The Business of Authority
Sales Pages 101
Mon May 22 2023Description
This episode covers the structure and key elements of a sales page, including the Pain Dream Fix format, capturing attention, addressing curiosity, explaining the offering, overcoming objections, social proof, building trust, creating urgency, incentivizing buyers, and using heck yeah headlines. The episode emphasizes the importance of emotional writing and provides insights on how to effectively communicate with potential customers.
Insights
Sales Page Structure
A sales page should follow a basic format consisting of nine sections, with the first four being the most critical. It is important to start with pain as the first section and address objections in later sections. Following a template can help beginners understand the structure of a sales page.
Pain Dream Fix Format
The Pain Dream Fix format is a common way to structure a sales page. It involves using emotionally charged language in the pain section to make the reader feel frustrated with their current situation. The dream section paints a picture of the desired future state, creating an opening for the solution.
Capturing Attention and Addressing Curiosity
To capture someone's attention, present them with a puzzle that implies you have the solution. Use language verbatim from ideal buyers to make your message relatable. Address their curiosity about how your solution works and provide a high-level view of what to expect.
Explaining the Offering and Overcoming Objections
When explaining the offering, describe the process and answer common questions. Include the price and emphasize the importance of a clear call to action. Address objections in fine print after the call to action button and consider adding guarantees to build trust.
Call to Action and Reducing Risk
The first call to action section should include pain, dream, fix, and call to action. Include social proof with testimonials from satisfied customers. The rest of the page focuses on reducing risk for the customer.
Social Proof and Overcoming Objections
Include social proof with testimonials, client logos, and case studies. Focus on the product or service being offered rather than the person behind it. Address potential objections through FAQs and highlight what makes you unique or different from competitors.
About Page and Building Trust
The about page is where you talk about yourself and what makes you unique. Include a picture of yourself to show there's a person behind the sales page. The second call to action can be similar to the first one, but with some alterations. Building trust takes time through other channels like social media or mailing lists.
Building Trust and Creating Urgency
Trust is built up over time through social media and mailing lists. Nail the pain, dream, and fix on the sales page to create trust. Create urgency through limited availability or early bird discounts.
Creating Urgency and Incentivizing Buyers
Offer early bird discounts or bonuses to incentivize potential buyers. Set a registration deadline to create urgency. Focus on the impact your offer will make and use heck yeah headlines to grab attention.
Heck Yeah Headlines and Emotional Writing
Heck yeah headlines and emotional writing are prevalent in advertising. Successful sales pages can be long or short, as long as every word matters. Emotion is important in writing sales pages.
Chapters
- Sales Page Structure
- Pain Dream Fix Sales Page Format
- Capturing Attention and Addressing Curiosity
- Explaining the Offering and Overcoming Objections
- Call to Action and Reducing Risk
- Social Proof and Overcoming Objections
- About Page and Building Trust
- Building Trust and Creating Urgency
- Creating Urgency and Incentivizing Buyers
- Heck Yeah Headlines and Emotional Writing
Sales Page Structure
00:00 - 07:06
- Sales pages are important for businesses and can be challenging to write
- A basic format for a sales page consists of nine sections, with the first four being the most critical
- The first three sections focus on the value proposition, while the fourth is the first call to action
- The remaining sections include persuasion techniques like social proof and addressing objections
- Other ways to structure a sales page exist, but simplicity is key for beginners
- Consider creating a video version of a sales page review to provide visual context
- Following a template can help understand the structure of a sales page
- Start with pain as the first section, describing the customer's current state and problems they're facing
Pain Dream Fix Sales Page Format
06:40 - 13:40
- The Pain Dream Fix sales page format is a common way to structure a sales page.
- In the pain section, emotionally charged language is used to describe the current problem situation.
- The goal of the pain section is to make the reader feel frustrated and dissatisfied with their current situation.
- In the dream section, the reader is presented with a vision of their desired future state.
- The dream section should paint a picture of how the reader will feel when their problem is solved.
- It's important not to skip the dream section, as it helps create an opening for the solution.
- The dream section should be distinct from the solution and focus on visualizing the desired outcome.
- By presenting a puzzle in which the reader wants to go from point A (current situation) to point B (desired outcome), it creates an opening for the solution.
Capturing Attention and Addressing Curiosity
13:11 - 19:44
- To capture someone's attention and create a spot for your product or solution, present them with a puzzle that implies you have the solution.
- When selling the dream more than the fix, start with the dream first section and then highlight the challenges or obstacles that have prevented achieving the dream.
- Use language verbatim from ideal buyers to make your message feel real and relatable.
- After capturing their interest, address their curiosity about how your solution works.
- Paint a picture of what engaging with your product or service would be like in this section.
- Provide a high-level view of how your product or service works to give them an idea of what to expect.
Explaining the Offering and Overcoming Objections
19:17 - 26:08
- Describe the process of booking a flight and how it is automatically insured
- Provide an example of a productized service like a strategy session
- Explain the details of the service, including payment, meet and greet, kickoff call, accountability calls, and messaging availability
- Discuss the nitty gritty or fine print of the offering and answer common questions
- Include the price in this section
- Explain the importance of a clear call to action (CTA) with a verb and prominent button
- Address objections in fine print after the CTA button, such as assuring no high-pressure sales or spamming
- Consider adding guarantees to alleviate concerns and build trust with customers
Call to Action and Reducing Risk
25:44 - 33:02
- The first call to action section should include pain, dream, fix, and call to action.
- Consider how to turn a one-star review into a five-star review.
- Include a guarantee to make potential customers more comfortable.
- The second call to action can be copied from the first one.
- The rest of the page focuses on reducing risk for the customer.
- Include social proof with testimonials from satisfied customers.
- If you don't have testimonials for this specific product, use testimonials for similar offerings.
- Consider getting beta testers or clients to provide feedback and testimonials before launching publicly.
Social Proof and Overcoming Objections
32:33 - 39:42
- Website owners should be cautious about leaving placeholder content on their site and should aim to replace it with actual testimonials.
- Social proof can include client logos, case studies, or being featured in reputable publications.
- The page should focus on the product or service being offered rather than the person behind it.
- Social proof provides third-party validation and can include reviews from platforms like Amazon.
- The section for overcoming objections can evolve over time as more questions are asked and answered.
- It's important to not be shy about including social proof and testimonials on a sales page.
- FAQs are a good way to address potential objections and provide additional information.
- People tend to scan sales pages before deciding whether to read every word, so repeating important information in FAQs is acceptable.
- Section seven of the sales page is where you can talk about yourself and highlight what makes you unique or different from competitors.
About Page and Building Trust
39:13 - 45:58
- The about page of the sales page is where you talk about yourself and what makes you unique.
- It's important to have a picture of yourself on the page to show there's a person behind it.
- You can include your resume and experience in this section.
- People buy from people, so let them see you on the page.
- Adding an image of your signature or a video can make it more personal.
- The entire sales page should be focused on the buyer, even when talking about yourself.
- The second call to action can be similar to the first one, but with some alterations like offering alternative options.
- It's important to have clear and consistent buttons throughout the page.
- Avoid including multiple links or distractions on the sales page. Focus on getting them to click on the call to action button.
- If they don't trust you enough yet, they won't make a purchase. Building trust takes time through other channels like social media or mailing lists.
Building Trust and Creating Urgency
45:31 - 52:02
- Trust is built up over time through social media and mailing lists.
- Nail the pain, dream, and fix on the sales page to create trust.
- Avoid linking out to blog or social media on the sales page.
- People may not buy immediately but can be convinced later with more focused FAQs and changed circumstances.
- Sales pages can make people interested even if they don't make a purchase right away.
- Urgency is important to encourage action, but it should be genuine and not spammy.
- True statements like limited availability or spots left can create urgency.
- Early bird discounts and limited supply can also create urgency.
Creating Urgency and Incentivizing Buyers
51:46 - 58:28
- Offer early bird discounts or bonuses to incentivize potential buyers
- Set a registration deadline to create urgency
- Focus on the impact your offer will make and don't be afraid to sell
- Summarize your offer at the top of the page with a clear description, benefits, and call to action
- Consider using a heck yeah headline to immediately grab the reader's attention
- Pay attention to how other sales pages and advertisements use heck yeah headlines and pain points
- Observe how heck yeah questions are commonly used in radio ads
Heck Yeah Headlines and Emotional Writing
58:02 - 59:35
- Heckia headlines and naming the pain are prevalent in advertising.
- Many ads start with a Heckia question, such as 'Have you been injured in an accident?'
- McDonald's billboard with just the word 'Hungry' is effective in grabbing attention.
- Successful sales pages can be long, but short ones can also be impactful if every word matters.
- Emotion is important in writing sales pages.
- This podcast episode has been informative and hopefully useful.
- Listeners can reach out with follow-up questions or ideas for future episodes.