You might reasonably assume that customers make logical decisions when they choose to buy from you or not, but they don’t. Do you know why?

Emotions get in the way of rational decisions.

Think about your last big purchase. Was it rational?

I recently bought a new iPhone. Did I need it? Nope my old iPhone was fine. I could make calls, check my email and take notes. Or I could get a phone for free, but maybe not quite as good.

$800 dollars for a phone. That’s more than many laptops. Crazy, right?

I did it because I wanted (emotional choice) something better. Wanted and needed are very different.

Same thing goes for your customers. Do they really need what you offer? Probably not. If so then they are using emotions to make their decisions.

So the next question is how do I convince more people to buy my stuff?

It’s a common question I get when I start working with a lot of my clients. It really isn’t a great question though.

You don’t want just anyone buying from you. You want people who will get a lot of value out of using your products/services. You want people who will be so happy that they share your company with their friends. You want fans. People that love you even when the experience isn’t perfect.

Turning a visitor into a buyer starts with building trust. What happens at the first connection point until they are ready to buy from you?

There is something special about sharing cool products/services that can help people live better lives. I do this because I care about my friends, colleagues and family. I want them to feel more energized and happy.

The 4 Hour Chef (Link that buys my coffee) by Tim Ferris was recommended to me by a friend and I in turn have recommended it to thousands of people.

So how do you create this for yourself? Let’s look at how you can do this too.

Remove Your Customers Trust Barriers

The customer of your dreams deserves a customer-of-your-dreams experience. Easy to say, but hard to do when you have 100 things that you need to do today. You want each step to be so easy and enticing that it doesn’t feel like they are going through a buying experience.

It’s why your favorite website that you buy from keeps you coming back. From Amazon to iTunes, they aren’t perfect, but they make it very easy to make a purchase. Everything is right at your finger tips and helps you make an informed decision.

We have talked before about Selling to the Spark, the spark that stems from their pain that you can solve. Now that they are interested, you have to remove the barriers that stop them from connecting and allowing you to earn their trust.

A client was struggling to get their conversion up on their product. They have very good traffic, but people are dropping off when they hit the sales page. As I looked over the sales page, I began to see why.

There were too many hoops to jump through. Small barriers that made the process less inviting. We went through a 7-step process to improve her sales page.

Step 1 – Tell a Compelling Story

The foundation of conversion is connection. People must connect with you before they buy. This starts with a great story. A story that compels them to want to learn more. A man walks into a coffee shop. He tells the barista that most coffee shops don’t make coffee hot enough. He takes a seat and waits. They call his name after just a few minutes. He walks up grabs the cup, pulls off the lid and puts it to his lips.

You want to know what happens next. Did he burn his lips on the coffee? This simple story is an example of how to draw a person into your website.

Step 2 – Improve Layout

We started by looking at the layout of how each piece flowed into each other. This is where most people get tripped up. They know what they need to say, but aren’t sure how to start. The start point is the most important aspect part of your sales page. If it doesn’t grip them quickly, they’re gone.

Step 3 – Remove extraneous copy and images

We started by eliminating anything that was extraneous. If each sentence didn’t help walk the visitor down the path of why the product was valuable, we got rid of it. If the image wasn’t focused on telling the story of the product’s value, we got rid of it. If the video dragged on too long, we cut it down to essentials or removed it.

Step 4 – Remove links to other pages

This is a simple step that many people forget. There shouldn’t be links to other sites or pages on your site. You want to keep their focus on the content on your page without giving them an excuse to click away.

Step 5 – Create a Domino Effect

You’ve seen dominoes tipping into each other. All the energy comes from the first domino, and as long as they rest are in their proper place, the effect is exhilarating. This is how your customer should feel as they go through your website and your sales process. You need to create a emotional hook at each step, that’s why the layout is so important. If you try to sell them before they are excited to buy, you’ve lost the sale. Make sure each section builds on the previous and helps earn their trust as they find out more about your product.

Step 6 – Make a Compelling Offer that Shows the Value of Your Product

The last step is creating a compelling offer that speaks to your ideal critical buyer. The buyer that needs what you are selling, but it’s hard to convince them to buy. This buyer is the one you should focus on because if you can win them over, the rest will fall into line. The last step is making your sales page feel like it’s very calmly arguing its point. Each barrier is addressed and answered to make it easier to trust you. Then when they get to your offer they know that you will follow through on what you say you will deliver. This is not the time to do the hard sell. You should have won them over by the time they get to your offer. It’s best to be straightforward to have an offer that makes them feel comfortable.

Step 7 – Follow up

This last step will help you turn a buyer into a fan of your company. This is important because you’ll find that it’s easier to get someone who bought from you to buy again. The better you get at follow-up the more they realize that you care. Truly care about their experience.

After going through this 7 step process, we are usually able to double the conversion rate on 50% of my clients sales and landing pages. Would you like to double your conversion? Then let’s set up a time to chat. I get to learn more about your business and you get to talk with a customer conversion expert. A nice win-win for both of us.

Let’s Review

Your connection system has to tip them from one section to the next. This connection must strengthen the longer they stay on your page. The sales page detail is usually congruent with the cost of the product. The more expensive the product, the more you have to show them the value that they will receive.

Do you need help with your conversion systems? Let’s set up a time to chat. Just click here to fill out the contact form and I’ll send you my calendar schedule ASAP, so you can pick a time that’s good for you.