Joe Robson
The Copywriter
who 'Gets the Net'

"Issue 111 April 5th  2004"
Published by Joe Robson http://adcopywriting.com  
Founding Member of 'The International Council of 
Online Professionals'  http://tncinfo.com/icop.htm  
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Previous edition is at http://adcopywriting.com/digest/110.htm 

Please forward this Newsletter to friend - Thank You!

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Home Page

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1. Just Thinking ....

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Hi, it's great to have you here:-)

I have a big apology to make to you, and an admission that I made a huge marketing mistake!

11 days ago I launched my brand new product "The PC & Internet Security Kit" and offered an introductory discount for just two weeks.

The fact is that it's selling like hot cakes, but I forgot to mail out the announcement to my Copywriter's Digest Subscribers.

Now how stoopid is that?

Yeah I know - just about as stoopid as it gets!

So if you wish to discover how to inexpensively and quickly protect your PC and your private information from scumbags, viruses, information thieves and hackers, then read this ... http://newbieclub.com/security 

Unfortunately, because of my memory lapse you only have a day or so left to grab the Introductory Discount.

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I said a few weeks ago that I really need a holiday, and that oversight proves it. So my wife and I are off to Europe for a couple of weeks soon, and shortly after that we're off to North Africa. Last time we went there I was offered 6 camels for my wife. Of course I turned it down ...

She's worth at least ten:-)

Feminists and Political Correctness Police-Persons please note that the previous statement was a joke. My wife didn't take offence by it, but I'm not so sure about the camels!

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I hope you find this issue's articles informative. I try my best to find articles that don't cover the usual generic stuff.

That's it for now.

Keep smilin',

PS. Don't forget to visit http://newbieclub.com/security  because
you only have a few hours before the discount deadline closes.

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2. Article ... "Top 5 Must-Haves on Every Web Page"
By Jason OConnor http://www.oakwebworks.com 
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There are 5 elements that every page of every Web site must have.
They are standard, and expected by Web users. When one of them is
missing, it screams to a viewer that it's an amateur site. If a few or all of them are missing, don't expect anyone to linger for
very long.

These 5 elements make site visitors' life easier and saves them time, two extremely important characteristics of an effective Web site.

1) Consistent colors, fonts, and look & feel.

This is a basic tenant of Web design. If you ran a traditional ad
campaign that used three different creative ads, would each one
look totally different? The answer is `no'. Using the same fonts, the same colors and keeping the general look & feel consistent is
fundamental to presenting a unified, dependable, and congruent image. If your look & feel is all over the place, your potential
customers may think you are all over the place.

Try for one main font throughout and maybe a secondary font. Two
primary colors are best with a third as a secondary color. A shade of one of the two primary colors works well for the secondary color.

2) Consistent navigation and a `Home' link.

If you present a navigational scheme on your homepage, then your
users immediately start to learn where to find all the ways to locate elements of your site the minute they arrive. If you then place the same links in different spots on other pages you are making it unnecessarily difficult for your viewers. It is unconsciously annoying to users, and gives the impression once again that you and your company are inconsistent and undependable. Don't make users work harder than they have to get information from your site.

Also, provide a way for a user to get back to your home page on
every page of your site. Often this is the page a user is most familiar with so they may want to go back. If someone emails an associate a link to an inner page in your site and they click on it, it is a good idea to provide a way for that new user to get to your home page.

3) A search function.

This is another one of those standard features that most people
expect now. If there is a specific bit of information that a person wants to find, don't make them wade through every page of your site. Implementing a search function is easy and free. You can get one at http://www.atomz.com/applications/search/trial.htm  
This truly makes a site user's life a lot easier.

4) Text, not just images, and text links, not just buttons.

Advertising agencies who also make Web sites have a tendency to
use too many graphics, often at the expense of text. A good rule
of thumb is that if you have words in an image, take it out and replace it with html text. This is good for a number of reasons;
including making the site more search engine friendly and loading
faster. Search engines can only key off text, not words found in
images. Also, graphic-intensive site take longer to load.

If you don't include text versions of your links, and only use buttons (which are images) then a number of popular search engines can't index your site because they can't read links embedded in images. So it's important always to include text links as well as buttons.

5) Phone number, logo, tag line.

Don't make your Web site an obstacle or wall for your prospects
and customers by leaving off your phone number. Every page should
have your phone number listed. It is very frustrating to go to a
company's site and have no way to reach them except through a form or email.

Always include your logo and tag line on every page as well. If you don't have a tag line, start thinking about creating one, your site is a great place to repeatedly get your message out.


All of the above mentioned elements can be included on an html
template that is used for every page in your site. Templates make it easy to include all of these and quickly update or change them too. Templates are for another discussion, but keep in mind they are very useful.

Most importantly, make sure every page of your site incorporates
these top five elements; they are a very necessary foundation for any effective Web site.

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Jason OConnor is President of Oak Web Works The synthesis of Web
marketing, design, and technology. Jason is a Web expert, e-
strategist, and e-marketer who builds sites and programs for the
Web http://www.oakwebworks.com 

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Joe Robson's 'Headline Writing Master Course' is an astonishing
library of ebooks and audios from some of the World's Very Best
Copywriters and Marketers. You won't believe how much explosive information it holds until you read about it here ...

 http://www.headlinecourse.com 

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3.   "Gary Vurnum's UK Marketing Seminar"
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If you live in the UK, don't miss Gary Vurnum's 2 day seminar in
April. I'll be in foreign parts in April, so regretfully will miss it, but Gary's a great guy and extremely savvy. So read what he has to say here http://www.tncinfo.com/garyseminar.htm 

If you can make it I'm sure it will be worth the effort.

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4. Kwik Tip .....  "Be Careful With The Negatives"

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Try wherever possible to avoid using negative words inn your Sales Copy - especially in headlines.

Our tendency to quickly scan Web copy can create problems for you. For instance ...

"Our software needs no special training" may be read by a 'scanner' as ...

"Our software needs special training".

OR ...

"Our software doesn't need special training" can easily be misread as ...

"Our software does need special training"

Just a small point, but it could make the difference between a sale and a non-sale. So why risk it?

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-------- "Listen To The REAL Experts"

Extraordinary 'From-The Gut' Interviews With The World's Top
Copywriting, Internet Marketing, Ebook Publishing, Email & Viral
Marketing Experts. Joe Robson's Guruspeak.com has a new and
extraordinary collection of Interviews with the Very Best and Most Successful marketers in the world. http://guruspeak.com 

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5. Article ... "6 Powerful Qualities Of Proven, Successful
Headlines!" By Robert Boduch

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Why do certain headlines produce extraordinary results? What
magical characteristics do winning headlines possess? Successful
headlines all share the ability to cut through the clutter of competing messages to deliver a hard-hitting, unmistakable message towards a specific group of prospects.

Great headlines are those that not only get noticed, but also draw the reader inside with a magic-like spell. Whenever you find yourself reading deep inside the body copy of a message, chances are you were pulled inside by the magnetic appeal of a carefully- constructed and targeted headline.

The most successful headlines contain at least one (and many times, several) of the qualities listed below. When writing your own headlines, review this list and make sure you're on target.

1) -------- "Stop-Ability"

Job one for any headline --whether it be for a display ad, banner, or a sales letter-- is to arrest attention. Without first capturing the eyes of your prospects, your message doesn't stand much of a chance. Without a powerful, concise message, prospects will be gone elsewhere, in the blink of an eye.

Living in the midst of the information age, each of us is inundated with a huge, continuous explosion of messages from all directions and an unlimited number of sources. It can be overwhelming at times --even futile--when we realize how impossible it would be to pay attention to it all, even with 48 hours to a day!

With this in mind, your headline has to make the reader stop dead in her tracks to ponder your idea, concept, startling statement, or intriguing question. Your headline's mission is to consume your reader's focus, capture her imagination and momentarily mesmerize with your captivating collection of words.

2) -------- "Interruptive"

Customers and prospects are mentally pre-occupied with various
thoughts of their own. Everyone is busy living their own lives. An interruptive headline has the ability to shift the reader's attention and focus from their current thoughts, towards your message. It's a break, a temporary thought suspension that you want to create with your headline.

Being interruptive means being able to get the prospect to shift her concentration with something that is new, timely, or important to her life something that is sure to get attention. To pull this off successfully requires a good understanding of your target market and a powerful headline that addresses a deeply- held desire or solution to a problem.

3) -------- "Provocative"

The provocative headline is one that instigates a reaction in the
reader. It delivers a mental nudge, designed to involve the prospect in some way. A provocative headline is difficult to ignore --particularly when it's narrowly focused on a specific audience because it tempts, teases, or tantalizes the reader.

Provocative headlines command the attention of those they address by asking questions, delivering a surprising or shocking statements, and by establishing a connection to a news story or event.

4) -------- "Compelling"

A compelling headline draws like a magnet because it hits at the
heart of a reader's greatest desire. These headlines pull the reader inside. They fuel the desire for more by offering a huge promise something the prospect wants, and wants badly. The key to a compelling headline is the suggestion of a payoff of some kind. The closer the match between promised payoff and deeply-rooted desire, the more effective the headline will be.

The compelling headline places a powerful thought in the mind of the prospect something she cannot easily forget. It stays with her until the desire has been satisfied, (often by placing an order) or, until she loses interest. The anticipation and desire builds so the prospect is literally compelled to stay with the message to satisfy a nagging hunger.

5) --------- "Curiosity-Arousing"

Prospects are pulled inside to the heart of a message by their natural desire to find out more. Often it's the result of a surprising statement, shocking news, a new discovery, or a new way to solve an age-old problem. The best curiosity-arousing headlines combine curiosity with a major benefit of interest to the prospect.

Once the reader's curiosity has been piqued, her interest naturally intensifies. The more thought she gives to the subject, the stronger the curiosity grows-- as well as the desire to satisfy it. What it all boils down to is greater exposure to your entire message over a longer period of time.

6) ---------- "Benefit-Laden"

Benefits are the true payoff all prospects seek. Benefits answer the "What's in it for me?" question. Every prospects has their built-in radar set to a benefits-only frequency. Benefits attract attention and interest.

What is it your prospects would like to have or achieve? What problem would your prospect most like to solve? Headlines that present strong benefits are headlines that capture interest. When you speak in terms of benefits, you're speaking your prospect's
language.

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Robert Boduch is the author of Great Headlines Instantly! How
To Write Powerful, Attention-Grabbing Headlines That Pull In More
Prospects, More Customers And More Profits, NOW! which features
hundreds of helpful tips, techniques, strategies, and hands-on
formulas for writing successful headlines for any purpose, on
demand. Robert's Best Selling book is just ONE part of Joe Robson's 'Headline Writing Master Course' at http://headlinecourse.com 

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-------- "Still Wanting To Build Your First Website?"

Joe Robson's First Website Builder has been used by thousands of people in 107 counties around the world. And the recently released new version V2.1 contains even more tutorials and custom designed software that makes it even easier! That's why it sold over 500 copies in the first 7 days   http://newbieclub.com/builder 

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