Key Elements Of An Offer That Converts

I’ve got some bad news for you…

You can sink lots of time, effort and money into your online marketing and still fail. You can attract lots of traffic, you can build a large social media following and a huge, responsive email list. You can do a lot of things right and still not get anywhere near the kind or results you want.

A lot of marketers get caught up in a whirlwind of activity but forget what matters most – conversions! Online marketing isn’t something you’re likely to succeed at if you skip any of the necessary steps. You have to do every aspect of it right if you’re going to enjoy maximum results. Your marketing has to convert shoppers into buyers.

Today, let’s talk about one the most crucial parts of your conversion efforts, your offer. So what is an offer? An offer represents that “moment of truth” when you try and persuade your online prospect to make a decision to buy now. It’s where you state your case and make a compelling argument as to why he would want to say yes - to part with his money in exchange for what you have for him.

This Is Key To A High Conversion Rate

A persuasive, compelling offer is key to a high conversion rate. It can make the difference between an online marketing approach that is wildly profitable and one that tanks. You need to make offers in your online marketing. You want them to generate results. So today, let’s talk about how you can produce sizzling, juicy offers that turn more of your page visitors into eager, enthusiastic buyers!

Note: Even though offers are important to B2B content marketing, today we will focus on them as they pertain to B2C/E-commerce transactions.

Elements Of (And Thoughts On) An Offer That Increases Conversion rate

Remember that your offer needs to state your case, so to speak. It needs to summarize and encapsulate your marketing message. It represents the moment where your reader either says yes or no. Obviously we want him to say yes. So it’s important that you not present your offer too soon.

You’re asking your reader to take his credit card out of his wallet and give you money. If you do this before you give him plenty of reasons to buy, you’ll kiss a lot of sales goodbye.

So take as much space as you need for an effective sales message, even before you get to the offer. Disregard the online marketing “conventional wisdom” which states “no one reads long-form copy and content anymore”.

This is not true. If your copy and content are focused on your reader, and if they are showing your reader how he can solve a pressing problem, he’ll find them interesting, and he’ll read them even if they are long.

That being said, keep this rule of thumb in mind: make your marketing message as long as it needs to be but as short as you can. 

Put your offer toward the end of your message and make it strong. As in all of your copywriting, understand your audience intimately. Know what they want, and give it to them. Load your offer’s text with benefits that are important to them.

Understand and apply buyer psychology. For example, the fear of loss is stronger than the desire for gain, so focus on what they stand to lose if they turn your offer down. Focus on the benefit of solving a current painful problem more than emphasizing how your product will prevent problems from happening.

It’s been said that people buy based on emotion and justify their buying decision with logic. You’ve painted vivid, emotional “word pictures” to try and persuade your audience to say yes to your offer, but they understand they are at the point of having to make a buying decision. Chances are they are nervous about it. They don’t want to make a mistake.

This is where your use of logic comes in. Give them “proof” that your offer is legit. One way to do this is with testimonials from very happy customers. No matter how good our marketing is, prospects are much more likely to believe our customers than they are to be convinced by what we say. Testimonials can be powerful proof elements for your offers.

This is also the part of the sales message/offer where you mention price. Price is one of the logical elements your shoppers will use to make their ultimate determination, in many cases.  But, if you try to compete only on low price, you will probably find your business in a downward spiral, because someone will always come in who is willing to undercut you.

So here’s my recommendation: don’t try to compete on low price. Focus on offering value instead. Price and value aren’t the same thing. “Value” can mean the price is low, or it could involve a higher price. What it does mean is “more bang for your buck”. It means that for the amount your customers are investing, they are getting a lot in return.

As with all elements of your online marketing, routinely test and optimize every part of your offer. Even when you are enjoying a high conversion rate, don’t rest on your laurels. There’s always room for improvement.

You Need This To “Showcase” Your Great Offers

So what does all of this have to do with landing pages? Well, it’s simple. Your offer needs to be presented on a landing page, not on a regular page on your website. Your offer is a critical piece of your conversion rate  “machine”, in which you’re asking your reader to make a decision to pull his wallet out of his pocket and give you money.

You want to focus his attention on this; you’ll want to get rid of as many distractions as possible. The beauty of a landing page that’s conversion-friendly is that it does this. It removes distractions such as website navigation buttons. Its sole purpose is to convert readers into buyers.

Along with persuasive copy and conversion-optimized design, the landing page creates a synergy that can help you enjoy a higher conversion rate. So by all means, incorporate landing pages into your online marketing efforts. Whenever you need to convert a reader, whenever you need to get him to make a buying decision, do it on a landing page, not a website page with navigation links and such.

But regarding landing pages, understand this: not all landing page platforms are the same. Remember that the ultimate goal of online marketing is conversions. In addition to your solid copy, design and compelling images – with relevant captions, of course, leverage the power of a landing page platform specifically engineered to help you enjoy a higher conversion rate.

And when it comes to helping you convert more readers into buyers, no landing page platform does more than Lander. There’s no better “canvas” for you to “paint” your beautiful offers. Not only is Lander engineered to help you convert more, it’s loaded with cutting-edge features that give you some very desirable benefits. For example:

Every Lander landing page template features a built-in countdown timer. Urgency is one of the strongest motivators you can put in a landing page offer. And a countdown timer used to emphasize urgency builds up that sense of urgency even more in the reader’s mind.

Your offer needs a strong call to action. Lander features colorful, easy-to-notice call to action buttons that help you convert more shoppers into buyers.

Every marketing message, and every landing page, needs a riveting headline. Lander features an eye-catching headline area that helps you capture and focus reader attention.

I could go on and on with the features and benefits Lander offers you. But why not find out for yourself? Why not do like over 2,000 of your fellow online marketers do each and every month, and register for a free trial of Lander? There’s no obligation and no credit card required. You can try out any of our reasonably priced plans free for up to 30 days.

If you have any questions about Lander or how it can help you launch your online marketing campaigns into the stratosphere, contact us today. We’re here to help you.

Happy Marketing!