Have you ever wondered if you need a “professional” sales page for your digital offer (course, coaching, mastermind, membership, etc.)? Or maybe you’re slightly confused about what a sales page actually is… How is it different than any other landing page or services page on your website? BEEN THERE. It’s sorta confusing, especially as you navigate all the other ins and outs of marketing your offer. This can just feel like one. more. thing.

When I first started working with digital entrepreneurs, there was all this new and fancy (and intimidating) ~lingo~ I hadn’t encountered in my past jobs in marketing and journalism.

Launches. Cart open and cart close. Nurture sequences. Sales sequences Welcome sequences. (Oh, my!) Lead magnets and freebies. SALES PAGES.

I remember when one of my clients first hired me a few years ago, she was like, “Sorry if things seem a bit crazy right now—we’re in the middle of a huge launch.” I was like, “No biggie!” as I internally wondered what in the world a launch was. Launching what? And when? For how long? Did I have to show up somewhere to participate in this mysterious launch? Did she mean lunch???

We didn’t “launch” anything when I worked for a magazine. But I did know the rush of deadlines and the chaos of putting something new out into the world. So I figured I could keep up.

I started having clients ask me to work on some of these things, and I’d just respond with, “Uh huh, sure, noooo problem!” a little too eagerly as I frantically Googled what a sales sequence or lead magnet was and how to write one. It was baptism by fire in a lot of ways, but I learned a ton—and fast—by watching and studying what other copywriters were doing in the digital entrepreneurial space and then putting my own spin on it.

So, what actually is a sales page?

I fell into writing sales pages for clients here and there and quickly realized it’s one of my favorite mediums of copywriting. Specifically long-form sales pages.

If you’re like me a few years ago wondering what exactly a sales page is in this context, let me break it down:

A sales page is a landing page on a website that demonstrates why a particular digital product is a worthy investment for someone. And, you don’t really want to just state what the offer is, what it includes, and then link to buy it. There’s a certain way to design and lay out the copy on sales pages for digital products and services so that they actually lead visitors to legitimately feel compelled to hit purchase. It takes them through a journey that…

• Outlines certain specific problems, pain points, or objections visitors are experiencing
• Makes them feel emotionally understood and seen
• Lays out the solution (aka, the product/service for sale)
• Demonstrates why the creator is the right person to lead visitors to that solution

So, for a digital course about how to have better communication with your partner, a good sales page will walk visitors through all the issues or pain points they’re experiencing around this topic (i.e. they don’t have great conflict resolution or know how to communicate effectively) while showing that they’re not alone, before introducing the solution for those problems, which is the course, and why the course creator is qualified to teach on this subject.

How to tell if you need a sales page

If you’ve ever wondered if you need a sales page because it’s this buzzword you keep hearing other business owners talk about, let’s talk about it.

Do you sell (or want to sell) digital courses, coaching, masterminds, or another high-ticket digital product or service? If the answer’s yes, then you’d benefit from a long-form sales page.

(Side note: it’s different from a SERVICES page on a website, where you briefly outline several services and what they entail. A sales page is for ONE often-high-dollar digital product or service.)

Basically, a well-done sales page takes potential buyers through a journey. It clearly acknowledges their pain points, it answers their questions, and it offers the solution (and demonstrates WHY that solution is the right solution).

Why long-form? Because most people are emotional buyers who need to feel like they are fully seen, heard, and understood, and their problems are justified, before hitting purchase. Most of us will skim a long-form sales page and jump around from section to section, searching for a few specific problems we’re looking to solve.

So even though your sales page will likely hit on 4 to 10 problems and answer tons of questions, most people will jump around and skim a bit, searching for the validation for their individual pain points. And you want to make sure you abundantly, clearly validate them by fully agitating, describing, and exploring those pain points in detail.

Then there are about 10% of people who are fully logical buyers, who want to (and will) read every word on the page. They also care way more about the features within the offer (like the module breakdown in a course or the bells and whistles that come with a membership). You want to ensure these people’s skepticism is overturned by anticipating any questions they might have and answering them within your sales page copy.

Hence: long-form. It’s important.

When you DON’T need a long-form sales page

Now, I don’t think long-form sales pages are the right move for every single digital product and service out there. My rule of thumb is that if your offer is more than $100 to $150, go with long-form. The reason? Simple: The more people have to spend on the investment, the more their purchase needs to be validated. Validation comes with detailed, captivating copy.

A captivating sales page that communicates how and why your product is someone’s solution, and why you’re the right person to do the job, needs more words, plain and simple.

For smaller price point offers, you’ll still want to have a sales page, but it will be much less wordy and straighter to the point. Because it’s less of an investment, your audience doesn’t need quite as much validation.

TELL ME!

Did this help clarify the mystere around sales pages for you or did you learn something you didn’t know about them? (No shame, remember I didn’t even know what a sales page was 3 years ago.) 

Also, if you’re in the market for a sales page for your digital offer, I provide done-for-you copywriting services just for sales pages. AND I also recently released my new sales page mini-course that teaches you how to draft your own high-converting sales page in less than a week (for way less than it takes to pay someone else to do it, and I promise you don’t have to be “creative” or a writer)!

Learn more about my copywriting services here and the mini-course here!

To making more sales, and less confusing lingo.