Yesterday, I did a full hour of live Q/A for my Ryan Lee Method students.
And during that hour, I did a handful of web site reviews.
One of them for was a guy selling “baseball training” and, since my students know they’ll always get the unfiltered TRUTH from me, I said it looked like it was 8 years old.
The template was tired. The font was small. The text area was way too narrow. The header looked old.
No matter how good the product was, there was simply no way this page was going to convert.
OLD SCHOOL
I can’t blame him – when I first started online back in 1999, that’s how my sites looked.
Here’s a screenshot from one of my first membership sites from January 2001…
NEW SCHOOL
Now, there is simply no excuse to create ugly looking, archaic web sites.
Here are 2 solutions that let you create really slick looking sales pages.. with no coding experience.
1. OPTIMIZE PRESS:
I have been using this program for around 2 years. It’s a wordpress plugin, it’s pretty easy to use and the sites look great. I created most of my current sales pages using OP.
2. PROFITS THEME: I just signed up for this program – and I’ve gotta tell you, I’m pretty excited. My favorite part is being able to build a clickbank integrated membership site with no additional plug-in needed. It makes it very easy for dripped content.
Both of these wordpress plugins are pretty similar.
The each allow you to create membership sites, launch pages, squeeze pages, sales letters and even video sales letters. And they are both push-button simple to use!
SALES SITE CHECKLIST…
The type of page that converts best depends on a lot of factors including your market and pricing.
In general, here are a few simple things your sales page should have..
- Strong Headline. If you are stuck, you can’t go wrong with a “How To…”
- Video: In most cases, a video will help your sales. It doesn’t have to be fancy, even just YOU being YOU may help your conversions (in other words, don’t try to be like me or Frank Kern – just be yourself!)
- Benefit Bullets: Pick out the 5-7 best benefits of your program and list them in bullet format
- Social Proof: Testimonials, case studies and even screen shots of positive facebook comments or tweets can help your page
- Guarantee: Offer a money back guarantee to take away the risk of doing business with you.
- No-Brainer: Make your offer so good, they’d be insane to say no.
- Add to Cart: Make it EASY for them to order. Don’t give 15 options.. just give one, really good offer and make the sale (you can always offer more as upsells)
- Act Now: Give them a reason to buy NOW. Either price hikes or taking away bonuses.. just give incentives to buy immediately.
BOTTOM LINE…
Creating a sales page does not have to be complicated.
And when you’re building trust online, your sales letter becomes even less important as your conversions will rise simply because you are creating strong relationships.
If you have a product (or are creating one), I highly recommend you check out both Optimize Press and Profits Theme.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?
GET INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY BELOW!
RL,
You are always on time with the much needed content….
Also, the webinar was awesome last night….
Rcok on!
Thanks Chris – and I’m glad you enjoyed the webinar last night!
Ryan
Great webinar last night. Going to pickup profit themes today and give a run.
Thanks Dan.
I’ve been playing with Profit Themes this morning and it’s pretty cool. For $97, it really is a no-brainer.
Ryan
Classic. I remember *that* SportSpecific.com – I was a member! Your screenshot brings back nostalgic memories of client workout planning at 4am.
Thought I’d throw this in the hat: I’ve used JV Press as an alternative to Optimize Press before, and it’s not bad.
Hey Ben,
Yes – it really does being back memories. I remember putting in so many hours on that site.
Thanks for your suggestion about JV press.. I haven’t used that one.
Ryan
Thanks Ryan! This is great. It really makes it simple. The sales letter has been my nemesis. If I talk to someone they take action without hesitation. Putting that into a sales letter…well…not so much yet. With your help though that isn’t a problem. Thanks brother!
Hey Billy,
The sales letter is fun. I like to create my sales page and copy BEFORE I finish the product. This helps me create a product that crushes it and delivers on the promises made.
Ryan
This comes at a timely moment for me. I am currently creating a product with 6 modules that drip feed weekly.
I want to add testimonials but the product hasn’t been used yet. I am thinking of releasing the product to just my list and then gathering testimonials that way, then releasing to the rest of the Internet.
I had JV press and could not get it to do what I wanted so I got Optimize press. I love OP. My only problem is that it will only do one membership site. I would like to do multiple products with a membership look.
I use Amember to handle the drip feed and the protection and payment back end.
I will look into the Profits Theme, but I my amember only allows one wordpress install at the moment. I am trying to see know if I can use more wordpress installs if they share the same database.
Better yet Emily, only release it to influencers.
In a small launch last year I could not give some of my best work away, even get my list to open emails. My JV guy was seeing the same…
Since it was about Local businesses in search, I called up my best local client and the #27 REO Realty owner in the nation.
He gave me a glowing testimonial, I used the subject line “Here’s what the #27 REO Agent Says About….”
That combination got me a 30% open rate and over 100 sales in the next 48 hours.
No one cares what your list says, they care what influencers think. And giving it to your list just roasted any sales there. And you just made buying clients your friends and they will never buy again. They will always expect a give away of any new products.
Hope my little story helps Emily :]
Thanks Chris, that was an amazing story. I was thinking of going to top people in my industry and giving them free access to look at, provide a testimony for, and become an affiliate to sell to their list as well.
Good stuff Chris.
Thanks for contributing to the conversation, my friend!
Ryan
Great post Ryan!
Thank you Shaun!
Ryan
One of the best pieces of social proof that I look for on most articles and video blog posts, is numbers in the social media buttons. In fact I can tell if you are real or full of BS by your numbers. All day long I see peeps write some blog post about social traffic and get at best a few likes / tweets / +1′s.
Now I know Ryan is a straight up down in the trenches guy. I believe everything he says. But when it comes to salesletters and even blog posts, I want some proof. Especially if I don’t know you already.
3 years ago we could sell on copy alone. Now yeah… without proof you will leave half your sales on the table, if you even get any at all. Good stuff Ryan!
Hey Chris,
You bring up a good point..
Personally, I don’t pay too much attention to the social buttons (except when the numbers are very high). But if there are a lot of posts with zero comments – that does get my attention immediately.
Thanks for your support and contribution.
Ryan
Hi Ryan!
Thanks for the awesome post! Do you feel that Profits Theme is a little easier (or just better, in general) than WL Member? I have only a tiny bit of experience with WL and found it to be a little challenging. Used it with Optimize Press…which I LOVE!
Forget which video you did in IC on the ” No Brainer” offer…but it was AWESOME. Think I’ve listened to it about 4 times!!
I think Profits and WL are pretty different.
I just started digging into Profits and I still use WL with this site (ryanlee.com).
And I’m glad you are enjoying the IC.. lots of good stuff in there :)
Ryan
Love this post on sales page design, I always follow that instruction and does some sales page design as well, if you wish to check them, please check http://www.semanticlp.com/category/sales-page/
Hey Mrinal some great looking templates! Do you do custom made pages too?
Ted
Yes, I can do custom landing page design too, you can check some custom landing page design done by me, as well as can place order here http://www.landingpagedesign.us/order-a-custom-landing-page-design/
Thanks for contributing – I’ve seen that page before.
I am ALWAYS searching for new sales & landing page design.
Ryan
Hi Ryan, I will try to upload some fresh sales and other categories landing pages to my site very soon.
Thanks for the info about Profits Theme, Ryan! I tried Optimize Press, but didn’t like that it didn’t have a payment integration included. Profits Theme looks like something I need to get eventually. Looks like everything is included in their product. I like the way you can create landing pages and product launch pages easily, too!
Right now I’m using a free plugin for my sites, called s2Member.
You are welcome Michelle.
Profits Theme does look pretty cool – and I’m having fun playing around with it.
Keep us posted on your progress…
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
That was a fantastic checklist! I am starting a sales copy for a new nanocontinuity product in May and your list was a great reminder of what to include! Thanks so much. Hope that you had a good work out this morning-any 100 meter repeats?
Regards,
Cory
Hey Cory,
I’m glad you found the list valuable!
And heck no, there were no 100 meter sprints today :)
Ryan
hi Ryan,
Great post- and loved the webinar last night! I have some questions I’m getting a little confused with all of these themes- I’m not a techy person but I’m learning- there’s the woothemes, the themes that come with the hosting service that the webinar last night was about and then these 2 themes you talk about in this post- do we need all of these themes? Or a wp theme and one of the above mentioned themes ? I’m confused –
thanks,
Beverly
Beverly,
Woo Themes (www.ryanlee.com/woo) are a completely separate company with wordpress themes. The hosting company does NOT include those – but you can always use Woo Themes with any wordpress site, regardless of your hosting company.
Hope that makes sense…
Ryan
Hey Ryan,
Thanks for the ideas. I am changing some stuff around to update some sites I have neglected as well as putting some others up as well, so having a concise plan of action for the sale is always good. Bringing them in on something simple and then upselling when you know they are buyers is great!
Thanks,
Dave Gardner
Hey Dave,
You are welcome.
Get that plan down and take inspired action, my man!
Ryan
Great checklist. Going to check my sales pages now for these items!
Thanks.
Dave
Hey Dave,
I’m glad you liked it.
Keep us posted on your progress..
Ryan
Ryan,
I’ve recently started using Optimize Press, even though I’ve had it since it first came out, and have to smack myself for not using it sooner, it’s awesome for sales / squeeze pages.
I’m even messing around with their blog platform to run a blog as well.
For my next Clickbank launch, I might check out Profits Theme too, I have that also but haven’t had a chance to dive into it.
Brian
Hey Brian,
Great chatting with you last night.
I wish they had OP and PT when I first started.. it would have saved me so much time and money!
Talk to you soon…
Ryan
Hey Ryan…
Another great post. Quick question (I hope). With direct response marketing, which IM draws a lot from, Dan Kennedy says to always use a secondary reason for response. Do you think this is a good idea for your sales pages?
For example, if your selling a product like Stealth Traffic (fictional) that will help people generate more traffic to their website do you think its a good idea to offer a free report or mini course via email to still collect their contact info and build your list. Then the would get your 10 day mini course and go into your newsletter list.
Have you ever tested anything like this? I’m really interested in what everyone thinks.
I’m thinking it could even be used as an effective down sell to build your list and continue to sell them down the road after you’ve established a better relationship with them.
Love the check list! Keep it real!
Ted Peterson
I have seen this done many times in IM. You look at a sales letter and when you try to close the page a pop-up/under comes up offering you a free report. One that I saw was very well done. The free report outlined the products strategy, but to get into the real details of how to do the strategy and some extras like swipe files, you had to buy the product. So, the freebie was a teaser to the product, while still giving valuable information.
Hey Ted,
I’ve done exit pops and squeeze pages too.
And yes, they can work really well. I’m always trying new sales funnels.
But with my internal list, it works better for me to just send them to a sales letter since the relationship and trust is already established.
Ryan
Ryan I have a quick question: Where do squeeze pages normally fit in your marketing funnel? Do you often drive traffic directly to the squeeze/sales page, or do you send them to your blog/website home page (assuming that your website home page is not a squeeze/sales page)? Thanks!
Thanks for the great info as usual Ryan. Can you solely use the Optimize Press Theme for the sales page and use another theme for your blog and other pages? I love the sales pages but I’m not to crazy about the theme that comes with the package for the blog.
Thanks,
Damon
Hey Damon,
I use a different theme for my regular “blog” and optimize press in a separate “folder” for the sales pages on ryanlee.com.
If you are in my Inner Circle – I went into detail about how this was setup.
Ryan
Perfect Ryan!!!
I luv being George Bailey — the richest Man in town (It’s A WOnderful Life)…buut it’s time to step & make $$$$ now. The kids are launched now…:-D
Hey Nick,
You CAN have both.
Money AND a great family life too! Go get it.
Ryan
Ryan! I love that you just crushed my sales page! lol. Seriously… i needed that. I kinda felt that way but wasn’t sure. I will have this changed ASAP. Looking forward to more awesome info in the “YOU” Method ;)
Eddie
Hey Eddie,
That’s one thing, I’m always going to give my honest opinion. Just sugar coating a problem doesn’t help anyone get better.
Make the switch and keep us posted on the new site!
Ryan
http://www.strengthtraining4baseball.com/signup …..boom! lol
Seriously tho, I cant wait til i can hire someone to do this shiz for me… i’m like a tortoise when it comes to tech stuff.
Thanks!
Ps-if you have any more suggestions then just feel free to let em rip baby! lol
Awesome, I just started using OP a week ago and freaking love it, the Profits Theme looks awesome too
another great checklist, very simple tips that make a big difference!
Very cool Luis.
Thanks for your ongoing support and start cranking out the products!
Ryan
Your 8 steps are GREAT for any business website!
Thanks James – I like to think so too :)
Rock ‘on
Ryan
Great article. Any chance of a webinar replay?
Yes AJ.
It was recorded and should be up in the next day or so.
Ryan
Did you send the replay and I missed it?
Thanks
Damon,
I was on a call last week with Ryan and here is what he suggested.
Use your favorite “blogging” blog for the main site.
Then, put Optimize Press, for example, in another folder and use it for your sales/squeeze pages as it’s very good for those.
So…
yourdomain.com for the website
yourdomain.com/go/salespage for your sales page.
That way you can use whatever themes are best for each task… bloggng and selling.
I think it makes a lot of sense.
Hope that helps,
Dave
Exactly Dave!
Thanks for summing it up.
Ryan
Indeed, the Web Weaver Elite webinar was good stuff. Any chance of a replay? I wanted my biz partner to see it.
Thanks,
Tom
Hey Ryan,
Does the Web Weaver Elite program you promoted on the webinar the other night take the place of the 2 resources you mentioned in this post? Is this the better resource? Would like to know, as I’m a complete newbie & my budget is limited.
Thanks!
Joanne
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