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It's a new print-ad world out there. It has been for 10 years now. But too many print advertisers still don't get it.

They could be running what I now choose to think of as “amplified advertising” — exposing their best prospects to several more pages of advertising for the price of one, and inviting them to go online, identify themselves and interact. Similar to direct marketing without selling directly to readers.

Instead, many keep running brand ads that aren't much different from what they might have run in the '90s. They may tack on an Internet address at the bottom. But it's often too small and pale to read, and doesn't provide much reason for paying a visit. And if you do log on, you're likely to be disappointed with what you find. (Radio and TV advertisers promote their Web sites more aggressively, for various reasons.)

My case in point is an ad for La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, a chain of franchised stores carrying not only the famous recliners but other products, including upholstered furniture presumably also made by La-Z-Boy.

Of course the ad comes complete with the tiny gray text type that's still the vogue among art directors and perhaps always will be, until advertisers start testing more readable type and measuring the results.

We see a collection of nice living-room furniture items. One of them might be a recliner.

The tiny “headline,” if we can call it that, is “We have everything you need to complete a room. Except the walls.” One of those lame advertising jokes.

And who is “we”?

Well, down at the bottom there's the signature, La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, followed by “Explore all the possibilities at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.”

And then in even smaller type, “Visit www.lzbgalleries.com for a store location and limited-time offer.”

Not a very strong claim. And not a very good reason for visiting the Web site.

When you do log on, the site isn't exactly a barn burner. Slides of upholstered furniture with no selling copy. Yes, a store locator. But if you dig deep enough, you find a nifty interactivity feature. It's a room planner, a floor plan with movable walls and movable, resizable furniture icons. So with your mouse you can play around with different arrangements for your own room until you get it just right.

And for those who want more help than that, dealers offer free in-home design assistance — a design consultant will come to you and offer suggestions on furnishings, fabrics and colors.

Now they're talking! At least two good reasons for visiting the site. But the ad doesn't mention them.

When planning an amplified-advertising makeover, I follow six guiding principles:

1. Identify the product or type of product in the headline. If people don't know what you're selling, it's hard to attract prospects and interest them in buying.

2. Start where the reader (i.e., the prospect) is.

3. Make the ad appeal to prospective customers as strongly as possible. The more they like what you're saying, the more they'll want to know.

4. Promise a product advantage or benefit.

5. Clearly display and promote the Web site address.

6. Provide motivation for prospects to log on.

In this case I assumed readers wanted to improve their living room and recognize the La-Z-Boy name as being synonymous with the ultimate in comfortable recliners.

They might be quite interested in a store called La-Z-Boy Galleries, but understandably jump to the conclusion that it only sells recliners.

The ad's tiny headline clears that up but doesn't trade on any positive feelings about the La-Z-Boy name (although the logo at the bottom of the ad helps).

So the headline in my makeover, in very clear type, is “We're Not Just Recliners. Our La-Z-Boy Galleries have everything you need to complete a perfect room.”

Now I have identified the advertiser and the product. It's a store selling furniture — and, by implication and association, very comfortable furniture.

I have stated the promise: a perfect room.

In the lower right-hand corner, I've added a benefit: “Free in-home consultation with our professional design experts.”

Now I'm ready to highlight the Web site address and offer a compelling reason for visiting online.

I do this in my subhead: “Design it online with your mouse and our icons…print it out..and bring it in. To browse, plan, and find the nearest dealer, go to lzbgalleries.com.”

It makes a video game or virtual-reality exercise out of planning and arranging your dream living room. Who can resist that?

Note that I haven't subtracted anything of consequence from the original ad. So whatever value it had is still there. I've merely added a few changes in the display type. But what a difference they make in the ad's overall strength and the promise of getting more responses from hot prospects. This alone could double the ad's value and its return on investment.

(What? No “long” copy this time? No, because I wanted to keep as much of La-Z-Boy's content as possible and show what a big difference just a few changes and additions could make.)

Then suppose the “back end” — the Web pages — were treated as powerful direct-order catalog pages, with each displayed item described in vivid detail by a star Lands' End copywriter. The ad's worth just might be tripled.

Think how many additional billions of sales dollars could be achieved by print advertisers for the same amount of money. And you direct marketing creatives can show them how…if only they were smart enough to ask.

If you spot advertising in a newspaper or magazine by a brand you feel is conspicuously neglecting profits that lie “hidden on the farm,” I'd love to hear about it.

THOMAS L. COLLINS (thomas.l.collins@verizon.net) has been a direct marketing copywriter, ad maker, agency creative director and co-author of four books on marketing. He is currently an independent creative and marketing consultant based in Portland, OR.

Find more Makeover Maven columns at http://directmag.com/opinions-columnists/makeovermaven/.