Your Web Site:

It doesn't matter whether your web sites sole purpose is to sell or its a content rich porthole, an effective headline should always be first thing your visitors see. No doubt purpose of any web site is to encourage visitors to explore it thoroughly and it's through use of powerful headlines that enable us to dictate path our visitors will take.

Ezine and Classified Ads:

Both ezine and classified ads should be considered expanded headlines. There are two important reasons for this. The first is that it's likely your ad will need to stand out in a pile of others running in same publication. If it doesn't have a powerful headline then chances are your ad wont even be seen. The second reason is due to fact that you're never going to be able to sell anything to anyone with such restricting word limits. The purpose of your classified ad is to get readers to click through to your web site or request an autoresponder for more information and that's where selling is done. Even if your ad happens to be read, if reader isn't curious enough to request further information or click through to your site then it's worthless.

Text Links:

If you exchange links with other web sites or you pay to have them displayed; if they aren't compelling headlines... then nobody's going to click on 'em. Take a look at imagined links below for example:

Joe's Solar Powered Flashlights: We've been making quality flashlights since 1935. If you need a light when you're lost in dark then please visit our web site for quality flashlights you can trust.

Joe's Solar Powered Flashlights: New! Solar Powered Flashlights... Twice as bright as standard flashlights and with no batteries to buy EVER... not only will you save money but you'll always be able to find your way home in dark. CLICK HERE NOW!

Which of above links would you be more inclined to click on?

There's no question about it; headlines are one of most important aspects that will determine success or failure of any online marketing material you create. This is even more important due to pace at which most people surf net. If you have text links on others sites, if you create banner ads, if you want to dictate where visitors travel through your site, then you need to pay careful attention to creating effective headlines.

Headlines that stand out and demand to be read!

Nothing in world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes hard; gentle overcomes rigid. Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice. (Tao Te Ching, ch. 78)

"What is path of least resistance in an email?", I hear you ask. Offer something free!

Successful web marketers know this already. I recently did a survey of Resource Boxes of fifty well known Ezine Writers. Over 90% of them were not trying to sell anything from their Resource Box. In fact, an overwhelming majority were not even trying to get a click-thru to their website - they were simply offering a free subscription to their Newsletter. In other words, they were more interested in building a long-term relationship than they were in making a quick sale.

When I started out on Internet, I was pretty impatient. I certainly didn't want to follow path of least resistance. The path I had in mind was more like flight of an arrow - straight to it's target.

But statistics suggest that most web sales are not made like that; on average your customer will have to see your message seven times before he or she buys your product.

So next time you plan your marketing strategy, why not take a lesson from Water and follow path of least resistance?