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Building a Sales Page That Converts: 8 Fundamentals Most People Miss
Over the past few months I have been building a lot of sales pages. It seems to be a common challenge for business owners who are trying to sell and scale online.
They are masters at what they do or sell. But they don’t have the skills to build a sales page that converts.
One of the common questions I am hearing is, “Holly, what are the key ingredients I need in my sales page for it to speak to my potential customers?”.
So I thought it would be a good topic to cover this month.
Let’s dive into the 7 Fundamentals you need to include on your sales page. And along the way, we will cover some of the myths and mistakes folks make along the way.
Step One: Define the Problem
What problem are you solving for your customer? Whether you are selling a product or service, what is your customer searching for online?
Getting this first step right is essential because it needs to be what your page is named. It needs to be in the header image at the top of your sales page. And if it needs to be written in your customers' words.
Otherwise, you won’t hook them. You will lose them.
We live in a faster paced world. Get right to it.
Below your header image which succinctly describes the problem you solve, you need to draw out the pain. Describe how they are feeling in their words. This can be written in a bulleted list that says “You’re in the right place if…” or in paragraph format.
You want to write this in such a way that your potential customer thinks, “Wow, they are in my head. They know exactly what I need help with.”
Step Two: Get Clear on Who is a Solid Prospect
Know exactly who your solution is for. Is it for action takers? Is it for people who are committed to taking action?
Write out exactly who this is for. What are the key ingredients that your prospect needs to get the most out of your solution?
This way customers can self-select and deselect if it’s a good fit. The worst thing is selling a solution to someone who isn’t your target. You’ll get bad reviews. Unhappy customers. And a bad reputation.
Write out who it’s not for. You heard me. We want to dispel customers who aren’t a good fit. What are the two things that are deal breakers for you? Does your solution only work for clients who trust you? Does it only work for folks who are willing to get out of their comfort zone?
Map it out so they can find something else. So they know your program or product isn’t for them.
Step Three: Describe the Solution
Share what your solution is. What are the benefits? How does it solve their problem?
And most importantly, what makes your solution unique?
Don’t make the mistake of listing features instead of benefits. Describe how their life or health or business will be better.
Be descriptive and write from the lens of your ideal client and avatar. Write as though you are writing to one person you are serving.
This should elicit excitement from your potential client if done well. They should believe that you can solve their problem.
Step Four: The Nitty Gritty
For those more analytical prospects, we have to include the nitty gritty of what’s included. If you are selling a product, does it come with a user manual, customer support or a community? If you’re selling a service, what is included?
Be specific. Describe each benefit in detail. If you have office hours, when are they, where are they and how often?
Answer all the potential questions customers will have here.
If you are selling an online course, share the outline and curriculum.
Provide as much clarity as possible in this section. They need to know exactly what they are buying and what to expect. This way they are clear and not disappointed.
Step Five: Social Proof
Share testimonials under the title of “What People are Saying”. If you haven’t launched yet, offer it as a free service or product to a few people in exchange for a testimonial. This will help your sales a lot.
Testimonials can be shared in written or video format. If provided in video format make sure they aren’t so high touch that they come across as inauthentic. Have your customers shoot them from their iphone and be authentic and honest.
Share your bio and background. What makes you or your company a trusted expert? If you have a team, share their bios and unique abilities.
Do NOT link to anything on your sales page other than your call to action (which we will get to later). Do not link to your LinkedIn account, another website or your book. This is a big mistake people make.
Step Six: Build the Investment Arc
Share each of the unique attributes (i.e. benefits) of your product or service. Price each individually based on market value.
Then add the total up across all benefits. This total should add up to more than the cost of your program or product. This is the total investment retail value.
Then share the actual price of your solution. It should be lower than the total retail value.
The idea of the arc is to show value. To show that the total value from a retail investment perspective is high. But when they buy the total package from you, they get huge savings.
As they read it they are thinking, “this is expensive” and when they get to the end they are thinking “wow, that’s such a great value!”.
Be sure to include any bonuses tied to urgency. This means you offer bonuses tied to a date that ends in the future. For example: If you buy X by January 31, you will get the following bonuses with a value of $$.
Step Seven: FAQs & Guarantees
Anything you think will be an objection from a potential customer should be phrased as an FAQ.
Common questions may include:
- Do you offer payment plans?
- What’s the investment?
- What’s included in the program?
- Do you offer a money back guarantee?
- How long do I have to use my sessions?
In addition to FAQs, a common objection is fear that it won’t work. Having some sort of money back guarantee helps build trust while pushing past customer’s fears.
Build one that works for you. Have it on your sales page and cart page. This will increase your conversions by a significant percentage.
Step Eight: Don’t Forget to Include CTA’s Throughout
One of the biggest mistakes people make on their sales pages is not including a Call To Action (CTA). Or not testing their CTA. Or having more than one CTA.
Here are a few rules of thumb to consider:
- Don’t post your first CTA button until after step three
- Make your CTA a button so it’s clear and easy
- Have a few CTA buttons throughout the content
- Your CTA should lead to a cart page or a calendar for a sales call
- Don’t forget to test your CTA whether it’s a calendar link or sales cart
That’s it. Those are the key ingredients to a successful sales page.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
You’re not alone. I’ve coached many through this process. And after we walk through it, they are almost always overwhelmed.
This is why it can be helpful to hire a pro. They can build out the content for you faster and in a way that will convert.
This is why people have been hiring me to build their sales page content. Because I can do it faster. This allows them to work on the top part of their sales funnel.
That way we can hit the ground running as soon as the page is live. And we will get more sales!
If you’re interested in coaching or consulting help with your page, feel free to schedule a call today.
