Create Sales Page: Increased Revenue Through Sales-Optimized Websites

1. What is a Sales Page?
2. Sales Page vs. Landing Page - What's the Difference?
3. Why are sales pages important for businesses?
4. What makes a good sales page and how is it structured?
5. How to create a successful sales page?
6. Which tools are helpful in creating a sales page?
7. Conclusion on the Sales Page

A sales-optimized website is essential for any company that operates online. Because the better your website is designed to win and convert potential customers, the higher the probability that your company will generate more revenue. An important component of a sales-optimized website is the creation of a sales page.

In this article, our guest author and marketing expert Benjamin Seuss will take a closer look at what a sales page actually is, why it is important for companies and how to successfully create it. This will deal with the difference between a sales page and a Landing Page introducing the important elements of a good sales page and explaining some psychological tricks that can help influence the buying decision of customers. We will also provide a step-by-step guide to creating a successful sales page and introduce helpful tools that can assist in creation.

What is a Sales Page?

Perhaps you are currently facing the challenge of creating a sales page. But do you really need a sales page? Or just a landing page?

Then maybe we should start first to understand what a sales page actually is.

A sales page is a special type of website that is designed to sell a specific product or service. Unlike a general website that targets a broader audience, a sales page focuses on a specific product or service and contains all the important information the customer needs to make a purchase decision.

An example for a sales page would be a website dedicated solely to the sale of dumbbell sets for home use. On this page, information such as the different weight classes, available sizes, potential additional options, and thebenefits of the product compared to other offers on the market. The page would also pictures of the product and potential customer reviews to help the potential buyer make an informed buying decision. There is also a clear Call-to-Action-button as well as information on shipping and return conditions.

Source: own representation

Sales Page vs. Landing Page - What's the Difference?

A Landing Page is basically a type of sales page, but with a slightly different purpose. While a sales page aims to make a direct sale, a landing page serves to have the visitor perform a certain action on your website, for example to sign up for a newsletter or to order a free sample.

We've created a summary of key features.

Sales Page:

• Serves to sell a specific product or service directly
• Has a clear structure and contains all the important information for a purchase decision
• Helps to optimize the conversion rate
• Contains emotionally appealing content
• Highlights the benefits of the product or service
• Contains reviews from satisfied customers
• Contains a clear call to action, e.g. through a buy button
• Also contains video or image material to present and support the offer

Landing Page:

• Landing Page is a subpage on a website that targets a specific action of the visitors
• Has a clear structure and contains all the important information the visitor needs to perform the desired action, such as collecting email addresses
• Is tailored to the target group and emphasizes the benefits of the desired action
• Includes Call-To-Action e.g. a sign-up form or a "Buy Now" button
• Usually contains only important information for the specific action and no unnecessary links or distractions
• Requires A/B testing, to optimize and choose the best version

An example of a landing page could be a page advertising a free trial membership for an online fitness course. The page contains a clear headline emphasizing the benefits of the free trial, like "Train for free for 30 days and get fit!". There is also a guide that describes how the online course is structured and the benefits it offers, such as personalized training, access to experts, and a large community.

There's a video introducing the course's trainer and demonstrating a few exercises. There is also a clear list of the benefits one gets from the trial membership, such as access to all courses, a personalized diet program, and the ability to track progress.

At the end of the page, there is a clear call-to-action button urging you to sign up for the free trial now. There's also a form where you can enter your personal information to register.

It is important to emphasize that creating landing pages is intended to achieve a specific action of the visitor, whether it be filling out a form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter.

Why are sales pages important for businesses?

If you walk through a market hall and stop at a stand where there are hats, tablecloths, socks, toys, lighters and also flower fertilizer, then as a customer you are quickly overwhelmed and then perhaps prefer to move on.

It's similar in an online shop with hundreds of categories, packages, products, and offers. What should the user pay attention to? What should one focus on? And before one even gets to take a closer look at a specific product, one jumps off and prefers to go to a competitor.

But wouldn't it be much smarter if the user finds directly what he*she is looking for and above all is provided with information that is important for his*her buying decision? Definitely!

That's why there are sales pages. Because there the user is guided directly from a campaign e.g. via Google or Instagram advertising and provided with the most important information regarding their purchase interest.

Companies need sales pages to better explain individual products or services to customers. In addition, you should also create sales pages to make a sale online at all. Because as mentioned above, a sales page is there for the sale. And this is where many companies still fail.

And they are so practical - to sell a product or service directly online - Without you having to conduct a sales conversation.

Sales pages are therefore important for companies because they can contribute to increasing the number of visitors who actually buy something, i.e. the conversion rate. A well-made sales page can contribute to the customer making a purchase decision faster and thus generating more revenue.

What makes a good sales page and how is it structured?

A good sales page is clearly structured and contains all the important information the customer needs to make a purchase decision. It should also be emotionally appealing and highlight the benefits of the product or service.

The structure of a good sales page usually includes the following aspects:

• A headline summarizing the offer
• An introduction addressing the problem or needs of the customers
• A precise description of the product or service, including images or videos
• Reviews from satisfied customers
• A clear list of the benefits of the product or service
• A clear call to action, e.g., a buy button or links leading potential buyers directly to the purchasing form
• Possibly a time-limited offer or a guarantee to further motivate customers

Don't have programming skills and need help creating the website? Under our category of Website Builder you will find numerous tools that you can use to create a professional website.

An important aspect when creating a sales page is also the use of psychological tricks to influence the buyer's decision. This includes the use of words that create a sense urgency, or the use of “Social Proof”, by showing that many other customers also bought the product.

There are various psychological tricks that can be included on a website to influence the buyer's decision. We show you some examples of what such a thing might look like next:

• Social Proof: By showing that numerous other customers have already bought, you signal to the potential customer that the offer is trustworthy and that others like it. This can be represented in the form of customer reviews, testimonials, or a count of the units sold.
• Urgency: By presenting a time-limited offer, you create the feeling that the customer must act in order not to miss out. This can be achieved by using words like "Now" or "Today" or by displaying a countdown clock .
• Scarcity: By signalling that the offer is only available in limited quantities you create the feeling that the customer must act to get it before it sells out.
• Emotional Appeal: By picking up on the benefits of the product or service emotionally and addressing the needs of the customers, you can build an emotional appeal that motivates the customers to buy the offer. This can be achieved through the use of images or videos that present the product or service in a positive light, or by using language that emotionally describes the offer.
• Authority: By showing that the company or product is recommended by experts, you can gain trust of the customer and persuade them to buy the offer. This can be achieved through testimonials from industry leaders or through the use of logos from well-known brands.

Source: own representation

It is important to note that the use of these psychological tricks should be ethically correct and should not be at the expense of the customer.

In addition, it is important that the use of these tricks does not seem pushy or contrived, but is naturally integrated into the design of the website and the information presented on the website are true and correct.

How to create a successful sales page?

To create a successful sales page, you should follow these steps:

Our best tip and especially the cheapest tool at all - Take a pen and a white sheet of paper and start with Wireframing.

But what exactly is wireframing?

The goal with a wireframe with pen and paper is that you should quickly design the content of the page. So just draw the outlines of different sections of the Sales Page and fill them with a few keywords that should appear there.

Wireframing is your sketch for the later Sales Page. And that's why it's so effective and important before you start designing. Because that only comes at the very end. The following contents can be considered:

• Define the goal of the sales page and the ideal customer
• Prepare a list of all important information needed by the customer to make a purchase decision
• Create a clear and appealing headline
• Summarize the problem or needs of the customer
• Describe the product or service in bullet points

Source: own representation

Which tools are helpful in creating a sales page?

There are many tools that can be helpful in creating a sales page. Some examples are:

• Leadpages: A user-friendly tool that makes it easier to create landing pages without technical knowledge. It offers a wide range of templates and integrates easily with other tools such as email marketing software or payment gateways.
• Unbounce: Another user-friendly tool for creating landing pages that offers a wide range of templates and custom options. It also offers A/B testing features and integrates easily with other tools.
• InstaPage: This tool offers a wide range of templates and a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. It also has A/B testing and optimization tools to improve the performance of landing pages.

The following tools are suitable for A/B testing:

Optimizely Web Experimentation: A powerful A/B testing tool that allows you to test different versions of your sales page and select the best version.

Google Optimize: A free A/B testing to create a sales page and optimization tool by Google, which can integrate seamlessly into the Google Analytics environment. It allows you to test different versions of your sales page and select the best version.

VWO Testing: An A/B and multivariate testing tool that allows you to test both minor changes and major redesigns of your sales page.

To analyze user behavior within your website, we recommend the following tools:

Hotjar: A tool that provides heat maps, recordings of user interactions and feedback forms to identify and improve weaknesses in your sales page.

crazyegg: A tool that provides heat maps, scroll maps and recordings of user interactions to understand how visitors interact with your sales page and where there might be potential for improvement.

Choosing the right tool depends on your individual requirements and goals. It is worthwhile testing different tools to achieve the best result.

Conclusion on the Sales Page

To summarize, a sales page is an important part of a sales-optimized website. It serves to directly sell a specific product or service and can contribute to increasing the conversion rate. A good sales page is clearly structured and contains all the important information for the customers to influence the buying decision.

To create a successful sales page, you should:

• define the goal and ideal customer
• create a list of all important informaiton
• write an appealing headline and introduction
• precisely describe the product, ideally add customer reviews and make a clear call to action.

It is important to note that creating a sales page is not a one-time thing, but a continuous process of optimization and adaptation to the needs of the customer and market trends. A A/B testing strategy can help achieve the best results.