Put a Button on It
When people come to your sales letter, how many of them actually buy? When they come to your optin page, how many of them signup to your list? Do you even know?
Here's something you CAN know with 100% certainty. Consider these three pages:
- A sales letter you haven't put online yet
- A sales letter with all the text on it but no order button
- A sales letter with some or no text and an order button
Yep... even if your sales letter totally sucks, if it has an order button, people can buy!
Maybe you told shared the details in person, on a webinar, on the phone, or on a forum... they still have a way to buy.
You might not have the "perfect" headline or "perfect sales letter" but there's no such thing as a "perfect" order button.
Either it's there or not. You can mess around with making it bigger, putting fancy stuff around it... but if I can't buy, I can't buy. Even if you have the BEST "everything else."
Before setting up a web page, whether it's a sales letter or email optin page, make the button first!
- It's a lot better than staring at an empty page
- You can always go back and make parts of the page better later
- You know you're not going to feel like doing it later
- You actually have to let it be "good enough" because someone might find it and buy
Do you put your optin button / order button on your web page the very first thing? If not, are you going to do it from now on?
Filed in: Product Launches
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Very good point! I know I’ve purchased stuff from really ugly sales letters before and all I did was click the button. 🙂
Great post Robert,
I have to agree with you. When it all comes down to it the order button is the most important part of the page, regardless if your copy sucks.
That little buy now or subscribe button is the final step the prospect does before the utopia endorfins set in or buyers remorse starts creeping in.
Aside from the order button the offer or call to action that gets the prospect to click on that order button is next in line.
Then your sub- lines, bullets and headline.
That is how I like to create pages by reverse engineering the page.
BEAUTY!
Walt Disney said “build the castle first” in the muddy swamps near Orlando – so that when the workers were struggling along swatting mosquitos and sweating to build DisneyWorld – they could look up and see Cinderella’s Castle and remember what they were really building.
Thanks RP
If we put the sales button on the page first, then it will remind us of the purpose of the page – to sell and for people to buy from it. Then as we add our sales copy we can keep that in mind and hopefully we will come up with a winning sales page…
Cheers!
Well, I never put the “buy button” first on the page but I never put out a page with one 🙂
But I completely agree with your point that getting something out, even if not perfect, is better than getting nothing out…
Like you I’ve seen a lot of people polish and refine and this and that for months and even years with nothing to show but it’ll happen “real soon now!”
Thanks,
David
Good point. Now I think I just need some more pages (and products) with that BUY button!
Very smart post as usual, Robert.
This is the clue of internet marketers job, put in the front of visitors posibility to purchase a product, service or webinar ;-), which give them what they want or looking for.
And as you can see I am here again to leave my comment. It is my answer for your last invitation :-). Well, not last I guess.
I don’t but you’re dead right… it should go up first.
Recently I was listening to an audio where the dude said they had an order button up for a product in the golf market and were making sales.
Of course as soon as the sales letter went up they multiplied.
You’ve hit the nail on the heads… thanks!
You are so right Robert. I have lots of them. Need to change.
Kevin
This really comes down to taking action. So many times we do all the prep work, do all the research, put all the pieces together, and then never pull the trigger. Putting the order button first is as powerful as making sure we take action and not procrastinate or leave things undone.
Thanks for the post, as always!
You always give such great advice. Right to the point. I appreciate it. Thanks.
I agree. The buy button is the most essential part of the sales letter. Without the buy button, you don’t really have a sales letter.
It makes good sense to create the buy button in Paypal before starting to create the sales page.
That way if you run out of time or steam to put everything you want into your sales letter right away, you’ll be able to slap the buy button on the page and make some sales.
G’day Robert,
Thanks for that handy little tip,
that’s what I lack on my site is a button.
I have text links or banners but an actual
“Action” button no, I will definitely put
them on now and it makes good sense.
Thanks again.
To Our Success
Monty
Interesting idea. I don’t normally put the order button on first, but it’s never a reason to NOT publish the sales letter. It’s a really simple step. If anything holds me back, it’s generally the headline or the “reason to buy now” section.
But as always, you bring up an important point – figure out what it is that holds you back, then do that FIRST. Thanks as always!
Jeanette
Great Idea! What do I do next and where do I get one?
Robert…
This is so true – if people can’t order, the page is useless. Its better to have an actionable item than to simply have content.
Here’s to action, moving forward and moving onward.
Scott
One thing that I have to observe about the simplified and standard format sales letter provided and used by Robert and Lance is that it is appears as an old friend after the webinars. I know after having been with Robert and Lance for a period of time that the sales letter will give me some basic reassurance about buying the product but 99% of the sale was made during the webinar. I know where to find the buy button and even have the option of going directly to the button about 1/4 way through the page.
I currently have my sales pages, squeeze page and download page set up and am working toward a webinar PP and announcement next week. I will be promoting 4 webinars within the next 2 weeks.
David
Thank you for this, Robert…too often we get caught in ‘analysis paralysis’ and strive for 100% perfection before posting an offer or even the order button!
It’s much more productive to get the order page up (WITH that all-important button) and then refine the letter as needed. We can ask for feedback from customers who DID click the button and see what they liked and disliked.
Once again, you’ve inspired me!
Thanks Robert, you make me wiser and help me take the actions that I need to everyday. I get right on those order buttons!
Good point. I would have never thought of starting by placing just the button on the sales page. Thanks for teh tip.
Not bad, Robert … Not bad!
People REALLY DO try too hard to make it perfect the first time around. Been guilty of it myself all too many times but I’ve gotten ALOT better at it.
But you have an interesting take on it.
Thanks!
Rick
I have noticed that the same concept is being used for review sites. Place a call to action above the fold and generally after a benefit. This will get several clicks on that first call to action. You don’t want them to wait any longer than they have to.:)
Robert:
What a great idea – begin with the end in mind.
Never thought about beginning a sales letter with a sales button, but it makes sense because that is ultimately what I want my reader to do – click the button.
I’m developing a product on public speaking through RAP, and I’ll give it a whirl starting the sales letter with a button.
Great idea!
Mike Darling
Very valid point indeed. 🙂
I would like to add that using a green purchase-button is also very effective. People have color associations that can’t be denied:
– blue for links
– green for accept
– red for cancel
Using the above colors WILL have a tremendous effect on your online sales, and when you buy graphics packs, bear these points in mind when copying into your sales letters.
Keep up the good work, Robert. Much appreciated.
I have never given it much thought about putting the button on the page first. I usually just write the sales latter and put the button on the bottom all in the same process or perhaps in 2 or 3 steps depending on my success with the writing part.
The point is before I ran into you and Lance I was one of those who let the entire page, including the button, sit on my hard drive trying to make it perfect before I uploaded it to the server. That was before, not now.
My info product business, a book that teaches people how to trade the stock market while never having more than 5% of their capital at risk… was launched on a CRAPPY looking sales page. It made over $10K in sales before I improved the look of the site, but never could have without a button!
One of my favorite books is “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” Covey discusses the value of putting the largest rocks into the jar first. If you don’t do the most valuable step initially, you may strain to get it to fit into your plan . .. or it may hold up the entire process. This is true of starting your sales pages with the buy button. It’s the most important feature of your sales page. Without it, is it really a sales page at all?
Thank you, Robert, for defining what is the most important part and going against convention to make sure the buy button is the first item you act on for your sales page.
All the Best!
Hi Robert, This is great. It should be obvious but the Buy button gets to be an “afterthought” when it should be automatic.
But I have a question. I have seen some very successful campaigns where there are more than one Buy button, set at various points on the page. Would you care to speak to that point please?
How many buttons are “enough” and what is too many? I’ve seen them near the top of the page, in the middle, and always at the bottom. What’s your take on it?
Thanks as always for delivering wonderful content.
Nancy
Whenever I write a sales web page I think “sales button” first and foremost. No button, No business!
Brilliant! I’ve been procrastinating on setting up my service pages because I don’t know exactly what to write. I’m taking your advice and setting up the pages this morning with the buy buttons first.
Thanks for another Ah-ha! moment.
Wow, I would hope that people would always have either a “buy button” or an “opt-in button” before they put their work out there. I would actually recommend placing it in more than one area of the page.
Robert – again, you make total sense. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a fabulous idea, went and bought the perfect domain and then put off doing the rest of it!
So, even if all you had on the whole page was an order button, I bet it would get clicked at least once out of curiosity…
But if you have NADA on the page, you get the same thing right back – nada!
Thanks for another sensible post.
Donna
Robert Your are correct something is always better than nothing. But Fortin other perfectionist it is always too late.
Robert you have the uncanny knack of making people see what is really important. Not only does putting the buy button on first make perfect sense it should help those of us with completion fear stay motivated to keep with the plan.
I really loved Rick Butts quote about Walt Disney and it absolutely supports the idea of putting the most important thing first and then building the goodies around it will help one stay motivated. I would be happy to follow Walt’s success he seemed to have a viable working system.
Great ‘thoughts’ everyone and thank you for the inspiring and thought-provoking post Robert.
I like it so just do it! So, where is it? Mike.
I 100% agree with you. In fact I did just that last week for a new Membership Site I’m building.
I also put a Facebook Like Button on it in case a lunatic finds it and likes me!!!
Just in case there IS a lunatic reading (and for those of you who don’t believe me) here’s the page:
http://pdfebooksvault.com/unlimited-rebrandable-ebooks/
Robert,
What can I say that’s logic that’s impossible to argue with. Your comment certainly changed my focus when I put up any sales page, landing page or squeeze page that action button is going up first thing. This really goes along with that age old parable in sales that if you don’t ask the answer will always be No, applied to that little sales page buy button. Thanks for the great insignt
John
Absolutely agreed!
Without working payment button,
there will be no ‘Ka-Ching’!
No matter how great the products,
No matter how fancy the graphics,
No matter how killer the saleletter.
The availability of payment button is a must!
Some time you even do not need the saleletter, the graphics.
If you have a fanatic fans, just put this button
and ‘you’ve got a payment’ at your email.
.
Well said, and, most important is,
Well a remainder Rob!
Got you email this morning. Just finished up some new pages, with order buttons so I thought I would come back and re-read the post.
Yes, they are all online. No more hard drive hoarding.
Thanks for all your help,
Clyde
Great tip – why not add a headline straight away as well well, even if it’s rubbish to start with, you’ve got something to work with and will be in your mind so your brain can work on it when you are not!
Best,
Dave.
Hey Robert,
I just finished a page using your paper template and uploaded it to my server. I know I am not using the php stuff like I should but it seems to work ok. Could you possibly tell me why there is a thin border around my image? I can’t seem to find any reason for it.
Thanks again,
Clyde
Why do I see sales pages with tiny BUY buttons or no add to cart buttons at all?
After the headline, the button is the most important item on a sales page so this article is right on the money.
I forgot to add, a salespage without a buy button is like calling on a prospect and not asking for the sale.
Theresa’s story about Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits” is a good one. Put the big rocks in the jar first (the buy button, headlines, testimonials) and then fill the jar (the salespage) with all the other stuff (pictures and bullet points) after the important items are completed.
Read “Seven Habits For Effective People” if you have not already and it will help you with your marketing efforts.
Good post Robert. I agree with Dianne we get into ‘analysis paralysis’ and take way too long to get things going.
Add a button, publish the page and then tweak and split-test it.
Some of my pages are still ugly, but they makes sales…
Hey Robert,
Great business practice to get into the habit of doing! Too many times I’ve screwed around with something, trying to get it “right” before putting it up for sale.
The screwing around included “adjusting” the product, “tweaking” the sales letter and getting the blog post to announce it “just right.”
The amount of time wasted, potential sales lost and energy spent equals a small fortune and I have promised myself to never let that happen again!
Thanks one more time for such simple, actionable and profitable advice.
Rog
Excellent post – and I will be implementing this right away! No more waiting until the sales page is perfect before I go ahead and put the “buy” button on it!
Funny how when some one else says it, you have one of those ‘smack yourself on the forehead’ moments…it sounds so simple, yet why didn’t I think of it first? LOL
I disagree a bit. A buy button is of no use, when there’s no product that can be bought. And more often then not I adjust the product slightly, based upon my thoughts while writing my sales copy.
Am I really the only one doing that???
Plus, before adding a buy button, the sales process (download link, autoresponder, etc.) needs to be in place.
Great tip, Robert! 🙂
Will you release a Paper Template that already contains a Paypal Order/Buy button which we can easily edit?
Hello Robert
You’re absolutely right on that one.
But…I think we all have this problem with putting something that is not yet ( at least in our minds) finished.
I suspect it’s something to do with the world perspective of what something or some ( our) product should be like after watching to many commercials or even too many ads and sites with flashy videos etc, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I think there’s 2 schools of thought on that – as we can probably see around us – those really cool loking sites with fancy images and videos and then there’s those with the really plain vanilla white or simple pages – and as you demonstrate in many of your own sites – the plain ones many times convert much better. But I suspect part of the reason for that is also the fact that you’re a genius marketing pro and you have already sold us on your products before the sales page comes up and many times through webinars now as well.
I must say I used to folow in the early years a Guy who made around $10 Million Dollars before dissapearing somewhere in South America ( No doubt sipping Coktails) but the point of it was most of his sales letters and in fact software sales letters were based purely on really simple sales letters.
Many times I have thought of taking my own flashy products and converting them to simple looking sites – Must spilt test and see.
Anyway thanks Robert and Lance for continuing to push all of us and inspiring to “put it out there” so to speak !:)
Take care
Hamant
Sometimes the simple things are not so obvious. That’s why it’s important to get someone else to look over your pages sometimes.
Great Post, as usual, Robert!
I use Rapid Action Profits, so the button is there, even before I write the text on the sales page 🙂
Great point Robert! Put an order button on the sales page and improve the rest when you can. Fast and simple is good!
Robert, thanks for the reminder, it is so true!
Robert: Once again, you’re pushing “Action.” This is tough for those of us addicted to “Preparation.”
Such a simple thing but people worry about everything being perfect all the time. You are absolutely right, put up the most important thing, the buy button, and then do the rest. I forget things all the time, but now I’m going to make sure I put up the important part(s) first and fill in the rest. Clean it up as you go
Great kick in the butt reminder Robert! I agree no one will purchase your product without a Buy button. From now on I will start my product pages with a Buy button – scout’s honor!!
Robert,
I totally agree with you on this.
I saw a comment above that they “adjust” as they write.
However, if you don’t have the buy button, you aren’t likely to publish the page. With the page at least out there on the web, if nothing else, you can direct someone to the page when talking with them on the phone, in person or via e-mail.
Disclose to them that you may not be a great writer of sales letters, but your product is solid and offers exactly what they are looking for. Plus, if they don’t like it, you guarantee a refund.
Then you simply point them to your order button and off they go. This method will also propel you to get off your behind and starting working on that salesletter. It might be as simple as just putting some bullet points on a page highlighting what they are going to get and reminding them about the guarantee.
Marshall
I love this tip! Soooo much better than starting to write copy with the “blank page” deer-in-headlights stare…thanks!
Good practical advice in theory – once I’ve done something I move onto the next thing and rarely go back. So for me, just getting an order button up there means it would probably just sit there for ages.