I had a client come to me for a sales page review. We sat down on the phone together. I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I try to always start with something positive, but I was struggling to find something positive to start with.
I explained the basics of a great sales page. How everything must fit together to create the right feeling within the buyer. She understood what I was saying, but she just wanted me to fix the sales page for her.
I explained that I could write the copy over and probably increase her conversion rate, but the best sales pages come from the seller’s heart. They convey what the seller believes to be true about his or her product.
After talking for a few more minutes I knew she needed a little more guidance. I told her that if she applied my advice, followed my sales page checklist and tried to rewrite the sales page then I would get on the phone with her again and help her optimize it. I’m not in the habit of giving away my time for free, but every now and again I can’t resist. She paid for a sales page review, so she was already a paying client. I just gave her a little bonus time.
So after reworking her sales page she emailed me. We set up a call two days later. While I read over her revised sales page I began to see some clarity in her offer. She had really improved it a lot.
We went back through and worked on the 3 main areas of a sales page:
- Gripping Offer
- Fascinating Narrative
- Convincing Detail
After going through these three areas and making sure everything was flowing together she was relieved and actually excited to share with her people.
You’ll know when your sales page is close to being done when you are excited to show people what you are offering.
Escape the Sales Page Trap
A lot of creative people who finally get around to creating their sales page throw it up and just hope for the best. They are burnt out on creating the product.
In the case of a service sales page they might have a decent word of mouth system going and they don’t see why taking the time to optimize their sales page really matters.
Don’t let this happen to you. Your sales page is the most important part of your online sales process. When people come to check out your product or service they make the yes or no decision because of how trust worthy and convincing you are to them.
Top 3 Sales Page Mistakes
After working with a lot of small business owners on their sales page I’ve found the same three mistakes that occur again and again. If you aren’t sure where to start this article will help simplify your sales page process.
1. Lack of a Gripping Offer
Simply put, your offer is the most important part of any sales page. It’s why people keep reading. If you are selling a weight loss product to overweight women you better create an amazing, honest and compelling offer that gets them excited to use your product or service.
The biggest mistake people make when creating an offer is writing about all the great features of a product or service. They talk about what it is and how it works, but not the benefits of using the product or service. Creating a clear offer that explains how your product or service has helped other people and how it will help them is crucial to your sales page’s success.
The key to figuring out how to create a clear offer is having someone help you dig down. I have a few friends who are sales savvy who help me bring clarity to my offer. I use the Toyota’s “5 Why Method”. I have a colleague keep asking me why I created or want to create this product. After I answer, they listen let it sink in and ask why again. They really force me to figure out why someone should spend their hard earned money on something I created.
2. Lack of a Fascinating Narrative
Every sales page needs a narrative that helps people see how valuable your product or service can be for them. They need to see themselves in this story. That’s why using the word “you” is so important. People want to know you are speaking to them and how you can help them.
Look at the story you are creating and ask yourself who does it speak to? Does it speak to your “ideal” client or is it just slightly missing the target?
Your copy and the design you choose make all the difference between keeping them on the sales page and clicking the “purchase” button or clicking away.
After you create your next sales page ask a friend to read it and tell you what they think is the main story what problem you are solving. Hopefully they see a clear narrative that grips them. If it does grip them and they want to know more then you know you are on to something special.
3. Lack of Convincing Detail
Anyone can throw up a sales page and this is exactly what happens. People get so caught up in creating a great product, but don’t take the time to put in the detail into their sales page that builds trust with their audience.
I’ve had a client tell me, “If they don’t trust me, it’s their fault.” This may be true, but he was losing out on a lot of sales because he didn’t take the time to create detail that walked people step by step through the benefits of using their product.
Sometimes it’s a lazy sentence that doesn’t sound quite right. Other times it’s the look and feel of the sales page. Whatever is holding people back from buying it’s holding your product or service back from success.
It helps to have an expert read your sales page and give you notes. I suggest that they read through the sales page with you in person or over the phone. It helps if they actually read it out loud. You can see where they get tripped up.
If you can’t hire an expert then bring in a smart friend that you trust to help you fix those little details.
Start Now
Your sales page is one of the first things you should start working on before you do anything else. It will help bring clarity to your offer.
By not waiting until the last moment to work on your sales page you’ll lower your stress level and have more time to make a great sales page.
Your Turn
What are the biggest sales page mistakes you see businesses make?
* If you need a sales page review to increase your conversion rate you can fill out my sales page review form. I’ll get back to you within 48 hours. If you need a rush review please let me know.