Good sales pages are the real moneymaker for your website. They’re part art, part science and part psychology because after all, most people are not eager to hand you their money. (And they usually won’t call for a free consultation either until they’re mentally prepared to hire and pay you.)

But there are a few basics that are essential to success.

• First, sales page enemy #1 is distraction. If he gets distracted, he’s gone.* That’s why each product or service needs to have its own sales page, with no navigation tabs. The fewer the potential click aways, the better.

Think of it this way–you’ve got the prospect in the car and want to make it as easy as possible for him to get to the desired destination. So you program the GPS, top off the gas tank–anything to keep him from getting confused or taking a detour along the way.

• Second, you need to persuade him to take that next step. By the time he hits the end, he has to want to hire you more than he wants any of the 2 bazillion other things he can spend his money on.

This is why sales page copy tends to be a lot longer than other pages. (But long does not mean you can ramble on and on.  It should be “tight”–so you’ve taken out any parts and words that are not necessary–and easy to pick up the gist if you scan it.)

To do all this, your sales page needs to do five essential things:

You MUST get his attention. He may be on your page, but he won’t be for long. Studies show you have less than 10 seconds to convince him there’s something here worth reading. That means two things…

• Always have a benefit or outcome-driven headline that draws him into your copy.
• Pay special attention to your opening. It’s often the hardest part to write, but the first 500 words will decide whether he keeps reading or not.

You MUST connect with the reader. Studies show that prospects who know, like and trust you are much more likely to buy…especially when you’re selling a service. So achieving that is key. That means…

• Write as if he pulled up a stool next to you in a bar and complained about the very problem you can solve.  What would you say?  Your sales page should have the same “me-to-you”conversational style.
• Use his language.  In person, we’re told to mirror the other person’s body language when we’re trying to connect with someone.  In writing, you need to mirror his language–how he would talk about what he needs and describe what you do, so he feels that you’re like him.

You MUST present a compelling solution. He doesn’t care about your process or other “features”of your service. And the most logical argument in the world will not be enough to win you the sale (unless he’s Spock from Star Trek). So…

• Tell him every benefit he’ll get, every fear that will be assuaged, every desire that will be fulfilled, and the terrific results that can be achieved by hiring you (but skip the used-car-salesman”hype”).
• Use words that evoke emotion throughout and aim for the emotional “sweetspot” of what he’s really hoping that hiring you will do for him.
• Answer any likely questions and counter common objections so there’s nothing to encourage him to procrastinate.

You MUST demonstrate your credibility. Don’t make him wonder, “How do I know you can actually do all this?” And your word just doesn’t cut it. So you need things like…

• Strong testimonials that cite specific benefits and results, with clients’ full names and photos (audio/video testimonials are even better).
• A brief bio with relevant expertise or personal experience.DON’T send him to an About Us page–put what he needs on the sales page.

You MUST make an offer he’d be loony to refuse. That includes both a killer offer and a strong call to action. Make sure to…

• Reveal everything he’ll get, including bonuses, and how each one benefits him.
• Talk value instead of price. Your service isn’t another expense–it’s an investment in something important he’s looking to achieve.
• Give him a believable reason to buy now, because once he’s left your page he’s probably gone for good.
• Eliminate his risk of being disappointed by offering a guarantee.
• Walk him through what he needs to do to so he sees just how simple and convenient it is to get started.

While there’s certainly a lot more to it, adding these basic elements will start converting a lot more of your sales page visitors into clients.

*I’m certainly NOT trying to imply that men are distraction-prone and women aren’t. I was just trying to keep the pronouns simple!