Even experienced marketers need web promotion advice when they transition from traditional business practices to internet marketing. Getting web promotion advice prior to writing sales copy for the web is pretty important since the web copy is actually a huge aspect of effectively promoting a website. Sure, some of the same marketing principles apply to both worlds - any type of sales copy should grab the readers' interest, hold their attention, create desire, and have a strong call to action. Anyone who engages in marketing knows those basic principles. However, when it comes to internet marketing, the sales copy plays more than one role. The multiple roles are the reason that web promotion advice is needed before the web copy is written.

Anyone who gives web promotion advice should give adequate attention to the web copy. The purposes it serves are:

1. Advertising

2. Sales

3. Search engine attraction

Now, in the "real" business world sales copy is generally just advertising. The intent of traditional sales letters and marketing materials is simply to get those who read it into a store or on the telephone where a salesperson takes over and closes sales. In the "virtual" business world; however, the sales copy must make more of an impact than that.

Sometimes a website will have a phone number where website visitors can call, chat with a salesperson and place an order, but for the most part, the sales copy on a website replaces the salesperson altogether. Thus, it must not only provoke interest so that the website visitor reads the sales copy, it must also hold the reader's attention, provoke desire for the product or service it is offering, present a call to action, and literally close the sale.

Web promotion advice that aims to assist you in creating powerful web copy that fulfills all of these roles will likely give consideration to two types of web copy that are used for website promotion - long copy and short copy. The best web promotion advice leans toward long copy for websites because short little blurbs about a product or service simply don't complete the full sales process. The only time that short copy is really recommended is if you are using an online catalog.

Short copy can be used in product or service descriptions in the catalog to promote the products or services. Long copy; however, has some pretty unique points that need to be considered. In addition to web promotion advice that deals with the copy as a sales tool, web promotion advice also gives consideration to the use of keywords and keyword phrases that make the website attractive to the search engines.

Web promotion advice for long sales copy

Long sales copy is ideal for web promotion because it walks the reader through everything that a salesperson would do in a face- to-face (or telephone) sales situation. Before you write your sales copy, you should determine your competitive advantage and unique selling proposition, translate the features of your products or services into benefits for the consumer, and craft a pricing strategy that will set the image you wish to portray as well as provoking the consumer to buy - perceived value is key.

Using these important aspects of the web promotion advice, create a headline and a subheading that will grab the readers' attention as soon as the web page loads. Initially, the sales copy should make it clear to the reader what you are offering to them in terms of benefits. Long copy should also build your credibility with the reader through testimonials or the discussion of credentials. Generally a guaranty is used to instill confidence. Bonuses or freebies can be included to add value to the offering, and then the long sales copy needs to have a strong call to action that creates urgency.

Sometimes a reduced price for a limited time or a bonus that is available for a limited time provides the urgent prompting for the call to action. Last but not least, the sales copy has to ask for the order and make it easy for the reader to place an order or to contact you for more information.