What Goes Into a Sales Page?

Sales page structure needs to incorporate 7 elements:

1. a strong, outcome-based headline to draw people in

2. a subhead for context

3. punchy benefits

4. social proof

5. brief (BRIEF!) bio

6. objection callouts

7. action-oriented CTA (call to action)

Let's go through what this actually means.

Everything is a sales page, whether or not you're actually charging a fee for something

A squeeze page, landing page, opt-in page, webinar registration page, coaching program sign-up page, cohort waitlist page, even your Skool community about page... these are all essentially sales pages. Even if you're not charging a fee, you are selling something: an idea, a concept, a framework, a process, a methodology.

And because you're selling something, there are specific elements you need to include on your page in order to increase the chances of getting someone to buy in.

Obviously, there are variables that will determine complexity, length, and element order, but in general, you want these seven elements to either appear or be referenced.

1. Outcome-Based Headline

What’s the bold promise you’re making or problem you’re solving? Not "Live Your Best Life" or "The Slippery Banana Community" or "Hi, I'm Mabel" or "5 Things I Learned the Hard Way Building My MLM Team."

Why not?

"Live your best life" is vague and could mean 100 different things to 100 different people. What does that mean to a new mom? A doctor? A new college graduate? A widower about to retrire after 30 years in life insurance?

"The Slippery Banana Community" also means nothing. Sure, it might be funny, but if it needs explaining to a cold audience, they won't stick around. Clear over clever every time. If you're dead set on having a clever headline, add a contextual subhead (see below).

"Hi, I'm Mabel" is probably the worst thing ever to lead with, and yet so many landing pages do exactly that. Why is it bad? Because nobody cares about you. Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely. Your readers care only about what you can do for THEM. Later on, when they're deciding if your program is actually a good fit for them, they'll want to know a bit about you, but not right off the bat. So don't start with yourself. Ever.

"5 Things I Learned..." goes along with the previous example. It doesn't immediately draw your reader into the story. Instead, it sounds like this is going to be a self-discovery essay that's all about you. And since nobody cares about you (yet), they'll scroll on by or bounce.

So what are better alternatives? Something that's clear, specific, and (preferably) keyword optimized.

Get [DREAM OUTCOME] in [TIME SPAN] --> e.g. Get Your First 100 Email Subscribers in 30 Days

or

Go From X to Y --> e.g. Turn Your Reactive Dog Into a Calm, Confident Companion

You can even ask a provocative question. e.g. Do You Know Where Your Money's Going?

2. Contextual Subhead

Even if your headline is ultra clear, it can always benefit from some context or emotional pull. If your headline is clever, alliterative, metaphorical, or similar, you absolutely need a subhead. It will answer any immediate confusion or curiosity, and confirm that should they pay attention and read on.

So let's say you aren't gonna budge on "The Slippery Banana Community." Your subhead could be "A place for clowns to validate their routines before stepping into the circus ring."

3. A Few (3-5) Punchy Benefits

Benefits are NOT features. These must be outcomes. What will your readers walk away with, what shortcut are you offering, what fear or frustration are you eliminating? e.g. A fast-track to more sales, more romance in their life, kickass storytelling skills, etc. If you're having a hard time articulating this, write the feature first, then add "so that what" to it. For example: A sales page structure (feature) so that people read, nod, and click “buy” without hesitation (outcome).

4. Social Proof

Testimonials, stories, and case studies go a long way to build credibility and trust. Even a micro story can have monster impact. And it doesn't have to be text. It can be a graphic to break up the text and support the rest of your sales page in two ways.

5. Brief (BRIIIIEEEEFFFF) Bio

1-3 sentences about why you are the right person to deliver this. That's all you need on a sales page. Not your whole life story, not all your credentials, not your entire work history. Nobody cares, remember? So if you tell them your why, and your passion, and how you got started in this business, they'll skip out. Keep it tight and relevant and (here's the really big challenge) focused on THEM. Yup, your bio should make them feel like you are the exact person to help them in this exact moment. You can tell them more about you and your journey elsewhere, but on a sales page they just want to know that you're real, legit, and not a bot or scammer.

6. Objection Callouts

This one always stirs up emotions, because people get their knickers all twisted about objection handling as a concept. This isn't about manipulating someone into a sale, or shaming and pressuring them into something they don't need. Its about providing clarity, safety, assurance. So think about why someone might hesitate in moving forward with you. What concerns might they have about your community, freebie, coaching program? Address this. Show them you understand them, where they're coming from, what they've tried, what hasn't worked, etc. A simple "this will work for you even in if..." or "you don't have to learn complicated XYZ" etc. goes a long way to help them believe in themselves as much as in you.

7. Call to Action (CTA)

What ONE action do you want them to take? Make it short, use a verb, and put it on the button(s). e.g. "Claim Your Seat" or "Get Your 100 Subscribers." It has to be something action-oriented and decisive. "Submit" is just a shrug, "Learn More" sounds like work. But "Show Me The Plan" has action and urgency.

Do create multiple variations of your CTA. You can do this based on DiSC communication types, the section of the page they're on, or whatever. I'm not suggesting that you create multiple CTAs though. "Get Your Guide" and "Show Me How" and "Let's Go!" are all ways to drive someone to one specific thing. But "Get Your Guide" and "Book a Call" and "Join the Community" are three different actions that get three different results. If you give options, chances are your person won't take any of them. So stick to ONE.

Now What?

OK - go check your sales page(s)... are all these elements in play? Not sure? Or not sure how to add them in? Come join us in Funnel Forensics to get feedback and support getting this sorted!