it, rainbow text looks very unprofessional.

Attention grabbing

Use headlines to get their attention. Use a different colour or font to make them stand out from the rest of the text.

Highlight important words

Emphasise words and phrases that are important – super, fast, free, new etc., by using bold, underlining, italics and colour.

Font size

Getting the right font size is vital – too small and your reader will struggle to read it. Make sure your headings are in a larger font size to the rest of the text so they stand out.

Spare the capitals

DON’T USE ALL CAPS AS IT WILL LOOK UNPROFESSIONAL AND AS THOUGH YOU ARE SHOUTING AT YOUR READER.

White space

Make sure there is plenty of white space on your page to break up the text. There is nothing worse than being faced with a solid wall of letters.

Use sub headings to help your reader navigate their way through your web page. Key points should be listed as bullet points to make them stand out.

Check and double check

Once you have created the perfect layout and written your web copy, check the spelling and grammar before it goes live. But don’t forget, sometimes you need to break the rules of grammar to get your point across so don’t be afraid to get creative.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter providing a comprehensive range of copywriting services to businesses across a diverse range of industries.

An advert that looks pretty and informs is all well and good assuming you weren’t hoping to make any money from it.

However as the main reason for producing an advert in the first place is to make money, it does seem to be rather pointless.

The copywriting on your advert has to perform 2 functions – it has to tell your reader what your product is but it also needs to be persuasive enough to make them buy it. Not always an easy combination to achieve.

Therefore I have put together 7 tips to help you make your adverts more persuasive.

1. Include a picture of yourself. It might sound odd but it will add a personal touch. Your reader will know who they are buying from and also that you have faith in your product.
2. If you are lucky enough to have any famous or well-known clients who have bought your product, mention them (it will increase the want factor).
3. If your product has passed any tests (safety, quality control etc.) write about it. It will add to its credibility.
4. Any positive testimonials from happy clients are worth their weight in gold so make sure you include them. But make sure their claims are credible.
5. Have you had any features or articles written about your product? If so, make reference to the publication in your advert.
6. Make sure your website looks professional – its quality will have an effect on their opinion of your product.
7. If you offer a money back guarantee, tell them – it will show your commitment to them and increase your credibility in their eyes.

They key for your advert is to make your reader want your product and then convince them they need it. Once they have made that transition, the sale is practically in the bag.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter who works with business and individuals locally, nationally and internationally. Her comprehensive range of copywriting services have helped numerous clients gain greater visibility in their market place, more targeted web traffic and higher sales.

Advertising, you either love it or you hate but which ever camp you fall into, it is a necessary task if your business is going to survive.

Many people think it is fairly easy to put an ad together – throw a few graphics or images together, add a splash of colour and a few words and, hey presto, you have an advert.

Well, if that’s how you work, you may not be in business too much longer. To help you out I have listed below 10 tips to help you create adverts that will not only look great but will also sell.

1.      Get ideas by studying the advertising material of similar products to your own. Put together a ‘swipe’ file of good sales letters, adverts and emails etc., which can use for reference.

2.      Be clear from the start what it is you want your advert to do. Is it for sales, lead generation, attract web traffic, newsletter sign-ups…

3.      Before you begin list your products features and benefits. Make sure your leading benefit is used in the headline or first sentence.

4.      Be specific – include numbers, sounds, smells, descriptions etc.

5.      Tell you reader how your product differs from those of your competitors and highlight the areas that your product is better.

6.      Use visuals – show people using your product or before and after shots (if relevant).

7.      Identify your target audience. Who are they, what do they like, how to they think…

8.      If you have proven facts (i.e. surveys, reviews, product tests etc.) use them in your ad as they will add credibility to your product.

9.       If you offer a guarantee, after sales support etc., tell them. This will add to your credibility and your readers’ peace of mind.

10.   Make sure you tell them what you want them to do – buy now, call today, book an appointment etc. If your call to action is vague or non-existent you won’t make a sale.

There you have it. These 10 tips will help you put together adverts that will convert into sales and put money in your pockets.

Sally Ormond of Briar Copywriting, is a freelance copywriter helping local, national and international companies increase their marketplace visibility, web traffic and sales. Her comprehensive range of copywriting services providing powerful and persuasive marketing solutions for all their on and off line needs.

“Freelance copywriting is like a box of chocolates!” Has she gone completely mad?

No, not completely.

You may recall I have also likened it to a bowl of cornflakes so you should be getting used to my bizarre food analogies by now.

So what am I getting at?

Well, we all remember the famous line from Forest Gump when he sits on a park bench and tells us that “Life if like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get“, well that is just what sales writing is like.

Think of your readers as chocolates – they’re all different. Some have soft centres, some are nutty, some are caramel but the one thing they all have in common is that they are covered in chocolate.

Therefore, although your audience is diverse they all have one thing in common – they are all searching for a solution to their problem.

So, as a freelance copywriter, when I come to write an email, newsletter, direct mail or web page I focus on the fact that no matter who my readers are, they are all united by one thing – a problem. It is my job to convince them that the product or service I am writing about is the solution they’re looking for.

It all comes down to knowing how to make them buy and that means selling the benefits of the product.

Remember, it is the benefits that will make the sale, not the features.