Do your headlines capture your prospects' attention or do they confuse them and send them away?

Are your headlines prompting prospects to learn about your products and services or click to another web site or throw away your letter?

Avoid three following headline mistakes.

Don't Emphasize Obscure Company Names Most small businesses and many not so small businesses names aren't household words. Unless your name is among top ten most recognized brands such as, Craftsman, Waterford, Rolls Royce, Discovery Channel, WD-40 or Crayola there is a very good chance people won't associate your company name with anything.

Have you ever visited a web site or read a print ad where company's name covered top part of page and it was something like, "Pharos Partners"? Unless name of your company describes what you do, it is not going to grab prospects' attention. Move it to side and make room for a creative headline.

Avoid Welcome Statements On many web sites first line you read is, "Welcome to our Site". There is a reason you don't see these in print ads. Welcome statements are a waste of time in marketing materials; they do little to help prospects understand what you do.

Delete Vague Descriptions and Statements Statements like, "Our purpose is to connect you with information and resources to achieve your maximum potential", could apply to a number of different professions. It could refer to a cooking school, a management consultant or an eldercare program.

- Are you wasting valuable space where your headline goes to feature a company name that doesn't describe what you do?

- Does your headline include "business speak" terms your children or mother-in-law can't explain?

Your business should reflect your personality and your values. If it doesn’t you have nothing to offer that can’t be found on a thousand other sites. If you want to be successful you have to make sure your customers see difference between you and your competition.

If, for example, you sell ebooks why should someone buy an ebook on your site rather than on my site? The product is same isn’t it? So what makes your ebooks better than mine? Probably nothing!

It’s how you present it . . .

If what you sell isn’t unique you have to present it in a way that is. There are several ways you can do this.

• Unique Selling Point (USP)

Find one major thing that sets you apart from your competition. Maybe you offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all of your ebooks. Maybe you include a special report with each purchase. Maybe your prices are always discounted. Whatever your USP is, make sure you promote it consistently and effectively.

• Sales copy that sizzles . . .

If your sales copy sounds just like everyone else’s why would anyone want to read it, much less respond to it? If your ad copy or sales page doesn’t excite your prospects, your business is dead in water. It’s critical that you either learn to write stand-out copy or invest in services of a good copywriter. • An inviting website . . .

Your website is your store or office; make sure it’s welcoming and comfortable. You don’t need to create a flashy website just one that looks professional and makes your visitors feel confident about buying from you.