I’m not originating any ideas here — Ittybiz, Copyblogger, Problogger, Fluent Self and a dozen other blogs have gone over this ground before, and probably dozens of people before them that they learned from. But it never stops being a good idea, and it’s one that’s hard to remember when you’re in the thick of things.

When you’re writing copy to sell people something, whether it’s a product or a service or even an idea, you need three things: Features, Benefits, and a Call to Action. Between these three things, you have to answer what Naomi calls the annoying inner three-year-old question: Why?

Let’s say you have a Widget. We want people to buy this Widget, and maybe even get upsold to the Whatchamacallit package, and you’re so excited about all the features you’ve built into the widget that you want to list them out in lovingly prepared bullet points. Which is great, actually, people like easy lists, but remember:

For every Feature, you need a Benefit.

Tell me what it does, sure, but then tell me why I care. Benefits without features just sound like random bragging, but features without benefits are equally pointless. If your widget perforates to perfection, that’s great. But what does that do for me? Tell me what I can do with those perfect perforations, and how that helps me in my everyday life, and then I’ll be ready to become a Widget owner in a heartbeat.

The last thing on the page (and if it’s a long page, perhaps the third, seventh, and fifteenth) is your Call to Action.

You can sell me on the features and benefits all you want, but if you never actually try to sell me the Widget, then the sale won’t truly be made. People love to be told what the next step is, so remember to point them to it. Whether it’s a blog comment, a sale, or an inquiry for your services, make sure it’s obvious what needs to happen next. And then tell your reader to do what you want them to — or ask, if that’s more your style, though be wary of softening the call to action until it’s more like a gentle whisper.

Remember, for maximum conversion (to use marketer-speak): Pair each feature with its benefit, and end with a strong call to action.

Then you’ll be on your way to Widget Mogul status in no time.