Q. People always say I should have articles on my website, but I want to sell my products. Won’t articles distract my visitors from buying my products?

A. Let me start by saying that articles are like sales copy...they are created to inform your visitor.  There is another similarity between articles and sales copy, but people tend to forget.

Sales copy has a certain goal in mind and always includes a call to action (buy this product, sign up for this list, etc.).

Most people who publish articles forget this part. Your articles also need a call to action. There is no sense having articles that just inform, but don't tell what your visitor what to do when they're done reading.

So, Let's Talk about Articles a Bit More:

- Articles are relationship-builders. People will see you as an expert in your subject area.

- Articles can drive tons of extra traffic through search engines.

- Other sites will publish your articles for extra exposure.

Articles are definitely a tool you want in your marketing arsenal. You can use the same principles in your articles that you use in your sales letters.

- Use an Attention-Getting Headline. Yes, your articles may be written to rank well on search engines, so you'll have to use your judgment. As one example, "How to" headlines work very well with search engines (do your keyword research first) and for getting attention from potential readers.

- Limit Your Calls to Action. Don't distract your visitors with tons of irrelevant links. Keep them focused on your article and only send them elsewhere when it's relevant and of benefit to you. Even if you don't want to sell a product, make sure you get your reader on your mailing list. Don't let them click away without doing something!

- Use Sub-Headlines to Draw in Attention. Keep those "skimmers" interested with sub-headlines to keep them reading.

But back to your question -- about having articles on your website. You're probably right. If you publish article on your sales letter or sales site, you WILL distract your visitor. Your sales site really should either encourage the sale or get the opt-in. You don't want to give too more options than that. HOWEVER, you can create a new site with content, to build relationships and to drive leads to your sales site. There's no limit to the number of websites you can have, so start building. 

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