Small Business Marketing: 5 Mistakes you're making on your order forms

The lion’s share of our orders come in online.  However, I happened to check my P.O. box recently, and discovered a couple of orders in the mail during the last few days.

This got me thinking about order forms in general…

With rare exception, I always give people the option of ordering both online and offline.  Some people just don’t like ordering online — they prefer ordering offline, just the way some people prefer calling over texting.

I like to accommodate these people.  In fact, in general… accommodating (within reason) people who want to give you money isn’t such a bad thing at all, is it?

Of course not, silly.

So today, let’s talk about offline order forms.

Much of these rules you can apply to online order forms as well – you’ll have to use common sense and pick and choose here.

1.  Make your order form stand out.

If you are selling using a sales letter, put your order form on a separate sheet of paper – one that looks different than your sales letter.  (I typically print it on a different colored sheet of paper or different stock.)

If it’s on the same form as your selling sheet, offset it some way — make it look like a coupon with a dotted line around it, for example.

2.  Make it easy to fill out.

Sometimes, in your desire to save space, the lines where information has to be filled in, are so small… it turns people off.

One thing you can do is try and complete your own order form after you design it.  Or better yet — mail it out to yourself.  Experience what your customers are about to experience — before things have a chance to get mixed up.

3.  Make sure you get all the information you need!

This one always gets mixed up in the beginning.

You either forget to ask for their phone number, or the card security code… or something like this.

It’s easy to miss the little details.

4.  Make SURE you include any guarantees you have on your order.

This is where your buyers might be thinking of things like regret, buyers remorse, or risk.  Eliminate these thoughts by reminding them of your guarantees.

5.  Restate, as briefly as possible, what your offer is.

Remind them what they are getting in some kind of clear and concise summary.

If you want to see what order forms look like, go to any of the sales letters listed on my products page, and look at the order portion.  Almost all of them will have an offline order form mechanism after you click on the ordering link.

And if you want more information on Offers, check out the Bonus Chapter called “How To Write A Sales Letter That Sells: All The Copywriting Secrets You Ever Wanted To Know, But Were Afraid To Ask!” It’s over 50 pages of solid gold.

Now go sell something,  Craig Garber

P.S.  New copywriting workshop now available.

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If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.  And if you have any comments leave them here on my blog:


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