You have less then 15 seconds to make an impression before Internet users are gone with a click of their mouse. 

Headlines are used to create enough interest in the visitor so that they continue to read and learn the details of what you are offering.  

Certain subjects and words create more interest than others. Subjects that interest everyone are money, love, health, and safety. Words that attract interest are learn, discover, easy, new, save, free, proven and now. Try and create three or four headlines using these subjects and words. Your headline might look like this: "Discover how to keep your feet happy all day long!"   

Questions are a great way to involve the reader by first making them thinking about your question, and then by answering it. When creating your question try and word it in such a way that it can not be answered with a no. Instead, ask a question that will produce a yes response. For example, let's say you are selling shoes, don't ask "Do you need a new pair of shoes?" instead ask "Do your feet hurt at the end of the day?". Everyone's feet hurt at the end of the day, so they will most likely answer "yes" and they will want to know more.   

Experiment with your headlines. The first headline you use will not be your best. You need to try different ones and gauge the responses you are getting. Once a month for three or four months try different headings and track your sales to see what headline produced the best results.    
Effective website text is what will sell your product or service. Your headline has captured them enough to read more about your product, now is when you want to close the sale.  

Emphasize Benefits. People don't buy features, they buy products and services that will benefit them. Tell them what the product will do for them or how it will make them feel. Visitors to your site don't care how much research has gone into the product or how many years you have been in business (this information is good to put on an "about us" page), instead, visitors what to know that your product will make them look and feel younger and smarter or will make them more money or give them more free time.  

WIIFM - ("What's in it for me?") Every time you mention a feature of your product, think "what this does for you is" and then complete the sentence giving them the benefit. Going back to our shoe example:   Feature: Our shoes have a patented cushion in the soles. Think WIIFM. Benefit: Your feet will feel as refreshed and cool as they do after walking on a sandy beach. 

Keep it Short and Sweet.  Write your text, the go back and remove extra words, then do it again. You want to say what you need to as quickly as possible. Reading a computer screen is much harder then reading a magazine. Plus, the visitor will have their finger on the mouse button. As soon as they are bored, "click", they are gone. 

Emotion Sells. Most purchases are made on impulse or on an emotional level. We tend to buy what we want, not what we need. Your site needs to make them want the product because it will feel good or make them money. Don't sell from the angle that they need your product, instead, make them want your product. 

Keep it simple. Write the text of your website just as if you were talking to the person. Don't use big words they will not understand. The last thing you want to do is make your reader feel not worthy of your product. Use the smallest word possible and leave the Thesaurus to lawyers and writers of computer manuals. You do, however, want to use proper grammar. You want to project the image that you are educated and that you took the time to proof your site. If your site is full of misspelled words and grammar mistakes, the visitor will think less of your website, and that image will reflect on your product or service.  

Balloons Over Letchworth offers hot air balloon rides over Letchworth State Park in Western New York State. Sean Quigley, owner and pilot, first contacted Virtualtech in February 1999 and become Virtualtech's first client.   Sean had heard about this thing called the Internet and wanted to have a website created to market his hot air balloon rides.    http://www.balloonsoverletchworth.com

Whether you have an existing, brick-and-mortar retail store or a mail-order only business, the Internet offers the chance to market your wares to the world. You have the website all planned, the hosting provider selected, and the killer domain name that will send potential customers flocking to your site with credit cards in hand. All you need to complete the package is a way to take orders over the Internet. This is what is commonly referred to as an online storefront or an electronic "shopping cart".

And just like everything else in the world, there are literally hundreds of packages which promise to fill your online sales needs. Here are a few things to consider before you make your selection:

What is the cost to implement the package into your website? There is a range of options here, including: an upfront fee to purchase a software license, a monthly fee in addition to your hosting fee, a "one stop" package that includes secure hosting and a shopping car, and several low-cost or free shopping carts. As with most things in the world, you get what you pay for.

How complicated is the initial setup? Again, a wide variety here, from storefronts that allow you to perform all setup functions through your Web browser to raw HTML which requires a good knowledge of website programming, while additionally requiring special server configurations and setting of server permissions. There is a definite relationship between ease of use and cost. 

How easy is it to change/update products? The better programs allow you to perform such functions as changing pricing and adding new products and pictures directly through your Web browser, while others require you to make changes offline and use an FTP (file transfer protocol) program to manually upload individual files.

What options are available to customize the storefront? Many of the programs available are of the "cookie cutter" type, with limited options as to how your store will appear online (having the effect of "every online store looking alike"). Look for a program that will allow you to design your store to match your website, keeping in mind optional configurations for shipping, sales tax, quantity discounts, package pricing, etc.

How will you provide your customers with online security when placing credit card orders? While technically not a part of the shopping cart, this is something you need to consider before selecting your hosting provider or shopping cart software.  

So many options to consider! Keep one thing in mind, however… you are in business to sell your product, and you are competing with thousands of other retailers on the Web to capture the same customers. This is not a place to cut corners to save a few dollars.

Virtualtech is proud to offer the Miva Merchant shopping cart program, which we believe to be the finest online storefront available today. It offers a wide range of options and all setup and product maintenance is done directly through your Web browser, giving you the ability to immediately see your updates.