Friday, June 5, 2009

Web Copywriting - Features and Benefits ... What Are They?

Author: Francis Lui

If you don't know the difference between features and benefits, your copy may not be selling as well as it should. By learning the difference, you'll know how to sell your product or service effectively. It's also important to know which is more important to include in your copy.

I'll show you the difference between the two.

First, features are the specifications or descriptive facts of the product. For instance, let's say you're selling a toothbrush. Its features may be that it has a handle, has bristles, and its color is blue.

Features appeal to the logical mind. If you were to sell your product based on features alone, your copy will bore the prospect. It won't get the prospect emotionally excited about buying it. People tend to buy on emotion. So you want to get them excited about your product.

That's where benefits come in.

Benefits show what's in it for the prospect. They show what advantages the prospect gains from your product or service. They show how your product will solve your prospect's problems.

In our toothbrush example, a benefit may be that the toothbrush has a handle so you can grip it to easily brush your teeth. Another benefit is that the toothbrush is blue, so it's easy to tell which toothbrush is yours and which toothbrush is your spouse's.

But does that mean you should never include features? No, not at all. After your prospect is emotionally sold from the benefits, they need justification for their decision. This is a good time to include the features. The features appeal to the logical mind and helps justify the sale.

Listing the features shows what your prospect will be getting. It will also help eliminate buyer's remorse.

About the Author:

Want more web copywriting and Internet marketing tips?

Get your FREE 31-page report along with a FREE newsletter subscription to The Web Copy Letter at http://www.francislui.com/. Visit his site now by clicking on the link.

Francis Lui is a web copywriter with web technical skills.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Web Copywriting - Features and Benefits ... What Are They?

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