People are always thinking about reasons why they shouldn’t buy your product. These are their “objections,” and you’ll want to handle these objections in your sales copy in order to boost conversions.
Obviously, your prospects’ specific objections are based on your specific product. However, here are some of the common objections for a wide variety of products:
I can’t afford it. (This is an objection that can pop up no matter what the price is for the product.)
It’s too big/too small/wrong color/etc.
Let’s suppose the objection is that the prospect doesn’t believe you. You can provide testimonials and case studies as proof that your claims are true.
Justify the Price
Whether your product is expensive, inexpensive, or anything in between, you need to justify the price.
Let’s suppose your premium product seems expensive. You can justify the price by explaining how other options are more expensive or difficult.
For example, if you’re selling a premium PLR (private label rights) package for $197, you can justify this price by explaining how hiring a ghostwriter to create this same package would cost $2000.
People are afraid to take a risk on a product, especially if they’re not familiar with the brand or vendor. Longer, stronger guarantees both boost conversion rates and reduce refunds. That’s why it’s better to have a 60 or 90-day guarantee versus a guarantee that’s only good for a couple weeks or a month.
Before you release a sales letter, email or other piece of copy into the wild, ask yourself these questions:
Does the subject line, title or headline get attention?
Is it clear who this piece of content is for?
Does the copy join the conversation that’s already going on in the prospect’s head?
Does this copy exist in a vacuum? (E.G., if people are raising objections about a product online, then address those objections – people read other stuff before coming to your page or reading your emails.)
Another way to keep your reader’s eyes glued to the page is by inserting multimedia. This includes:
Videos.
Audios.
Graphics of all types (illustrations, infographics, charts, photos, etc.).
It’s a good idea to include captions with graphics, as this will draw the reader’s eyes into your page.
Keep Skimmers in Mind
As you know, not every reader is going to read every word of your sales letter, blog post, article or other content. That’s why you’ll want to do the following so that skimmers get the gist of your content:
Install enticing headlines and subheadlines to get attention and convey important information. E.G., “Who Else Wants to Earn a Quick and Easy $500?”
Isolate and emphasize important information, such as by creating bulleted lists.
Include a P.S. at the end of sales letters that reiterates a top benefit and a call to action. That’s because skimmers often look at the first and the last thing on a page.
Get rid of spelling and grammar errors, which tend to make your content look like it was created by an amateur. “Clean” (grammatically correct) content tends to create a good impression, which in turn creates higher conversions.
Read Your Copy Out Loud
Content that reads smoothly is content that tends to have better conversions. If you want to know if your content is smooth and easy to read, then read it out loud. Better yet, have someone else read it out loud to you. If they hesitate or stumble over any portion of the content, that’s a piece you’ll want to rewrite.
Another good way to boost conversions is to create a strong brand and focus on building brand awareness in your niche. A good brand fosters trust, which in turn boosts conversions. That’s why people often pick a known brand over a generic product, even when they are exactly the same thing.
Your prospects want to know there are real people behind your company, which is why you’ll want to give people an opportunity to get to know you. Check out these tips:
Post your photo on your web properties. This includes your own website as well as social media.
Prepare an “About” or “Meet the Team” section. Offer photos and personal details (e.g., “I like to camp in the mountains…”).
Produce posts or emails with personal details. For example, you can let your readers know about big events in your life, such as moving or marriage. Don’t drone on and on about yourself, but do share a sentence or two about what’s going on in your life.
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Make Your Contact Information Handy
A good way to build trust (and thus boost conversions) is to make it easy for your prospects and customers to reach you. For example, you insert your contact info (such as help desk link, live chat or even just an email address) on every page of your website.
Reduce Buyer’s Remorse
You can’t get people to buy more products from you in the future if they get buyer’s remorse and request a refund on the product they just purchased from you. That’s why you need to actively work to reduce buyer’s remorse.
How? By sending an email immediately after the purchase that does the following:
Thank customers for their purchase.
Remind customers of the benefits of the product they just purchased.
Encourage prospects to use the product immediately so they can start enjoying the benefits. (People who use the product will get a benefit, which turns them into satisfied customers who’ll purchase from you again.)
You only have a few seconds to capture your reader’s attention when they land on your web page, so make sure the most important information is above the fold. This means the most important information should be high enough on your web page that people don’t need to scroll to see it.
TIP: More people are going mobile now, so you have less space to make a point. Be sure your headlines or article titles are designed to capture attention fast.
You want every person who views your content to read every single word. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. However, you can make sure the majority of readers grasp the most important information by emphasizing that text. Here are 12 ways to emphasize text:
Italics.
Bolding.
Underlining.
Highlighting.
Different font.
Bigger font size.
Different font color.
Johnson boxes.
Indenting.
Graphics to draw attention (such as an arrow).
Bulleted lists.
Combination (e.g., both bolding and italicizing important text).
Just don’t overuse text emphasis, however, or your text will look like a messy circus.
R.E.T.A.I.N. Customers
The conversions don’t stop when the customer takes a specific action (such as purchasing a product). You also need to make sure you retain customers so that they KEEP buying. This is especially true if your customers are set up with recurring billing (such as with a SaaS offer or membership site).
Here’s how to R.E.T.A.I.N. customers, especially those in a membership site:
Remind customers of recurring billing.
Elicit feedback to find out what members like and dislike about your site or service so you can improve it.
Tease members about what’s coming (build anticipation).
Add unannounced bonuses to your site.
Install delayed bonuses (e.g., provide a bonus every three months that someone remains a member).
Nurture your relationship with customers (which builds loyalty) via follow-up emails.
For every month you keep a customer happy, you have a chance at selling them more products on the backend.
Avoid Unpleasant Surprises
Don’t spring unpleasant surprises on the order form, such as hidden fees or conditions. Otherwise, you’re likely to experience abandoned orders and shopping carts.
For example, if you’re selling access to a membership site for $9.97 per month for the first month and $19.97 thereafter, don’t lead prospects to believe that the lower price is the permanent price.
People do business with those they know, like and trust. And that means your good reputation is one of your biggest assets and biggest factors that can affect your conversion rate. That’s why you’ll want to be sure that you remain honest in all your dealings so that you build a good reputation.
For example, don’t use false scarcity where you present a countdown timer that merely resets every time someone visits. When people realize the countdown timer is “fake,” they’ll wonder in what other ways you’ve attempted to deceive them.
Sometimes people leave your site still interested in purchasing the product, but not ready to at that exact moment. That’s where retargeting comes in. This is where you show prospects who’ve visited your sales page or other web page the same offer again.
One way to do this is by purchasing ads on Facebook, which lets you specifically target prospects who’ve already visited a specific page on your website.
Sometimes people leave your sales page because the offer isn’t exactly right for them. In some cases you may be able to get them to purchase something else, such as a downsell offer, which is a less expensive offer that’s similar to the main offer.
For example, you can show people who are leaving your sales page an exit pop up which presents an offer that’s 30%-50% less expensive than the offer they were just looking at. For instance, you might offer them a “lite” version of a piece of software at a significant discount. This is a great way for someone to test out the product with less risk, and of course you’ll make it easy for them to upgrade to the full version.
Test Payment Options
One common objection prospects have is that a product is too expensive. You can handle this objection by testing out different payment options to find out which ones your audience responds to the best.
For example:
Free trial. People can try out the product (such as software) for free for one week or one month.
Installments. Instead of one big payment, you can offer two or three smaller payments spread out over two or three months.
Here’s another idea for boosting conversions…
Position Options With a Goal in Mind
If you have multiple options – such as different levels for a membership site – then don’t make them equally appealing. You can decide upfront which option you want people to choose, and then boost conversions by making that particular option the most appealing.
For example, let’s suppose you have a Bronze, Gold and Platinum level in a membership site. And let’s suppose you’re aiming to get most people into the Gold level. Here’s how you’d set up your options:
Create a “bare bones” offer at the Bronze level (and then use it as a way to get people to upgrade). Let’s suppose it’s $17 per month.
Offer a LOT more value for a little more money at the Gold level. In this example, you might sell it for two dollars more — $19 per month – but clearly the value should be worth a lot more.
Create a premium Platinum level with high-ticket extras, such as coaching, and then charge accordingly (such as $47 per month).
Anyone who looks at this offer will see that Gold is the best value, and you’ll boost conversions at that particular level.
Frame Cross-Sells/Upsells Carefully
When you’re offering a cross-sell or upsell on an order form, keep in mind that the prospect has already made the decision to purchase the main offer. As such, all you have to do is pitch the offer and price for the upsell, NOT the main offer.
E.G., “Would you like to add access to the private forum for just $9.99?”
Create Thoughtful Cross-Sells and Upsells
If you’re looking to boost conversions, then make sure your cross-sells and upsells are highly related to your main offer.
For example, if you’re selling a guide about how to become a vegan, then you can offer a vegan cookbook is a cross-sell.
Make the Ordering Process Easy
Don’t make people register or jump through hoops during the ordering process. You’ll boost your conversions if you make the process as easy as possible.
TIP: Be sure to test payment options to see which ones your audience responds to the best.
For example, in many niches you can boost your conversions by using PayPal, since all people need to do to make a purchase is login. They don’t even need to enter in their credit card of address, which makes ordering a snap.
Save Abandoned Carts
If you have the type of site where people need to enter their email address to order OR login, then you can use a script to save abandoned shopping carts. For example, you can send prospects a follow-up email offering them a 25% discount if they return and complete their order within the next 24 hours.
Get Customer Referrals
People trust recommendations more from people they know, which is why customer referrals work so well to boost conversions. That’s why you’ll want to encourage customers to refer their friends.
Want to boost conversions even more? Create a two-way referral. This means you give both your existing customer and the referral a reward if the referral makes a purchase. For example, you can give both individuals a 40% discount on their next purchase.
Whether you’re creating an article, a sales piece, or anything in between, you need to make it clear who the content is for. One way to do this is by asking relevant questions to help qualify prospects.
E.G., “Do you have unsightly cellulite on your thighs?”
Check the Orientation of Graphics
This is a very simple trick that works like crazy to draw your reader’s eyes into your content: simply point the graphics TOWARDS the text.
For example, if you have a graphic of a woman looking slightly to the right, then put the graphic on the left and all content on the right. Your prospects will naturally look where the woman in the photo is looking, so you’ll draw people to the text.
One of the keys to creating high-converting content is to make sure your content is about your READERS, not you. Even if you tell a story about yourself, be sure you quickly pivot to how the story is relevant to your readers.
Need a quick and dirty way to tell if you’ve created reader-oriented copy? Check how many times you use words like “you” and “your” versus how many times you use words such as “me,” “mine” and “I.” Rewrite copy when possible to use more “you” sentences.
No matter what you’re selling, your readers are going to wonder why they should buy from you versus your competitor. Your USP (unique selling proposition) is the succinct answer to that question. It’s the benefit or other factor that makes your product or business different and better than your competitors’ offer.
For example, FedEx’s USP is based on reliable and fast shipping (“when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight). This simple statement was the “reason why” prospects should choose them over their slower and/or less-reliable competition.
The #1 Copywriting Mistake
Many times, marketers make the mistake of focusing on the features of their offer rather than the benefits. A feature is a “part” of a product, while the benefit is what a particular feature does for the user. Prospects are usually most interested in the benefits of an offer.
For example, a feature of a weight-loss product is that it includes meal plans and recipes. The benefit is that customers can quickly and easily create delicious meals – no extensive planning required.
Personalize When Possible
If possible, such as in emails, personalize your correspondence with your prospects. That’s because one of the biggest “power words” that’s known to get attention is the prospect’s name. If you can address a person by name in an email or elsewhere, you’re going to buy yourself a second or two of their attention.
TIP: Don’t overuse someone’s name, as that can backfire on you by making the prospect feel uncomfortable. Use it once in an email, perhaps twice… not more.
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Check Your Email Stats
If you’re using a third-party autoresponder to send emails, then most of the bigger companies let you check to see who opened your last email and/or clicked on the link inside. You can then segment your list according to behavior and send appropriate follow ups to boost conversions.
For example, if someone opened an email but didn’t click your link, you can send a follow up email to incentivize those who act now (such as offering a discount coupon that’s only good for a limited time).
43. Get People Agreeing With You
Your copy will create a better response if you can get people nodding along and agreeing with you.
For example, in the beginning you may ask questions that elicit this positive response. E.G., “Do you ever dread your morning commute because your sciatica is acting up?”
Use These 3 Sales Triggers
If you want to boost your conversion rates, try using these three sales triggers:
Reciprocity. Here’s where you give something valuable to your prospect, in return they feel like they “owe” you. This often results in a sale.
For example, you can offer your prospects a really valuable lead magnet for free, and then sell a low-cost tripwire on the backend.
Consistency. People like to be consistent, which is why this makes for a great sales trigger. The idea here is to get your prospect to agree to some small favor (which is a way to “get your foot in the door”), and then they’ll be more likely to do a larger favor for you.
For example, you might initially ask your prospects to purchase your low-cost tripwire offer. Then you can pitch your core offer on the backend.
Fear. People tend to act when they feel fear, especially fear of missing out. E.G., “This special introductory sale price ends tonight, so order now to avoid missing out!”
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Use Bonuses to Boost Conversions
Your prospect is right on the edge of making a buying decision. You can help push them towards the order button by offering bonuses to sweeten the offer.
Keep these tips in mind:
Offer valuable, in-demand bonuses. Your goal is to increase the overall value for your offer, so be sure you’re offering something that your prospects truly want and value.
Obtain bonuses that are related to the main offer. They should enhance the use or enjoyment of the main offer. For example, a set of sales letter swipes makes a great bonus alongside a copywriting course.
Whether you’re crafting an email, social media blurb or a sales letter, you want to focus on the benefits of the offer. One good way to make these benefits stand apart is to put them in a bulleted list. This makes them easy to see (even for skimmer), and a succinct list of benefits make it easy for readers to absorb and creates desire and excitement.
The next time you need to create a bulleted benefit list, try out these templates:
[Get a great benefit] faster than ever using [app / tool / strategy]! E.G., Get your business up and running faster than ever using this proven five-step strategy!
You’ll finally learn the truth about [some topic] – and it’s going to surprise you! E.G., You’ll finally learn the truth about getting rid of cellulite – and it’s going to surprise you!
Do you want [to get a benefit]? See [a page number, module number, etc.]! E.G., Do you want to boost your conversion rates the easy way? See page 122 for a five-minute trick that could double your conversions!
Now you too can [get a benefit] in just [a short period of time]. E.G., Now you too can save your marriage in just one week from now!
You’ll discover a [startling/weird/surprising] trick for [getting a benefit]! You’ll discover a totally weird trick that works like crazy to make you look 10 years younger!
Here’s another set of templates…
Three Swipe-able CTA Templates
Here are three different calls to action you can use for different occasions:
This is a great opportunity to [learn about some strategy or get some tool] for free, so click here to take advantage of this offer while you still can!
Buy now and you’ll get a 50% discount – click here to get started!
If you’ve ever wanted to [learn about a topic or get some benefit], then you’re going to want to get on this free webinar! Click here to register – and do it now before all the seats are gone!
If you’re writing a sales letter, then you’ll want to include a postscript. That’s because a P.S. is one of the most-read parts of a sales page. It’s a good idea to include both a benefit and a call to action in your postscript. Check out these templates:
P.S. I almost forgot – if you act now, you’ll also get [some bonus gift]. Click here to claim yours now!
P.S. People everywhere are saying this is the quickest and easiest way to [get some benefit]! But don’t take my word for it – click here to order now risk free!
P.S. You won’t find a faster, easier or better way to [get a benefit], so click here to order now!
If you’re selling a product, then be sure to provide lots of photos and/or demo videos of the product in action. This will help people imagine what it’s like to use the product, which in turn boosts your conversions.
For example, if you’re selling software, then provide a screen-share video that shows prospects how easy it is to use the software.
Share the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sometimes marketers are tempted to only show the best parts of a product. However, if you don’t bring up perceived weaknesses, then prospects will think you’re not being totally honest with them. Trust erodes in that case, and so do conversions.
To build trust, share everything about a product. If you share a perceived weakness or flaw, then handle that objection.
For example, if a perceived flaw is that a guide is a little short, then tell people that it’s a “no fluff, no filler” guide that only covers the most important information (great for busy people).
Getting people to feel certain emotions is one of the keys to creating great copy. One way you can do this is to “agitate” the person’s problem, which means you remind them of the pain of their problem.
E.G., “It’s humiliating to try on shorts under the glare of the store lights. You see every pound of fat, every bit of cellulite. And just when you think it can’t get any worse, you need to ask the dressing room clerk to get you a bigger size…”
Effective content needs to grab (and hold) your reader’s attention right away, which will increase conversions. Here are five good ways to get attention:
Tell a story, especially one where the main subject/character of the story is just like the reader.
Ask a question. E.G., “Do you ever toss and turn all night?”
Share a startling fact or statistic. E.G., “About 95% of businesses will fail this year… will yours be one of them?”
Build anticipation for what’s coming. E.G., “You’re about to discover how to finally housetrain your stubborn puppy!”
Arouse curiosity about what’s coming. E.G., “You’ll find out what word you should NEVER use in a sales letter headline – this is going to surprise you!”
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How to Engage Readers
Your title and opener grabbed the reader’s attention. Now you need to hold it by engaging the reader.
How?
By “edutaining” the reader. This means you entertain them while you educate them. Keep these tips in mind:
Use a friendly, conversational tone. Simply put, write as if you’re talking to a good friend.
Utilize humor (but sparingly). Just be sure you understand your target market before you attempt humor, as different people and cultures find different topics funny.
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7 Question Swipes
One way to engage your audience is by asking them questions. This can also be a good way to get people interactive on your blog or on social media, which in turn boosts conversions.
Check out these example questions and swipes you can tweak and put to use:
Some experts say [one thing]. Other experts suggest [some other thing]. What do you think?
What is your favorite way to [get a good result]?
Have you ever [tried to get a result and then failed]?
When was the last time you [participated in some activity]?
What is your biggest [type of] mistake?
Have you ever felt [in some specific way that’s related to the niche topic, e.g., “humiliated because you’re so fat”]?
How many times have you [tried to get some result]?
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Use Curiosity to Drive Conversions
Arousing curiosity in your content is like creating an itch that your prospects want to scratch. Here are two ways to create this “itch”:
Get people curious about what’s coming up in the content itself. E.G., “In just a moment you’ll discover the #1 trick for making your skin so soft and supple you’ll feel like you’re 20 again!”
Get prospects curious about the product you’re selling. E.G., “See page 58 to discover how to shave two strokes off your golf game!”
Here’s another way to boost conversions…
Build Credibility
As people are reading your content, they’re going to be wondering why they should listen to you. If you can build your credibility, they’ll be more likely to view you as an expert or authority. And, in turn, this will boost your conversions.
Here are questions to ask yourself:
How many years of experience do you have in the niche?
Do you have any relevant degrees or certifications?
Have you won any relevant awards?
Do you have proof of being able to get results for yourself or others?
How many others have you helped in the niche?
What else can you use to provide authority/expertise?
You can then take the relevant answers and include them in your sales letters, “about” pages, and anywhere else that you want to build credibility.
People do business with those they know, like and trust, which is why it’s important to build trust. Here’s how to do it:
Choose secure order forms so that people trust their sensitive data with you.
Create great lead pages to encourage people to join your list, and then follow up via email to build good relationships.
Communicate honestly with your prospects and customers. (E.G., Recommend the best products for your prospect’s needs, not just the ones that give you the best commissions.)
The most important part of a lead page, sales page, ad or other piece of copy is the headline. That’s because your visitors are going to decide whether to keep reading your content largely based on the headline. To that end, keep these tips in mind:
Devote time to the task. Your headline can make or break the success of your sales piece, so be sure to focus on this task (rather than treating it as an afterthought).
Understand your audience. In order to create something effective, you need to understand what is important to your audience. You can then create a headline based on these important benefits and other factors.
Brainstorm multiple headlines. Set aside 20 minutes or so to brainstorm as many headlines as possible. Don’t stop when you hit upon a good one… keep going, as an even better one might be coming.
Test your headlines. Naturally, you shouldn’t pick a headline based entirely on your own preferences. Instead, test your best headlines and let your audience vote with their wallets.
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3 Factors That Make for Great Headlines
As your crafting your headline, keep these tips in mind:
Focus on benefits (not features). People want to know what a product does for them, which is why you need to showcase the benefits. For example, an ingredient that increases metabolism is a feature, but the benefit is that the food helps people lose weight more quickly.
Evoke curiosity when possible. This is a great way to hook people and keep them reading. E.G., “Here’s the secret of rapid weight loss…”
Use quotes. Quotes around sales letter headlines tend to boost conversion rates, because a quote makes the claim seem more credible (due to the social proof factor).
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20 Power Words to Start Using
There are some words that almost always get attention, which makes them great choices in headlines and other copy. See if you can work these 20 words into your copy: