Francis M. Ardi
Direct Marketing Copywriter

"Yes, targeted traffic to your site is important, however...

It's Your Landing Page That
Converts Traffic into Responses

 like orders, sales leads, inquiries,
or opt-ins to your mailing list."

Search engine optimization is just one way to drive visitor traffic to your site. 
Conversion rate optimization is the only way to generate the most response from well targeted traffic to your site.

 Conversion rate optimization should be your ultimate goal.

Dear Online Marketer, 

   You need a web page that sells your product to your site visitors...  or you might want a page to generate inquiries or collect names and contact information to build your opt-in mailing list.  

   Whatever your purpose, every detail needs to be optimized towards generating the desired response from your readers. Your ultimate goal is to convert as many of the visitors to your site into responses as possible.  

   What's the dollar value of each response?

    If you pay for your traffic, (as in cost per click for Pay Per Click listings) wouldn't you want to minimize the cost of each response?  If you operate an affiliate program, wouldn't your affiliates better position their links to your site if you're making them money, which in turn will make both of you more money?

    Either way, wouldn't you want to maximize revenue per page visit?

A Marketing Communications Writer, or Copywriter
would be Best Qualified to Develop your Web Pages.

   Advantages of copywriting-based web page design include:

  • Your web page text, or copy, will be tailored to your marketing and traffic generation methods.  Traffic coming to your site from ezine ads and email marketing messages may require a different writing approach than traffic from search engine listings and pay per click ads and links on directory sites.
     

  • Your landing page will easily enter the conversation in the minds your readers when they arrive at your page and allow them to become engaged in the ideas that ultimately lead to your offer and call to action.
     

  • Special care will be taken not to leave a potential customer with unanswered questions about what you are selling them.  You and I both understand that questions lead to doubts. Your prospect would then hesitate to place an order. 
       

  • You'll be working with a professional who understands that your purpose is not to impress or dazzle your visitors, but to lead them to take a specific action perceived by the reader to offer benefits or be something of value.
     

 

Never put things like these on your web pages.
Most readers find them annoying if not downright irritating.
What are they?  Click here for answer.

Crunched Headlines - a common landing page design mistake.

   The importance of a good headline cannot be overemphasized.  Your headline is what gets the reader attention.  You have only five seconds to get a reader to decide whether or not to read your page.   

   A lot of web page designers and copywriters don't seem to realize this.   Many landing page headlines look like just one big blur of large bold text bunched into a rectangle, hence the term 'crunched'.  

A Typical Example of a Crunched Headline

    Here's an example of a really crunched headline exactly as it appears on the original landing page selling a program to churn out job application cover letters.

    

"If You Can Talk, Then YOU Have What It Takes To Quickly & Easily Approach, Pick-Up & Attract All The Hottest Women You Can Ever Handle And Get Them to BEG YOU To Date Them In The Next 48 Hours -- Once You Know The Secrets...

Does this headline really grab you by the lapels, despite its bold hypey message?  
Notice how the 'units of thought' that make up the headline are fractured across the headline's eight lines.  

Here's the optimized version.  

"If You Can Talk, 
 Then YOU Have What It Takes To
Quickly & Easily

Approach, Attract & Pick-Up
All The Hottest Women  
You Can Ever Handle
 

and get them to beg you to date them in the next 48 hours --
once you know the secrets"

 
Notice I didn't change a single word. I did change "Pick Up & Attract" to the more logical "Attract & Pick up".  After all you need to attract a woman before you can pick her up.
From the example above you can clearly see that...

The Layout of a Headline is as Important as its Words.

Proper Headline Layout starts with placing each unit of thought on a separate line,
and then making the big idea stand out with larger, bolder text.
  Notice also how I used a slightly darker shade of red for the pre and post head portions, making the big idea stand out even more.  It also makes the headline appear shorter.

    Master marketer Ted Nicholas once said   "If you know how to write good headlines, you're just seventeen words away from generating all the wealth you desire. He found headlines longer than twenty words did not do very well. 

Important

If you're marketing an event
like a seminar, conference or live coaching program...

...it would be best to request copywriting services at least six weeks in advance of when the event is scheduled.  
You'll have your page on the net in time for attendees to make travel arrangements and for you to make arrangements for renting a function room in a hotel, invite key note speakers, videographers, catering, etc.

What's Included With Your Landing Page

   Besides an effective sales letter from headline to postscript, your landing page is developed with many typical web page features.  These include:
  • inserting photographs and any graphics or audiovisuals you provide at no additional page-length charge (Make sure the insertion code for audiovisuals is correct.)
     
  • adding a sidebar, if you need one to display banners, quotes and anecdotes.
     
  • link or button to whatever order page or shopping cart you are using
     
  • html capture forms for inquiry requests and list building pages
     
  • JavaScript form verification to make sure the required form fields are filled in the case of opt-in and inquiry generating pages.
     
  • click-up windows and/or slideover panels.  Slideover panels are sometimes used for opt-in forms since they are not blocked by popup blockers.
     
  • adding any text components you provide such as testimonials and quotes at no additional page-length charge
     
  • Download pages for soft goods sales such as ebooks and free gifts associated with your opt-in mailing list building system.
     
  • assistance with your Pay Per Click advertising, including writing your AdWords™ ad* and compiling the list of keywords.

     *AdWords is a trademark of Google, Inc.  Other P.P.C. advertising media may have different 
       rules and ad line character-length constraints.

Preferred Provider of Complete Web Site Design Services

  If you need something more than just a simple landing page... maybe you need a complete web site with home page and links to multiple pages, and you need a professional looking web site but also need well written copy,
I work closely with Blue Bonnet Design, a comprehensive professional web site design and development service.  They provide services like professional graphics and logo design, database driven web sites, company web sites of multiple pages, e-commerce solutions like shopping carts, setting up autoresponders, etc.
  I'll work on delivering you first class copy, Blue Bonnet will handle the rest.

Please visit http://bluebonedesign.com/ - link opens new browser window.

 

Server Scripting

  You might already have an autoresponder account to not only build your list, but also to send a series of follow-up sales messages.
  If not, or you merely want to collect reader survey data, your capture page order can include a server script, linked from the capture form.  When your reader fills in the blanks of the forms and submits the data, the server-side program will write the data to a text file on your hosting server.
  At this time, server scripts are available only in PHP, which runs on Linux or any other form of UNIX, currently the most common Internet server platform.

Details upon request.  Please use the form at the bottom of the page.

 

Having your landing page developed by a copywriter 
is your best assurance of optimal response rate 
from well targeted traffic. 

  Besides savings in lead time and service fees, you will receive a superior product in terms of an effective selling device - a landing page developed by a professional Internet copywriter dedicated to the art of salesmanship in print.

   If you insist your web page has a particular look and feel, you can always have a template page developed first.  Then choose a copywriter who regularly uses a web page editor like MS Front Page as a typewriter.

Most web designers don’t have the first clue about how to convert traffic!
Just think about it…
Over 99% of all web sites today are designed by programmers or graphic artists — NOT marketers.  Most of these guys have never earned a dime selling anything online except their overpriced (and under performing) web design services.

Eric Graham, "The Conversion Doctor" www.Web-Site-Evaluations.com 

   Doing business with the right web page developer could be the best business decision you'll make.  

Use the form below to request an estimate
and, if necessary, a telephone consultation.

   You will receive an request for estimate form. This is a Word document containing questions about what you are marketing online.  Questions about the product itself, its market, and your marketing plans and methods.  You can type the answers right onto the document itself and email it back to me as an attached file.

   Fees for service are established on an individual basis.  

   After you submit your initial inquiry, you can download a zip file containing the request for estimate form together with the two free reports described below.  

Free Telephone Consultation

   If you need a telephone consultation, please include your phone number, including area code and best time to call when you return your completed estimate form.

  To your success,
  Francis M. Ardi

P.S.  Using two separate providers (copywriter and web page designer) leaves much to chance.  Why risk employing a web page designer who might not be familiar with the selling process?  Someone who does not pay attention to detail keeping in mind that the purpose of your web page is to generate a response?  

Free Critique of your Web Site
Details on the right column of this page 

On submitting your inquiry,
in addition to the request for estimate form,
you will receive these two free reports.

  
1. What To Look For in Writing Samples.

   Be more confident in choosing a copywriter to prepare your promotional materials. This 20 page report provides an outline of what to look for in their writing samples. 

2. How to Choose the Right Web Site Format

   Become more familiar with the different kinds of e-commerce web sites and know how to choose which is best for your particular business with this 13 page report.   From "Company Web Sites" which provide information about a company, and the so-called "Micro Sites" consisting of a landing page and an order form that sell a single product. There are also catalog sites to sell multiple products like vitamins or music CDs.  You'll better understand the exact purpose for building a Web site.
   You'll also receive a questionnaire where you can supply me with specific details on your promotion by typing answers to questions right onto the word document and email it back to me.
   Schedule of fees for copywriting services is included.

   Need to see writing samples?  There will be a separate download link on the welcome page displayed after you submit your request using the form below.

To inquire about copywriting or landing page development, or to request a free critique of your sales literature, Please Use the Inquiry Form Below.

 

ADDITIONAL WRITING SAMPLES WILL BE FURNISHED ON REQUEST

Request for Service, Critique or More Information

Name:*
Email Address:*
Telephone:
Web Site URL:

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Please indicate what you are inquiring about or interested in.*

Also include any specific requests, inquiries and/or comments.

If you need writing samples, please state your request in the text area above.

Please enter the four characters shown at right into the small space at end of this line.*

    

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 I shall personally be in touch with you as soon as possible.

Privacy Policy - Any information you provide will be used exclusively by Francis M. Ardi.  Your name and information will not be sold, rented or otherwise distributed to any third party or other organization.

Sales letter writing 
 print and online

Home Page

Free Critique

of your web site
or sales letter

Have your landing page evaluated by a professional copywriter for selling effectiveness.

Use form below.

White Paper Writing for B2B and high tech marketing.  Click Here.

Email solo ads,  PPC ads, capture pages to build mailing lists or inquiries, survey forms, etc.

 

What's a Landing Page?

  The term Landing Page refers to the page where you 'land on' when you click on the link in an email message or banner ad or pay-per-click listing.
  This is generally the web page that sells when its operator places ads elsewhere on the Internet to drive traffic to his site.
  Web sites dedicated to selling a unique product with a product-specific URL are generally known as Micro Sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"On average, five times as many people read the headline as those that read the body copy. 
If you haven't done some selling in your headline, you've wasted 80% of your client's money." 

David Ogilvy

 

“If you can come up with a good headline and lead, you're almost sure to have a good ad. 
But even the greatest copywriter can't save an ad with a poor headline.”

John Caples

 

"80% of the success of a sales letter is determined by the headline and  lead."

Michael Masterson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended
Resources

Each Link opens a new browser window.

SEO Copy Software

Copy the secrets of major marketers' high rankings on Google.  Generate lots of free traffic.

Click Here for Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Samples of
My Most Recent 
Writing Assignments available on request

Due to copyright and SEO issues, I cannot make them available on this page.

Use Request form
at bottom of page.

 

 

 

 

 

Free Critique of your Sales Letter or 
 Web Site

  Ask me to critique your web site or sales letter, and I will certainly comment on whether it could leave a potential customer with unanswered questions.  

Another  detail commonly overlooked is that many web pages leave the reader with unanswered questions.

Questions turn into doubts, and doubts added up will kill the sale.

Remember:

"A confused mind    always says no."

When I critique a web page, I carefully look for anything missing or unclear that might cause the prospect to hesitate.  I'll make suggestions on how you can improve your offer, or better explain your guarantee and bonuses, where applicable

Please use the form below to request your critique.

Include the URL of your web page or if it is not online, please reply to the email that will be automatically sent to you after you submit your inquiry with any Word or web documents you want critiqued as an attached file.  If you have multiple documents, please bundle them in a zip file.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Francis Ardi

12406 Oro Valley Trl
Austin, Texas 78729  U.S.A.
Telephone: 1+ 832-656-3721
Fax: 1+ 512-697-8295

 

Copyright © 2007 by Francis M. Ardi.   All Rights Reserved