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Originally published in SiteProNews, February 21, 2008

An effective headline should be well integrated with your website's focus and allow you to direct the eyes of your customers to where you want them to go. When it comes to creating a headline that demands attention, there is no set formula. But here's what most experts recommend.

First, study the competition and read existing headlines on the web to get a sense of what works, from successful ecommerce websites, and from direct marketing ads you might be getting through the mail.

When you've gotten a good idea of some of the existing headlines out there, get a pad and pencil and start making a list of at least 50 headlines that might apply to your product.

Don't worry about nailing it just yet, instead just write down whatever comes to mind. You will refine and test your headlines later. To start, analyze your customers and ask yourself:

• What do they care about most?
• What is the biggest problem they face?
• How can you help them solve it?
• And most importantly - How are they finding your site? What Google search terms are they using? Are you answering their search query with your headline?

If you find yourself getting stuck, realize this: most top copywriters don't come up with their own headlines. They copy them.

Top copywriters know certain set formulas work and they simply apply these formulas to their products... over and over again. Here's one example of a set formula. How to _____ and _____.

This is the formula used by Dale Carnegie for his best-selling book "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

You can apply this formula to just about any product. Selling job hunting services? How about this headline "How to Enjoy Your Career and Earn More Money." Selling exercise equipment? How about "How to Look Great and Feel Young Again."

Copywriter David Garfinkel offers the following advice: "Behind the title and headline is a secret code that makes it powerful.

The secret code is actually a generic formula that gets attention and creates desire in your prospect's mind. Every winning headline has a unique generic formula hidden inside." Here are some other formulas you can use. Each of these work on the "secret code" principle.

• Who Else Wants to ___________ ? For example: "Who else wants to Learn the Secrets of Ecommerce Success?"
• Revealed: The Secret to ____________. For example: "Revealed: The Secrets to Learning Foreign Languages Quickly."
• 22 Reasons You _________________. This example uses the word "reasons" and provides a specific number for credibility. For example, "22 Reasons You Should Be Testing Your Headline Today."
• Don't Do ________ Before You Do __________. This example grabs the reader with a warning. For example, "Don't buy any Autoresponder Software Before You Read this Article."

In addition to the formulas above, a second strategy is to develop a longer headline that clearly spells out the key benefit of your product. This is the type of headline commonly used by Internet guru Armand Morin.

Here are some headlines used to sell his products. Notice how each headline clearly spells out the key benefit of his product.

• Create Cash Producing Sales Letters. The same Kind of Letters I Have Used To Generate $167,434 In Just 5 1/2 Months!
• Instantly Generate 30 SmartPages And Create An Avalanche Of LASER TARGETED TRAFFIC To Your Website Or Affiliate Link —ALL In Under 3 Minutes Flat!
• I will show you how to... take any mediocre site and turn it into Amazingly Stunning...in less time than it takes you to drink a cup of coffee!
• What If You Could... Hire a World-Class Graphics Designer Who Would Create Amazing eCovers For You 24 Hours A Day 7 Days A Week For Only a One-Time Low Payment?

Learn from the 100 best headlines ever written, compiled by Jay Abraham Once you have your preliminary list of headlines written down, (and remember, you can do this over several days - we don't expect you to wrack your brain doing it in one sitting) take a break, relax, and forget about them.

The very next day, take a fresh look at the headlines you wrote. Cross out as many as you can until you're down to 20 or so. If you think of better headlines, add them. Then once again, take a break and forget about them.

Again, on the next day, look at your list and further reduce the list to 5 - 10 headlines. Now you're done with the first step and ready to move to the second step. The testing of your headlines. Now the fun begins.

Bjorn Brands is a successfull enterprenuer who transitioned from having his own building company to a great online business. Check out his site and see for yourself how he can help you do the same at http://www.moneyacces.com

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