There are a number of steps to consider in creating highly engaging, great converting sales pages.
Page layout and compelling copy are a very important component to a great sales page. I've read numerous fantastic posts on the subject.
Yet, the issue I'm going to talk about today will not cover that. I'm going to to share a process flow step that many skip and that most guides on creating great sales pages do not cover.
The tip is simple:
Check your functionality before publishing and promoting.
Once you have your page totally set up and it is also hooked up to your shopping cart and corresponding thank you pages, test them! Pretend to be the customer and go through the entire process looking at all links, autoresponders, etc.
The Customer Experience
I lost an hour of my life tonight because of someone that did not have his team do that.
This particular person is well known and has a team that could have done what needed to be done to prevent that.
Here is what happened…
I have been on the email list of a well known coach for a few years. He emailed out about a $7 report that was of interest to me, so I clicked the link and made the purchase.
So far, so good.
I was taken to a thank you/up-sell page. The up-sell was a membership site program.
I was curious about what was included, so I clicked the link to learn more.
Unfortunately, I was then shown a 404 error page. The link did not take me to an active page.
That was bad enough, but the story did not end there.
I went back to my email and saw the invoice for the $7 report as well as 8 invoices for a $297 membership site.
Huh?
I logged into my bank to find hundreds of dollars taken from the account from this company for a product I did not purchase.
Needless to say, I was not pleased.
I emailed immediately and started calling the company.
Customer service did not answer.
Then I called my bank, explained the charges in error and had my card put on hold.
Tried dialing the company again. Got no one.
Ended up dialing and trying every extension mentioned in the initial message and reached someone on the 7th try. (woohoo! On a Friday night, that is not likely.)
I explained my situation and he explained how to submit a ticket.
The refund emails came through shortly after that.
As of this writing, my bank still shows charges and I'll spend time tomorrow logging in to see that the charges are actually removed.
What a waste.
Why Care About My Story
The customer experience on your site is part of your brand. How easy it is to sign up for newsletters, make a purchase or even share a comment on your blog all reflect the type of service you would provide for your high-ticket programs and services.
What kind of impression do you want to give to your customers/clients/readers?
Every time we launch something from our shopping cart, we test it. I usually have a friend make a purchase and give feedback about the experience. Yes, it does charge their card. When we are done testing, we make a refund. In the end, we know it works the way we want it to.
If you want them to know how much you care about them, test your site or delegate it to someone else.
Until we talk again,
Live Fully — Love Openly — Laugh Often — Leverage Your Brilliance — Connect Authentically — Get Your Message Out — Serve with Impact — Prosper Everyday
Gina Hiatt says
That is a very timely reminder, always to check links. I have so many websites and so many wheels spinning that it’s hard to keep up sometimes. I would hate to have anyone have the customer service experience that you describe. They should be standing on their heads to make it up to you for all the inconvenience. At the least, you should get that $7 product for free!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi Gina – Yes, by the time everything was resolved I had been charged over $2,000, had to change my credit card and had lost 5 hours of my life. It took a week to get the funds returned. When I talked to their VIP services person on the phone he tried to talk me into a multi-thousand dollar private coaching program, because their info products were “really a waste” and didn’t I see the value of private coaching? Needless to say, I went from thinking of this company as one that I would consider investing heavily in, to one I have said prayers for and unsubscribed. Realized that their way of doing business simply doesn’t match my values. I look at it as a very good lesson!
Vatsala Shukla says
Sorry to read about your uninvited mishap, Stephanie. While it hurt your wallet until your funds were restored, the credibility of that company has taken a hit and they have lost a customer who will never return.
Makes me wonder, why don’t people test technology before setting it loose on prospective customers? I mean, when my car goes for servicing or even a tyre change, they take the vehicle for a test drive before handing over the keys and asking for payment.
More close to home, even in the kitchen, we test to make sure the salt in the dish is right and the dish in the oven is baked before we pull it out to serve at the dining table. Then why not test technology and make sure there is a back up plan to cover glitches?
Tanya Smith says
Wow Stephanie, thanks for sharing this. Now I know I’m not the only one who is wondering how on earth some people can appear to be “successful”, yet their systems are horrible. I recently went through something similar where I’d purchased a program from a popular guru and then had to call, email, snail mail to get it. This should have been an automatic email and they knew better.
Customer service is an excellent way for us all to differentiate ourselves and be the better choice!
jennifer Dawson says
Yikes. I wish I could say something like this has never happened to me but it has. You are so right. Test, test and test again. I never want one one of my clients to go through what you have. So sorry for your stress and lost hours of your life.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi Jennifer!
Thanks for stopping by. I’m sorry that you’ve had similar experiences. The more we can all take a few extra minutes to test our stuff the happier we can make everyone’s web experience.