Without a doubt, sales is one of the top key performance indicators companies track. Lack of sales keeps business owners up at night contemplating ways to improve conversions. And even companies that have a decent sales volume spend thousands on conversion rate optimization tools and consultants hoping to generate a better return on investment.
That being the case, in this post, we’ll dive into an in-depth understanding of one of the most preferred ways to get them—sales pages. First of all, what are they? And, second, how can you create effective sales pages? We’ll also share some stellar sales page examples! Let’s get started.
What is a sales page?
A sales page is a web page created with the sole goal of turning site visitors into customers. While that goal may sound simple, achieving it is not always easy. Why not?
We’ll get into the process of sales page creation later but, first, let’s clear up a common misconception.
Sales pages vs landing pages: Is there a difference?
Many people use the terms “sales page” and “landing page” interchangeably. While they do share similarities, they’re not the same. A sales page is a landing page but not every landing page is a sales page.
Landing pages are web pages created to convert visitors. Sales pages, of course, fall into this category. However, landing pages also generate conversions other than sales. For example, they can drive email list opt-ins, webinar signups, eBook downloads, product demo requests, and much more.
So, in short, a conversion-focused landing page can only be considered a sales page if its goal is to generate sales. If the goal is to promote some other type of conversion, you’re talking about one of the other types of landing pages.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s take a look at a few examples of great sales pages to drive home what they include and how each element contributes to their end goal.
Elements of a high converting sales page
Are you new to creating sales pages and feeling a bit intimidated? Don't worry! Even without prior experience, you can craft compelling sales pages that drive conversions.
By understanding the key elements of a high-converting sales page and how each component contributes to your end goal, you'll be on your way to creating impactful content that resonates with your audience and drives sales.
The best sales pages have not just one but all of the following elements:
Features
Showcasing features on a sales page helps potential customers understand exactly what they are getting by purchasing or signing up.
Features act as selling points that address the needs and pain points of your target audience, making it easier for them to see how your offering can solve their problems or improve their lives. When presented clearly and persuasively, features create a sense of trust and credibility, ultimately leading to increased conversions and sales.
Benefits
Even more important than the features of your product or service, it’s crucial that you emphasize the biggest benefits of those features and highlight the problems they solve.
Features outline what the product offers, while benefits delve into how these features directly improve the customer's life or solve a problem. By emphasizing benefits, you paint a vivid picture for the reader, illustrating how your offering can enhance their experience or alleviate their pain points.
This approach not only captures attention but also drives conversions by showing potential customers the value they stand to gain.
Differentiators
There has to be a clear reason why people should buy from you specifically. Differentiators, sometimes called unique sales propositions (USPs), serve as your product's competitive advantage. They set you apart from other similar offerings and give customers a reason to choose you over others.
Some common differentiators include price, quality, convenience, customer service, or features not offered by competitors. When highlighting your differentiators, make sure to emphasize how they benefit the customer and what makes them stand out in the market.
For example, if your product is priced slightly higher than competitors but offers superior quality and durability, focus on those benefits rather than just stating the price difference. This will help customers understand why they should be willing to pay more for your product.
Similarly, if your customer service team is available 24/7 compared to only during business hours for your competitors, highlight how this benefit adds value
FAQs
You’ve got to answer any questions that, if left unanswered, could cause a potential customer to exit your page without making a purchase. Think about common questions that customers have and address them in a clear and concise manner.
If you want to really drive conversions using FAQs on your sales page, marketing teams should connect with customer service, customer success and sales teams to get valuable insights into what questions (potential) customers are actually asking.
By gathering insights from these departments, you can better understand what questions and objections customers commonly have before making a purchase.
Counter-Arguments
In addition to addressing common questions, it is important to also address potential objections that customers may have. These objections could range from concerns about the product's quality or effectiveness, to doubts about making a purchase without physically seeing the product first. This also applies to SaaS products, when a free trial or product demo isn’t available for potential users.
Trust-builders
People buy from people and companies they trust. The strategic placement of testimonials, badges, case studies, and other forms of social proof can build the necessary trust.
To get the highest conversion rate possible from these elements, you have to know your target audience intimately and tailor your sales copy specifically to them. Not to mention that the order in which you put the above elements can also impact results for better or for worse. So a healthy dose of research and strategy is involved.
3 impressive sales page examples and why they work
As we break down the lessons learned from them, you’ll want to look through each of the following three sales page examples in their entirety. See if you can identify ways to improve your sales and landing page copywriting.
1. Affirm
First up is an example from Affirm, a financial tech company that allows online shoppers to buy now and pay later. What’s so great about its sales page, which is geared toward potential e-commerce merchants?
Affirm did many things right with this page including:
- Stating a clear value proposition that’s closely aligned with an important goal that many online business owners share—getting more shoppers to “say yes” and follow through on purchases
- Building their credibility by displaying the logos of well-known brands that use Affirm
- Backing up claims that it increases Average Order Value and Repeat Purchase Rates with data
- Dedicating space to Affirm’s core features (such as its “premium network of 6.2M+ shoppers”) and highlighting their benefits
- Answering potential questions such as “Does this integrate with tools I already use” and “How does this work?”
All of the above are techniques you can use too to get better results from your sales pages (and landing pages in general).
2. AdEspresso University
The sales page for AdEspresso University is also worth analyzing. What does it do well?
This sales page features:
- A heading that, while straightforward, is engaging because it’s a question and because it’s linked to a real desire of AdEspresso’s core audience
- Benefits of the university immediately and above the fold to capture reader’s interest
- Testimonials that validate the benefits described in the section above, as well as a video sales letter further down the page
- A breakdown of each feature of the university, its benefits, and the kind of value that can be expected once visitors sign up
- Repetition of a single call-to-action—”Don’t Miss Out | Just $19 a month!” with a Subscribe Now CTA button
This sales page proves that you don’t need fancy jargon to convert readers. Simple and direct works as long as you prioritize transparency, trust, and the main action you want people to take.
3. Monday
Last, we’ll take a look at a short but well-done sales page for Monday. What can we learn from it?
Monday’s copy is effective because it:
- Addresses a strong desire in the headline (not wanting to use a million marketing tools)
- Immediately gives context to back up the claim that it can handle “all” marketing needs
- Explains key features and their benefits, including emotional benefits such as “gain[ing] confidence in estimating future costs” thanks to time tracking
- Builds credibility by showing off big brands, agencies, and influencers that are already using Monday, and by sharing testimonials from other users
- Repeats a single, clear CTA— “Get Started”
The shortest of all three examples we’ve discussed, this page demonstrates that your sales page doesn’t have to be lengthy to work. But that’s not to say that in-depth, long-form sales pages are inherently less powerful. This raises a question: Is there a certain length you should aim for as you write your sales copy?
How long should a sales page be?
Some claim that short-form copy is always better. Although being concise is a smart move in many cases, long-form sales pages are often necessary.
A sales page has to give potential customers everything they need to commit to a purchase. So, depending on your pricing, how familiar they are with the kind of solution you’re offering, and other factors, they may need a lot of information before they feel comfortable buying. If you refuse to give it to them just for the sake of being concise, your conversion rate will suffer.
In other words, a sales page can and should be as long as necessary to have the desired impact. Rather than prioritizing a certain word count, focus on getting the value of your offer across clearly and comprehensively. Here’s how you can do that.
How to write an effective sales page
At this point, you’ve learned about what sales pages are, what high-quality ones look like, and best practices and techniques you can use to boost your conversion rates. Now we’ll take a closer look at the process of sales and landing page copywriting, which applies whether you’re writing your first sales page or your 50th.
1. Start with research
How well do you know your target audience? Do you know what drives them to buy, what challenges they‘re trying to solve, what their goals are, what alternatives they’ve considered, and so on? If you can only give your best guesses in answer to those questions, you’ll struggle to create persuasive sales page copy. You need to know the answers for sure and that’s why research is the best first step.
2. Identify what’s important
Based on your audience research, determine what things are most important to cover in your copy. This could include:
- The biggest benefits of what you offer (and the features associated with them)
- Vivid descriptions of the frustrating problem you solve or the end goal you help people reach
- Potential questions and objections
- Reasons why potential customers or clients should trust you
Remember: To achieve a high conversion rate, you’ll need to give visitors all the information they need to feel comfortable making a purchase right then. So cover all your bases.
3. Structure your page strategically
After you’ve listed your key points and before you start writing your copy, you need an outline. What order do you need to put your information in to make the greatest impact? While there are many ways to answer that question and many sales page templates available, here’s an example structure that could work:
- Start with a punchy headline and subheadline that clarify what you offer, to who, and the main benefit
- Establish trust with social proof that reiterates the benefit your headlines introduced
- Describe the problem you solve or the goal you help customers reach with emphasis on the positive outcome
- Introduce features of your offer that lead to a positive outcome
- An FAQ section to answer questions and reduce conversion hesitation
- Reiterate key benefits
- Build your credibility with trust-builders
- Conclude by encouraging visitors to take action immediately
Once you have a game plan for the way your sections should be laid out, you can move on to copywriting. (This is also often the best time to get a preliminary sales page design started.)
4. Write your sales page copy
Taking into account your research, page outline, and landing page copywriting best practices, you can tackle each section of copy. To speed this process up (without compromising quality), Jasper has a ton of templates that you can use.
For example, to write a strong headline, you can use the Perfect Headline template. Just input a brief description, your audience, and a desired Brand Voice. Jasper will return several headline options for you to choose from.
The Website Sub-headline template works similarly. However, its advantage is that you can input your main headline and provide example subheadings to generate more relevant results.
Additionally, you could use the Features to Benefits template. It’s invaluable for shifting the focus from what potential customers will get to the more important topic—why they should want what you’re offering and what they’ll gain from investing in it.
And these are just three of several templates that can make sales and landing page copywriting quick and easy, while still getting you the results you want. In fact, our long-form content editor can help you write high-quality copy up to two times faster!
And while these templates are simple enough to use, you can also take advantage of Jasper Jumpstart. It covers everything from how to use templates and documents to how Jasper thinks. This training can help you get the most out of Jasper in the least time possible and that’s a major advantage, especially if you’re writing a long-form sales page.
5. Edit with care
Once you have a draft done, it’s on to editing. Don’t just make sure that the copy is well-written. Double-check that it thoroughly covers all key points including the benefits of your offer in words your potential customers generally use and can understand. Once you’re satisfied with it, you may also want others to review it before publishing. But who?
“Copy by committee”—seeking approval from many people at your company—is unwise when they don’t understand copywriting or aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of your digital marketing strategy. On the other hand, getting feedback from a handful of your ideal customers can be a great way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a sales page. So don’t be afraid to ask for their comments.
The sooner you optimize your copy, the fewer sales you miss out on in the long run! (The same principle applies to A/B testing after your sales copy is live and getting traffic.)
6. Input into your favorite page builder
After the copy’s done, all that’s left is to input it into a landing page builder of your choice to get it ready to go live. There are many user-friendly, drag and drop options available. They can not only help you present your copy in the most appealing way with landing page templates but can also drive sales with helpful features such as countdown timers. Some of the most popular include Unbounce, Leadpages, and Instapage, all of which can help increase your conversion rates by a significant margin.
If you’re using WordPress, you might want to consider using Elementor, Breakdance or Divi. While these aren’t free options for building your landing pages, they’re powerful and don’t require any coding knowledge. Anyone can pick it up and learn how to use these page builders in an afternoon!
No matter which one you choose, though, you can be successful. As long as you have:
- A good offer
- A steady source of qualified traffic such as social media or email marketing
- Compelling sales copy
And, thankfully, creating compelling sales copy has never been easier. Give Jasper a try and see for yourself!
