Remember, you have approximately 10 seconds to get your visitors’ attention. Visit a few websites and notice what draws your eye first. Is it the graphics? Maybe, but it is a rare graphic indeed that keeps website visitors interested for long. What words do you notice on the page? Are they big and bold? Do they make you want to explore the website more, or are you already typing something else into your search box?

Headlines that get the most attention are those that not only explain what the page is about, but why you as a visitor need to learn more. Your headlines and sub-headlines should be concise but powerful. Don’t just say “This product is great” – instead, say: “This product is great because it will have these amazing benefits for you.”

If the price of your products or services is one of the biggest attractions, include that price in the headline for your landing page. According to a one study, listing a favorable price in a headline can increase your visitor conversion rate by as much as 68 percent.

Whether it is your price, your quality, or your uniqueness that makes your products or services desirable, your headline should say it all—using as few words as possible. First-time visitors to websites do not typically read every word on the page. Instead, they scan for things that jump out: bigger text, different colored text, or text that is spaced apart from the rest. These are your headlines and subheads, and they are crucial.

When writing headlines, it is beneficial to understand the basics behind human motivation. You can find a tried-and-true breakdown of human behavior in Abraham Maslow’s classic model of the Hierarchy of Needs.

Maslow’s Hierarchy states that people will not seek to meet lesser needs until more important needs are met. For example, a person who is hungry will not look for entertainment until the hunger has been satisfied. The hierarchy of needs, from the most important to the least, is:

Physiological: The basic physical drives—hunger, thirst, shelter, clothing, and sex
Safety: Includes physical, emotional, and financial security
Social (Affiliation): Fulfillment of the need for companionship, love, affection and acceptance
Esteem (Self-esteem): Desires for achievement, recognition, attention, and respect
Self-actualization: The drive to seek a higher purpose and reach full potential

Your headlines should appeal to one of these basic human needs as defined in the hierarchy. Your goal in writing your headlines is to appeal to your visitors’ emotions. The words you choose must reflect their wants, needs, and desires. Help your customers realize how your products or services will allow them to fulfill one of the basic needs, and you’re on your way to converting sales.

Another important consideration in writing your headlines, and your content in general, is to keep it conversational. You want your visitors to feel as though you are talking directly to them, rather than describing a product or service for no specific person. Identify the problem that your product or service solves, and apply that solution to your content. Let your visitors know specifically what they can expect to receive by becoming your customer.

To accomplish this, make use of “you” and “your”, and stay away from generic description. Think of real life situations that are common to your target demographic, and apply your product or service to those situations. Let them know what will happen when they use your goods or services. Describe in terms of why and how, rather than what.

The more benefits you can clearly explain for your products and services, the more people they will appeal to. Continue to brainstorm ways to apply your products to everyday life, and bring those applications to life through the words on your website.