If you’re marketing online and have your own website, then you should constantly be testing and tweaking your sales copy. Even if it’s converting at a whopping 17%, there’s always the possibility that it could convert at 20%, and split testing (testing more than one version of the headline or advertisement) certain elements is the only way you’ll find out.

The headlines are the most important parts of any sales copy. Yes, the reader also wants bullet points of benefits, testimonials, and a rock-solid guarantee, but they often skim the content to read the headlines and see if your offer is worth the investment of their time to read in full.

You should take ample time to craft your headlines – especially the very first one a visitor will see on your website. If they don’t get a great first impression, they’ll click out and never return to your website.

As you scour the ‘net on a regular basis, start adding to your swipe file (a file you should be collecting of effective ads and copywriting you’ve come across that provide you inspiration when writing your own ads) to keep track of headlinesm you really liked. You won’t want to copy them word for word, but you can emulate that success and possibly use the same approach for your own target audience.

Headlines are all about gut reaction. How will the words you use affect your consumer? Will it make them panic for a solution? Nod their head in agreement with you? Get angry and want to read more?

Since the consumer is seeking a solution to a problem, you want to show them that you understand their problem and know exactly how they can solve it. Some headlines are over-the-top hype, and in many instances – it works!

But you don’t have to use excessive hype to sell a product or service. Let’s look at seven ways you can compel your audience to buy whatever you’re selling:

1. Zap your reader with a shocking fact or possibility!

If you’re a business owner, then you want to protect your share of the market that you already have. You’re always on the lookout for ways to improve your profitability. If you clicked on an ad for an autoresponder tool and saw this headline, how would you react?

“While You Were Sleeping, Your Competitor Stole $7,348 ,Worth of Sales from Your Site!”

That would probably irk you. It would make you feel as if they stole something right out of your pocket! Now you’d want to learn how it happened and how you can prevent it from happening again.

2. Be rude – but only to get them riled up and reading more!

Sometimes a marketer will use a rude headline, insulting the visitor – so that they’ll continue reading more. The Rich Jerk is famous for using this tactic, and in some cases it works. You have to realize that not all visitors will think it’s funny – many will click out, truly insulted.

3. Use the words of another person!

A quote can go a long way in making an impression because it’s a firsthand account. You can use a famous quote, but it’s better if it’s coming from someone the reader can relate to. For instance, if your product is about improving your golf game, then you might use a quote from a golfer that says…

 “It Took Me 3 Days and 2 Bags of Balls to Break 80!”

The headline is incredulous – who could break 80 in a weekend? But what you’ll explain is that they were on the verge of breaking 80, but couldn’t do it until they spent a weekend at the driving range using what they learned in your “How to Break 80 eBook.”

4. Make bold promises!

If you offer a strong guarantee, then you may want to make a bold promise that provides the reader with exactly what they’re wanting. You could use a headline like this:

“In 10 Days, Your List is Going to Grow to Over 10,000 People -Guaranteed!”

If your product provides a way they can reasonably do this, then a bold promise can hook the reader and virtually convert the sale on that very first line of text. Just don’t make promises ,you can’t keep because then you’ll be facing a hefty refund rate.

5. Get personal with your audience!

Sometimes reaching out to your audience on a personal level really draws them into your message because they feel you can relate.A sample, personalized headline might read,

“When My Boss Dropped the Pink Slip on My Desk, Humiliating Me in Front of  Everyone, I Vowed That I Would Never Work for Someone Else Again!”

6. Use news to make your point!

Start reading the newspaper and/or industry magazines to soak up (and use) any current events stories that will help boost your sales.  If you’re promoting a product on flipping real estate, and the homeowner’s market is desperate like right now, use a headline from the news and make it your own, like this:

“Pre-Owned Home Sales Worst in History – But Turning Into a Boon for Investors!”

Then you could go on to explain how cheap it is to buy the homes and how you can turn a profit from them.

Every target audience is different. What works for one may not work for another. A level-headed parent looking for a solution to a problem may not respond to a rude headline, but a ‘net savvy entrepreneur could be intrigued. This is why testing and tweaking is so vital to your online success. You might  find out that a teaser headline results in an increase in conversions, while a personal approach drops sales significantly.

Start browsing other sites to see what headlines have a positive impact on you and then try to mimic that style with your own site’s sales copy. Make sure you keep records of what works and what doesn’t, so that you don’t return to a way of marketing that wasn’t making you money.

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