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When a consumer comes to your webpage chances are they are looking for something. They may have no idea what they are looking for or they may have a very specific idea, but either way you have a short second of their attention in order to make an impression.

In this short time frame, there are certain questions that run through the consumers mind and if you can answer those questions you are in a better position to make a sale.

In fact, according to Psychology Today, there are strong emotions tied to making a purchase.

“fMRI neuro-imagery shows that when evaluating brands, consumers primarily use emotions (personal feelings and experiences) rather than information (brand attributes, features, and facts).”

This explains why consumers make purchasing decisions based on emotional triggers like love, fear, pride, guilt and greed.

Along with these emotions there are some specific questions that can help you to target these emotions and increase your chances of making a sale.

These five questions are:

1. Will I Love This Product and Why?

In order for the consumer to feel satisfied they have to love the product. A good example of a brand that makes customers feel in love with the product is Apple.

Apple always works to make their products appealing and puts a strong focus on making their consumers feel attracted and in love with their brand.

This helps to create a loyal brand following and is why consumers will wait for lines in hours to be the first to get their product.

When a customer first comes to your page they must instantly be able to discern if they are going to love the product. This is based on the style, appearance and overall attributes of the product.

In Apple’s case, their website it always designed in a slick, clean and modern way and their products are often presented in an attractive way to entice consumers.

To ensure that you are answering this question quickly, think about what parts of your products and services may be appealing and loveable to your consumers and then showcase it in an interesting way.

2. Will I Miss Out If I Don’t Buy This?

Does your product or service create a feeling of necessity and want? Rather than bombarding your consumers with “Buy Now!” many brands have employed the use of exit pop-ups which help to lure customers back to your webpage.

Even sites like Amazon use the “fear of missing out” to drive sales by listing how many products are left in inventory.

To use this tactic, as yourself what fears your products may evoke in your consumers and see if you can cleverly intertwine it into your page copy.

3. Am I a Bad Person If I Don’t Buy This Product?

Guilt based marketing unfortunately works well for non-profit organisations and brands. This is because people would rather support a worthy cause than go after something else that may feel ‘selfish’ to them.

Although, non-profits are not the only ones capitalising on purchases for causes. A telecommunications company in the United States, AT&T recently launched a campaign that supports not using your phone while driving. This campaign has helped to drive publicity for the company and to share an important message that ultimately is bringing the brand lots of press.

4. Will I Be Proud of This Product or Service?

Consumers want to feel proud of what they purchase. They want to feel that they can show it off to their friends and family and even share it across social media. In fact, a big draw for millennials is that they can showcase their products on their favourite social networks in order to gain attention.

A good example of this in action is from crowdfunding campaigns. Usually when someone contributes to a crowdfunding campaign, they feel proud for having done so and will often share it on social media.

To use this tactic, think about how you can make your consumers feel like leaders or proud of what they have purchased and then include that in your sales copy.

5. What is the Advantage For Me in Buying This Product?

Appealing to greed is a great way to make a sale. This means that you not only include the obvious benefits of your product but also maybe some more obscure ones.

When you bundle your benefits together, consumers feel like they are getting far more than they bargained or paid for and will be more likely to purchase your product.

This also includes offering hefty discounts or coupon codes as it makes consumers feel as if they are getting a good deal and are coming out on top.

Creating emotionally driven copy is a great way to attract your audiences attention and engage them to make a sale. Answering these key questions is also an effective way to ensure that your sales copy can trigger the key emotional points that consumers use when buying.