The Cult of Personal Branding Has Gone Too Far

We’ve been told that personal branding is everything. Stand out. Be unique. Show your personality. Use your brand voice everywhere.

And for most of your online presence? That’s solid advice.

But when it comes to your sales pages? That advice is costing you money.

Let me explain with a story that still makes me cringe:

Last year, a client came to me after a launch that made exactly $0. Her sales page was stunning—on-brand photos, clever headings that matched her personality, and beautifully designed sections that flowed together seamlessly.

It was a masterpiece of personal branding. And it converted like absolute garbage.

When we dug into her analytics, we discovered something fascinating: people were spending an average of 4 minutes on her sales page (great!) but almost nobody clicked the “buy now” button (terrible!).

They were admiring her page, not purchasing her offer.

Where Most Sales Pages Go Wrong

After reviewing hundreds of sales pages (and fixing dozens of them), I’ve identified the pattern:

1. Prioritizing clever over clear: Your witty headline might showcase your personality, but if it doesn’t immediately communicate the value of your offer, it’s failing at its job.
2. Maintaining “aesthetic consistency” at all costs: Yes, your brand colors are gorgeous. No, your call-to-action button should not be in that subtle cream color that blends into the background.
3. Writing for your brand voice instead of your customer’s pain points: Your ideal clients don’t care about your clever wordplay when they’re in pain – they care about whether you can help them.
4. Designing for portfolio shots, not conversions: Those full-width images with text overlay might look incredible in your portfolio, but they push critical information below the fold.

The Inconvenient Truth About Effective Sales Pages

Ready for some sacrilege? Here it is:

The highest-converting sales pages often look the least “branded.”

Look at the sales pages of seven-figure course creators and coaches. You’ll notice they:

• Use straightforward headlines that explicitly state the benefit
• Have high-contrast buttons that stand out from everything else
• Place testimonials strategically, not where they “look nice” in the design
• Stick to simple formats that guide the eye toward action, not appreciation

They’ve learned what I’m telling you now: When it comes to sales pages, function over fashion every time.

How to Fix Your Sales Page Without Sacrificing Your Soul

Now, I’m not saying your sales page should look like it was designed in 2005 with clipart and Comic Sans. You don’t need to abandon your personal brand entirely – you just need to make it serve your conversion goals.

Here’s how to find the balance:

1. Save your personality for the right places: Your story section, your about section, your emails, your social media. These are where your brand voice can shine without obstructing sales.
2. Let clarity lead design decisions: Before applying any brand element, ask: “Does this make it clearer what I’m selling and why someone should buy it?” If not, simplify.
3. Create visual hierarchy that drives action: Your call-to-action button should be the most visually prominent element on the page—yes, even if it means using a color outside your palette.
4. Test what works, not what looks best: The most beautiful version of your page isn’t always the highest-converting one. Be willing to sacrifice aesthetics for results.

A Real Example That Proves My Point

I had a client who insisted her sales page needed to match her “ethereal, minimalist brand aesthetic.” After a launch that underperformed by 50%, she reluctantly agreed to test some changes:

• We changed her headline from “Embrace Your Journey to Wholeness” to “Stop Feeling Overwhelmed: A 6-Week Program for Busy Professionals”
• We swapped her pale pink CTA buttons for high-contrast orange ones
• We reorganized her content to put testimonials and pricing details where people actually look for them
• We simplified her clever section headings to clearly state what each section contained

The result? Her conversion rate jumped from 2.1% to 7.4% on the same traffic. That’s nearly four times more sales without spending a dollar more on marketing.

The Bottom Line

Your personal brand matters—just not as much as you think on your sales page.

Your potential clients aren’t coming to your sales page to experience your brand. They’re coming to decide if your offer is worth their money. Make that decision as easy as possible for them, even if it means toning down your brand expression SLIGHTLY (I am a brand designer after all).

Because at the end of the day, a sales page that converts is more valuable than a sales page that impresses.

And if that means my sales buttons don’t perfectly blend in with what “they should”? I’m fine with that. My bank account is, too.

Let’s Make This Easier.

If you’re struggling with the balance between branding and conversion on your sales page, grab my FREE website strategy calculator. It’ll help you identify exactly where you should prioritize function over form—and where your personal brand can actually help your conversions.