Today on the podcast, we are talking sales pages! Particularly sales page copywriting. So often I see people create their course or membership site, and they are so excited and ready to sell it. But, then they have the big steps in the way — writing and designing their sales page. Unfortunately, it can be easy for people to just glaze over this step in the process. The course is awesome, so it’ll sell great, right? The truth is that the money’s in the marketing. If your sales page stinks, people won’t buy.
In this episode, I’m sharing 3 essential elements that I believe will make your sales page a success. Of course, there are more pieces to a sales page than these, but these are vital. And, they might totally not be what you’re expecting!
Sales Funnel Kit Templates are here at EM Shop! If you’re wondering what the heck that is, don’t worry I explain it in the episode and I totally made up the phrase myself. These are beautiful, conversion-oriented sales pages PLUS the other website pages you need to sell your stuff online. And, a training course on writing sales copy. So, the design help and the copywriting help = a successful course launch. I am so excited to be offering this! As a gal who loves sales pages, the online education industry, and copywriting, it’s such a fun creation for me.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:
Search for episode 57!
The 3 Essentials:
1. Dynamite headlines
Jim Edwards says “The headline starts the entire sales process.” And he is right! The truth is if your headlines stink, no one is going to read your sales copy. But, if your headline grabs the attention of the right people, then you’re on your way to sales success.
When you think about the people on your sales page, remember first that they are SKIMMERS, not READERS. You want to turn them into readers, and the way you do that is with your headlines.
So, what’s a headline?
A headline is the (typically short) statements that go above sections of your sales copy. This is what divides up your content and shows people what they need to read. When you have a longer sales page for a pricey offer, it’s very possible that someone will just read some sections of the page, even the people who buy.
The way they decide which sections they personally need to read is with your headlines. Headlines can also be used all over your marketing copy, — like Instagram posts, blog titles, Facebook ads, podcast episode pages, email subject lines, etc.
Here are some ways to create “dynamite” headlines:
- Use your copywriting to connect on an emotional level with the reader. The best headlines usually connect with someone on an emotional level. They revolve around fears, problems or desires. They make the viewer ignore the other distractions at that moment because they feel that their problem is understood by you. They want to know more. The best headlines are going to make the right person (your ideal customer) feel KNOWN by you.
- You need to create curiosity. The headline doesn’t need to give it all away but does need to tell someone if they are in the right place and what your offer will help them do. Make them curious enough to keep reading on!
Check out this awesome freebie called “Headlines That Convert: 11 Headline Templates to Create a High-Converting Sales Page” that will help you write awesome headlines and listen to the full episode to hear some great examples of how to use them!
Remember that sales start with the headlines so don’t ignore them! If anything, you want to start with the headlines and then work on the paragraph copy after.
You can also test out different headlines on your sales page and see which ones resonate the most. Maybe even try a headline out on an Instagram post and see how it does, then use it on your sales page if it seems to incite curiosity and get attention.
2. Hit the objections head-on
A mistake that a lot of sales pages make is neglecting buyer's concerns or just not talking about them. Yes, your buyers do have concerns and hesitations! Don’t let this scare you. It’s normal. They have questions like “Will this work for me?”, “Can I actually do this?”, “I already tried this other thing, so…” Don’t ignore the elephants in the room by just ignoring the objections, even though it might be naturally what you want to do.
Here are some ways you can hit objections head-on:
- Use objection-busting testimonials. Focus on the testimonials that overcame a common objection. A sales page is where picking the best of the best testimonials really will matter for your success. Not all testimonials are created equally. Here are a couple of great examples from EM Shop customers that bust objections instantly:
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- “I was hesitant that Elizabeth’s template would work for me because…”
- “I think I sifted through a few hundred templates, unimpressed and discouraged before I stumbled across a recommendation for Elizabeth McCravy.”
- “I was on the fence about buying a template because I really had absolutely NO IDEA on how to build a website and because I had never heard of Showit. However, Elizabeth has EXCEEDED all of my expectations. It has been so easy!”
- “Why on earth didn’t I do this sooner?! I love that all the cool stuff is already there and I get to use my own creativity to add what I want."
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Focus as much as you can on those types of testimonials. Not the vanilla testimonials that just say it’s great! Focus on ones that someone else will have a connection with.
If you want testimonial help, you should scroll back and listen to these episodes – How to Get Powerful Testimonials for Your Service Business, Is it Ok to Edit my Client’s Testimonial, and How to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing!
- Literally, just say the objections then offer your course as the solution. A great way to do this is to use a bullet point list of objections or a couple of short paragraphs talking about where they might be right now.
Here are a couple of headlines that are great foundations to a section talking about objections:
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- Does any of this apply to you?
- I know you think [thought] but what if I told you could [desire].
- Why you can no longer afford to ______.
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To help you get started figuring out what the objections are for your ideal customer, ask yourself these questions and try to asker them as your customers:
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- What are 5 reasons why my ideal customer might be afraid to hit the purchase button?
- What fears/worry do they have from past experiences that could be affecting their decision making now?
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3. A guarantee
Put the risk of purchasing on you and not on your customer. Guarantees often scare business owners, so they don’t do them. Or, they certainly don’t advertise it if they do. But, what they are missing is that the guarantee is one of their best marketing pieces. It takes the risk away. At least some of the risk depending on what the guarantee is.
Two common types of guarantees you can consider are satisfaction guarantee and money-back guarantee. Whichever type you do, you want this information to be prevalent on your sales page and not hidden only on your terms and conditions page. It should be on your Terms and Conditions page, but also on the sales page itself. Linking back to the Terms and Conditions page is a good option.
On the sales page, you want to tell the guarantee in sales terms. On the Terms and Conditions page, you want to tell it in legal terms.
This is huge for selling. When a person feels less risk, they are more likely to buy.
If your product is all it’s said to be, then they shouldn’t need the money back later anyway!
Those are the top 3 copywriting elements you need for a successful course sales page! Sales pages are often long and include a lot of different sections. The copywriting point in the process can easily be a time where you get lazy because you “just want to get the offer out to the world”. But, don’t forget that the money is in the marketing! You can have the world’s greatest online course, but if your messaging is off, if the sales page is bad, if people don’t “get it”, it won’t sell. Don’t skip the sales page copywriting step in the creation process!
Links mentioned:
Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast
Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram
“Headlines That Convert: 11 Headline Templates to Create a High-Converting Sales Page”
How to Get Powerful Testimonials for Your Service Business
Is it Ok to Edit my Client’s Testimonial
