Home > Marketing Ideas > Copywriting > Marketing Copy

What Is the One Question Your Business Marketing Copy Needs to Answer?

by Charlie Cook
Copyright 2005©. All rights reserved.

It started with a review of their web site, and before I knew it, the company president was bringing in every piece of promotional material they used, from their yellow page and magazine ads to the booklet they give clients at a first meeting.

With the heads of business development, marketing and sales present, the president asked me to rank each piece in terms of its effectiveness. What a great exercise for any company to do. But how do you judge the effectiveness of your small business marketing materials?

If you've ever been around three or four year old children for any length of time, you've probably noticed that they ask questions all the time.

• Why is the sky is blue?
• Why do I need a bath?
• Why is it time for bed?

You may have responded with a short answer like, "Because I said so" or you may have given a long answer that provided a logical analysis of the need for a balanced diet and the role peas play in it. Unfortunately neither of these responses is what a three year old child wants or understands.

Your prospects may not be three year olds, but when they read your marketing copy they begin by asking a series of why questions. They are asking themselves:

• Why should I read the rest of the page?
• Why is this important to me?
• Why should I trust this company?
• Why shouldn't I buy from their competitors?
• Why should I contact them?
• Why should I take out my credit card or checkbook and make
a purchase?

Does your marketing copy answer all these questions? I
asked the president I was meeting with to step back from his company's marketing materials and look at them the way his prospects do. You can do the same to evaluate your marketing materials.

Bring the home page of your web site up on screen and roll your chair back about 7 feet until only the larger items are legible.

What catches your eye? What do you read, first, second and third?

Do the same test with your print ads; pin them up on a wall and step back ten to fifteen feet.

Where does your eye go first? What messages come across first, second and third?

Want a web site that grabs your prospects' attention and prompts them to contact you and buy from you? Discover what to say and where on your web site with
Creating Web Sites that Sell.

With Creating Web Sites that Sell you’ll find out how to write the marketing copy for your site so it pulls prospects in and motivates them to do what you want them to do, email you or call you.

Use this link to increase your web lead generation
and sales.

Using this test, two items jumped off the homepage of the company I was meeting with; the company name and their tagline, "America’s Finest".

Unless your prospects already know your company, just
stating your name won't prompt a prospect to read your
marketing materials. And with over a million companies claiming to be "America’s Finest", such common and general statements do little to establish your company's credibility. They are the equivalent of telling the three-year-old, "Because I said so."

When a three year-old keeps asking why, what they are really saying is, "I’m interested; tell me more". The same applies to your prospects. They want your help, but first they want to know:

• Why should I work with you?
• Why should I trust you?
• Why should I contact you?

You may have thought you answered these questions but where is this information? Is it way down the page hidden in your copy or right up front where prospects can find it?

The company I was working with had the answers to all the "why" questions in their marketing materials. They had excellent reasons that their prospects should work with them, trust them and contact them, but all of these were buried in their marketing materials where no one saw them.

Don't assume that people will take the time to search for
the answers to their questions. We're all busy people; unless we're given a reason to take the next step, you and I and your target market are unlikely to go looking for it. For example, a lot of ads and web sites include the phrase "Contact Us". It's your call to action.

But why should I contact you?

What's one reason, or multiple reasons, I, your prospect, should send you an email or pick up the phone?

Stop messing around with your website marketing and find out what works? Discover what to say and where on your web site with Creating Web Sites that Sell.

With Creating Web Sites that Sell you’ll discover how to write the marketing copy for your site so it grabs your prospects attention and motivates them to do what you want them to do, email you or call you.

Use this link to increase your web lead generation and sales

Take a look at your web site, your ads, and your marketing materials. Does the first line prompt your prospects to read the second line? Does the marketing copy give your prospects the uncontrollable urge to call you or whip out their credit card and buy from you?

Generate more leads and more business with your web site, your ads and your marketing materials by answering the question "why". Tell prospects why they should read your marketing materials, why they should trust you and why they should buy from you. Answer the questions your prospects are posing and you'll earn their confidence and their business.

Want your ads, your direct mail pieces and your web site to generate more leads and sales? Stop wasting m0ney with marketing copy that doesn't work.

Get Charlie to advise you on your marketing strategy and to
write your marketing copy for you so you can increase your sales and start making more money. Get started by calling
1-800-795-1858 or use this link to tell Charlie what you want
and what you need.

Want an expert to help you attract more clients and increase your sales?

"We called Charlie because no one was responding to our ads. We ran the ad Charlie wrote for us, and within three weeks, we added nine new clients and increased our income by $180,000."
Jose Lopez
Rent4me

"... With Charlie's help we've increased web traffic, doubled lead generation and seen our sales increase by hundreds of thousands of dollars already. I'll be recommending Charlie to all our other business units."
Mike Trowbridge,
VP Marketing, Fairfield Resorts

"Requests for my services went up by 300% as a result of working with Charlie on my web site marketing. I'm delighted with all the business my site is generating."
Bob Nelson, Retailing.com

I can work with you one-on-one to show you what to do or if you’re too busy managing your business, I can advise you on marketing strategy, review your marketing materials and write your marketing copy resulting in more leads and sales.

Write me to discuss your needs and objectives. I take on a limited number of clients, so if your serious about growing your business get in touch with me as soon as possible to make sure I can fit you into my schedule. Give me a call at 1-800-795-1858 if you'd like to increase your profits or send me an email.

Helping you attract more clients and increase your sales

"The best material on web marketing to increase sales! 'Creating Web Sites that Sell' is easy to read, understand and apply. Using just a few of the web site marketing ideas in the manual I've earned an additional $1,000 from my web site in the first week. Highly recommended."
Suzanne Falter-Barns, Get Known Now

"Your manual, 'Creating Websites That Sell' is awesome. It shows just what to do to create a web site to generate profits. Highly recommended."
John Waiveris, Web Designer

"I've been designing web sites for years and I found tons of ideas I could use to improve my own marketing as well as make my clients' sites more profitable. Charlie really understands how to use web sites to increase sales. Strongly recommend for anyone who wants to market their web site".
Diane Varner, Web Designer

Use this link to get the Creating Web Sites that Sell manual.

"Creating Web Sites That Sell is a must-read for every web site owner and webmaster. It is like an intensive course in everything you need to know about selling online from site design, to writing compelling copy to optimizing your site for the search engines. Get it and get results from your web site." Milana Leshinsky," ACCPOW, Executive Director

"Your manual helped me double traffic to my web site in just 2 months! I've published 23 books and hundreds of articles on leadership, but until I read your manual, I didn't have a comprehensive system for using them to generate leads. Your manual showed me how to structure a marketing campaign using my articles on the web. An outstanding marketing tool."
Brent Filson, Action Leadership

"I love your manuals so much that I've bought three, my favorite! being 'Creating Web Sites that Sell'. I used to see marketing as a puzzle; now all the pieces are falling into place.

Your manuals contain a wealth of information that simplifies what I do. They have helped me be more productive and get many more clients. Highly recommended."
Susan Robichaud, Visual Communications Inc.

Use this link to get the Creating Web Sites that Sell manual.