How a Few Tweaks Can Turn Your Sales Page from Good to Great
Not long ago I offered to revamp the landing pages of a renowned university in the UK, so they could increase the quality of the students who apply to study there.
I wanted to add a WOW factor and drive more conversions to one of their specialized MSc Marketing degrees, a formidable course that focuses on creating excellent marketers and responsible leaders – an ethos I buy into.
This quick case study shows the approach I took, which you can easily apply to any sales page of yours…
#1 INSPIRE by making the goal/vision clear from the start
What we could have said: The course is for those who want to pursue a career in marketing.
What we did instead: We clearly identified possible career paths for interested students, so they could immediately see the possibilities available to them if they studied this course.
“[This] is the course for you to acquire the most up-to-date knowledge and skills for starting a career as a marketing strategist, brand manager, innovation manager, or key account manager in a leading global firm. Or you can work as a marketing consultant or advertising creative. If you are considering starting your own business, our [course] provides you with the knowledge and skills to promote your product or service professionally.”
Why did we do this? Generally, people are hesitant to invest time and money into anything that doesn’t bring concrete results – especially if they’re recently graduated, are low on cash, or were affected in some way by the economic crash of 2008. They want to know their investment will be worth every cent and where it could take them.
As you can see, we also acknowledged those who prefer a more open-ended approach and want to start their own business – because sales and marketing is a vital skill for any business owner or entrepreneur to master.
#2 REALLY KNOW your audience…
You’ve heard this a million times, right? But I don’t just mean identify their demographics. I mean speak to them in tangible ways. Really know them, like you would a friend.
In this case, it was important to give potential students an idea of the kind of people they’d be interacting with. Because we are social beings and like to be part of a community of like-minded people who are just as talented as we are.
Together with the university, we identified that potential students for this course are:
- Typically in their 20s
- From all over the world
- Able to lead high-level conversations in English
- Interested and pro-active
- Curious and creative
We made sure we included all these characteristics in our copy. More importantly, we packaged this content under the most important question for the student:
“Is this course right for me?
Students who enroll in this program are from all around the world, typically in their 20s, and have the ability to lead high level conversations in English language. If you are excited to make friends with other brilliant individuals that are keen to learn more about marketing, and if you are a pro-active, curious, creative person, this course is definitely for you.
You hold a bachelor degree from fields such as arts, business, medicine, music, sociology, or even rocket science with none or only a few marketing modules? Whether you want to steer your career into marketing, start your own business, take over your family’s company, or just learn more about how to innovate new products and services and create buzz and excitement around them, this course is right for you.”
#3 Make your product/service RELEVANT
How does your product/service relate to the lives of your audience? What needs, challenges or answers does it offer solutions for?
We could have asked: Is a marketing course right for me?
Instead we did this: We asked them questions that tie into their aspirations, like:
“Would you like to be able to get people excited about the products, services, or ideas that you want to promote?”
Then we showed how marketing is in fact a part of everyday life; that each of us is a marketer to some degree.
“When you are in the lookout for a job, you become a product in the job market. And when you are searching for a person to spend you life with, you are competing in a dating market.
So, aren’t you a marketer already, somehow? Managing yourself as a brand indeed requires some marketing skill, but managing brands in professional organizations like Apple, AirBnB, or Amazon requires a set of very specific skills and expert knowledge that you can most efficiently acquire from experts.”
#4 Present powerful (true) reasons they should choose you
We worked with the university to make the “buying criteria” even stronger – that is, why it should be the “buyer’s” institution of choice.
Keep it simple! An easy-to-read list of 5 points did the trick here. We covered:
- The institution’s reputation globally
- The exemplary reputation of its staff
- The high quality of the course content
- The convenience of the institution’s location and accessibility to future employers
- Consequently, the positive effect on any graduate’s reputation and employability
#5 Make sure your message is clear
This part is easy! Break your copy up into clear sections, using subheadings, lists and graphics or multimedia. Doing this holds the piece together, directs the eye and keeps your audience interested.
Could applying these tweaks turn your copy from drab to winning? How could you apply these suggestions right now?