You’ve finally finished your eBook, or maybe you’ve found the perfect product. (Did you know that you can sell your services online as well?) If you’ve got the goods, don’t weaken their impact by attempting to promote them on a landing page that doesn’t grab your readers and make them respond.
So, what’s the secret formula for creating landing pages that convert web traffic into sales?
The Perfect Storm… If you’ve got that, you are going to generate leads and sales, without question.
What’s The Perfect Storm?
If you think about it, I’m sure you can figure it out but I will tell you anyway. It’s funny, I’ve read articles and books by famous copywriters who ‘of course’ have always said that the sale depends solely on the copy. Words sell, end of story.
Designers and graphic marketers will tell you that you have to grab your reader’s attention with a ‘WOW’ moment. They have to be visually pleased to want to settle their mind for a moment to focus on what you have to say. In order to do this, their attention must be ‘grabbed’ by a cool or even puzzling graphic that draws them in to learn more.
So which one is right? They both are. I don’t care what the expert copywriters say. If you’ve got the best copy in the world but choose to sit it on a page filled with graphics of cute bunnies and corny clip art…guess what? Your product is going to be judged in the same way. Before going a step further, your reader is going to subconsciously assume that since you don’t know how to market your product, it must be junk. You can argue the point all day long, but marketing research has proven my point to be true. You can take the same exact product and shove one in an ugly box and sell it for $11.99 and it won’t draw too much of a crowd. Box it up in frilly paper and set it behind a display case in the front of the store and you can sell it all day long for $199.99. With that said, remember this…Your landing page is your display case, so make it perfect.
A landing page is basically a long-copy sales letter posted on a server at a specific web address or domain. It can even be a specific ‘page’ of your blog, as long as it stands alone. Once you’ve decided where your landing page (or display case) is going to be, it’s time to create the Perfect Storm.
Here’s a copywriting rule of thumb to start with: When creating a landing page, use short copy for lead generation and longer copy for order generation. For example, use short copy for giving away a report, a template, or some other freebie in order to get qualified sales leads. All you are aiming for with short copy is an email address, which is given up a bit more freely than a credit card number.
Keep the Graphics Simple
Although copy is the meat of the landing page, graphics either need to really ‘WOW’ your visitor and draw them in, or for landing page creators who don’t have the graphic design gene — keep the graphics clean and simple. Generally, photos are better than clipart. Clipart has really seen it’s day and makes a person think of a school newsletter that was put together on a copy machine. I’d stick to stock photography.
Landing Page Outline
Here is the basic flow of how to create a landing page. This is where the copywriting comes in.
Start with a Great Headline: The headline should either arouse curiosity, solve a problem, or otherwise grab the reader’s attention so he or she has no choice but to keep reading. At last, this is the answer they have searched for.
Build credibility early: Put one or more testimonials near the beginning, after an opening paragraph. Use an official seal in a professional header at the top of the page. Continue with the use of testimonials toward the end of the sales page. It is important to use testimonials (especially with photos), especially in online sales.
Get email addresses of non-buyers: You can do this by offering a free report, template, mini-ebook, newsletter, training course, etc. You get the idea.
Use bullet points: I’ve seen landing pages that were so cluttered with information, I couldn’t tell what I was getting. When crating a landing page, put your selling points, advantages, and reasons to buy in neat bullet point fashion.
Use a conversational tone in the text: This is not a corporate form or a quarterly tax review. No need to be sterile or overly technical. Your landing page is a letter from one human being to another and it should sound that way.
A well-written and well-designed landing page will promote your eBook, product or service with a WOW factor that will convert website traffic into solid leads and sales. Follow this simple formula and you’ll have the Perfect Storm. This week’s forecast: Sudden showers of sales followed by ever increasing business growth.
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Great tips, and the way you present them is so logical that anyone can see why things are the way they are!
I am glad to be following your blog. When I get around to create sales copy for my ebook, I will definitely come back here and re-read your tips on selling it.
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