Last updated on March 12th, 2019

It kills me.

It really does.

Each time I visit an eBook sales page and I see glaring, sales-crushing, traffic-repelling mistakes that I can guarantee will impact how many copies the author eventually sells before declaring that eBooks are a waste of time, it kills me.

eBooks need sales pages that readers will fall in love with so that they pull out their wallets and punch in their PayPal or credit card information the first time you ask them.

eBooks deserve sales copy that is delightfully engaging and yet beautifully persuasive so that browsers can’t help become buyers as they read one carefully chosen word after the other.

So, if you’re in the midst of writing an eBook sales page or have already written one, consider this your friendly {virtual} neighborhood reminder to NOT do the following things:

 

eBook Sales Page Mistakes Even the Pros Make and How to Avoid Them

1. Share the features and not the benefits

Your eBook sales page must highlight benefits and not just the features.

For instance, Blog Obsessed by Mandy Ferrugia of Girl Obsessed is a wonderful eBook and I’m sure she sells a bajillion copies already BUT she can certainly double or triple that number if she’d showcase the benefits of everything that’s within the pages.

The current list reads like:

• How to create viral content
• Choosing the right social media platforms for your blog
• Blog photography tips
• How to create an organized editorial calendar
• 10 things a successful blog must have

Here’s what it would look like if you were to include the benefits:

• How to get noticed, stand out and be an online superstar by creating viral content with ease.
• Choosing the right social media platforms for your blog so you’re laser-focused and engaged with your readers in the right places.
• Blog photography tips because a picture online is worth a million words.
• How to create an organized editorial calendar so you never have to wonder what to write about and can successfully keep blogger’s block at bay.
• 10 things a successful blog must have because you don’t want an unsuccessful blog, do you?
• ….and so on 😉

Doesn’t the latter edition make you go “Aaaah, I need this because who wants to be an online nobody with no clue what to do!!”

2. Skip social proof and testimonials

People love social proof…and no I didn’t say that. Cialdini, who is the father of persuasion {seriously, he wrote the book, guys!} said it and I treat his word like the law.

So, if you’re slaving over that eBook sales page, you better show some social proof and testimonials on there if you’d like all that blood, sweat and tears to bring some results.

Folks like to know that other folks before them have bought this book, experienced the content and seen the results.

3. Paint the picture of how the eBook will solve a problem

What problem is your eBook solving? Is it making it easier for folks to cook dinners in 30 minutes? Is it helping them become a better blogger? Is it giving them the tools they need to save $1000 every month without having to take on a 2nd job?

You need to paint the picture of how your eBook will solve that problem AND what their life will look like once it’s solved.

Unfortunately, I see more people miss out on this than anything else. Yes, even more than testimonials.

Cara Reed of Fork & Beans is a very successful food blogger and I love her blog but her eBook sales page made the copywriter in me want to dunk my head in my double shot Caramel Macchiato!!

THIS is IT. The length, breadth and depth of the sales page.

Now I know she’s an authority in her niche but here’s the thing… when you write an eBook, you don’t just write it for people who already know you and love you, right?

You write it for everyone who may be struggling with this problem. So, craft your sales page to address them, show them how your eBook will solve their struggles and resolve their challenges. Paint that picture, my friend!!

4. Writing the eBook sales page for… EVERYONE!

Another really common gaffe I see is writing the sales page for everyone. Noooo!!!

You write the sales page keeping in mind the ONE person or persona whose life you’d be making a whole lot easier, better, happier, richer with your eBook.

The stressed out mom looking for quick dinner ideas so she doesn’t have to order takeout again and feel like a “bad” mom!

The harried executive wanting to learn how to use the productivity tools her boss wants her to be a ninja at.

The overwhelmed entrepreneur struggling with self-doubt that eats away at her confidence, one sleepless night at a time.

The at-their-wits’-end- parents trying to get their toddler to sleep through the night so they can finally stop feeling like the zombies they currently are.

Who are YOU writing your sales page for?

5. Keeping it bland and impersonal

I almost didn’t include this one in the list here. Why? Because I’ve been guilty of it.

Yessss… Some of my earlier eBook sales pages were as dry as a doctoral thesis and I’m sure some of those may have been more entertaining 😉

Here’s the thing… You put so much effort into creating a “voice” for your writing online but when it comes to your eBook sales page you go all blah and boring. Like I said, I’ve done it too so I know it happens.

Here’s my fix for this… have someone else read your sales copy.

Preferably someone who fits your target audience profile or someone who doesn’t love you so much that they’d shy away from telling you the truth 😉 You could also pop in your sales page in the Biz Bistro and ask me  and the 1000+ other entrepreneurs for feedback… Always happy to help.

But what you shouldn’t do is go with a sales page that isn’t engaging, filled with personality and most importantly, reflect who you are and what you bring to the {virtual} table.

There you go.

5 of the most common eBook sales page mistakes I see all.the.time. Mistakes that crush conversions, turn buyers away with their wallets in their pockets and make you wonder if writing an eBook was really worth it.

Want me to take a look at your sales page? Pop the link in the comments and I’ll be happy to give it a peek and a quick critique!