Sales Page Copywriting: Listing What They Get Won't Sell

^Click to watch the BTS Five-Minute Feedback video on a real sales page in real time.

Kate joked that she "blacks out whenever she looks at this sales page now", and really – who hasn't been there?

She's tweaked the copy so many times she can't see it anymore. So I gave it my Five-Minute Feedback treatment with my honest opinions:

Her sales page copywriting was making one of the most common copywriting mistakes I see on sales pages that are otherwise doing everything right.

Failing to pull the thread for the reader on why the features of a product, service, or program will benefit them. 

In other words, why should they care about the things included?  

Pulling that thread and making the benefits clear plays an enormous part in whether a reader will push the "buy" button. 

So let's pull it.

What Features vs Benefits Actually Means for Your Sales Page

A feature is what they get, what's included. Some writers even call them "inclusions". 

Think of features as the "specs"you chose or that came with your car. Things like heated seats and a remote starter. 

Now the benefits are where things get really juicy because the benefits are WHY people buy. 

Benefits explain or express what the feature does for them. Why they should care about that thing. How it will make their life better.

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Lemme put it this way: features are just the things that come with the car, until you realize how much better a 23-degree snowy morning commute will be when you've got a remote starter and those yummy heated seats.

Benefits are why people buy. And unpacking them is the oldest rule in features vs benefits marketing. 

But it's the one that trips up smart, experienced people in almost every sales page I review.

That's why Kate's page still had the gap, because to us, those features we include are so so important!

Knowing we've gotta make the reader get why the feature matters to them is one thing. 

Catching it in your own copy is a very different skill.

And if you've struggled with this, it's not just you. Pinky promise. 

Here's what it looked like on Kates page:

She had a section headlined: "What Topics Are Covered".

Then under it she wrote a bulleted list, including features like:

• Optimize your profile and bio.

• Learn the anatomy of a successful carousel.

Those are features. They are things her clients will DO. Things they'll KNOW or LEARN. 

And while they're accurate, they sit completely inert on their own. They will not move the audience to take action.

What they're actually getting is knowing how to optimize a profile and bio so the right clients know instantly whether she's for them.

How to build a carousel so they stop wasting her time and start bringing in the right people.

It seems like the same content, but the effect is much more powerful because that pulls the thread and names the benefit. 

Suddenly they care about WHY they're optimizing their bio and they buy in. Closing this gap is the name of this copywriting game.

The Sign Your Page Is Feature-Heavy (and You Can't See It)

If your sales page reads like a list of what's included rather than what changes, you're feature-heavy.

And you're in good company because it happens most to the people who know their material best. 

It's because you're so close to your own expertise. 

So to you, the "Why you'd care" piece feels like an obvious addendum to you. 

But it's not obvious to your reader. 

The "So What?" Test for Sales Page Copywriting

Try this test: For every bullet on your page, ask, "So what?"
 

Does the next sentence actually answer it with words and outcomes your audience would care about?

Or did you simply move on to the next feature or inclusion?

When Kate fixes that stating of features over & over, she'll focus less on what they get and more about why they will care.

And that's what gets them to push that "Buy Now" button. 

How to Turn a Feature Into a Benefit They Actually Care About

The fix is a three-part thread. 

1. Feature: Here's the thing I'm giving you. 
2. Benefit: Here's why you care about it. 
3. Result: Here's how it connects to the outcome you want.

Take Kate's carousel example. 

1. Feature: I teach you the anatomy of a successful carousel.
2. Why you care: So you stop wasting time posting content that goes nowhere. 
3. Result: What you put out there actually brings in the right people.

The best news about weaving in benefits with the features is you usually don't need a full overhaul or rewrite. 

The content just needs an added phrase to help them make the connection. 

Don't expect your reader to make the leap on their own. They need you to pull the thread for them, not because they're not smart or savvy. But because they don't have the deep expertise you do.

Why You Don't Need to Rewrite Your Whole Sales Page

If you're reading your sales page and wondering "Is it too heavy on the features?", then great job! Many many many people never ask that question. 

Remember to use the "So what?" question and make sure you answer it - succinctly - and marry it to that feature. 

And for God's sake - don't scrap your page! 

Simply find three or four places where a feature is standing in for a benefit (or is standing alone), and weave in the thread that connects them.

Looking for More on This Topic?

Get more examples to see how this works in real marketing by reading the Features vs Benefits: What's the Real Difference? blog here.

You can also listen to my podcast episode about this on Apple or Spotify for a full breakdown.

And there's a YouTube video version if that's your jam.

Want Me to Show You Exactly How?

On a Second Opinion Call, I'll walk you through exactly how to do this on your own piece of content. You can use code 50OFF to save $50.

https://jenliddycalendar.as.me/AMA