The landing page can be described as an interactive sales letter that compresses the entire sales process into one web page. This page functions as a mini-website and should contain eleven components to successfully sell a product: product name, photo, description, features, benefits, product tour, how-to-buy tour, security and privacy guarantee, customer testimonials, product reviews, and an e-mail newsletter form.

1. Product Name
Believe it or not, the name of your product is extremely important. The name should describe your product and communicate its benefits. Currently, there's a male sexual enhancement pill with a great product name: Orexis. The name rhymes with the word, erection, which is what the product facilitates.

2. Photo
Great product photos show consumers happily using a product. We're shown that we'll be happy if we buy it and use it. We'll benefit.

3. Description
The description of the product should briefly tell us what it is and how it can benefit us. Use no more than two or three sentences to describe your product. The average consumer has a very short attention span.

4. Features
The features should include a bullet-pointed list of the different tasks your product will help consumers perform. Affiliate marketing guru Rosalind Gardner uses just such a list on the site for her popular e-book, The Super Affiliate Handbook.

5. Benefits
The benefits of your product should also be listed in a bullet-pointed list. It's often a good idea to place this list next to the list of product features. That way, consumers can immediately and clearly see how the features result in benefits.

6. Product Tour
Below the photo of your product, there should be text that reads: "Product Tour." This tour can show additional product photos and in-depth product descriptions. Think of it as a full sales pitch. Not all consumers will want to see this pitch. But giving them the option often reassures them that your company and product are legitimate.

7. How-To-Buy Tour
This is a great marketing technique. Amazon.com has an entire web page describing the process of placing an order on their website. Amazon even has an animated Flash tour showing customers how to place an order.

A how-to-buy tour should show consumers which buttons to click, how to enter their information on the ordering screens, and how to submit their information to complete their purchase. The great thing about this tour is that it reassures customers that they will be able to purchase your product quickly and easily. They can see screen shots of your online order forms before placing an order.

8. Security and Privacy Guarantee
This is the age of identity theft. As an online merchant, you must reassure your customers that their personal information will be protected. Show them that you're using 128-bit encryption to protect their credit card information and other personal information.

9. Customer Testimonials
Whenever possible, feature quotes from satisfied customers. Remember that people often buy products that were recommended by friends. Testimonials show consumers that people just like them bought your product.

10. Product Reviews
If a news publication writes a positive review of your product, feature quotes from the review on your landing page. Product reviews can be considered third-party endorsements. Consumers view them as being unbiased. Good product reviews can help close a sale.

11. E-mail Newsletter Form
If a consumer isn't ready to buy your product, offer to provide him with free, valuable information through your email newsletter. Prompt him to enter his name and email address in an email newsletter form. This gives you a way to capture the consumer's information and communicate with him until he makes a purchase from you.

If you use the eleven components I've described, your landing pages will convert web surfers into customers. But, remember that optimizing your landing page will be an ongoing process. Gather feedback from your customers to fine-tune this page.

Glenn Bossik is the director of affiliate marketing for Double Play Media, Inc., a full-service ad agency owned by Corey and Robert Gleichenhaus. The agency offers contextual advertising, affiliate management services, e-mail marketing, and lead generation services.