Are Your Sales Pages Converting?

Over the years a typical website sales pages has developed and changed just as much of the World Wide Web has, but have those changes proven to be effective? Are your sales pages converting? Sales pages went from pasting a sales letter online to now the most common form of sales copy which is video, but does that even matter to overall success? While many of the top web design companies tout the power and promise of video content, perhaps it is not the best medium for sales pages.

Sales copy is only considered successful when conversions occur. If your sales copy and thus sales pages aren’t pulling their weight then perhaps it is time for some changes.

Common Problems with Sales Pages

Here are some common problems that could be why your sales pages aren’t converting:

• Understanding of the target market – If you have not properly defined your target market then you simply can’t write effective sales copy. This lack of definition often occurs because people assume who will want or need their product or they decide who they want to market the product to rather than allowing the product to determine the market. For example, if you are selling a product to help you play better poker but you decide that you are going to market it exclusively towards women you are making a fundamental mistake as the majority of poker players are male (75-80% from various surveys).
• Your copy is informational – Some people are confused when it comes to crafting sales copy and instead write informational copy. Product information is fantastic because you do need to accurately describe the products or services you sell. However sales copy is written to help persuade people into making a purchase. If your copy is lacking that persuasive element then it has a serious deficiency.
• It was not professionally crafted – Do you need to hire a professional writer or specifically a professional copywriter to have great copy and content? No, it is not absolutely necessary, but it is certainly advantageous. Amateur writers can be gifted but can also make mistakes in methodology, tone or even using odd phrases that will confuse customers.
• Your copy is not tailored – In a sense this is a combination of the three prior points. Tailored copy is written for a specific audience. It points out problems or needs that they have and then showcases how the products or services you offer can fix their problems or fulfill their needs and is the best option to do so.
• The medium is less important than the message – Sales letters used to be a great way to obtain business. As the internet gained popularity people converted those letters to basic sales copy which then turned into less copy with more images, infographics and testimonials. That then turned into videos. However it is not the medium that matters; it is the message. You need effective copy regardless of the medium so no matter what you currently are using, if it is not working focus on fixing the message first and not just trying a different medium to solve the problem.

The bottom line is that you need your sales pages to be effective so that you are making money. If your sales pages aren’t converting then review this list of common problems to see if you can identify areas for improvement with your own copy because this is one area that you should be investing time and effort in to ensure maximum results.

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