Hey it’s Jader Gil. Welcome to this article I’ll talk about the Dos and Don’ts of sales page design. Why do I want to talk about design? Not because I think you should spend weeks tweaking your sales page design…
…but because I know it’s something you might have some questions about. And I know it’s something that can hold people back from actually launching their sales page.
And really, that would be a shame, especially because you did all the hard work to craft a compelling sales message. So, please don’t get hung up on having an “awesome looking sales page.”
The truth is: Design matters. But your sales MESSAGE — your copy and everything else we covered in-depth in this training — is what matters MOST.
The main goal of your design is to, first, not get in the way of your sales message and second, to support your sales message — for example, by drawing attention to the most important sections of your page.
Plus, good design is subtle. In fact, the best design can hardly be noticed. In that sense, design elements are like icing on a cake.
So, remember this: copy first!
I’ll share what I’ve learned from past clients and building my own sales pages for many years.
So, let’s get started.
First, DON’T use images because they “look nice.”
It’s tempting, I know. But just trust that your sales message can do the job.You don’t need “pretty images” to make more sales. In fact, when you use images just because
they look nice, they usually hurt your conversions. Why? Because they draw attention away from your copy. So instead…
DO use images to support your sales message.
For example, you might use a headshot next to testimonials from happy customers. Why? Because an image like that can actually add trust and credibility to your message.
Plus, images and photos are a nice way you can give undeniable proof of some of your claims. Graphs may be useful to illustrate complex data.
And of course, if you’re selling a physical product, art, jewelry, or the like, you’ll need photos to showcase your product. But don’t rely on your photos alone. And definitely…
DON’T use cheesy stock photos.
Just don’t do it. Stock photos make your site look untrustworthy.
Lots of spammers with the types of sales pages that will certainly make you CRINGE will use cheesy stock photos. Think hand-shake close-up. Or some random woman riding a horse on the
beach.
Instead, you can source images from “anti-stock” sites, like unsplash.com or deathtothestockphoto.com. You can also do a Google search for “stock photos that don’t stink” and you’ll find a list of high-quality, free stock photos.
Moving on, here’s something you can learn from those spammy pages…
DO direct the reader’s attention.
Of course, the spammers overdo it. Big blinking arrows, huge fonts, highlights, and more. All of these elements can work to direct your reader’s attention and guide them through the page. Just don’t use them all at the same time!
The goal is to control the pace and direction of your reader. For example, large fonts demand attention before smaller fonts. Think about it. It's pretty hard to skip over a big bold headline. So, you can use different font sizes to make sure the reader goes through your page in the correct
order. That’s why in our sales page template, we included sub headlines throughout the page. And of course at the top of the page should be your big bold headline. So…
DON’T put a huge logo at the top of your sales page.
Your logo might be nice and all, but it pushes the most important part of your sales page — your headline and your lead — further down the page.
Your logo’s just not that important. Yet, I’ll often see people make it so big, it takes up most of the screen when people hit your page. It’s silly because it steals attention away from your carefully crafted headline and lead
So, put your headline and lead front and center.
Which brings me to another element on your sales page that you definitely want to highlight with your design…
DO make your call-to-action stand out.
You want people to buy, right? Right. So, don’t make them look for the buy button. Make your callto- action stand out. Use a big button. Use a bright color. You want people to see it!
What’s funny is, people often wonder, “What’s the BEST color for high conversions?”
Is it red? Is it blue? Is it green? The answer is… The best color is the color that stands out compared to the rest of your sales page! Because what stands out gets clicked. Now, I’ve got two more Dos and two more Don’ts for you. And they’re important. First…
DON’T clutter your page.
Here’s what I mean by clutter: links to your social media profiles, links to your blog, badges. The same goes for “pretty pictures,” 10 different colors, patterns, and fonts, and so on.
It's easy to overload your website with a bunch of garbage you don't need. The problem is: When you do it on your sales page, your conversions will plummet.That’s why I like to keep the design of my sales pages super simple. And I suggest you do the same. Additionally…
DO limit the number of design elements
Remember: The best design is when you barely notice it.
And the more items you try to make “visually important,” the less important each of them
becomes.
Sure, a cool font can be a way to draw attention to your headline. But stick to 2-3 different fonts.
Otherwise different elements of your page will fight for attention, and your reader won’t know
where to look.
So, limit the number of design elements on your page. That way, you’ll use the power of contrast to draw attention those elements that really are the most important. Usually that will be your headline, your big list of benefits, and your call-to-action.
Moving on the last two design tips I want to share with you…
DON’T use fancy widgets…
...like rotating slideshows, image sliders, pop-ups, endless scrolling, and such. Your sales page needs to be reliable. And multiple conversion tests show that these “widgets” kill conversions. So,
skip the fancy widgets.
Plus, many of these cool looking design features are fads anyway. But you want your sales page to stand the test of time. Ideally, you’ll use it to make money for years to come!
Which brings me to the final DO when it comes to designing your sales page…
DO test your sales page across multiple devices.
You don’t want your sales page to look weird when someone pulls it up on their phone or tablet.
So, before you launch your sales page, check that the page is good to go on a few different
devices.
And remember: copy first.
The design should support the sales message. So, don’t don’t get hung up trying to design the most beautiful sales page the world has ever seen.
Instead, stick to a simple design and layout. And use a just a few, sparse design elements to draw attention to the most important parts of your sales message.