How To Write Killer Headlines That Work

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Headlines on websites lead to readers

The following article presents the very latest information and the teaching of writing headlines for your website. If you have a particular interest in writing website headlines, then this informative article is required reading.

Your headline is the MOST important part of your Internet marketing strategy.

Headlines

Without an effective headline, you might as well shut her down and go home. This page is dedicated to helping you determine the most successful headline for marketing your Internet site and to show examples of headlines that work!

When you are trying to determine a headline for your homepage, remember that your company name should not be the headline unless it gives a direct benefit or sense of urgency to your homepage.

Your headline must grab the attention of your potential customer and keep it! The customer will either see your headline and keep reading or see your headline and click out of your site-never to return. Which would you rather have happen?

Finding an effective headline for your online company will be the key to your Internet marketing success.

Some useful headline tips:

Make Your Headline Top Priority in Marketing Your Internet Site

Place your headline before any other reading material, but below a picture or banner. Your customer will read what they notice first. If there is no picture or banner at the top of your homepage, place your headline at the very top of the page and make it very noticeable. Placing it in larger print and bold letters should do the trick. You also want it to be easy to read.

That's why I would not recommend fancy artwork or fancy writing in the headline - just plain, bold, and clear text. Also, do not use all caps when writing your headline. That's called shouting on the Internet.

If you have a picture or banner at the top of your page, place the headline below the picture or banner using the same guidelines as above.

The reason for doing this is that people normally look at the picture or banner first and then begin reading below it. The headline is what you will use to keep the customer interested in your Internet site. A powerful headline will make your Internet marketing successful and well worth the time!

Use Your Headline to Persuade the Customer to Read On

The information about website headlines presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about website headlines or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

Your headline should offer a benefit and a sense of urgency.

Because the headline is the key factor in determining whether or not a customer stays in your web site, it should create an irresistible benefit and/or a sense or urgency.

The benefit should be something your target customers are looking for and desiring.

One possibility is to have a news headline relaying today's news about your industry or product. The sense of urgency makes the customer desire it right now. It gives them a reason to go ahead and read your web page now, not later.

How to find which headline is best for your site

1.  Make a list of wants and desires of your target customer-the reason they searched for your site.
2. Make a list of benefits your company can offer to help that customer get what he/she wants.
3. Determine how you can create a sense or urgency.

You can bring wants/desires, benefits, and a sense of urgency together to form possible headlines for your homepage and other pages in your site as well. These three factors will build headlines that will bring your company online success.

Some Headlines Work, Some Don't

Test different headlines.

Once you have a list of possible headlines, you can determine which headline will entice the customer to keep reading.

One way to do this is to test your different headlines. This is easy to do on the Internet because you have unlimited space, pages, and changes that you can make to your site. You could test a different headline every week and it would not cost you one penny more!

5 to 500

You may be surprised at the results. If you had students and were teaching writing headlines as a class project you may find that one headline may keep 5 customers surfing in your test while slightly different writing of a headline may keep 500 people in your site. The only way to really know if the headline is the right one is to test it against others. This will take a little time and effort. Just remember, today's headline may double or even triple your profits!

Finding Today's Headline

Let's go through the process step-by-step using a fictional company in order to teach you about writing an effective headline. This example will show the necessary steps to take in finding the appropriate headline for your web site. We will go through an example using an Internet site that targets farmers.

Let's call the business "Online Tips for Farmers". This company gives great tips for farmers to use free of charge as well as related topics, products, and services for the profession of farming. What do you think would be an effective headline to write for farmers?

Wants and Desires: What are farmers looking for when searching the Internet?

1. Solution to a farming problem.

2. Ideas to make farming better and

more profitable.

3. Sources for buying farming products

4. What is required legally to begin a farming profession?

5. Companies to purchase the farmer's food or animals and equipment (better prices or better quality).

Benefits to the farmers(target customers) that visit this site:

1. Free tips for farming.

2. Access to products and services in their field.

3. Free access to farming guidelines in their state.

4. Ability to buy farming-related products at quantity discounts.

5. Free monthly farming newsletter.

6. Farming forum where they can talk to other farmers around the country and share ideas and information.

Tip! Write a headline for each of your web pages that will grab your visitor's attention immediately. Create headlines that are keyword-specific for maximum results. Examples: "Learn Web Design from Home," "Grab Your Free Training Video while They Last," "Build Your Site to Sell.... here is the Secret."

Sense of Urgency -- Read This Now!

1. Special offer on farming equipment.

2. Free list of farming distributors in your area for signing up for the newsletter now.

Writing Your Farming Headlines: Always Sell Benefits and Solutions

Find Out How You Can Own Farming Equipment at Wholesale Prices

Get A Free List Of Farming Distributors In Your Area With Subscription

Attention Farmers! Your Farming Information Center Is Here.

If You Want to Become a Successful and Practical Farmer, Read On

Internet Success Tips For Farmers

Find Out What Works for Farmers all Across The Land

Who Wants to Reap Benefits as a Farmer

How Farming Has Changed in the Last 100 Years

Why Some Farmers Grow an Enormous Crop, and Others Don't

Sowing and Reaping

Finding the Perfect Farm in 48 Hours

Farming Rules for the Serious Businessman

Do You Make These Mistakes in Farming?

Get the picture? etc..., etc...

The day will come when you can use something you were taught here about writing headlines which will have a beneficial impact in your Internet marketing results. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about these teachings of writing headlines.

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Article written by Candice Pardue, freelance content web writer for Internet business

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