Anatomy of an Ad Site

An ad site is, very simply, one way to sell a specific product that can be extremely successful. Some people call an ad site a "marketing page" or a "sales page." There are thousands of ad sites out there, some of which lead you into a full-fledged website, while others end right with that page ... and, hopefully, a purchase.

The anatomy of a successful ad page, or how to create a great ad page, comes down to a pretty simple "formula:" a framework, or an outline, if you will. This article will lead you right through the formula to creating an ad site that will really sell your product well.

Ad Sites: The Anatomy

If you're at all unfamiliar with an ad site and don't know yet how it will benefit your business, you simply must check out a few of the better ones out there. Here are just a few examples I found while running a quick search:

The Handcrafter's Companion: http://www.thehandcrafterscompanion.com/

Probate Real Estate Investing: http://www.probategoldmine.com/

Dropshipping Made Easy: http://www.dropshippingmadeez.com/

Right off the bat, you can see the similarities between each of these ad sites. There are differences - some good, some bad ... but by the time you're done with this article your own ad site will be completely pro.

Before you start, prepare to spend some real time on the piece. Even the shortest ad or marketing site can take as long as 15 hours to get just right.

As you follow the anatomy of an ad site laid out below, try to really get in your target customer's mind. How does your product or service really benefit them - and how can you grab their attention right away? Even more important is this question: why should your target customer purchase your product or service rather than your competitor's?

Refer to the illustration attached to this article as you read through the steps. The illustration shows a bare-bones version of an ad site, while the steps below will offer a couple more pieces you can throw in if you're up to a bigger and wordier site. Just remember one thing: your page should be filled with enough keywords to get good placement in the search engines, but not so many that you're booted to the bottom. Go back to what your target customer needs, and stick to just that.

Here we go, from the top of the page to the bottom:

The Headline (the "Attention" piece)

Your headline needs to be big, bold, and promise your customer that they've hit the page they need because you're promising them exactly what they're looking for. Draw your potential customer in, and give them a reason to read the next line on your page. If you don't have a good headline, your ad site has already failed. This may be the very most important part of your page.

The Sub-Headline

Woo-hoo! You got your potential customer to take the initial bait - they're reading the next line ... this one. You need to expand on the promise made in your headline, and give the reader a reason to keep on reading. They need to get to the next line on your page or you're not going to make a sale. This line should also be large and bold, but at least two sizes smaller than your headline.

Benefits (the reason you're so needed)

Think of your first benefits line as an introduction that also serves as a sales pitch. Briefly describe exactly why your potential customer needs you, and let them know what they will miss out on - as well as what they'll gain - by using your product or service.

More Benefits

In the bare-bones version of an ad site, you won't need a second benefits section. If you decide to use the second benefits section, you have the chance to overcome skepticism by convincing people that they'll feel great, smart, superior, cool, efficient, or anything else they "should" feel when they choose your product or service. Also highlight what they will feel if they miss out on this to-die-for opportunity.

The Offer (impossible to resist)

Your product or service is amazing. It's wonderful. It's irresistible ... except that with the tight wallets today's economy has caused people to have, you need to offer something more. Offer something that will get your potential customer antsy to get moving. They get to try something for free, they receive a useful e-book, or they might get a free trial period of your product or service. The keyword here is FREE. People love free. And by offering something extra, the reader has a chance to evaluate the true quality of your business before committing themselves to a full purchase. Seriously, this is hugely important for an ad site. Just getting your name out there isn't enough. People want something - NOW.

Risk Reversal (there's nothing to lose)

How you decide to provide risk reversal will depend on your product or service and just how much you have to lose - or how strongly you stand behind your product. Let your reader know that they're not obligated to continue, or offer a money-back guarantee. The less the risk your potential customer is taking, the more likely they will purchase.

Proof

In the bare-bones version of the ad site illustrated in this article, the "proof" comes in the form of testimonials. These are always great - as long as they're real, and you can provide a real name and business or state of origin for the person giving testimony to your product or service. If you don't have any testimonials, look for facts and statistics which really illustrate how the type of product or service you offer will benefit your potential customer. Prove that you can do what you say you can do.

Photos

Not only are photos or illustrations great for making your ad site aesthetically pleasing, but they are proven to increase your response rate. Without photos or illustrations, your page will look boring and may not be read at all. By providing pieces that illustrate the benefits of your product or service, or show off its quality, you help the reader connect with it.

Call to Action

If you don't call your reader to act, to actually do something, you haven't created an ad site at all. If the rest of your ad is done well, people will act - they'll do exactly what you ask of them. Your call to action is your salesperson. Make use of it!

There you have it. A guide to a great ad site. Try writing up a few versions and trying them out to see which versions draw the most responses. Keep trying. You'll see the benefits.