Here’s a bad situation I hope you don’t find yourself in:
You’ve just created a beautiful page.
You send people to your sales page and… nothing.
Not a single sale.
What now?
Here are 3 things you can do to fix it.
So, you’ve just created a sales page…
Maybe you want to sell your services online.
Or you created your first online course, and you’re ready to launch. So the big day arrives. You send people to your sales page.
But no one joins your course. Or no one contacts you for your service.
If you’re facing this problem right now (or it has happened to you in the past)… I know how frustrating it can be.
Plus, I know all the work that goes into creating remarkable products. It’s discouraging when people don’t buy.
But it’s not just about your wasted time and effort.
When a product doesn’t sell, it’s about your cold hard cash.
So what can you do when your sales page doesn’t convert? I’ll share the top 3 things you can do right away.
But first, we need to clarify one thing:
What exactly do you mean by “does not convert”?
Does it mean literally ZERO sales conversions? Or is it just a “low” conversion rate? And… What is a “good” or a “high” conversion rate anyway?
What Is a “Good” Conversion Rate Anyway?
The answer might surprise you. Because I’m not going to give you a %-number…
Instead, my answer to that question is very simple:
A good conversion rate is one that makes you money.
Because at the end, that’s all that matters.
I’ll explain…
Take a high-end wedding photographer like Ben Hartley.
Ben runs Style and Story Creative. (He’s also a Social Triggers student! Check out Ben & Cole’s case study here.)
Style and Story Creative
As a high-quality photography business, they often sell wedding packages for thousands of dollars. And people are happy to pay for it!
So what’s a good conversion rate for an offer like that?
Well, it’s very different than selling $10 e-book.
What if it cost you $100 in advertising spend to acquire a customer that’s only worth $10? That conversion rate, then, stinks. You’d be broke.
What’s a “good” conversion rate?
If you have a low conversion rate, but you can acquire those customers profitably, then what’s considered low, all of a sudden becomes great.
Most importantly you can spend more money to GET a customer and still be profitable. Meaning a lower conversion rate can still be good.
So the answer to “what is a good conversion rate?” is:
It really depends on your business.
And that’s why the question you SHOULD be asking is:
“How much can I spend and still be profitable?”
Sure you want to aim for higher conversions. But as long as you’re making money, you’re still doing well.
As a side note:
For low-priced offers, it’s often hard to break-even on that product alone.
This might be a problem… or not.
It’s not a problem if you know you’ll make your money back in 3 months by selling MORE to the same customer down the line.
In any case, it’s important you always charge what you’re really worth.
For now, let’s assume, your goal is here to at least break even.
So with that said…
What if you’re conversion rate is so low you’re losing money?
Here are 3 things you can do today to troubleshoot.
Sales Page Fix #1: Clarify Your Offer
I recently talked to a business owner who was preparing his launch. This particular business sells certifications and further education courses for speech pathologists.
But this wasn’t just another launch…
In fact, they were preparing to shift the whole business to a new model. Instead of selling one-off training courses, they were about to launch a subscription to a new membership site.
Now, here’s something else you need to know:
This particular business had a good sized email list of about 10,000 people. Many of the subscribers were customers. Meaning, they had bought one of the certifications before. But the membership-offer was a completely new thing.
So, this business owner was working on the sales page and he wanted me to take a look at it… and there was one big problem:
Nowhere on the sales page did he clearly explain his offer!
After reading the page, I wasn’t sure if this is a membership or not. I wasn’t sure if the “weekly webinars” was the same thing as the “q&a sessions” or if those were separate features.
This is a problem.
Because when people are confused about what they’re getting… they won’t buy.
If it’s not clear how your offer works, people will have too many questions… and they won’t buy.
If you offer 19 different versions of your product, people won’t be able to keep them apart… and they won’t buy.
That’s why the FIRST thing you need to check if your sales page is not converting is:
“Is the offer clear?”
Often, people try to be too clever on their sales page. But clever by itself doesn’t sell. Because what gets lost in all the cleverness is clarity.
So, what’s the best way to check your sales page is clear?
2 simple steps:
- Have someone else read through your sales page.
- Then ask them to clearly tell you what the offer is.
If they can’t do it – or they get it wrong – you know what the problem is:
You need to clarify your offer.
Sales Page Fix #2: Turn Features Into Benefits
You’ve probably heard this before. And you’re probably sick of hearing it. I’m going to tell you again anyway…
Features tell. Benefits sell.
In other words, customers don’t care about features. They care about what the features can do for them.
Here’s a great example:
Features tell. Benefits sell.
Do you notice how each bullet mentions a feature… but then gives a reason for why people should care?
Let’s look at a couple of the bullets:
Genuine hand-sewn construction…
Why should I care?
…for durable comfort.
Or what about:
360° lacing system with rust-proof eyelets…
Why should I care?
…for a secure fit.
Do you see how it works?
I call this the “Why should I care?” technique.
And it works wonders.
Because if there’s no good reason for why someone should CARE about a specific feature… You might be better off removing that feature from your sales page (or product description).
Irrelevant or unexplained features are a big reason why people don’t buy. It’s one of the main reasons for underperforming sales page conversions.
(If you’re struggling to turn your features into benefits, check out Short Copy Secrets.
It’s a short, hyper-focused training with one goal only: help you write benefit-driven product descriptions and feature lists.)
Finally…
There’s one more thing your sales page might be missing if conversions are too low:
Sales Page Fix #3: Add a Persuasive Guarantee
People often tack on a guarantee to their sales page like it’s an afterthought.
In reality, your guarantee is a crucial part of your sales message. Especially if you’re selling a high-priced offer. But it matters for ALL sales pages.
Here’s why:
Think about the last time you bought something…
Were you worried that maybe the product won’t work?
Of course, you were. We’re all a little bit skeptic when we buy things. It’s a normal part of the buying process. Why? Because buying anything comes with RISK:
You might waste your money. You might waste your time. Even just considering to buy something takes time – time you won’t get back, whether you buy or not.
Once you realize this, you’ll understand that EVERY sales page needs a persuasive guarantee.
If your sales page is missing a guarantee or you just slapped on a “money-back” logo at the bottom.. It may be the reason your conversion rate is so low.
I’ve already written extensively about how to write a persuasive money-back guarantee. So, check out that article. It ncludes 39 guarantee templates you can use right away.
So…
Those are my top 3 suggestions to troubleshoot your sales page.
But I have one more tip…
Bonus Tip: Stop Guessing (and Start Talking to People)
If your sales page isn’t converting, most so-called experts would tell you to split-test until your head starts spinning.
“Change a button color and BAM! Your conversions will go through the roof.”
Umm no.
Frankly, I think split testing is a waste of time for most businesses.
Rather than guessing why people aren’t buying…
Just ask them!
I recently went on a mini-rant about this on my YouTube channel:
(If you like more fun and helpful videos, make sure you subscribe to my channel – I create a new video every day.)
If your sales page isn’t converting at all, it’s possible that you have an offer problem. Meaning, people just don’t want what you sell.
There’s no need to despair.
But you MUST talk to your customers and find out.
That way you can reposition your offer.
Here are some ways you can do this:
- Call an existing customer and ask them “Why did you buy?”
- Send a survey and ask people “Why did you buy?”
- Send a survey and ask people “Why did you NOT buy?”
- Talk to someone who’s in your target audience. Ask them “What are you struggling with?”
The big lesson here is…
Instead of guessing why people don’t buy find out the real reason and address it.
Now I want to ask you:
Did you ever have to deal with a low-converting sales page? What did you do to fix the problem?
I’d love to hear your experience in the comments.
Also…
If you know someone who recently launched their sales page, send them a link to this post. Thanks!