11 Essential Elements All Sales Pages Should Have

Have you been struggling to convert prospects who land on your sales pages into customers? It can be frustrating when you put time and effort into a sales page (not to mention an offer!) and no one buys. Make sure your efforts aren’t wasted by reviewing your sales pages before you publish them to make sure they contain all the essential elements every sales page should have.

1. A Killer Headline

The first thing people see when they land on your sales page is a headline. It needs to contain the most powerful words on the entire page. Your headline makes or breaks your chance to catch people’s attention from the very start. If your headline isn’t enticing, why would a lead even consider reading further? According to Copy Blogger, about 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will continue reading the rest of a sales page. That’s why headlines are key to drawing in your audience.

When crafting a compelling headline, touch on the problem your offer solves and who will benefit. You should also include the promise of a result to the problem your audience is experiencing. These elements will compel the reader to learn more about your solution.

Consider the following two headlines: 

1. How to Build a Sales Funnel
2. Your Sales Funnel Frustrations Are Finally Over: 6 Simple Steps to Building High-Converting Funnels

Which one is more compelling to you, the reader? Definitely number 2. It relates to the potential buyer by saying, “Your Sales Funnel Frustrations Are Finally Over,” and tells them exactly how you plan to do that: 6 simple steps. Headline #2 gives plenty of information about who the offer is for and how you plan to solve a problem they are experiencing.

2. A Hero Video

A hero video is a video added just below the headline which explains the results your offer provides. Rather than writing more text, a video is recommended because it tends to convert higher. A video element with an eye-catching thumbnail right under your headline will catch the reader’s attention, causing them to pause and watch. 

You really want to sell the benefits someone will receive from purchasing your offer. It’s like skipping to the end of a book. What is the outcome someone can expect after going through your coaching program or online course, for example? In your hero video, touch on the pain points your target customer is experiencing and how you solve them. Invoke feelings of excitement, hope, and inspiration, and people will continue down the page.

3. A Compelling Story

People resonate with a powerful story that elicits emotion. What do you want someone to feel when they scroll through your sales page? As mentioned above, the hero video should inspire people to continue reading the page and dive deeper into your story. 

The story can be from your personal experience going through the same pain points as your customers or a hypothetical situation. Here are examples of both.

• Personal: “I started my business and couldn’t get any clients. I read every marketing book and listened to every business podcast, but nothing worked for me. Finally, I discovered what I was doing wrong. That’s why I created this course for you – to give you a shortcut to results.”
• Hypothetical: “Imagine trying every marketing tactic the ‘experts’ suggest only to find yourself stagnating. Money wasted on ads, hours and hours put into marketing efforts, and no growth. We get it – nothing is more frustrating! Many of our students experienced this before enrolling in our online course. Now, students are implementing organic marketing techniques that don’t take extra time out of their day and give them real results.”

These are very simple examples, but it explains the point of using a personal story versus relating to potential customers on a hypothetical level. You’re relaying that you understand the emotions and frustrations they may be feeling. A powerful story is key to a high converting sales page.

4. Skimmable Design

Sales pages that convert well are skimmable. People do not read web pages like they read novels. They skim the sales page and look for headlines, bold or italicized text, and images that catch their eye. These elements help them understand the most important things about the offer on the page. They might not even skim from top to bottom, so ensure readability wherever their eyes happen to land. 

5. Testimonials

Include testimonials throughout the sales page to reinforce how amazing your offer is. People want social proof that your offer is worth their time, energy, and investment. 

Testimonials ease fears, objections, and reservations readers may have while skimming your landing page. Use client testimonials to answer potential questions such as:

• Is this the right offer for me?
• Will this be too time-consuming?
• Is it worth the investment?

If a testimonial is particularly long, either shorten it while still maintaining authenticity or bold keywords to which you want your readers to pay attention. Include a headshot of the client and their title if possible. 

Deadline Funnel founder, Jack Born, says, “We are hardwired from birth to pay attention to people’s faces.” When you use client headshots, people automatically pause to analyze the face and are more likely to read the testimonial. Below are a few examples of Deadline Funnel testimonials that portray this theory – a shortened testimonial with keywords and faces of clients.

6. Images or Videos

Similar to what was mentioned above, images and videos are fantastic ways to stop the scroll and engagingly portray information. You can use images and videos to explain a concept, demo your product or service, or explain what’s included in your offer. Graphic elements are visual proof of how your offer will solve your audience’s problem. Make graphics or videos stand out on the page to improve understanding of your offer and ultimately, conversions.

7. Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons

A call-to-action (CTA) is an instruction provided to the reader of your sales page: the one clear action you want them to take. In the case of a sales page, the CTA is normally to ‘click here to buy’ or ‘buy now’. The CTA can be communicated via a button, styled image, or text. While a bold CTA should always be included at the end of every sales page, you can also add several CTAs throughout the page so prospects don’t need to scroll to the bottom if they’ve already decided to purchase. 

Keep in mind that all of these CTAs should lead to the same place. It’s often said “a confused customer doesn’t buy,” so don’t confuse your sales page visitors by adding buttons to other destinations, like case studies, a testimonials page, other services, etc. Give them one offer to focus on and several opportunities to take advantage of it.

8. Clearly Communicated Offer

The entire purpose of a sales page is to clearly communicate the offer being sold, so every sales page should have a section that details clearly what is included when a lead purchases the offer. Do they receive video training, templates, or coaching support? If communicated correctly, your ideal audience should be excited to take advantage of your offer. Conveying the value makes the buying decision much easier for the prospect. 

9. A Return Policy

A good sales page also has a clear return, or refund, policy. A return policy is a clear statement that outlines the conditions under which a buyer is eligible to return a product and receive a refund. Typically the terms of a return policy depend on the usage of the product up until the point of return, as well as how long the customer has been in possession of your offer. An example of a return policy is, “We accept returns within 90 days of purchase.” 

It’s scary for people to invest without a way to back out in the future, especially for high-ticket offers. Your goal should be to serve the right customers, and a return policy can actually help you ensure that you’re serving more of them. If your offer doesn’t end up being right for someone, a return policy could allow them to seek the right solution elsewhere. 

How long should you offer a buyer the chance to return their purchase? The timeline for your return policy depends on your offer. How much time does a buyer need to explore the product to know that it was a good solution for their problem? Offering a return guarantee will comfort prospective customers and might be the final element to convince them to buy.

10. A Guarantee

High-converting sales pages often also have “guarantee” policies. A guarantee means the company is willing to offer a promise to their customers that the product will deliver a specific result or they will make it right (often in the form of compensation). An example of a guarantee you may have heard before could be: “if you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked, AND give you 10% back on top of that!” Of course, you can come up with your own version of a guarantee policy that makes sense for your offer. Companies who offer guarantees show potential buyers they have confidence in their product.

11. Deadline Funnel

If the point of a sales page is to convey the value of an irresistible offer to a potential buyer, then the offer itself wouldn’t be complete without a deadline: a specific period during which the lead can grab the product at that price advertised.

Deadline Funnel allows you to place a real deadline on your sales page, making your offer that much more compelling. If customers don’t purchase within the time limit specified, they will be “locked out” of the sales page for the original offer, and unable to purchase it. With Deadline Funnel, there’s no getting around the deadline, so you can rest easy knowing prospective customers are seeing the correct offer based on their previous online activity. 

Deadline Funnel can convey the offer deadline to prospects on your sales page in several different ways:

• Through a ‘floating bar timer’ that displays across the top or bottom of the page 
• Through an ‘inline timer’ that can be placed anywhere on the page.

Seeing the Deadline Funnel timer counting down on the sales page creates a sense of urgency, encouraging the prospect to make a purchase decision.

What should the length of your deadline be? If you’re hosting a live launch, the deadline will be set for the specific date and time your cart closes. If you’re selling a product on evergreen, make sure a lead has long enough to read the sales page, consider the offer, and complete their purchase. For example, a 15-minute deadline wouldn’t be enough time for a lead to decide to purchase an offer if the hero video on the sales page alone takes 10 minutes to watch! Give people enough time to make an informed decision, but not so much time that they forget to take advantage of the offer.