Do you know what the purpose of a sales page is?
Erm, you might be wondering, is this a trick question?
It's uh…to make sales?
On the surface, yes. According to popular marketing guidance, the purpose of a sales page is to make (or convert) visitors to your web page into paying customers.
I have a different take.
I don’t believe that a sales page can (or should) try to “make” someone buy something. I do believe, however, that a well-written, effective sales page can do something meaningful.
What it can do, if well crafted, is to help create trust and a sense of safety for your potential clients. It can give them the support they need to feel better about stepping closer to you.
Jumping into the Unknown
Trust is always a factor in buying decisions. Big brands spend big money to cultivate and maintain their brand integrity and build confidence with their audiences over time. And, for coaches, healers and creative entrepreneurs trust is even more important because they’re often selling something that is less widely understood and certainly less tangible.
It’s one thing to buy a washing machine. Although most of us don’t know all the technical engineering involved in producing a front loader, we all sort of ‘get’ that you put your dirty clothes in and they come out clean. Many people, though, do not understand how coaching or healing works and the outcomes are often far harder to quantify.
I explain this to clients sometimes using a metaphor - skydiving.
What I see in its essence is - you go up in a plane and then you just sort of step off, holding the belief that the chute will open.
I imagine it would be amazing. The experience of a lifetime. I can sense that.
And yet…to me, it feels big. Scary, even.
This is what many of your clients may be feeling like as they consider your offer.
They have this problem, and they sense your offer might help them. They might have been following you for a while, and they like what they’ve heard you say. They may feel hopeful.
And yet, they aren’t sure. They have questions. They don’t really know how it works, exactly. And, if it’s a large investment or a huge commitment, it can feel a little like jumping off that plane – huge, scary, and full of uncertainty.
The Trust / Risk Factor
The level of confidence needed before buying is individual. In general, though, the level of certainty needed to buy increases with the perceived risk. So, the higher the cost and/or the time commitment the more trust is required. For example, someone will need a greater level of faith in you / your business to purchase a full three-month long coaching package or to travel to a retreat with you than they would need to buy an on-demand video course or a single massage session.
Cultural patterns around asking for help with a particular issue will also impact the level of certainty needed for potential clients. For example, for many people in western culture, it’s more culturally acceptable to hire someone to help develop a business than it is, say, to help heal past grief or loss.
In general, this feeling of confidence develops over time and is woven from a variety of threads. Your potential clients know who you are. By engaging with you, your content, your other offers or clients, they come to understand what you stand for. They decide if they like you and your approach. When they see an offer and it feels like a fit, the final step is when they have enough trust to say “Yes, this is what I need. I'm ready.”
Your sales page is a crucial step to helping a potential client feel good enough to say that yes.
Two Teachings
Creating an effective sales page is something I spend time working on with my individual clients. Today, I want to offer you two teachings to keep in mind as you craft your next offer page.
Less is Not More
I’ve seen sales or landing pages that are bare bones. They just have a few snappy bullets and a couple of powerful benefits and a big ol’ “I’m in” or “Sign me up” button in a color that pops. This may work for a lower risk offer or for a business that is well-established and has been operating at capacity for some time and has developed name recognition.
For many businesses though, that’s just not enough. Imagine your potential clients and the questions they may be holding in their hearts about your offer. You can bring those to your sales page as you create it, writing as if you’re talking to them.
Seeing Before Believing
You know that sensation you have when someone sees you? Really sees you for who you are? It’s such a beautiful, sacred feeling. It is something you can lean into and feel really good about. The same goes for your potential clients. They need to feel seen before they can fully trust you. And your sales page, among other places, is a really lovely place to do this. By using empathy and really showing what it is they’re struggling with, you can help cultivate and grow a deeper sense of their sureness in you.
Sales pages are a crucial first step in your marketing. They’re about helping to create a stronger bridge between you and your potential clients. By understanding the risk your clients might be feeling as they consider whether or not to work with you and writing your sales pages in a way that reflects that and seeks to build trust, you can go a long way toward building a sturdier connection between you and your ideal clients.