You could have the best looking website on the planet, but if you don't know how to close a sale, then get ready for the consequences.

Whether you're selling something, promoting an affiliate link or trying to get people to sign up for something, you need a final call to action, to get people to actually do what you want them to do. If you think about it, the whole thing is a step-by-step process. That is, you advertise the product or service, you generate interest and finally, you close the sale. If any of those three steps is weak or even missing, you only stand to fail.

Below, I have highlighted some key points, to enable you to compare with what you are currently doing:

Be Seen - Make sure that your call to action stands out! Experiment with font types, colours, bold and italics etc. Don't let your call to action become over powered by the rest of your text.

Keep it Simple - Make your main text as simple to understand as possible. Don't expect to get many sales, if you present your readers with War and Peace! Keep paragraphs short and to the point and use bullet points or numbered points where you can. This enables your readers to scan-read your material (and the majority of people scan-read!). Your bullets should clearly identify as many of the benefits of your product, as possible and remember that people are only interested in that famous radio station - WiiFM (What's in it for me).

Use Compelling Text - Wherever possible, use action words. Phrases such as Click Here, tell the user what to do and are a lot more effective than Submit. Any buttons on your site should be labelled in a similar fashion. Use phrases such as, Submit Now or Give Me My Free Copy!

Do What You Say - Nothing annoys people more than a link or button that indicates one thing, but leads to another. If the link tells people that they'll be taken to a form, make sure the link actually points at the form. They don't want to take the scenic route!

Use Urgency - You have to convince your readers that they need to take action immediately. If they want to put it off or think about it, the chances are that they won't buy. Use phrases such as, For a limited time only, Buy now and get a free copy, The first 60 people will get a free copy of... and Don't spend another day in debt, are just a few examples.