Happy Wednesday! It’s landing page examples time. Today, as a special treat for CCD week, I’ve compiled a list of 36 landing page designs to critique, most of them are awesome, some need a bit more work, and I’ve also included a few that are down right awful (as a lesson of what not to do). Each will get my customary “what I like” and “what I’d change or test” so you can get some ideas and inspiration for your next page.

First things first, in case you’ve not been here lately, we’re on day 3 of Conversion Centered Design week, where every day is focused on certain principles of psychology and design – which I’ll get to in a jiffy. Just to recap, here’s what’s come before and what’s coming next.

• Monday: A free ebook “The Ultimate Guide to Conversion Centered Design” – (68 page PDF)
• Tuesday: 5 Tested Conversion Design Tactics You Should Put to Work. Right Now.
• Wednesday (today): 36 Awesome & Terrifying Landing Page Design Examples
• Thursday: How To Design Call-to-Action Buttons That Convert
• Friday: 10 Killer Posts on Conversion & Design

The 7 Principles of Conversion Centered Design (CCD)

To recap the 7 principles of CCD covered in Monday’s free ebook – “The Ultimate Guide to Conversion Centered Design“, here they are broken down by design and psychology. I’ll be leaning on these ideas throughout the critiques later on.

1. Design: Encapsulation
   This is a classic technique used to hijack your visitors eyes and create a tunnel vision effect. You can think of it like creating a window on your landing page where your CTA is the view.
2. Design: Contrast & Color
   Some say button color is important, but this a falsehood. In reality, it’s the contrast of the color that you need to focus on. A green CTA may well outperform red in some circumstances, but if the page is dominantly green, that green button is going to get hidden among other page elements. If you focus on contrasting colors you will be much more successful at making it stand out. In the case of the green page, a red button would be suitable.
3. Design: Directional Cues
   Call attention to the most important page elements by using strangely placed and angled arrows. Tie a sequence of arrows together to define a path for the visitor to follow, ending at your CTA.
4. Design: Whitespace
   Give your page elements breathing room to produce a calming effect and allow your CTA to stand out from the rest of your design.
5. Psychology: Urgency & Scarcity
   Common psychological motivators are the use of urgency (limited time) and scarcity (limited supply).
6. Psychology: Try Before You Buy
   By opening your product to scrutiny before the purchase you appear confident. This increases trust and is an important factor in boosting conversions.
7. Psychology: Social Proof
   Social proof is created by the statistics and actions of a particular crowd and it can greatly enhance the “me too” factor. The major benefit is a level of authentic believability.

A Practical Application of CCD

To demonstrate how you can apply the CCD concepts to a landing page, I’ll show a before and after template design example. The purpose of this particular template is to facilitate the download of an ebook in exchange for the standard name and email.

Note: This template is available for use within the Unbounce landing page platform suite of landing page templates.

The Template Before CCD Treatment

The Template After CCD Treatment

36 Landing Page Examples Critiqued for Conversion

Are you excited to see some sweet examples? You should be… there’s 36 of them. Most are from Unbounce customers, but I’ve thrown in some scary ones too, just to mix it up, and scare you into making your own pages better.

I’m sure this isn’t your first landing page rodeo, so saddle up, get your design hat on, and take a ride with me down landing page lane.

Let the critiques begin…

BIG TIP: If you’re just here to see the examples, click on the first one and cycle through all of the designs by clicking on the right half of the image!

1. Mobile Commons

What I like

• Clear and enticing headline: Your headline is the first thing that people need to see on your landing page, and Mobile Commons do a good job of utilizing their headline to describe what they do, and make you want to keep reading to “Find out why” .

Things I’d change or test

• No back up to claim of 10x conversions: Stating that you’ll get a 10x conversion improvement is a very bold claim. It would essentially mean that someone converting at 10% would have a conversion rate of 100% which isn’t attainable. It would be more effective to have a customer testimonial talking about the conversion improvement they achieved.
• Button copy needs to describe it’s purpose: This is a simple one to remedy. Your CTA button should always explain explicitly what will happen when it’s clicked, for two reasons. Firstly, so people will know what they are going to get, and secondly, so there is another element on the page backing up its purpose. In this instance, I’d suggest something along the lines of “Arrange a call back to discuss a mobile solution”.

2. Macquarie University

Thoughts

This one’s hard to critique. It’s a really good landing page. Oh, but there is the dreaded Submit button again! Tsk Tsk. There are a few things I’d suggest to keep the landing page experience intact. Firstly, I know people are afraid to remove links (or “leaks” as I call them), but you really don’t need to cite every claim you make at this point. It’s not a whitepaper, it’s a marketing device. Secondly, the form area needs a little work. I’ll describe a hypothesis for each.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

The form area:

By enhancing the messaging of the form area to explain, and focus on, the purpose of the page, the clarity of communication will improve and encourage more people to complete a form they know will benefit them. This will also increase the number of relevant and qualified leads.

Page leaks:

Distractions remove people from the reason *you* have paid them to be here. Removing all links on the page so there is only one action, will increase the engagement with the page’s conversion goal, increasing form completions and reducing the bounce rate.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Clarify the form’s purpose: The form header is your one chance to describe the reason why you’re asking for personal data. Here the wording suggests that you complete the form to “Register to their event”. Yet, having skimmed (that’s all people will do) the page copy, I see no mention of an event. And the dreaded Submit button does nothing to clear it up. Will you receive information about the university based on your level of study (Current? Desired?) or a prospectus for available courses? So my test advice is to say exactly what you will receive in the header, and reinforce that in the CTA.
• Never submit: You were warned.
• Leaky page: Take away all of the links on the page (except for the privacy statement). If you really need to link to something, do it in a lightbox to keep prospective students on the page.
• Add a FAQ: You can remove the need for so many questions by opening a FAQ page in a lightbox that addresses all of the questions you are currently answering via external links. This will reduce your total points of interaction to three: The CTA, privacy policy and the FAQ.

3. American Bullion

Thoughts

Oh dear. What am I supposed to do with this one? It’s a great page. So I’m going to do a 180 here and talk about what I like about it.

What I like

• Descriptive headline: The headline tells you what the page is about in three words.
• Simple intro paragraph: Describes what you’ll get for completing the form.
• Perfect form header and CTA: A descriptive form header and button copy.
• Supporting information: Everything you need to know is pretty much above the fold, but if you’re not convinced then you can check out a large amount of social proof below including: testimonials, media mentions and trust symbols.

The only thing I would add to this page would be a sub-header above the 3 steps to say what they are about: such as “About Gold Investing”.

4. Florida Hospital – TAVR

Another excellent landing page. Although I don’t get a clear sense of what TAVR is right away (the tiny description of the acronym is hard to see). If you have highly targeted ads, then you need to make sure the headline is a clear match with them.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By being more explicit in the headline about what TAVR is, more people will be able to relate, staying on the page and completing the form as a result.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Headline change: I would test using the full name of the procedure, placing the acronym as a second element.”Is Valve Replacement (TAVR) Right for You?” followed by an explanation of what the acronym and procedure are in the first intro paragraph.

  Note: I can’t say if this enough information for people to understand it.

• Optimize for Pay-Per-Click: If there are any paid ads (AdWords etc.) driving traffic to this page, I would change the header to be text with a graphical background, compared to having one giant image. This would increase the Quality Score and the test would compare the change in Quality Score by making the header bot-readable.

5. SweetIQ Whitepaper Download

Thoughts

This is a fairly standard whitepaper/ebook download page, however the underlying design doesn’t support the aesthetic you’d expect from a brick and mortar targeted page. As an electronic document delivered online, it’s important to make it obvious that it’s for local businesses.

There are a couple of ways to do this. Use imagery to show physical businesses, either on the ebook or the background of the page or make the CTA very explicit about the ‘local’ aspect.

Another thing to mention here is that the copy doesn’t really say anything about what you are downloading! Is it a report? An ebook? This absolutely needs to be addressed.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By focusing on the local business aspect in the CTA, there will be a better understanding of the local brick and mortar business relevance and more targeted downloads (creating better qualified leads).

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• CTA copy: I would test the current CTA copy against something more explicit like “Download your location based whitepaper now”, with a short supporting line beneath the button that says “For brick and mortar retail businesses”.

6. Benchmark

Thoughts

There are two different CTA’s on the page, both in color and copy. These could use more consistency, and represent what the next step will reveal (I’m assuming the homepage).

No clear value proposition. I don’t know how the company differentiates from the 100 other email service providers out there.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By including a strong value proposition that illustrates why they are unique, people will be more willing to click through to the next step.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Tagline: There could be a tagline right next to the logo (to use some of the wasted space up there) that helps define the company right away. After all, Benchmark doesn’t say email to me.
• The primary headline: This could be stronger, again, differentiation is key here. Why should I care about Benchmark? What’s the main difference? I’d suggest a 2-level headline where the main header explains the core benefit, and the secondary headline backs it up with supporting information (stats, number of customers etc.) Then I’d move it over the top of the first paragraph and video.
• Image or video of the software in use: Instead of focusing on a testimonial at the first level, I’d include some bullet points that support the headline again – and a video or screenshot of the software. (Then move the testimonial further down).

Test it and see…

7. Spousal Immigration to Canada

Thoughts

Well this is a first! An infographic on a landing page. Very cool. Although time consuming to read.

The opening headline is too situational, rather than descriptive. It would be stronger if it were simplified, rather than ‘cute.’ The infographic has it right: “Sponsor your spouse to Canada”.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By changing the page title to directly describe the purpose of the page, the bounce rate will be lowered, and conversions lifted.

Replacing the infographic with key facts in written form will improve the clarity and time spent reading, resulting in more people completing the form, as they will have a better idea of what the benefits of using FWCanada are.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Page title: Change the page title to “Sponsor your spouse to come to Canada” and use a sub-header that says something like “Let FWCanada make your sponsorship easy”.
• Replace the infographic: Take the key points out of the infographic to inform readers who can apply, who can be a sponsor, and how to apply. Probably in the form of an intro paragraph and sectioned sets of bullet points.

8. Falcon Social

Thoughts

This page is actually a microsite, so I would first suggest ripping out the header and footer navigation to increase the on-page engagement and turn it into a promotion specific landing page.

What Falcon Social does really well is something that I’ve been preaching for a long time, namely the use of lightboxes to show extended content without leaving the page. This happens if you click any of the ‘learn more’ links.

However, the page lacks explanation of what the solution provides prior to asking someone to start a free trial. This could include having an introductory paragraph beside the video that mentions how long the trial is along and include a benefit statement.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By changing the CTA copy to a benefit driven statement and telling the customer what they would be when they sign up, more people will start a trial.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• CTA copy: To test different CTA’s, I’d run the original against a core benefit CTA such as “Grow Your Brand Socially” and a 3rd CTA that says “Grow Your Brand Socially” with a smaller supporting “x-day free trial” directly beneath the button.

9. Manpacks

What I like

• It’s sexy: Predictable response? Yes, absolutely. That’s the whole point.
• Validation: They jump right into showing off the famous publications that have featured their company. From a design perspective, the grey monotone prevents a mishmash of colour creating any visual distraction from the call to action (CTA).
• Value propositions: The main content on the page answers two simple questions: “What is it?” and “Why should I care?”
• Testimonials: The second is one of the funniest I’ve read. Socks as a Service – genius.
• Removal of doubt: The subtext below the CTA lowers the perceived risk, which can improve the click-through-rate (CTR).

Things I’d change or test

• Tagline: To make it more immediately clear what the purpose of the page is, I’d add a succinct tagline beside the logo.
• Main title (core value proposition): There are a couple of ways to use a headline: A) use a very clear statement of what you are offering to enable an understanding of the purpose of your page, or B) entice your visitor to want to keep reading by using a seductive headline. They’ve gone with B here, presumably in an attempt to catch your attention and increase curiosity (or to push a particular button). For a test, I’d try approach A and make it really clear from the get go – what Manpacks is (this would work really well with the tagline to help pass a five second test).

The example below shows an alternate page they created, presumably to speak to a different segment or create a different emotional trigger.

10. That reset button is what I’d click

Notice the big red button on the bottom left? Reset what? Your business idea? Your design skills? I just hope something magical happens when you click it.

Tips

Unlock the potential for what? Living in a cul-de-sac in a Florida gated community? Be a little more specific about what the purpose of the page and offering is.

CCD principles don’t apply here. It’d be too painful.

11. Sugar hermaphrodites?

Okay, if rich men are your thing, go for it. Who am I to stop you – maybe I’ll be one some day. But unless I’m mistaken, shouldn’t they at least be men? Three of these look distinctly female to me :) Btw, I searched “get rich quick” while searching for examples, and this is what I got – I guess marriage/dating is one method.

Tips

I get that the hot women are there to help sell the idea (to the men) of using money to “get what you want”. But still, throw in a few statements of what the “service” provides. You’ll get more conversions if people know what to expect. And maybe add a little class. #JustSayin.

12. Zen Web Solutions

What I like

• Good message match on form: It’s important in form design to ensure that your form header matches the copy on the button. This really focuses the purpose of the page. Remember never to use the word “Submit” as this breaks the rule and you lose the supporting information. So great job here.

Things I’d change or test

• Client results are hard to decipher: The client results image is an important part of the page header, yet it doesn’t really make much sense. I’m not sure what membership services are, so this could use a more descriptive image and supporting statement.
• Form purpose could be simplified: Currently, the form has two purposes. A phone number to contact the company to discuss business, or to download a marketing guide. As the form action is to get the guide, I wouldn’t muddy the waters by having the phone number in there. I’d suggest placing it beneath the form area as a secondary action. Hit them with the free content first and then the request for them to call. You could also test flipping them into the opposite order.

13. Certify

What I like

• Expectations are communicated next to the form: Beneath the form header, you are told that someone will contact you within 24 hours

Things I’d change or test

• The video poster frame should be more enticing: A poster frame is the image that is visible on your video before the play button is clicked. In many cases this is left to be a screenshot of the start of the video. It can be more effective to have a descriptive and enticing benefit statement as the starting point – to make people want to watch.
• Asking for contact too early: One thing I would test is the placement of the form. It’s good to be above the fold for the most part, but when you are asking someone to engage in communication with you, you might want to expose them to more information about your product offering first. It could be as simple as putting a few bullet points in place of the form and nudging it down a bit. This could mean that you need to move the 3rd feature block somewhere else, and switch it to 2 or 4. Or you could extend the header area to be longer, and balance the design by putting a relevant statement beneath the video, talking about a benefit of the service. Or you could switch the testimonial into this spot.
• Never submit: Change the button copy to say something like “Please contact me for further information”. Polite and to the point.

14. FluidSurveys

What I like

• Clear value proposition: The headline is very simple and leaves no doubt about the purpose of the page and the product. And it’s nicely backed up by a well written explanation of some of the core benefits directly below.
• Highlighted testimonial: The brushed highlight of the testimonial gives it a bit of extra design zing and prevents the page from feeling too text heavy.
• Contrast: They chose two nicely contrasting colors to highlight important elements. The free label, and the form CTA.
• Context of use: Their choice of imagery lets you know that the product can produce mobile-ready polls.
• Validation: Like the example above, they provide a strong sense of trust by including a set of logos.
• They’re Canadian! Woot!

Things I’d change or test

• Remove the footer navigation: Any extraneous navigation on a landing page can lead your visitors down the wrong path. I’d recommend removing the footer nav to simplify the available choices.
• Explain the logos: Add a small label (like example #1) to explain that they are client logos (or sites that have featured/written about them).

15. Golden Sands

What I like

• Experience: It immediately makes me want to go on holiday and stay in a pimp hotel. The pillows are literally selling me softly.
• Price: Travel is very much about price, and they get that out of the way right off the bat, so you can move on to the finder details after unerstanding if you can afford it or not. #smrt

Things I’d change or test

• The form header: Apply now? For what? It’s unclear what you’re applying for – I thought it was a booking site, but apparently I have to apply for something. Make it clear why people are filling out your form.
• Primary value proposition: There’s no clear statement of what the page is for or what you’ll get. I’d try moving the hotel logos from the top and adding in a strong statement that
• Exclusive: There is a mention of an exclusive preview invitation, but it doesn’t explain what you’re being invited to. I’d also make this stand out more if it’s an important selling point – perhaps using some visual cues to draw the viewers eye.

16. Echodemic

What I like

• Opening statement: The opening sentence describes their offering perfectly and succinctly.
• Honesty: It tells you the cost, so you can weigh up the potential value associated with extending your brand reach.
• Clear contact method: The big phone number increases the trust factors by letting you know there are real people to deal with.

Things I’d change or test

• Move the form: Stick the form above the brand logos.

17. Demandforce

What I like

• Market share: they already seem to have a 30% market share – invest.

Things I’d change or test

• Big Form: There are only two required fields, don’t make a visitor feel like they are taking on a long labor to get information. Scale back to just name and phone number. And don’t start the conversation with “Fill in this form. That’s the equivalent of walking into a clothes store and being told to buy these clothes before you even try them on. Seduce, or even coerce, but don’t instruct.
• Call to action: The visitor isn’t really looking to sign up, they probably will respond more to “Request Tour” or “Get Started”.
• Footer: The links in the footer, other than Privacy, are just distractions. Get rid of as many leaks as possible to keep conversion high.

18. Boost Your Search – Free Audit

What I like

• ROBOTS: We like robots.

Things I’d change or test

• Stick to your guns: Choose one action and stick with it. In cases like this the e-mail lead is not nearly as valuable as the customer.
• Make Two Pages: Differentiate the actions “Free audit” and “Paid Plan” into separate landing pages so you can segment the traffic from channels like PPC.

19. Eureka Report

What I like

• Red, White & Black: The color scheme is classic and trustworthy; this is clearly business oriented.

Things I’d change or test

• Wait What: The product, Eureka Report, is overpowered by the incentive. Am I getting the Eureka Report or Time Magazine. Fix the hierarchy so it’s clear what the purpose of the page is. Try switching the positioning of the 10 reasons block and the form block.
• Top X: As popular as Top 10s, are smaller lists are punchier and more memorable. Try 5 or 7 that will give you a littler more space to play with too.

20. Monsoon – The Value of Association

What I like

• Modern tech: Speaks to a very specific modern technology sector (catches the HTML5 nerds is what I’m saying).
• Why?: Strong section on the importance of the company’s technology.

Things I’d change or test

• Mobile Apps: The purpose *appears* to be to build mobile apps but it’s very buried in small text beneath the main imagery – much better to use large test to convey the message and *then* follow it up with “context of use” images where you see apps used on mobile devices.
• Talk to us: Why? What is the benefit of talking to you about your project? Try adding a direct benefit beside the CTA that says “Talk to us about your next project, so that we can a,b,c the hell out of it…!”

21. Dev Auditions

What I like

• Clear value proposition: It’s clearly about hiring better people – focused on dev. But the headline could be clearer (see below).
• Walkthough: The 3-step process paints a simple picture of how the company operates.
• Close with the benefits: I like the start, middle and end of this page. Like a good story it leads you through what you need to know, ending with what you’ll get and a closing CTA. +1.

Things I’d change or test

• Clearer headline: Hire Smarter is generic – if you’re looking at dev hires then make the dev logo bigger or change the main headline into something with greater clarity such as “Hire Smarter Dev Talent”.
• Types of position: As it’s recruiting, I’d include some scope of the types of talent covered as development can be wide ranging. What are your areas of expertise, and geographical boundaries?

22. Right Signature

What I like

• Clear info about what you’ll get, including freebies for extra incentive: The text beneath the button helps put the visitor at ease by describing what will happen next – and the addition of some free usage is a good incentive to sign up.
• A headline that describes exactly what the product does: I love this headline. It’s so clear and to the point that you couldn’t fail to understand what the service does instantly.
• Demonstration of simplicity: The 3-step design below the main area makes it really quick to understand how the service would be used, which will limit the number of bad leads you’ll get as they know what they’re signing up for.

Things I’d change or test

• Nothing!: I could go on all day about why I like this page, but I have too many more to write so I’ll stop now. Great job RightSignature.

23. Monetate eBook

What I like

• Design of eBook image shows professionalism: By having a nicely designed cover you show that time and effort went into it’s creation (as opposed to a boring plain white cover).
• Simple bullets break down why you would want the eBook: The headline for the bullets “You’ll learn” really sets the tone that it’s useful and listing what you will get out of reading it (as opposed to what’s in it) is a much stronger benefits driven approach.
• Clear definition in headline of what you’ll get: Sometimes it’s nice with an eBook to know it’s not War and Peace. By limiting this to 10 tips, they stand a good chance of increased conversions by providing an easy to consume resource. While long eBooks can be authoritative, they often go unread.

Things I’d change or test

• Social sharing location: People are more inclined to share something right after they actually get it. So I’d suggest placing the social sharing buttons on the form confirmation page. This also has the benefit of removing distractions from the main page.

24. Go Fun

What I like

• Not much I’m afraid.

Things I’d change or test

• Change the informational hierarchy: the first thing you see is “SIGN UP NOW” which is very aggressive as there’s no real supporting reason to go with it. Message match is critical for conversion, so make this first statement match the ads/link text people are arriving from.
• What is this?: There is no description of what Go Fun is. Most people’s reaction to confusion is to hit the back button. On further exploration, there is a tiny portion of small text that explains what it is. This should be big and prominent. They are asking for 20 emails of your friends, you need some serious trust factors on the page to give out your friends emails.

25. Fast Track Sales

What I like

• Strong headline explains value prop in seconds: They sell homes fast, and they explain it fast. Great headline.
• Form headline and CTA explain clearly what you’ll get:

Nuff said.

26. OCD – Clinical Trials

What I like

• CTA asks a question: Questions are very powerful persuasion devices and placing one on the CTA (button) can help people convert as they want to know the answer.
• Photos help relieve the pressure: By showing pictures of regular everyday happy people, they put you at ease by de-stigmatizing a common issue that can affect anyone.

Things I’d change or test

• Move the social buttons: As I keep saying, put these on your confirmation page. If people have just converted they are more likely to share.

27. Learn French

What I like

• Use of video: the page is kept simple because the video removes the burden of extra copy, a good technique for enhancing page clarity. It’s also quite an emotional video about the founders reason for starting the company after marrying someone from a foreign country. Very authentic.
• Differentiation: The way they leverage the concept of a conversation rather than just learning words, seems likely to be more appealing to potential customers.
• Clear CTA: Learn French. Yup.

Things I’d change or test

• CTA copy: I’d try changing the button text to “Learn Conversational French” to maintain the concept of the page.

28. Kingsley Judd Wine Investments

What I like

• Wine!: Gotta like that.
• Two word headline: You don’t get much simple than that. In just two words they’ve told you exactly what the page is about.
• Beautifully simple and compact design: The blurred image is clear enough to convey the vineyard feeling, while pumping the form box right out at you. Great use of contrast for the form container and button.
• Incentive: Having an opt-in for a free prize draw is a good way to entice conversions.

Things I’d change or test

• Terms & conditions: If you are going to have a prize draw, you should have a link to terms & conditions.

29. Box

Box is a file-sharing service based out of Los Altos, California. Over the last seven years they’ve raised $248 million of venture capital funding.

Like

• Does what it says on the box (see what I did there?) – the headline copy says it all: no jargon involved. Simplicity appeals, especially when it’s solving a very real business problem. This kind of language also helps with SEO, as it mirrors the kind of query someone might use when searching for a file sharing solution. This is backed up with good clear sub-headings which aid the eye when skimming content.

Don’t like

• Weak integration of video – Box have decided to make the video fade into the background of the header image. I didn’t even see it when I first arrived. This is one of those times where it pays not to try and be clever. I’ve run tests that made it clear that showing the video on the page converts beter, vs. expecting people to find your link to pop it up.

30. GoToMyPC

GoToMyPC is an online service for remote-access to your home and work computers.

Like

• Clear copy – features aren’t the strong point here, the main point is that you can access your computer remotely. GoToMyPC focus on a headline and copy that sells the benefits in simple language. Jargon is a real killer for landing pages, unless you have a very niche audience, don’t fall into its clutches.
• Layout – the layout of a page should read as we would read a book. This page does that, creating a logical journey: headline, image and description, sign-up, post sign-up actions.

What I’d test

• The form position– Switching the form to appear on the right vs. left (and vice versa) is a common test that can show surprising results. Different cultures read in different directions, so give that a try. Switched around, it would also let you read the “Works on” before you deal with the form.

31. CarFax

What I Like

• Straight to the point: The main headline asks a question that immediately weeds out anyone that’s arrived here mistakenly. “Buying a used car?” Why yes! I’m in the right place.
• Online vs. offline: The page asks for the car’s VIN – but you’ll most likely only get that by looking for it on the car in person – luckily they have a mobile page too so you can do it on a smartphone. Winning points!

What I’d change or Test

• Nothing. I love this page! They clearly had some smart people architect and design the page.
• Button copy: Okay, I’d change one minor thing. The CTA should say “View Report” instead of “Go”.

32. Oprah Sweepstakes

What I Like

• Media brand match: This is what I talked about at the start. There is a clear correlation between the landing page and the magazine cover. Oprah consistently appears happy, using a strong personal connection (direct eye contact) to make you feel comfortable.

What I’d change or Test

• Submit: Apparently Oprah’s designers didn’t read my last landing page examples post. The word “Submit” says nothing about what will happen when clicked. I’d change it to a double line CTA that says:
   

  First line: Subscribe to O magazine
  Second line (smaller text): To be entered in the $25k sweepstakes

• Headline and sub-header could be better: It’s a double purpose page – subscribe to the magazine and get entered into the sweepstakes. But the headline only says subscribe (not to the magazine) so it could be read as “subscribe to the sweepstakes”. Minor point, but clarity is important. You don’t want have to read all that fine print.

33. Intuit

Yet more proof that the big guys are doing it right. This is an excellent landing page. Here’s why:

What I Like

• Benefit based headline: Indicates that there are other options out there, but this is a better way to do it. Instead of describing what it does it uses a benefit to enhance the headline.
• Use of directional cue: Conversion centered design standards (step 11) include using directional cues to aid the persuasive nature of a page – here an arrow is used to point you in the right direction.
• Descriptive CTA: Obvious that you are going to start a free trial.
• Social proof: The page is littered with social proof indicators: impressive list of customer logos, security symbols, and an Editor’s Choice award.

What I’d change or Test

• How much is it? There’s no mention of how much it will cost after the 30-day free trial. A good way to include this is to say: “Free for 30-days then pick a plan starting at $xx”.
• No credit card required: This is very important information to know, yet it’s buried as small text. I’d recommend making it subtext in the button to reinforce the lack of a signup barrier.

34. Adobe Test & Target

What I Like

• Accidental genius: When the page loads, the form takes about 2 seconds to appear. Clearly being pulled dynamically from a server somewhere. However, what it does is draw your attention to the form as soon as it loads. Personally I love it as a persuasion device.
• Pixel perfect headline: The use of whitespace around the headline couple with it’s clarity of communication make for a great headline.
• Hierarchy of content: Adobe break the content nicely into nicely flowing chunks:
  • Page purpose
  • Benefit statement
  • Target market based benefit bullet points
  • Action statement

  Copy this flow of content – it’s really good.

What I’d change or Test

• The submit button – Jeez: Make it say “Get our Whitepaper”.
• Required? Make it clear which fields are required, this will make the form appear shorter than it is.

The blandness of this page works to it’s advantage to make the CTA stand out. Honestly though, the page is so simple that it would be hard to squeeze much conversion lift out of it, without attacking the number of form fields – which would be my first plan of action.

35. Is this for kids making money?

Here’s another shocker.

Looks like you can play with toys while making wads of cash at the same time. Sounds like my kinda gig.

Tips

I hit the back button the moment I saw this site. Then I came back to look at it for this post. It’s beyond confusing. First off, I’d extract the content from the banner looking thing at the top of the page as it looks like an advert which will make people gloss over it. And it has the most important info in it! What the site is actually about.

36. Who eats electronics to lose weight?

What’s more scary than a big fake movie guy with a giant knife? Knocking on a door that says come in, we have comfy sofas and free beer, and then falling 300ft out of a building (the door led to the outside on the 20th floor) cos they lied and what you wanted wasn’t behind the door. Where is this going? Good question. This page isn’t bad – the landing “experience” is bad. Why? I searched for “weight loss”. I know there are tablets for that, but not usually the 9-inch electronic variety. And the bunny ain’t gonna save you this time TELUS.

Tips

Stop bidding on irrelevant keywords…..

Well there you have it. 36 landing page designs analyzed, critiqued, enjoyed and ready for copying and perfecting. I hope you were able to take away a lot of juicy ideas for your next design. Tell you what? Why don’t you jump into the comments and let me know? I’ll see you there.

– Oli Gardner

The big question here is: “Do the big brands produce better landing pages than the average SMB?”

Do they utilize professional designers and take advantage of their status and brand image to design experiences that work in perfect concert with their other brand properties (Website, magazines, advertising)?

In this post, I’ll look at 5 company’s landing pages and critique what’s good and bad about each of them – and things they might want to throw into an A/B test for optimization.

Remember to take note of what’s good, so you can implement them on your next landing page.

1. CarFax

What I Like

• Try before you buy: They have a sample report for you to look at right off the bat. This is a great way to develop confidence in your visitors, letting them know what’s in store for them.
• Straight to the point: The main headline asks a question that immediately weeds out anyone that’s arrived here mistakenly. “Buying a used car?” Why yes! I’m in the right place.
• Online vs. offline: The page asks for the car’s VIN – but you’ll most likely only get that by looking for it on the car in person – luckily they have a mobile page too so you can do it on a smartphone. Wining points!

What I’d change or Test

• Nothing. I love this page! They clearly had some smart people architect and design the page.
• Button copy: Okay, I’d change one minor thing. The CTA should say “View Report” instead of “Go”.

2. Oprah Sweepstakes

What I Like

• Media brand match: This is what I talked about at the start. There is a clear correlation between the landing page and the magazine cover. Oprah consistently appears happy, using a strong personal connection (direct eye contact) to make you feel comfortable.

What I’d change or Test

• Submit: Apparently Oprah’s designers didn’t read my last landing page examples post. The word “Submit” says nothing about what will happen when clicked. I’d change it to a double line CTA that says:
   

  First line: Subscribe to O magazine
  Second line (smaller text): To be entered in the $25k sweepstakes

• Headline and sub-header could be better: It’s a double purpose page – subscribe to the magazine and get entered into the sweepstakes. But the headline only says subscribe (not to the magazine) so it could be read as “subscribe to the sweepstakes”. Minor point, but clarity is important. You don’t want have to read all that fine print.

3. Intuit

Yet more proof that the big guys are doing it right. This is an excellent landing page. Here’s why:

What I Like

• Benefit based headline: Indicates that there are other options out there, but this is a better way to do it. Instead of describing what it does it uses a benefit to enhance the headline.
• Use of directional cue: Conversion centered design standards (step 11) include using directional cues to aid the persuasive nature of a page – here an arrow is used to point you in the right direction.
• Descriptive CTA: Obvious that you are going to start a free trial.
• Social proof: The page is littered with social proof indicators: impressive list of customer logos, security symbols, and an Editor’s Choice award.

What I’d change or Test

• How much is it? There’s no mention of how much it will cost after the 30-day free trial. A good way to include this is to say: “Free for 30-days then pick a plan starting at $xx”.
• No credit card required: This is very important information to know, yet it’s buried as small text. I’d recommend making it subtext in the button to reinforce the lack of a signup barrier.

4. Aeroplan

What I Like

• Urgency: The 33 days left countdown timer enhances the sense of urgency, which will improve conversions, especially among the fence-sitter visitors.
• Tabs: There’s a lot of content on the page if you consider what’s behind each tab. Using the tabbed navigation, allows them to keep the page short and group similar content in the same place.

What I’d change or Test

• Poor branding: You have to squint pretty hard to see that this is an Aeroplan promotion. I’d call it “The Aeroplan Star Challenge”.
• Tiny second CTA: Why is the CTA at the bottom so damn small? It should at least be as big as the other one. I’d also change the CTA to have 2-levels of copy (notice how much of a fan of this strategy I am yet?).
   

  Line 1: Register Now!
  Line 2: And start collecting stars

• Too many leaks: There are too many distractions in the bottom of the page that would take people away from the sole purpose of the page.

5. Adobe Test & Target

What I Like

• Accidental genius: When the page loads, the form takes about 2 seconds to appear. Clearly being pulled dynamically from a server somewhere. However, what it does is draw your attention to the form as soon as it loads. Personally I love it as a persuasion device.
• Pixel perfect headline: The use of whitespace around the headline couple with it’s clarity of communication make for a great headline.
• Hierarchy of content: Adobe break the content nicely into nicely flowing chunks:
  • Page purpose
  • Benefit statement
  • Target market based benefit bullet points
  • Action statement

  Copy this flow of content – it’s really good.

What I’d change or Test

• The submit button – Jeez: Make it say “Get our Whitepaper”.
• Required? Make it clear which fields are required, this will make the form appear shorter than it is.

Which was your favorite landing page? Do you think they’re doing a good job? Better than you? If you think your landing page kicks more ass than the big guys then share it in the comments and we can discuss.

– Oli Gardner

Use submit on your forms, and you’ll be in trouble in the critiques. (Quote by Ryan Engley)

It’s landing page examples time again, and this time I’m going to focus on critiquing the pages from an A/B testing perspective.

Each example will examine the thought process you’d go through when analyzing a page (or the reaction a visitor might have when arriving for the first time), a testing hypothesis for how the page might perform better, and some examples of what you could test to prove your hypothesis.

This should give you and the page creators some inspiration for further testing, and show what you should consider when you run your own landing page A/B tests.

Note: Each landing page was built by customers using Unbounce, and permission was kindly provided by the page creators.

Let the critiques and A/B testing tips begin!

*PAUSE*

Actually before we start, let’s take a moment to reflect on a mistake from the past.

Do you remember those old grey Windows buttons that said “Submit”? We all do. And it’s about time we stopped copying bad habits and started creating relevant Calls-To-Action (CTAs). CTAs should be instructive. They should inform your visitor what will happen once they’ve clicked. And for the love of all things clickable, your CTA should never, ever say “Submit”.

Be warned, I’ll call out anyone (nicely) who uses that foul button language in the critiques below.

And remember – every page can be better, and the best way to get better is by testing. Let’s begin…

1. Right Signature

Thoughts

The length of this page makes it feels like there is a natural split between the top section of the page and the “More Reasons” section. It would make sense to somehow shorten the page, yet still provide access to the features in an on-demand manner.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By reducing the length of the page by removing the features section, and making it available as needed, the page will communicate its main message more succinctly, and keep the form top of mind – increasing the number of signups.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Shorter page: By changing the “More Features You’ll Love” title into a link that opens a lightbox with the extra features, you remove the clutter, providing the extra information only as required to convince a fence sitter who needs more detailed information.

Site: Right Signature

2. Macquarie University

Thoughts

This one’s hard to critique. It’s a really good landing page. Oh, but there is the dreaded Submit button again! Tsk Tsk. There are a few things I’d suggest to keep the landing page experience intact. Firstly, I know people are afraid to remove links (or “leaks” as I call them), but you really don’t need to cite every claim you make at this point. It’s not a whitepaper, it’s a marketing device. Secondly, the form area needs a little work. I’ll describe a hypothesis for each.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

The form area:

By enhancing the messaging of the form area to explain, and focus on, the purpose of the page, the clarity of communication will improve and encourage more people to complete a form they know will benefit them. This will also increase the number of relevant and qualified leads.

Page leaks:

Distractions remove people from the reason *you* have paid them to be here. Removing all links on the page so there is only one action, will increase the engagement with the page’s conversion goal, increasing form completions and reducing the bounce rate.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Clarify the form’s purpose: The form header is your one chance to describe the reason why you’re asking for personal data. Here the wording suggests that you complete the form to “Register to their event”. Yet, having skimmed (that’s all people will do) the page copy, I see no mention of an event. And the dreaded Submit button does nothing to clear it up. Will you receive information about the university based on your level of study (Current? Desired?) or a prospectus for available courses? So my test advice is to say exactly what you will receive in the header, and reinforce that in the CTA.
• Never submit: You were warned.
• Leaky page: Take away all of the links on the page (except for the privacy statement). If you really need to link to something, do it in a lightbox to keep prospective students on the page.
• Add a FAQ: You can remove the need for so many questions by opening a FAQ page in a lightbox that addresses all of the questions you are currently answering via external links. This will reduce your total points of interaction to three: The CTA, privacy policy and the FAQ.

Site: Macquarie University

3. KISSmetrics

Thoughts

At first glance, I thought this was an ebook download, but after a bit of reading figured out it was for a bundle of something. Seems like it’s actually a report listing 6 must-have marketing tools. A better description of what’s inside and a list of the tools would add incentive to download. I’d also like to know how long the document is to gauge how much detail they will go into for each tool.

There are also a few mixed messages on the page. The first indicates it is a cheat-sheet (perhaps only one page), but then it becomes a bundle (which is a bit confusing), and then it changes back to a cheat-sheet in the form header.

Finally, the social proof at the bottom is all about KISSmetrics, which is very dominant and doesn’t really seem congruent with the purpose of the page.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By listing the companies included in the bundle and providing a clearer sense of what the cheat-sheet actually is, the download rate will increase.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Use logos of the tools included in the cheat-sheet: Test placing the logos in the actual cheat-sheet image to let people know what’s included.
• Remove distractions: Use 1/3 of the customer logos to make it a less dominant part of the page – establishing the cheat-sheet as the most important element, and not clashing with the logos added in the first suggestion. Also consider greying them out for even less distraction.

Confirmation Page

KISSmetrics have such a beautifully crafted value proposition that is being wasted on the first landing page. It should be placed in a prominent place on the confirmation page to reinforce the brand as the purpose of the page is to get a free consultation.

Add a tagline: To accomplish this, I’d add the value prop as a tagline for the logo. There is a lot of wasted space next to the logo, so my suggestion would be: Enlarge the logo, so that it’s height can support 2 lines of smaller text right next to it. Then insert the tagline:

Line 1: “Google Analytics Tells You What Happened.”
Line 2: “KISSmetrics Tells You Who Did It.”

Site: KISSmetrics

4. Bryan Eisenberg Ebook

Thoughts

Well this is scary! Despite knowing Bryan (a bit) I’m still critiquing a page made for the man who literally wrote the book on the “Call To Action”. #NoPressure.

My first reaction is that the headline is an incomplete sentence until you read the sub-header. I prefer to use the sub-header as a supporting element for the headline – rather than a continuation of a sentence.

I like that the form uses the principle of encapsulation to separate it visually from the rest of the page, highlighting this as the area of interaction.

The design elements at the top and bottom feel like a distraction to me, and the top image essentially bumps the ebook image and form down for no real reason.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By removing the top-right design elements, the page layout will have more flexibility to raise the dominance of the form area, increasing downloads.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Lifting the form: I’d try testing removing the top-right shapes, and encapsulating the ebook inside the form area, so that the form placement is above the fold, where you’ll get a stronger sense that completing the form is in direct correlation with getting the ebook.
• Clearer headline: Try removing the shapes and run the headline right across the top, including a supporting sub-header for clarity. My suggestion would be:1st line “The Website Testing & Optimization Buyers Guide”
  2nd line “Let Bryan Eisenberg make your vendor selection easy”

Site: Bryan Eisenberg

5. Pear Analytics

Thoughts

This is a really really long landing page, which can be great for warming up your visitors so that they are making an informed decision. The conversion goal of this page is to get people to get a free assessment and become a highly qualified lead. The CTA at the end that directs people to a different page – breaking the rule of one page, one goal. In my mind, the page should be entirely focused on trying to get people to fill out the assessment form.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By focusing the whole page on getting a free assessment, there will be more form submissions, resulting in more qualified leads and potential business.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Refocus: I’m tempted here, to go for a big-bang approach, by changing a few things at the same time to shorten the page and keep it focused on the assessment form. These would be:
  • Removing the lead generation section at the bottom of the page.
  • Changing the bottom CTA to “Get My Free Internet Marketing Assessment” and have it jump them back up to the form. Notice the change from “Your” to “My”, which was shown to increase conversions in a test we ran recently.
  • Changing the form header to say something like “Get a Free Internet Marketing Assessment”.
  • Changing the button CTA from “Submit” (Grrrrrr) to “Get My Assessment”.
• Lightbox Benefits: Reduce the length of the page by listing the 6 benefits as bullets, then opening the full details on demand.

Site: Pear Analytics

6. Super Stock Jockey

Thoughts

I’m not entirely sure what platform this virtual trading game works on. The “Play now free!” CTA indicates that there is an online version (or potentially a download).

It also doesn’t explain any of the features that make it such a great virtual game.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By clarifying the platform and adding feature descriptions, the click-through-rate will increase.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Change the main CTA: Make a simple change to the button copy saying “Play free online now!” (if it’s indeed an online game).
• Add some feature/benefit statements: These could be in the form of bullet points for easy scanning, or a lightbox popup with more detailed descriptions complete with screenshots.
• Social proof: Mention how many people are already playing the tournaments to give a sense of its popularity.

Site: Super Stock Jockey

7. American Bullion

Thoughts

Oh dear. What am I supposed to do with this one? It’s a great page. So I’m going to do a 180 here and talk about what I like about it.

What I like

• Descriptive headline: The headline tells you what the page is about in three words.
• Simple intro paragraph: Describes what you’ll get for completing the form.
• Perfect form header and CTA: A descriptive form header and button copy.
• Supporting information: Everything you need to know is pretty much above the fold, but if you’re not convinced then you can check out a large amount of social proof below including: testimonials, media mentions and trust symbols.

The only thing I would add to this page would be a sub-header above the 3 steps to say what they are about: such as “About Gold Investing”.

Site: American Bullion

8. Brokers for Life

Thoughts

Another good page here. The do a good job of focusing on the form by having a CTA at the bottom jump you back up to the top. However, the most important area of the page, containing the headline, form and trust symbols, is difficult to read. The text is small and it all tends to blend into the background image.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By using the design principle of encapsulation the form area will stand out more making it clarify what the goal of the page is resulting in more form completions.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Encapsulation: Test placing a box behind the entire content section in the header photo to make it pop against the background.

Site: Broker For Life

9. Mines Press Pens

Thoughts

The headline is cute, but it doesn’t really explain what the page is about. Further down it get’s into what they are selling – promotional pens. What’s a promotional pen? There’s also a calculation about yearly impressions which makes it sound like a banner ad. Super confusing.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By explaining more clearly what a promotional pen is and why they are beneficial, the CTA click-through-rate will increase.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• What is a promotional pen?: In the headline describe clearly what a promotional pen is and why it’s beneficial. I’d try doing this with a two-layer headline. An example would be:Main headline: “Promotional pens help your business by _____”
  Sub-header: “They allow you to _____”.
• Details: Add a detailed description beneath the “Save 40% on our 6 best-selling pens” that describes exactly what a promotional pen is and lists bullet style, some benefits of “using one?” and how they are used.

Site: Mines Press Pens

10. Social Safe

Thoughts

Pretending I was arriving on this page from a paid search ad, my first introduction to the product was “Your library of you” which didn’t make me think of a digital social media product (which Social Safe is). Especially with the brick and mortar library photo in the background. The features below do a much better job of outlining what it is all about – but I may not get that far having seen the headline.

Hypotheses for A/B Testing

By changing the header to have a social media image coupled with a headline that talks about your social media life, there will be less page defections and more downloads.

By bringing social proof elements to the top of the page, more people will believe in the quality of the product, increasing downloads.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Header image: Consider using the cloud-to-safe image as the main image to illustrate more immediately what the product is for.
• Flow diagram: At the bottom the very last thing you see is a descriptive visual flow diagram. This would be much better served at the top of the page. It could even be in the main header if the headline was full width above it.
• Headline: Include a mention of social media in the headline to back up the image choice and make it clearer that it’s all about social media profiles. Profiles would be a good choice of wording for the headline of a supporting sub-header.
• Social proof: Bring the social proof indicators from the bottom to the top. This includes the “millions of posts have already been saved” statement, pointing at the download buttons. Make pace to include this with the download buttons at the top.

Site: Social Safe

11. Ganxy Ebook Sales

Thoughts

This page is begging for a CTA test. “Try it now” doesn’t say anything about what you are trying.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By including a sense of the service benefit in the CTA, click-through conversions will improve.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• CTA copy: Test alternative CTA copy that explains what you are going to sign up for. This will support the headline by explaining how you will achieve the promise outlined. An example replacement could be “Start selling your ebooks online now”.

Site: Ganxy

12. Florida Hospital – TAVR

Another excellent landing page. Although I don’t get a clear sense of what TAVR is right away (the tiny description of the acronym is hard to see). If you have highly targeted ads, then you need to make sure the headline is a clear match with them.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By being more explicit in the headline about what TAVR is, more people will be able to relate, staying on the page and completing the form as a result.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Headline change: I would test using the full name of the procedure, placing the acronym as a second element.”Is Valve Replacement (TAVR) Right for You?” followed by an explanation of what the acronym and procedure are in the first intro paragraph.

  Note: I can’t say if this enough information for people to understand it.

• Optimize for Pay-Per-Click: If there are any paid ads (AdWords etc.) driving traffic to this page, I would change the header to be text with a graphical background, compared to having one giant image. This would increase the Quality Score and the test would compare the change in Quality Score by making the header bot-readable.

Site: TAVR

13. TakeLessons

Thoughts

Being a location based service, it would be helpful to know the level of nationwide or state coverage.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By listing the range of coverage the service provides, there will be a greater confidence and relevance to a visitor, and as a result, form completions will increase.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Where: Mention where the service is available and perhaps add a map that shows precise locations.

Site: TakeLessons

14. Grab a Coffee with the Brendans

Thoughts

At first glance, I’m not sure why I would “grab a coffee with us”. Who is us? Where are you based? Is it a virtual coffee, or an actual sit down?

I also find “grow your business” to be to general and vague. I would think they’d have more success by using some of the copy used further down the page in the supporting headline, while clarifying where the coffee will happen.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

If we explain that we are offering an online marketing consultation, we’ll get more targeted companies filling out the consultation request form.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Headline: Test “arrange a free 1hr marketing consultation” vs. “grab a coffee” so that people know what they are signing up for. Use the sub-header to clarify how far the geographical net spreads (local or online). Then include the grab a coffee as a secondary element so the brand personality is maintained.

Site: The Brendans

15. SweetIQ Whitepaper Download

Thoughts

This is a fairly standard whitepaper/ebook download page, however the underlying design doesn’t support the aesthetic you’d expect from a brick and mortar targeted page. As an electronic document delivered online, it’s important to make it obvious that it’s for local businesses.

There are a couple of ways to do this. Use imagery to show physical businesses, either on the ebook or the background of the page or make the CTA very explicit about the ‘local’ aspect.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By focusing on the local business aspect in the CTA, there will be a better understanding of the local brick and mortar business relevance and more targeted downloads (creating better qualified leads).

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• CTA copy: I would test the current CTA copy against something more explicit like “Download your location based whitepaper now”, with a short supporting line beneath the button that says “For brick and mortar retail businesses”.

Site: By The Brendans

16. Do You Have Asthma?

Thoughts

I can’t find much at fault on this page, so I’ll revert back to what it does well.

Why This Landing Page is Good

• Clear headline and sub-header
• Directional cue: There is an arrow pointing from the sub-header to the form, helping to guide the visitor to the conversion goal.
• Encapsulation: This is a great example of how to use encapsulation to highlight a form, which is exactly what I was talking about for #8.
• Details: All of the main details needed are covered in simple terms – study criteria, length of trial and the cost. This is a great example of layman’s terms based writing.
• Questioned based CTA: Having a question for the CTA encourages engagement by making it more personal (and yay, no “Submit” copy).

Site: IMMUNOeResearch

17. Bounding Box Boxing

Thoughts

The visual design of this page is intriguing, but I don’t get a solid sense of what Bounding Box Boxing is right off the bat and would therefor have a hard time staying on the page.

Is Rhino 3D a viewing experience or a 3D modeling tool?

The prize money makes me confused. Can I win the money as a spectator? If I can’t, consider removing this, as you want to draw in spectators not competitors. Remember what is important to your audience.

Moreover, the CTA is so crowded with text that it doesn’t look like a button anymore, and requires some squinting to know why you would want to provide an email. Additionally, the “Coming Soon” buttons that are impossible to read below the Coming Soon text.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By adding a clear headline about how a ticket holder can experience the design competition and removing any misunderstanding about who is participating and who the prize money, will increase the chance of a form completion.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Headline test: Test a new headline like “Get free tickets to a 3D design competition in New York” – and relegate the prize money to the copy below (unless it’s somehow a prize for ticket holders).
• Add a FAQ: If I had this many questions, it’s likely that visitors will have a similar experience. Consider adding a short FAQ with answers to a few questions.

Site: Bounding Box Boxing

18. Benchmark

Thoughts

The page talks about small business, and then features giant companies. There seems to be a mismatch of company size that could make people perceive their offering targeted toward the enterprise market.

There are two different CTA’s on the page, both in color and copy. These could use more consistency, and represent what the next step will reveal (assuming the homepage).

No clear value proposition. I don’t know how the company differentiates from the 100 other email service providers out there.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By including a strong value proposition that illustrates why they are unique, people will be more willing to click through to the next step.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• Tagline: There could be a tagline right next to the logo (to use some of the wasted space up there) that helps define the company right away. After all, Benchmark doesn’t say email to me.
• The primary headline: This could be stronger, again, differentiation is key here. Why should I care about Benchmark? What’s the main difference? I’d suggest a 2-level headline where the main header explains the core benefit, and the secondary headline backs it up with supporting information (stats, number of customers etc.) Then I’d move it over the top of the first paragraph and video.
• Image or video of the software in use: Instead of focusing on a testimonial at the first level, I’d include some bullet points that support the headline again – and a video or screenshot of the software. (Then move the testimonial further down).

Test it and see…

Site: Benchmark Email

19. Zoho Lead Generation

Thoughts

You’d expect this to be a nice simple page given its short concise length. But I find myself literally going in circles – like the diagram – to decipher what the product and page is all about. The headline seems clear enough, generating leads. I’m also a bit confused by the focus on the diagram being about manual entry, as that seems like the most work of all the methods of lead entry.

The CTA is nice and big, which makes it dominant on the page. This is a great opportunity to solidify the purpose of the page, almost acting as a supporting headline. Sadly the CTA copy is “Get Started Now!” which doesn’t convey what you would be getting started on. I’d like to see the main purpose/benefit of the product included here.

Hypotheses for A/B Testing

CTA test:

By including explanatory copy in the CTA the purpose and main benefit of the product will be more apparent, raising the click-through-rate of the CTA.

Diagram test:

By replacing the diagram with a short video describing the solution the clarity and purpose of the page/product will encourage more clicks on the CTA.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• CTA: Test new CTA copy such as “Capture & Manage More Leads” with “Get Started Now” as a supporting message directly below the button.
• Video: Test the diagram against a video to see which provides more clarity. The video could be as simple as a simple voiceover as the circle revolves, explaining each method of adding leads.

Site: Zoho

20. Spousal Immigration to Canada

Thoughts

Well this is a first! An infographic on a landing page. Very cool. Although time consuming to read.

The opening headline is too situational, rather than descriptive. It would be stronger if it were simplified, rather than ‘cute.’ The infographic has it right: “Sponsor your spouse to Canada”.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By changing the page title to directly describe the purpose of the page, the bounce rate will be lowered, and conversions lifted.

Replacing the infographic with key facts in written form will improve the clarity and time spent reading, resulting in more people completing the form, as they will have a better idea of what the benefits of using FWCanada are.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Page title: Change the page title to “Sponsor your spouse to come to Canada” and use a sub-header that says something like “Let FWCanada make your sponsorship easy”.
• Replace the infographic: Take the key points out of the infographic to inform readers who can apply, who can be a sponsor, and how to apply. Probably in the form of an intro paragraph and sectioned sets of bullet points.

Site: Spousal Immigration to Canada

21. AT&T Authorized Dealer

Thoughts

What seems to be missing on this page is a description of the full package/plan (which may be buried in the fine print – but I wouldn’t read that unless I saw the high level details first).

It also doesn’t say whether you will qualify as soon as you click the button, or whether you will be contacted via email to take the next step.

BUT it says “Submit” on the button… #notahappycamper

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By clarifying the form purpose to explain why you are completing it, people’s expectations will be set in advance and they’ll be less hesitant to provide their email.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Form fields: If you find out if you qualify immediately upon form submission (via an online check), then consider removing the email address to decrease friction. If you will be contacted via email, explain this in the form header or on the CTA.

Site: AT&T Offer

22. Furniture Realm

Thoughts

So, what’s the conversion goal? Took me quite a bit of reading to get people to download a restaurant furniture buyer’s guide. For this reason I would suggest a headline test.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By changing the headline to focus on the conversion goal, more people will proceed to the form to download the guide (and produce more leads).

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Headline: The most important thing to test here is the headline. I would suggest testing the current one against a two-line header. Something like this:Line 1 “Download a free restaurant furniture buyers guide”
  Line 2 “From the UK’s #1 supplier”.

Site: Furniture Realm

23. Falcon Social

Thoughts

This page is actually a microsite, so I would first suggest ripping out the header and footer navigation to increase the on-page engagement and turn it into a promotion specific landing page.

What Falcon Social does really well is something that I’ve been preaching for a long time, namely the use of lightboxes to show extended content without leaving the page. This happens if you click any of the ‘learn more’ links.

However, the page lacks explanation of what the solution provides prior to asking someone to start a free trial. This could include having an introductory paragraph beside the video that mentions how long the trial is along and include a benefit statement.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By changing the CTA copy to a benefit driven statement and telling the customer what they would be when they sign up, more people will start a trial.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis:

• CTA copy: To test different CTA’s, I’d run the original against a core benefit CTA such as “Grow Your Brand Socially” and a 3rd CTA that says “Grow Your Brand Socially” with a smaller supporting “x-day free trial” directly beneath the button.

Site: Falcon Social

24. Orion Space Burial

Thoughts

My first thought was “Wow!” – getting your ashes shot up into space. Well not your own, but you know what I mean. Pretty cool concept, but I think I’ll wait a little before committing.

Having said that, the title “Launching Soon” is the cleverest coming soon title I’ve seen (and I’ve seen about 20,000 landing pages).

As promised, I’m calling out any “Submit” buttons. A form button should never say submit on it. In this case, something like “Send me more information” would be appropriate.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By describing how the ashes are transported into space and providing or alluding to information on costs, more qualified will be generated.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Logistics: Change the CTA to something like: ‘enter your email to find out how it works and how much it costs.’ This would be a good enticement to fill out the form.

Site: Orion Space Burial

25. Dodo Power & Gas

Thoughts

One confusing part of this otherwise simple landing page, is that there is a dropdown box to choose your location, yet there is a “Victoria Only” designation on the page. The required fields asterisk also clashes with the headline asterisk. For the headline one I’d use a different symbol to connect to the fine print.

And I’d just ask very politely that the button copy be changed from “Submit” to something more relevant.

Aside from that, I’ll reiterate the importance of having the headline in text rather an image. This will penalize you severely in the landing page quality quotient of your Adwords Quality Score.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By removing the required field for email address, more leads will be captured to receive an agent callback via the phone.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Form changes: Make the email field to be not required and change the CTA copy to reflect that an agent will contact you over the phone.
• Callback method: To get even more form submissions I’d suggest allowing the visitor to choose their preferred method of contact.

Site: Dodo Power & Gas

26. Tap for Tap

Thoughts

Sounds like a cool concept, apart from the fact that I had to read every word on the page to really understand the mechanism it’s based on.

They do have a video, but it’s on another page. The video on the other page uses a lightbox, which would be perfect for the landing page as a mechanism to educate without leaving the page. Another solution would be to have the video play right inside the phone image. Better yet would be two videos – to explain the two sides of the concept.

Hypothesis for A/B Testing

By including two embedded videos inside the phone images, the two-sided concept will clarify the concept. Removing the large “Watch Our Video” CTA will result in a single CTA with additional whitespace for clarity. These changes will result in higher engagement, and a higher click-through-rate.

A/B Testing Advice

Suggestions on what to test to prove the hypothesis

• Video: Test the current (A) page, against a B page with a lightbox video on the “Watch Our Video” link, and a C page that has the two videos embedded in the phone images.

Site: Tap For Tap

So there we have it, 26 landing pages critiqued for conversion and A/B testing. What do you think? Have your own testing hypotheses? Share them in the comments.

And what’s the biggest takeaway from this roundup of fabulous landing page examples?

Use a lightbox yo!

– Oli Gardner

The crazy badass Honey Badger has been on holiday, but now he’s back. Maybe it’s chilled him out, given him some perspective on his life? Who knows? All we know is, he’s been actively searching the internet for landing pages, this time focused on Software as a Service (SaaS) companies. Take it away Mr. B…

SaaS companies are seen as a way to introduce technology into an organization simply and easily, without the need to get bogged down with IT processes and procedures. That may be an over-simplification, but the audience for these services cannot be assumed to be technical, so the approach taken with landing pages has to reflect this. Jargon is out, features are in, and there should be a focus on simplicity. It’s also imperative to build confidence quickly, creating trust in the solution with the audience.

In this article we’ll look at cloud services offering everything from file sharing through to innovation, and see whether they make the right first impression with their landing pages. As always, all the landing pages were found using simple organic searches through Google, using only the advertisement links at the top and side of the results.

1. Bloomfire

Bloomfire is a social collaboration platform for teams. They were founded in 2010.

The Honey Badger likes:

• No forms, it’s all about the sale – the more fields in a form, the less likely it is to be filled out. Bloomfire remove it altogether and concentrate on the conversion. Even the incongruous yellow arrow serves a purpose; don’t hang around on the copy, just read the headline and get to the Call To Action (CTA).

The Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Low on features, high on jargon – all solutions will tell you you’ll get better results, increase sales, etc, etc. It’s too general to make much impact. A better line can be found in the main copy: “If you’re in search of easy-to-use, lightweight software […] look no further”. Make your copy, especially headlines, stand out from the crowd.
• Crowded design – it’s all there, a testimonial, clients, awards, but it’s all stuffed together. White space can benefit a design. Not having everything ‘above the fold’ doesn’t matter, people are used to scrolling for more information. This page would be better served by making more room for the individual elements, especially the testimonial.

2. Box

Box is a file-sharing service based out of Los Altos, California. Over the last seven years they’ve raised $248 million of venture capital funding.

Honey Badger likes:

• Does what it says on the tin – the headline copy says it all: no jargon involved. Simplicity appeals, especially when it’s solving a very real business problem. This kind of language also helps with SEO, as it mirrors the kind of query someone might use when searching for a file sharing solution. This is backed up with good clear sub-headings which aid the eye when skimming content.
• Interesting integration of video – it would be easy to just plop a video down in the middle of the form, but Box have gone for a more sophisticated option, blending imagery with the ability to play a video. If clicked, a pop-up appears containing the video. It’s good use of space, although admittedly some may miss it.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Nothing – yes, that is a double-negative, of which there may be one or two more. Overall, this is an effective landing page

3. Caspio

Caspio is an online database product. It enables people to create online databases for the capture and storage of data without the use of complex coding and development.

Honey Badger likes:

• Plain, but effective – I’ve said before that landing pages don’t have to be beautiful to be effective. This isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t overwhelm. There’s no form, a clear headline and sub-head that refer to differentiating features, and a small selection of impactful clients.
• Certifications – if you’re trusting data to the cloud it’s important to know that it will be secure. Caspio use the TRUSTe and PCI logos to establish this trust. You do have to be careful when doing this, as we’ve seen, ill-judged use can mislead users (see Test 8), but in this case their purpose is clear.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• The imagery – it seems superfluous; it doesn’t show anything of real value in the decision making process. If they want to show the variety of applications possible through the tool, they would be better served by using a rotating gallery showing larger images one at a time.
• The iconography – the ticks are reassuring, but don’t give any indication of the features. As we’ve seen before, clear iconography and imagery can help when skimming a page on first read. I’d like to see an A/B test performed with some clearer icons and less features in the list.

4. Talk Freely

Talk Freely is an internal business innovation system that encourages employees to co-create ideas based on set challenges.

Honey Badger likes:

• The client list – but it’s a push. It’s the only good thing about this page. If you have strong clients, it can help build trust; don’t throw it away.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• On-page navigation – a personal preference, but it’s becoming more common to include website navigation on landing pages. Yes, it integrates the page into the main website, but it also has the power to distract. Distraction reduces conversion, that’s why Amazon removes it during checkout.
• Conflicting CTAs – another bugbear of mine. Honey Badgers are simple animals, they can only do one thing at a time (usually chewing someone’s leg, but that’s another story). Make it clear what you want your users to do, give them one option; TalkFreely present me with five: learn, find out how it works, schedule a demo, download a white paper, and get a free trial. It’s all too much and it dilutes effectiveness.
• A video that’s not a video – our brains are tuned to particular visual cues. In this case the monitor image looks like it should be a video – possibly a by product of the generic stock photo – but it’s not. The page would be improved if it was, as it would enable users to find out about the features, which are conspicuous by their absence.

5. Syncplicity

Syncplicity shares the same file-sharing space as Box, but adds the twist of real-time backups into the mix. As a younger company, and unlike Box, they’re much smaller and have attracted a lot less funding.

Honey Badger likes:

• The Banner – although as with Talk Freely, it’s the best of an average lot. The banner copy is good, focussing in on a simple message, and the addition of the sub-head’s “business users and IT” is helpful. They’re appealing to both potential audiences – end user and the potential system owners. There’s also good use of key terms, such as sync, share, mobile, and protect – it gives top-level functionality right up front. The actual image is useless in this context though and adds nothing.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Bland copy – The sub-heads are useful in picking out the four groups of features, but the overall impression of the page is one of bland greyness. Better use of imagery and colour would bring this to life. A pair of shears taken to the copy wouldn’t hurt either; it could do with a trim. Don’t overload people with endless feature lists, just concentrate on a few that differentiate your product.
• Too much! – too much copy, too many client logos, too many testimonials – use rotators and other devices to limit the amount of data that people have to take in at first glance.
• Colour use – corporate colours provide identity, I understand that, but they can be limiting too. Syncplicity has a colourful logo (which I rather like), but only the blue is used. The yellow and orange could be used to create contrast and guide the eye to the most important parts of the page. Don’t underestimate the impact of colour on page structure and effectiveness.

6. Atlassian Confluence

An Australian company with global ambitions, they provide enterprise software solutions to over 20,000 customers. Confluence is their collaboration product.

Honey Badger likes:

• Structure – the page is long, but its structure is really clear. Layered page layouts like this can be very effective when you have a lot to say, as they create a clear hierarchy from top-line down into the dirty detail.
• Sense of humour – sometimes it’s the strength of an idea that makes a landing page. Atlassian have really hit the right tone with this page, showing Confluence as the cure to the disease of ‘Collaborative Dysfunction’. From the amusing medical advert video pastiche, through to the earnestly names symptoms, the page carries the idea all the way through. It’s engaging in all the right ways. Visit it… now! No, really.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Nothing – as with Box, this is a great landing page.

7. Equinix

Equinix, unlike some of the other companies here, provides the data centre services that underpin the cloud, rather than a cloud solution. They have data centres across Europe, America and Asia.

Honey Badger likes:

• The image and the quote – but before you get carried away saying ‘”What!” let me explain. The image and the quote fit together really well and form a strong introductory message – time means money. It’s just a pity that they didn’t make more of it.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• A missed opportunity – the image and the quote should be much more closely related visually (with the quote much larger) and top of the page. It would give the page context and set up the sub-heads. As it stands, you read the white on red text first and it makes very little sense. Make sure your elements support each other, and don’t forget (in English anyway) we read left to right and top to bottom!
• The form – yes, that again, don’t get me started. Multiple mandatory fields, including ones that are not relevant to conversion. First, get people to interact with you. If you have their contact details you can find out the extra information you need (like industry, location, and country). I’ll stop there. My head hurts.

8. Retayl

Retayl is a small UK-based agency that create cloud-hosted retail solutions using a blend of other services, including Shopify and Xero (both of whom we’ve featured in landing page critiques before). This landing page is a mixed bag.

Honey Badger likes:

• Simplicity – a clear heading, one list of freebies, a simple form. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a page to the point.

Honey Badger doesn’t like

• Over-simplicity – there’s value in visual cues. The lack of typography and any sort of imagery creates a page that is uninviting. Much more could be made of the brands they are working with, the offers they have negotiated, and of the CTA.
• Sales language – no-one believes that any offer is a ‘one-off offer’. It’s the kind of trick that double-glazing companies use when trying to get you to sign-up to outrageously overblown quotes. If the offer has an expiry that’s fine, state it, just be careful to avoid language that feels like coercion.

9. Anaqua

Anaqua Element is an IP management system – a specialised service for companies who want to develop, file and protect inventions through patents.

Honey Badger likes:

• Multiple languages – the internet is global, companies are increasingly multi-national as trade ebbs and flows around the world. Offering multiple language versions can help increase conversions, but don’t do it for the sake of it. Use analytics and tracking to understand where people are visiting your site from – preferable in advance of a campaign – and use that to guide your response.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Stock imagery – seriously, why do people still insist on this stuff? Don’t waste space on stock imagery, use it wisely to tell us about your product, with well-crafted copy or a relevant piece of imagery (or both).
• Conflicting CTAs – sometimes it makes sense to have multiple CTAs, but not often. If you have to register for one, but not for the other, then there may be an argument or if you are early in testing and want to gauge demand. However, a more elegant solution is to have one CTA and two different pages, then A/B test.

10. AtTask

AtTask specialises in cloud-based project and work management systems. We featured them only a couple of months back, looking at their project management product (see #7). Here we look instead at their team collaboration software. The question is: have they improved. The answer is: yes and no.

Honey Badger likes

• Much clearer copy and features – the features are listed without description, but with a clear icon, and the header copy is much shorter. Both of these things are very welcome changes. A roll-over on the feature description, revealing a short description, would be even better. This change to layout means that the client logos are further up the page, making them much more visible.

Honey Badger doesn’t like

• That form, still! – it was one of my main concerns last time and it remains so. In fact, the form has got longer by two fields (job role and department). It’s not necessary and it undoes the other good work.

11. Zoho Projects

Zoho are a veritable Swiss Army Knife of a company, having products for every conceivable purpose. Zoho Projects is a project management system that complements their other products, such as Zoho Docs.

Honey Badger likes:

• Clear relevant imagery – I like a nice big screenshot, they tell a good story. Zoho have chosen a screenshot that packs in the features, but is still readable. Imagery used in this way helps to set expectation and build trust with the user – they know what they are going to get.
• Big buttons (and convincer) – you can’t beat a clear CTA, and the big red button is certainly that. It’s oversized and dominates the page. It’s also paired with a convincer, a piece of text whose job it is to ensure the button gets pressed. Here Zoho apply peer pressure: with 720,000 users already doing it, why shouldn’t you?

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

12. GoToMyPC

GoToMyPC is an online service for remote-access to your home and work computers.

Honey Badger likes:

• Clear copy – features aren’t the strong point here, the main point is that you can access your computer remotely. GoToMyPC focus on a headline and copy that sells the benefits in simple language. Jargon is a real killer for landing pages, unless you have a very niche audience, don’t fall into its clutches.
• Layout – the layout of a page should read as we would read a book. This page does that, creating a logical journey: headline, image and description, sign-up, post sign-up actions. They could be visually clearer, but the essentials are in place.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• TRUSTe seal – as mentioned above, including this on a form can decrease conversions as users associate it with credit card transactions. There’s no fees here, but users may assume this is the case.

13. Volusion

Volusion creates ecommerce solutions for online businesses, including shopping carts and mobile commerce.

Honey Badger likes:

• Confidence – confident in your product, then show it. Don’t be afraid to compare, especially when you have a rich feature-set. Volusion does this. They take aim at Shopify and pull the trigger. It’s simple, blunt, but effective in persuading potential purchasers. It’s particularly useful where you have a clear competitive landscape and some areas of differentiation (that word again). It’s Marketing 101.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Nothing – this is a refreshing and combative page. It’s got a clear CTA, good use of colour and copy, and a structured layout.

14. ShareFile

A service for sharing files securely, ShareFile has over 4 million users worldwide (according to their own literature). Last year it was acquired by virtualization and software services giant, Citrix.

Honey Badger likes:

• Who’s signing up right now? – although you can’t see it in a still image, this is a feed that displays the latest registrations – live. It’s a gimmick, but like Zoho Projects, if you have a critical mass of users, it can be immensely powerful in building confidence in your product. A nice idea, well executed.
• Small selection of client logos – if you have big clients you don’t need to show many of them. ShareFile are selective, but with Pepsi, Nike and HTC on the books you can afford to be. One word of warning, selecting all large clients might put off small business customers. If SMBs are one of your target markets, make sure you make them feel at home.

Honey Badger doesn’t like

• Navigation – as with Talk Freely, the navigation is distracting. This page would be stronger without it. An A/B test would be beneficial in this case.

15. ISL Online

ISL Online is a UK-based company that create collaboration solutions based around online web conferencing and remote support services.

Honey Badger likes:

• Structural use of colour – by making the bottom half shades of grey (not that shades of grey) and the top half in colour, the page instantly has a hierarchy. The top is more important than the bottom. Using colour in this way, to weight content, is easy to do and guides the eye effectively. The same practice is used within the colour elements – the most important CTA is in the boldest colour (orange), the second in green, and the least important in grey.
• Relevant imagery – taking the time to create custom imagery can pay off. The image of the screen connected to the map says a lot about the product without a word being read. Much better than stock photos.

Honey Badger doesn’t like:

• Odd fonts popping up in the middle of a design – but hey, it’s not the worst crime in the world. At least it’s not MS Comic Sans. However, do be consistent with your design and if you do deviate, make sure it’s for a good reason. Consistency of visual language is vital in good design, breaking that consistency must be for a valid reason.

That’s your lot for this time. This is Mr H. Badger signing off.
Have you got comments? Do you agree or disagree with the Honey Badger? Are you a Honey Badger in spirit? Let us know in the comments section.

– James Gardner

Finding good landing page examples is the hardest thing in the world. Okay, perhaps second hardest compared to making the nasal snorting sound Brad Pitt made in Kalifornia…

Point is, they’re scarce. And when good, they’re often guarded closely to avoid competitors from copying them.

Luckily, Unbounce customers are amazing and they’ve surrendered some of their awesome designs for you to enjoy – and for me to critique (who doesn’t like a good roast!)

Enjoy these super fresh examples of designing for conversion…

1. Hootsuite University

What I like

• Obvious CTA’s: Strong contrast and and consistency make the 2 buttons stand out like a clickable sore thumb.
• Clear Value Proposition: Learn how to do social media like a pro is essentially the message they are stating. There’s plenty of value and anyone would get the purpose of the page instantly.
• Appeals to Collectors: The page shows the accreditation badge you can earn, which appeals to the cub scout collector type that likes to be seen as an authority on a subject.
• Cute Icon Change: The mascot adds to the flavor of the page with a simple graduation style hat.

Things I’d change or test

• Sample Video: As they are asking you to pay to join, I’d suggest adding a sample video to show people the quality of what they’ll be getting for their money.
• Value: Attaching a number to it (30 videos etc.) would help balance the value against the cost.
• Enhanced Benefits: I’d add a title above the last 2 screenshots, identifying them as benefits of membership. I’d also explain a bit more about the value of being added to the directory.
• Testimonials: Lastly, I’d add a testimonial from a current user that explains the benefit they or their company has attained from the educational series.

Site*: Hootsuite

2. Chilis – Kids Eat For Free

What I like

• Core Value Proposition Has Strong Appeal: Parents immediately know that they can get a family bargain, with the ‘Kids Eat Free’ statement, and the ‘Parents Feel Cool’ reminds them that their kids will like them for taking them out to eat.
• Physical Coupon: The action is physical due to the brick and mortar aspect of the conversion goal – to get a family to eat at Chili’s.
• Locations: There is a ‘Find Your Chili’s’ button that allows you to find a location suitable to you, which saves the time barrier of having to look it up elsewhere.

Things I’d change or test

• Who is this?: Add the name of the restaurant next to the logo – as not everyone will be familiar with the brand and the few references that do exist are very small.
• Context of Use: I’d like to see a photo of a kid with the crayons (and using them) – rather than just a stock image of crayons. This would ram home the fact that it’s a family event.

Site*: Chilis

3. Monetate – Live Chat Case Study

What I like

• Directional Cue: The arrow through the report makes it clear that you will get some kind of written document by completing the form, while leading your eye to the conversion area.
• Strong Headline: It’s strong in that you immediately know it’s about live chat. But it could be better as I’ll discuss in the change/test section next.
• Informative Bullet Points: The bullets separate the important benefits from the rest of the copy, and let you know what you’ll be getting in the case study.

Things I’d change or test

• Access What Now?: I’d change the CTA to ‘Access Case Study’.
• Make the Headline Clearer: Although good, it does cut right to the core of what the page is about. It could be improved with a very simple change: “Is Live Chat a Winner or a Loser on Your Site?” This lets people know that Monetate has the answer to the question and that it’s for your website.
• Supporting Paragraph: I’d make this more prominent (larger font). I’d also consider making the rest of the text large to better balance the left side of the page with the right. This would make it more readable, and you could add a second directional cue to lead them to the CTA after reading the text.
• Social Sharing Buttons: To remove unnecessary distractions, I’d move the social buttons to the confirmation page.
• Add a Preview: To ensure your visitors are confident in the quality of your case study, add a preview of a chapter or segment to let them ‘Look Inside’ – to use the Amazon model.

Site*: Monetate

4. GiviGiv

What I like

• Tugs at Your Heartstrings: The photo is emotive, especially with the dog staring you directly in the eye to make a connection and keep you on the page.
• Guided Process: The 3-step process at the bottom makes it very clear how it all works.

Things I’d change or test

• What’s the Form For?: There is no heading to the form area to describe the purpose. The description of the purpose of the page is actually right at the bottom of the page – bring this up and make it part of the main header – or connect it to the form so people know what they’ll get for entering.
• Weak CTA: The CTA doesn’t help matters by simply saying ‘Submit’.
• No Privacy Policy: If you are collecting an email, always have a privacy policy and ‘no spam’ statement. Ideally stick the privacy policy link beside the email form field.
• Weak Sub-Header: The sub-header makes you feel good but doesn’t explain the brands’ purpose (which is not obvious from the brand name).
• Description is Small: The description of what the service (in the grey stripe) is quite small – I’d make this more prominent so that people get the concept right off the bat.

Now I’m going to go and cry for being so mean to GiviGiv. For the record – GREAT idea!

Site*: Falcon Social

5. Falcon Social

What I like

• Clear Value Proposition That Identifies Target Users: The primary headline explains what the product does, and the secondary header explains the level of users it’s for – teams and enterprise companies.
• Well Stated & Designed CTA: Tells you exactly what you’ll get – a free trial. It also stands out with stark contrast and stays nicely above the fold.
• Testimonials & Endorsements: Quotes and logos from big name companies establish trust and the level/size of company the product can handle.
• Feature/Benefit List Leads to Second CTA: After reading what the product does, you are again prompted with a nicely placed CTA, to sign up for a free trial.

Things I’d change or test

• Leaks: Remove the link leaks from the footer. The destinations are not comparable to the main CTA and shouldn’t give visitors the chance to wander.
• Learn More Links: this is a weird one. The CTA’s load in a lightbox, where I would expect them to move you on to another page to sign up. Yet the 6 feature links take you away from the page (more leaks) – when THEY should be the one using lightboxes to expand on the feature details without moving away from the page. I’d reverse this.

Site*: Falcon Social

6. Got Gout?

What I like

• Perfectly Executed Headline: The question format and clarity of the headline is perfect. ‘Do you have Gout & heart disease?’ – if you do then you’re going to stick around – and you have to assume that people coming here are very targeted having come from ads that speak to the same issue. I’d bet on high conversions.
• Great Lead in With the Form Header: The statement ‘Find out if you qualify’ is a great teaser. Like those IQ quizzes, your curiosity makes you want to know.
• Clear CTA posed as a Question: This is followed perfectly by the CTA which will take anyone who has completed the form and give them the extra nudge required to click.

Things I’d change or test

Nothing! It’s a great landing page. Covered with enticing questions that make you feel like you are in the right place (hope) or comfortable that you shouldn’t be there (if the questions on the left don’t apply to you).

Site*: ClinEdge

7. Yoga In The Park

What I like

• Social Proof: Usually I recommend that people put their social widgets on the confirmation page, but in this instance, this actually is a confirmation page.

Things I’d change or test

• Confusing Page: The page makes your eye wander all over the place for the most important elements. The title is pretty clear, but nowhere on the page is the city mentioned. It may be a very geo-targeted campaign, but if not, I’d include the city in the title.
• Social Proof: I’d give precedence to the Facebook button as it has the highest number, and place it on the left, then encapsulate them in a surrounding box with an instruction for people to interact.
• Hidden CTA: Make the ‘Add to Calendar’ CTA much bigger and place it closer to the top, right beneath the ‘You’re on the List’ title.

Site*: Flavor Pill

8. PPC Analyzer

What I like

• Use of Copy Highlighting: Highlighting the word inefficient is good, but it draws your attention away from the headline. Which is actually a good thing in this case, as the sub-header is where the meat of the headline is.
• Encapsulation: The form area is nicely highlighted by the box that draws your eye to it through the use of contrast and encapsulation.
• Benefit Statements: the page is kept simple in terms of copy, and the 3 points at the bottom of the page focus on benefits, which generally appeal to people more strongly than features.

Things I’d change or test

• Headline: The headline starts by triggering a psychological fear not to waste money, but it’s only saved by the sub-header to give it any context. Even saying ‘Stop Wasting Money on PPC’, would make it more instantly clear to an impatient visitor.
• Get the Analysis: Implies that the analysis has already been explain to the visitor. But really, they have to guess what analysis they are going to get. Is it a general analysis? Is it a report based on your website?
• Beta: After reading that I can get the analysis, the CTA paints the picture that, in reality, I can’t. ALL you are able to do is sign up for the beta – which could imply that you’re just being added to a list and won’t receive an analysis at this time.
• Highlight: Try highlighting the entire sub-header.

Site*: PPC Analyzer

9. SocialMouths Contest

What I like

• The Tagline: this is probably the best part of the page, as it explains what you can get by entering the contest.
• Bullet Lists: There are 2 lists; One based on how-to’s and what you will learn, the other dedicated to the finer details of what the price contains.

Things I’d change or test

• Confusion Over the Source: I know (electronically) Francisco from SocialMouths, and the page is branded with his sites name. Yet, you have to click away from the page to find out who he is. There is nothing else on the page to back up the connection. If he is being used to endorse/provide the content or contest, then he should have some primary page real-estate dedicated to showcasing his profile.
• Timeline: How long does the contest run? There is nothing to tell me this.
• CTA says ‘Submit’: Grrrr. My biggest pet peeve. This should describe what will happen when you click the button! Just write ‘Enter the Contest’. It’s that easy. And include a statement close by that says that winners will be notified by email. Better yet, have a winners page, where people can check back to on the final date (that isn’t supplied) to see if they won. This is a second chance for engagement that’s being missed out on.

Site*: Contest run by StartupPlays

10. Wedding Films

What I like

• Simple Headline: the headline is clear and action oriented.
• Clear Package Descriptions: The page is so simple that it’s easy to see what you get for your money.
• Form states it’s Purpose: The header explains that you are checking availability.
• Practice What You Preach: I like the fact that they use video to showcase their talents. After all, it’s video you are buying. If it were a wedding photographer, then photos would be more appropriate.

Things I’d change or test

• CTA: This is the only thing I’d play with and it’s very minor. It’s okay, but would be better if it said something like ‘Check Availability Now’.

Site*: Created by Get Found First

11. Opus Lounge & Hotel

What I like

• Sense of Experience: The background immediately puts you in a good mood, and shows the hotel as the boutique experience that it is. Coupled with comfortable-looking living setting in the suite, it does a good job of making you want to explore more, especially to see the bedroom.
• Visually Strong CTA: The CTA is the most obvious thing on the page (+1 for that). It balances use of the color palette of the page, while making it stand out vibrantly from the background.
• Exclusivity: The subtext on the CTA makes sure you use this as your portal to book by saying it’s the only way to get the discount.

Things I’d change or test

• Lack of Obvious Branding: I live in Vancouver and have been at this hotel on several occasions so I got it right away, but for the uninitiated, there should be a stronger sense of what Opus is: a hotel & lounge. The title ‘Be Scene,’ is wasted space, and could say something more specific to entice visitors to stay and read on.
• What’s the Offer: What are you saving 15% on? Assuming it’s for a room in the hotel (the free wifi hinted at that), then is it for the entirety of your stay?
• Show the iPad: There’s an iPad 2 in every room. Show it off with an image.
• Include a photo gallery: Let people take a virtual walk around the hotel. This will give them the information they need to make an informed decision.

Site*: Opus Hotel

12. Backupify

What I like

• Bold Claims Backed up By Testimonials: I like how the powerful headline is followed up quickly with two testimonials.
• Trust: The 3 bullet points in the header show that this is a well used service.
• Plans: Users are nicely segmented by the size of your company.

Site*: Backupify

13. Photo Merchant

What I like

• Clarity of Purpose in Headline: The headline tells you what you can do (build a site quickly) and the sub-header lets you know that it has an ecommerce component for selling your prints.
• Designed With Target Market in Mind: As a photographer, I find the design appealing as it reminds me of some of the software I use.
• Low Barrier to Entry: No credit card required removes any reason NOT to continue. May as well right?

Things I’d change or test

• Make the Sub-Header Bigger: The ability to sell prints from the site is a BIG selling point and distinguishes it from the average site builder. Let this feature shine.
• Repeated CTA: If you click the image, you’ll see that it’s a long page, and they nicely repeat the CTA at the bottom after showing you who uses the product.

Site*: Photo Merchant

So, did you learn anything? Hopefully the examples and critiques will help you when you do your next landing page design. Let me know in the comments if you agree/disagree with anything I’ve said. Let’s talk.

– Oli Gardner

Not all landing pages are created equally…

In the United States small business accounts for 44% of GDP and employs 60 million people. In the United Kingdom, small businesses are responsible for 60% of private sector jobs.

That’s a lot of money and a lot of jobs. It’s also a big market place. In this article we’ll be looking at landing pages that are focused on selling to small businesses and asking one thing: do they cut the mustard?

Despite their importance to the economies of the US and UK and their combined buying power, selling to small businesses requires a particular approach: one based around value, not scale, and focused on ease-of-use, not enterprise features. Lined up below are eight landing pages from big and small organizations; let’s see how they get on.

1 – ZoHo Email Marketing

ZoHo are a provider of cloud-based services for businesses, including CRM, Email Marketing, Accounting and Project Management. They also have an online office suite that is a direct competitor to Google Docs.

For their email marketing product they’ve taken the simple approach, both in terms of copy and visuals, and it’s an approach that resonates with small businesses. Everything on this page says “Easy to use”, from the headline to the sub-header and on to four bullet points. Two stand out in particular:

1. Zero TCO (Total cost of ownership): it costs me nothing to run, so doesn’t hit my cashflow.
2. Google Apps integration: ZoHo understand that Google Apps has a large userbase within small business, so integration is a real selling point.

By using video to deliver the details, they can avoid information overload.

The clincher – “Get 2500 emails free!” – is also good for small businesses, as for small businesses with small client lists, 2500 emails goes a long way.

Overall, a well thought out page that strips away any clutter and concentrates on benefits.

2 – Google Apps for Business

Google Apps is the market leader in providing small business software. The Apps suite, by their own admission, “is used by over 4 million businesses”. And as well as making very good software, they also make a good landing page.

Google’s competitor in this space is Microsoft – as they’ve cornered the office productivity space for many years through Microsoft Office (and to a lesser extent Microsoft Exchange) – so it’s important for Google to display their credibility.

This page does this excellently. How?

The initial focus of the page is on a carousel of five case studies – two of which are video-based. There’s good attention to detail here, as each consists of an image and quote, so testimonials are front and center. The case studies are all of small businesses, and across a number of different industry areas. This is important for credibility, as customers want to know that people like them, with the same challenges and issues they face are also using the product.

The secondary element is a set of tabs – one per product. Each of these acts as a landing page in and of itself. The copy is sharp – bullets are used to pick out key benefits and make it easy to absorb information. There’s another testimonial statement to support the individual products, and finally, there’s a product video where you can find out more. The repeated call to action – one at the top, one at the bottom (with additional information to push the viewer to convert – support and ‘no credit card required’) also work well.

This is a brilliant landing page. It’s visually appealing, well-structured, and has oodles of information for those who want to explore, all without looking cluttered. Google, I doff my cap to you.

3 – Wave Accounting

The format of the page is a little different to a standard top-down pages; it’s split into columns and uses tabs to uncover supporting information such as testimonials and media. Usually I’d like to see these a little further upfront, certainly the testimonials, and I think it would be worth performing some A/B testing to understand that element.

That said, the page is structured well – the headline is unequivocal “Free Accounting Software”, there are large images that show clear details of the product, and a set of three clear bullets that address the key questions that small businesses are going to ask about a free product:

1. Are you going to sting me for money once I really start using it (no)
2. Is it limited to just one user (no)
3. Is it safe to leave my information with you (yes)

It’s a good example of how to talk to small business, where budgets are tighter and there are fewer resources to support systems.

4 – Vocus Marketing Software

Vocus creates cloud-based marketing and PR software which is able to track your campaigns across traditional and social media channels.

As far as landing pages go, they’ve got all the right elements in place, but this page contains one of my biggest bug-bears: asking for too much data.

Conversion is all about making it easy, something we’ve seen from all the landing pages so far. Vocus have unfortunately made a rather daunting form to request a demonstration of the product. There are thirteen fields in all and all of them mandatory! The worst of these is the field for Annual Revenue, which contains three options, the smallest of which is $4m. A lot of small business don’t turn over this kind of money and immediately it makes the product look like it’s designed for larger companies – it’s a real turn-off.

If you’re setting up a landing page, make sure you understand your audience. It’s easy to know where the click came from, so make sure your messaging is right for that audience. In this case, Vocus should either remove the field altogether for small businesses, or provide some more appropriate options. Personally I would do the former, as it’s too early in the conversion funnel to be asking this sort of information – get them interested before you start to segment your potential customers.

A good start let down by a poor sign-up form.

5 – ZoHo CRM

Two from ZoHo – am I turning into an advocate of their software? Fear not, I’m simply picking on them to show how one company can take two very different approaches to product landing pages.

There are some good elements in this page: the “25,000 customers and counting” gives credability, and the repeated use of the phrase “Get more leads, close more deals & save 50%” can be effective in driving home a message. But…

1. It’s really busy: Give your users something that is short and memorable to read. Eleven bullets is too much. Focus on the important elements and let the user explore the rest (as we saw with Google Apps), either through video or additional tabs and pages.
2. There’s no imagery beyond the logo: Visuals are so important. If it’s truly “EASY Online CRM”, show me! It should be a selling point. There’s also no iconography. Icons can be used to help users to easily identify the subject of different bullet points or areas of the page – here they could have been used to help separate the bullet points into functional groups, making the content easier to consume.
3. The testimonials are good: But they’re hidden away. Don’t hide your testimonials – they help people to identify with you, and it’s especially important for small businesses. They want to see other small businesses benefiting from the product.
4. Finally, and a real gripe: If you do click through it takes you to a page that asks you to sign up for a fifteen day trial of “Enterprise Edition”. NO! So far you’ve been talking about FREE software – you know, the last bullet point where you say “Get started with Free edition – 3 users FREE!” So I click on ‘Get Started Now’ and you take me to something that isn’t what you promised. It’s a poor experience and the user will feel like they’re being swindled. Make sure your messaging is consistent throughout the sales and conversion funnel.

6 – Xero Accounting

Wow, I’m glad I got that off my chest. Let’s have something a little more simple and effective.

Xero Acounting make “Beautiful Accounting Software”. They’ve also made an effective, if quite functional, landing page.

Moving away from ZoHo CRM, this is a real lesson in how to do the basics well. We’ve got a clear call to action with supporting statements to aid conversion, clear imagery showing that the software can run on desktop and mobile, clear typography that highlights the key benefits and two testimonials.

It might not be the most beautiful landing page, but it is put together well.

It could be improved by the use of video – preferably to augment the imagery rather than add more elements to the page. An A/B test would prove the relative effectiveness of this change.

7 – Sanderson Unity Express

Here’s an interesting one. Sanderson have been around for a few years – I know this because I remember them sponsoring the Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday football kits back at the end of the 90′s – but I’ve never seen an online advert for them before this. To be honest, if I have to wait another fifteen years for the next one it won’t worry me.

It’s got a lot of the right elements, don’t get me wrong, in fact it’s got too many of the right elements. It’s also got corporate-copy-itis, a dreadful condition where copy grows to double it’s normal size. Here are two reasons why the page doesn’t work:

1. CTA: The page contains three competing Calls To Action, a recipe for confusion. The least useful of these (Download a brochure) is also given number #1 billing at the top right of the page. The other two are shown in buttons that contain exactly the same styling, giving me no indication of what they want me to do. Should I request a call or a demonstration? Here’s a suggestion – why not do both at the same time through one form, and give the brochure away as an added extra.
2. Poor video quality: The running time is great, it’s bite-size at 34 seconds, but it feels much longer. Instead of a voiceover or a demonstration, there’s simply some stock-bought muzak and a few phrases floating about on screen. When it does eventually show you a screenshot, it’s underwhelming and in 360px resolution. Video can make or break a page, so invest in something high quality and well scripted.

Effective landing pages keep things simple and have a clear journey from headline to conversion. I reached this page from an advert that was served to me as a small business – all this page makes me think is ‘corporate’ and it’s a real turn-off.

Sanderson really need to think about the key CTA for this page and redesign based around that action.

8 – Halogen eAppraisal

On the outside, Halogen eAppraisal’s landing page looks like it will do the job, but it’s all about the details and this is where the page lets itself down. Small Businesses should not be treated the same way as Enterprise customers – I’d go so far as to say that you should try to segment your customers as much as possible for really good conversion rates.

Halogen make that mistake here. It’s great to have client logos on your landing page, but they must resonate with your target audience. Small businesses don’t see themselves in the same context as BMW, Sharp or Toshiba, they want to hear from their peers. This theme continues throughout the copy.

And there’s the final lesson for today – one we can all learn from – if you’re spending money on paid search and attracting clickthroughs to your landing page, make sure your attracting the right sort of audience. Because if you aren’t, you’re throwing money straight into the garbage disposal and nobody wants to do that, right?

What are your tips for marketing to small businesses? How do you make your landing pages tick the boxes for SMB clients? Let us know in the comments.

– James Gardner

I don’t care about your landing page.
(Image source)

Editor: Honey Badgers want honey so badly that they’ll do anything to get it (including getting stung by 1,000 Africanized bees). So if you can make a page that persuasive, you’re winning. Unfortunately not all of them do.

With that, I’ll hand you over to James Gardner (no relation), who’ll walk you through 15 pages, an overview of their customers and what’s good and bad about them, some might get a little bloody, but there’s gold in there too, he makes a lot of sense and has some great advice, so pay attention.

Over to you James…

If there’s one thing a business wants from its landing pages, it’s conversions.

In this article we’ll look at 15 landing pages and critique them for conversion; looking at the good, the bad, and the indifferent. The key to driving a high conversion rate lies in understanding your audience, which is why I’ll dig into the types of customers they’re serving. If you do that, then at least you’ve given yourself the best possible chance. So who’s up first? Oh look! Adobe…

1. Adobe Indesign 6

Adobe are well known for their Creative Suite products, of which Indesign is a core part.

As a company they’re well practiced in the art of creating landing pages and this is a good example. It’s a simple two-column layout, with the left-hand column giving information on the product and the right-hand column concentrating on conversion. The CTA (Call To Action) panel is visually dominant and the high visibility buttons make it easy to see what is going on. They’ve also used a hierarchical structure within the CTA column, starting with a simple ‘Try or Buy’ for the product, followed by a an upsell to the ‘Creative Cloud’ and then the kicker, an invitation to upgrade from your existing product.

They’ve also repeated the CTA at the bottom of the left-hand information column as well; capturing those who are concentrating on the information available on the page.

All in all, it makes for an effective and compelling reason to click through and convert.

2. UberVu

UverVu is a social media monitoring and management tool, available as a cloud-based service. They brand themselves as ‘The world’s leading provider of real-time social marketing intelligence’. Their primary customers are businesses, and in a competitive market, their landing page conversion needs to be spot-on.

They do a good job. It’s all about simplicity with this landing page – giving you just the who (the name and strapline), the what (an overview video), the why (a set of logos for their other customers) and finally the CTA. Even the form is kept simple, with just five fields required to get you up and running on your free trial.

A nice touch here; the CTA box heading makes it clear what you are signing up for, and the button reinforces the same message. It’s not ‘submit’ or ‘go’, it’s ‘Try it free’. It would be even better if it said “Start Your Free Trial”. This helps to push any last minute doubts away as the user clicks to convert.

Landing Page #3 – OpenOffice

OpenOffice is a office productivity suite that is aimed squarely at Microsoft Office. It’s main customers are those who need to access to Office functionality but who don’t have the budget to but Microsoft’s applications. They’ve got a tough job, as Microsoft Office is the de-facto standard for office applications.

This comes across clearly on their landing page. It’s longer than UberVu’s but they’ve done a good job of cutting the page clearly into three sections.

The first is focused on the key conversion information and consists of a list of high-level capabilities (the top one being ‘Open all Microsoft Office formats’), testimonials from influential online review sites, and finally a clear instruction to ‘Download Now’.

The second is a convincer. For those who aren’t convinced that this is the right replacement products, it presents more information on the individual applications. Once again, this is accompanied by a CTA box, reinforcing that this is a free and fully featured product (unlike some of their competitors who may offer limited trial versions).

The third section is screenshots, for those who need to see what they are getting. This is, unsurprisingly, followed by another CTA box.

Open Office’s landing page is a good example of building a case for conversion in stages – with each stage providing more detail or a variation on the argument for downloading the product.

Landing Page #4 – Serif Photoplus X5

The graphics and photo editing software market is another crowded place. Unfortunately, Serif PhotoPlus doesn’t do itself any favours on its landing page.

The elements are correct – we have some good ratings from trusted sources and a clear set of actions to take (supported by price information, which can often be hidden). There’s also a tabbed section where all the features, benefits and system requirements can be found.

The issue lies with copy. Good copy; copy that is structured visually and written tightly, helps us to take in information quickly. This page contains too much copy in the ‘above the fold’ and it’s all in one block. The opening text is your opportunity to say what you are and why the user should stick around to find out more, and Serif misses the point here. This copy should be rewritten with informative headings and structural elements such as lists.

Landing Page #5 – Gimp

From one piece of graphics software to another. When your main competitor is Photoshop, it’s tough, but that’s where Gimp finds itself.

However, unlike Serif, Gimp does a great job of selling itself, and it’s all about the copy. The big font and catchy copy really makes it clear what they want you to do and makes it ridiculously easy for you to do it.

Here’s the conversation flow for the page:

Page: “Get Gimp”

User: “What’s Gimp?”

Page: “It’s like Photoshop, only 100% free”

User: “Okay, how do I get it?”

Page: “Get Gimp for your Operating System, look, there’s even a picture of a cursor arrow to show you where to click”

Of course, they do provide additional information if you need more convincing, and it’s all presented clearly through headings and visuals, rounding off with another opportunity to download the software.

This is a great example of how copy can help you convert.

Landing Page #6 – Podio

If UberVu was all about simplicity, then Podio is all about volume.

A good lead image shows compatibility with desktop and mobile, and gives you a clear idea of what the product offers. A picture is worth a thousand words (and a video even more). It’s also got a clear CTA and structured copy.

But the testimonials section, it’s really long. Is this good?

Testimonials can be incredibly persuasive in getting consumers to convert, especially when they are from big brands. Podio takes a different approach, removing the brands and making it personal. We’ve got numerous testimonials from individuals using the product, creating a tidal wave of positivity about it. And to bring it home, there’s a picture of each person next to their quote. It’s a change from the norm, but when you don’t have the big brands to call on, it can be very effective.

Landing Page #7 – AtTask

Sometimes it’s the little things that can let a landing page down. AtTask, a provider of project management software, looks like it has everything covered with this landing page, but looking more closely it doesn’t hang together. Why?

1. Poor Imagery – if your going to put a picture of the software on your page, at least make it readable, otherwise it can’t tell me anything. The only thing I can see are two very Excel-looking graphs. Underwhelming.

2. Lack of clarity – the heading on the CTA says ‘View Demo’, the button says ‘Play Demo’. What starts out looking like I’m going to get a personal call with someone taking me through the software, is actually only giving me access to a video. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but I’m being asked to give away a lot of information just to see a video. To drive conversions, always be crystal clear about what you are offering, and don’t over estimate its value. In this case, AtTask should be offering the video for free, possibly replacing the image, and using the CTA registration form to book a personal call. They should also minimize the amount of data the user is expected to enter – it’s a barrier to conversion.

Landing Page #8 – HootSuite Pro

Another simple landing page from another social media management platform, this time it’s HootSuite.

HootSuite Pro is the paid version of their free product, and offers business the ability to manage more platforms and work more effectively as a team. Unfortunately, the landing page doesn’t give us enough reasons to make the jump; in fact it comes up short in a number of areas.

The CTA is good, it’s got a clear headline and the button text supports the ’30 day free trial’ messaging, but the supporting information is poor. The image is accurate but uninspiring, a video would provide much more clarity. The quote from Pete Cashmore, the influential and well-known editor of Mashable, is small and fades into the background thanks to the grey font. Finally, the bullets don’t give any indication of how the Pro product is better than the free version.

The supporting information around your main CTA can be crucial in delivering conversions, make sure it delivers.

Landing Page #9 – Autodesk

Video, yes, it’s important, but not so important that you can do away with everything else. This landing page from Autodesk leaves me confused because it fails to give me any indication of why should watch the videos, and what I’m going to get out of them. The only context I have is the headline. I don’t even know what product this is about until I get to the videos (Autodesk Plant Design Suite, if you’re interested).

This confusion is compounded by the poor CTA’s. Calling a reseller is fine – but about what? Free trial – of what exactly?

This is a great example of how not to use video. Sorry guys.

Landing Page #10 – Intuit Quickbase

It’s fair to say that Intuits Quickbase landing page isn’t the greatest looking landing page in the world, from the stock photography to rather clunky layout, but it does its job.

A good hierarchy and flow takes us through who, what, why and on to CTA. We’ve got good brands, clear features and a nice bright CTA button.

Which just goes to show that landing pages don’t have to be the most beautiful pages in the world to be effective (although it does help).

Landing Page #11 – Nuance

Nuance create document management solutions, helping business create electronic records from physical documents.

In this case, they have testimonial quotes and customer brands, but they’re not strong. To counteract this they have moved them from the bottom of the page. Unfortunately this leaves the page trading on a straight one to one between your readiness to give up your data and the perceived value of an interactive demo. This isn’t a position you want to be in ideally, as there’s not enough information available upfront on which the user can make a value judgement.

Nuance need to re-evaluate the value of the content to be given away, ideally giving more for free upfront, so that the leads that come through are of higher quality (rather than just people registering for something that they should already have).

When optimizing conversions, always make sure that your users have enough information to hand to give them the confidence to contact you.

Landing Page #12 – Club Wembley

Wembley is a fantastic stadium, but this isn’t a fantastic landing page. Landing pages should represent your brand and this simply doesn’t. Wembley trades on visceral experiences, such as the excitement of an England international where fans live out dreams. (And I should know – I saw England beat Croatia 5-1 at the new Wembley and qualify for the 2010 World Cup; it was a great night). The landing page should remind us of these, it’s part of the reason why people would sign up to Club Wembley.

On a practical note, the copy is unstructured, with key information hidden within the bland paragraphs, and the white text on a grey background a real no-no for readability.

When creating a landing page, don’t forget the value of your brand and your product. Make sure it is commensurate with these values and does them justice.

Landing Page #13 – Sentiment Metrics

This is another landing page that fails to pass the Conversion test. Yes, the CTA is clear, but the rest of the page is a mess. Landing pages shouldn’t ideally exist within your main site, although a few will. They are an opportunity to talk directly to a captive audience, so everything on that page should focus on a single goal – the conversion.

Sentiment Metrics have made the mistake of setting their page within the structure of the main site, and the result is a mess. We’ve got navigation elements and contact details, a search and a feedback tab; it’s all too much. This should have been a standalone page with customized information that is designed to take the user through the conversion journey. It might be a great product, but from this landing page I really can’t tell.

Landing Page #14 – uTest

UTest are a professional testing company. This landing page offers a whitepaper on Agile Software Testing, from which it gives us three tips as an extract: Feedback Loop, Define Your Matrix and Capture Data.

All good, but business jargon. In this case it would be better to give out only one example, but in more depth, than three at a high-level. The art of the extract is to provide something compelling up-front that will drive the conversion. Make sure that the value of the give-away weighs up against the effort required to register.

Otherwise this landing page has the basics covered.

Landing Page #15 – Match.com

To finish off, I thought I would look at something very different: Match.com. Match.com is an online dating site and relies on people converting for its operating revenue. The most valuable content it has is its members, so they do the most sensible and obvious thing to get you to convert – they let you take a look around.

What’s great about this landing page is that they fundamentally understand the value of their product. Without asking for anything more than an area of the country, they will provide you with a teasing glimpse of what is available – who knows, if the user sees someone they like, they’ll be sold right there and then.

It breaks most of the rules of standard landing pages, but just goes to show that if you want to drive conversions you have to start by understanding your product and your consumer. If you do that, you’ll be able to create engaging landing pages that really drive conversions and, ultimately, your business.

Let’s discuss in the comments.

– James Gardner

It’s that time again, where we showcase and critique some awesome landing page examples to inspire your next designs. Last time we looked at 35 Beautiful Landing Page Design Examples. Today we’re focusing solely on lead generation landing pages, so if you are in the business of list building, you should be able to learn a lot from these ones. And thanks again to our customers who built the pages and agreed to let us show them off.

10 Tips for Lead Gen Conversion: At the end of the post, I’ll be doing a recap of what we’ve learned over the course of these critiques so you have a starting place for your next page.

1. Right Signature

What I like

• Nicely encapsulated form: The first thing you see on this page is the form – it’s beautifully positioned and designed for clarity using the rule of encapsulation. And it will always be above the fold.
• Clear info about what you’ll get, including freebies for extra incentive: The text beneath the button helps put the visitor at ease by describing what will happen next – and the addition of some free usage is a good incentive to sign up.
• A headline that describes exactly what the product does: I love this headline. It’s so clear and to the point that you couldn’t fail to understand what the service does instantly.
• Demonstration of simplicity: The 3-step design below the main area makes it really quick to understand how the service would be used, which will limit the number of bad leads you’ll get as they know what they’re signing up for.
• High profile testimonials: Big trust factors come from these testimonials and they help describe the benefits at the same time as showing off the exposure the service has received.

Things I’d change or test

• Nothing!: I could go on all day about why I like this page, but I have too many more to write so I’ll stop now. Great job RightSignature.

Site*: rightsignature.com

2. Monetate eBook

What I like

• Design of eBook image shows professionalism: By having a nicely designed cover you show that time and effort went into it’s creation (as opposed to a boring plain white cover).
• Simple bullets break down why you would want the eBook: The headline for the bullets “You’ll learn” really sets the tone that it’s useful and listing what you will get out of reading it (as opposed to what’s in it) is a much stronger benefits driven approach.
• Clear definition in headline of what you’ll get: Sometimes it’s nice with an eBook to know it’s not War and Peace. By limiting this to 10 tips, they stand a good chance of increased conversions by providing an easy to consume resource. While long eBooks can be authoritative, they often go unread.

Things I’d change or test

• Social sharing location: People are more inclined to share something right after they actually get it. So I’d suggest placing the social sharing buttons on the form confirmation page. This also has the benefit of removing distractions from the main page.
• Preview: People react well to the psychology of try-before-you-buy, so adding a preview of the eBook (first chapter or a few choice pages) would help people know what they are exchanging their personal data for.

Site*: monetate.com

3. Nerds On Call

What I like

• Live chat to boost conversions: Live chat is great for nudging fence-sitters onto the right side (the conversion garden). If they are unsure about continuing, then a nicely worded and timed popup in the lower corner of the page asking if they need any help can really lift your conversions and lets you gain insight directly from your customers which can be fed back into an A/B test hypothesis for further optimization.
• Simple checklist of benefits and core offering: The checklist of 4 benefits are really simple and easy to digest, and describe the service very well.
• Strong indicators of success: When you couple the statement of over 130,000 computers fixed with all of the media logos, you can be sure these guys know what they are doing.

Things I’d change or test

• Form purpose: It doesn’t seem to have one. Send message? For what reason? Include a clear statement at the top of the form about what it’s intention is.
• Live chat: As great as it is (see above), to gain access to it you need to click a button that says “TRY FOR FREE”. It should describe what will happen instead. Something like “Ask a nerd why your computer is sick”.

Site*: callnerds.com

4. iPhone App Development

What I like

• Crystal clear headline: The headline makes is obvious that they are an iPhone app dev company and the phrasing makes it feel like they’ll take the pressure off your hands and get it built for you (knowing that everyone needs an iPhone app but has no time to build one). Us included :)
• Action oriented form headline: There’s no dilly dallying with the form header (one of the most important elements of a lead gen page). “Get your project started” inspires you to take action.
• Client testimonial video: Great testimonial! It has a nice written one coupled with a video. You also get to see what the app is which shows you the quality of their work.
• Confident benefit statements: All of the statements in the main content area are titled in a way that makes the company sound very confident in their ability = trust x10.
• Guarantee: A guarantee is always a nice way to lay out a security blanket. iPhone apps are often rejected from the App Store – but they guarantee you entry – big win.

Things I’d change or test

• Umm, nothing: It’s a great page. I was worried when I saw the contact us button at the bottom (thinking they were mixing click-through with lead gen) but it just pushes the page back up to the form. Nicely done.

Site*: 21alta.com

5. Double Chin?

What I like

• Emotional photography: The hero shot here evokes an emotional reaction. It would instantly resonate with anyone who feels self-conscious about the topic being discussed. This will help people feel like there is a solution to their problem, increasing the chance of a conversion.
• Asks a question: By asking a question, you will immediately gain the attention of anyone who says YES in response. This will increase engagement and hence conversions. It does this in the main headline and the CTA.
• A guided experience: The form header instructs you to do something, increasing the persuasion value.

Things I’d change or test

• Move social buttons to the confirmation page: You’ll be hearing this a lot. Everyone seems to be doing this.
• Remove website URL: Your goal here is to get the form filled out (or a phone call). By giving your website URL out you run the risk of them visiting their and either losing their way (loss of information scent) or converting in a different place. Yes, you still get a conversion, but it gives you false information about the effectiveness of your landing page.

Site*: cvillemedresearch.com

6. Keas Employee Wellness

What I like

• the benefits: Just like the RightSignature page, the “What you’ll learn” bullets are all about what you’ll get out of the eBook. A common mistake here is to list the contents rather than the affect the content will have on you by reading it.
• Feel good factor: Part of me thinks the psychology behind doing good may be a factor in conversion. Sure it’s more about the need for the content, but the statement above the customer logos about changing lives – adds a strong sense that this eBook could do something great for you.
• Trust: Along with the customer logos, the inclusion of the physical office address adds an extra layer of trust.

Things I’d change or test

• Encapsulate the form: The form completion is the goal of the page, so make it stand out as much as possible (without putting gaudy Christmas lights on it). To help this, try placing it in a box like the RightSignature example discussed earlier.
• Move the social sharing buttons to the confirmation page: I’m seeing a pattern of pages having too many interactive elements. This post on post-conversion strategies explains why you should move them.
• Privacy policy position: I’d try moving it closer to the form to ensure people see it and feel comfortable giving away their email.
• Phone number: They might want to enhance the trust factor further by adding a phone number beside the address.
• Form length and required fields: Try a shorter form or consider not making all of the fields required.

Site*: keas

7. Draytek Networks

What I like

• Strong value proposition: The headline gets right to the heart of a fear their customers will have – maintaining uptime and the bullets below do a good job of backing up the statement.
• Low-risk element: They use a subtle secondary CTA at the bottom for fence-sitters. If you’re not ready to commit to giving up your info, they invite you to follow them on Twitter which keeps them in your sphere of influence and may produce more marketing opportunities down the road.
• Directional cue: The arrow pointing to the form makes it clear where you need to go. It’s not as critical on a page this short and simple, but it’s always a good device to use to add a little persuasion. And matching the color to the button is a nice touch.

Things I’d change or test

• Privacy policy: All lead gen forms should have a privacy policy – especially if you’re doing pay-per-click (Google AdWords etc.) as they will often penalize your quality score or ding you in another way if you don’t have one.

Site*: draytek.co.uk

8. BPP Law School

What I like

• Descriptive CTA: You know that you will get to talk to someone if you submit the form.
• Clear primary & secondary headlines: The main headline and sub-header beneath the video spell out the purpose of the page nicely, and lead nicely into the form header statement.
• Use of video: The interview video makes it feel more real.

Things I’d change or test

• Social buttons: I’d remove these unless they had large numbers on them for social proof, and preferably put them on the form confirmation page. They definitely shouldn’t be the first thing you see on the page.
• Remove link: there is a link directly below the video – which could leak people away from your landing page.
• Live chat: As the goal is a conversation with an advisor, I’d consider adding a live chat widget to the page so that prospects can talk to an advisor immediately.

Site*: bpp.com

9. Spanish Slang Dictionary

What I like

• Enticement through fun: People like to know at least a few dirty words in a foreign language (especially the younger demographic) – it makes travel more fun.
• CTA explains what you’ll get: The cTA couldn’t be any more clear – this is exactly how every landing page button should be written.
• Form doesn’t ask for anything more than it needs: Just an email. Perfect. You can still re-market to them, but the barrier to entry is the absolute minimum.

Things I’d change or test

• Social currency: Increase the viral potential by using a service like PayWithATweet.com to spread the word. Yes, you lose the email, but the exposure is often worth it. Or to get the best of both worlds – set up an A/B test and split the traffic 50/50 – half asking for an email (so you have a lead list) and half boosting the viral nature with the tweets.

Site*: f.generallinguistics.com/quick-start-spanish

10. Optimize New York

What I like

• Persuasive reward: Cash is king (yup, more than content). So the headline does the job of grabbing your attention, the rest of the page needs to do the convincing.
• Paying it forward: Most people have a favourite business of some kind (restaurant, bar, clothing store). If you’re a regular in any way, you’ll probably be more than willing to recommend the company A) to potentially get the reward and B) to help out and become more of a celeb at your local.
• Personal contact: To help the trust factor that you’d actually get the money, there is a name and phone number for a personal contact. Trust is definitely key with this type of promotion.

Things I’d change or test

• Clearer headline: The $500 reward is enticing, but it’s not clear what it’s for unless you read the fine print. I’d use a larger sub-header to state what you’ll get the cash for.
• Belief: How do I know that you’ll let me know if the company you refer becomes a customer? It would help to have a video testimonial that showed the client being happy with the service and the recipient of the $500 receiving or talking about getting the money.

Site*: optimizenewyork.com

11. Spine Center

What I like

• Information kept to three simple statements: Although text heavy (mentioned below) – the page is simple and keeps the information breakdown into simple chunks.
• Phone number: You can speak with a care coordinator which adds a personal touch, but for what is probably an expensive process, it should really be a toll-free number.

Things I’d change or test

• Headline clarity: The page starts with “Backed by Dr. Patel” (nice back pun btw). However, it’s not likely that people will know who he is, so it would be more important to clearly address the “pain point” of a potential customer. Such as “Experiencing chronic back pain?” etc. This will connect their issue to your solution.
• Less text heavy: Explain the benefits in bullet points for easier scanning. People are im”patient”. (Couldn’t resist).
• Success stories: It would be nice to hear about the types of physical issue Dr. Patel has successfully treated, to make a direct connection with people’s problems and to add some authenticity.
• Profile details: Have a modal popup window layer that gives a more detailed history of Dr. Patel’s background.

Site*: floridahospitalspine.com

12. Go Fun

What I like

• Not much I’m afraid: The visual design and layout are good, with a focus on the form, but the purpose of the page is so hidden that I wouldn’t stay here long.

Things I’d change or test

• Change the informational hierarchy: the first thing you see is “SIGN UP NOW” which is very aggressive as there’s no real supporting reason to go with it. Message match is critical for conversion, so make this first statement match the ads/link text people are arriving from.
• What is this?: There is no description of what Go Fun is. Most people’s reaction to confusion is to hit the back button. On further exploration, there is a tiny portion of small text that explains what it is. This should be big and prominent. They are asking for 20 emails of your friends, you need some serious trust factors on the page to give out your friends emails.

Site*: gofunhongkong.com

13. Drug & Alcohol Counselling

What I like

• Emotive image: People interested in being counsellors are compassionate by nature, so this image choice evokes the right emotional response of caring for someone in crisis.
• Locations: the map is useful as it lets you know quickly if this is something that you could feasibly enrole in.

Things I’d change or test

• Target audience: I’d try to make it clearer that it’s about learning to be a counsellor. The form header uses the word “program” which is ambiguous in the sense that it could be implying that you’d be signing up to receive help (rehab etc.) rather than a training program.

Site*: icdccollege.edu

14. Speedy Limousines

What I like

• Headline explains what you’ll get: And it does it in a way that answers a customer pain point (stress-free).
• Encapsulated form area: The boxed in form keeps it separated from the rest of the page content, but I’d rather see it in a solid block of color.
• Immediacy statement in form to encourage participation: Knowing that you’ll get a response in 10 minutes again reduces the stress and encourages participation.

Things I’d change or test

• Put the Facebook recommend button on the confirmation page: Tired of hearing that yet?

Site*: charleslimousine.com

15. Voxeo

What I like

• Contact options: The product seems to be targeted at a fairly high price point (assumption) and as such, it’s important to offer alternative contact options. If you need to hand-hold someone through the sales process then phone or live chat can really help.
• CTA contrast: Boom! The purple stands out like a suit at a rodeo.
• Access to expert advice: The report and white paper are freely available without having to go through a form, showing that they are willing to give their knowledge away for free, building trust and establishing themselves as subject matter experts.
• Benefit statements include stats: Everyone loves numbers, and showing the improvements that the product can produce will help persuade a visitor to convert.

Things I’d change or test

• Modal content: The first report goes to a different site, taking them away from your page. It would be ideal to load this within a modal window – but understandably difficult as it’s another site and you can’t control the size.
• Reduce options: Despite their usefulness, I’d test removing the report and whitepaper – and placing them on the confirmation page as a bonus.

Site*: voxeo.com

16. Villa Huinid Cabanas

What I like

• Seductive imagery: Travel accommodations are all about the experience, and the background photo really sets the scene for what you’ll get to enjoy.
• Simplicity: It cuts to the chase. If you like the look the accommodations, you’ll proceed.

Things I’d change or test

• Brochure: I’d include a brochure PDF right on the page so people can see what other amenities are available. Apologies if that’s what they are already sending you one if you complete the form. As I say below – my Espanol is muay terrible.
• Not too sure what else: I don’t speak Spanish well enough to critique the copy :)

Site*: villahuinid.com.ar/es

17. Fast Track Sales

What I like

• Strong headline explains value prop in seconds: They sell homes fast, and they explain it fast. Great headline.
• Social proof: A strong set of logos adds trust to the fact that they have a good reputation and
• Form contrast: Both the color contrast of the form area and the fact that the guy is holding it, make it stand out nicely, making the page simple to read.
• Form headline and CTA explain clearly what you’ll get: Nuff said.

Site*: fasttracksales.co.uk

18. Hillbrush Food Safety

What I like

• Strong angles provide directional cues to the form: the use of triangles helps to focus your attention on the area of conversion.
• Strong headline: the headline contains a strong value proposition
• Form header clearly explains what you’ll get: You get a catalogue. Simple. this is the goal of a landing page and they get high clarity marks for this.

Things I’d change or test

• Stickers: They’re free, but I’m not sure what they are for. Assuming you stick them up in your kitchen or restaurant to show compliance, but more info would be good.

Site*: hillbrush.com

19. OCD – Clinical Trials

What I like

• CTA asks a question: Questions are very powerful persuasion devices and placing one on the CTA (button) can help people convert as they want to know the answer.
• Photos help relieve the pressure: By showing pictures of regular everyday happy people, they put you at ease by de-stigmatizing a common issue that can affect anyone.

Things I’d change or test

• Move the social buttons: As I keep saying, put these on your confirmation page. If people have just converted they are more likely to share.

Site*: clinicaltrialsinfo.us

20. Empires & Allies

What I like

• Very benefits based: Gain levels fast (benefit). Free secrets, tips and updates for life. That’s pretty compelling for a gamer.
• Short form: Doesn’t ask for much and seems like you get quite a bit for your info.
• Design appropriate: The design is very playful and suitable for the target audience.

Things I’d change or test

• Add a free tip: Consider adding a free tip as a preview of what you’ll get.

Site*: dominateempiresallies.com

21. Azure Luxury Malta

What I like

• Super clear headline/value prop: You can get the benefit of Mediterranean sunshine for x cost. That’s a nice lead in to wanting to know more.
• Seductive contextual imagery: People that like sunshine getaways will appreciate the view of the pool and sense of relaxation.
• Leading the way: after reading the reasons to care (benefit statements) you are lead straight to the form with a directional cue. It’s a nicely crafted story arc.

Things I’d change or test

• Where can you fly from?: I’d add in which airports the trips fly out of so people can be sure it’s convenient for them.
• Submit button: Grr. I thought we’d got through this list without seeing many. Instead of Submit – repeat what you are going to get when you click. It makes people feel safer about giving up their info.

Site*: azure.com.mt

22. Learn French

What I like

• Use of video: the page is kept simple because the video removes the burden of extra copy, a good technique for enhancing page clarity. It’s also quite an emotional video about the founders reason for starting the company after marrying someone from a foreign country. Very authentic.
• Differentiation: The way they leverage the concept of a conversation rather than just learning words, seems likely to be more appealing to potential customers.
• Clear CTA: Learn French. Yup.
• Multiple directional cues: There is the visual arrow directing you to get started, and the video also ends with a friendly request to sign up.

Things I’d change or test

• CTA copy: I’d try changing the button text to “Learn Conversational French” to maintain the concept of the page.

Site*: mangolanguages.com

23. Invest in Wine

What I like

• Appropriate design: Love the use of wine barrels for the form container. And the use of an investment chart is very good at showcasing their point about the investment opportunity.
• Good use of whitespace: The page flows nicely with the opposing image vs. text layout.
• Testimonials: The testimonials do an excellent job of selling the concept to the reader. I’d invest if I had any money. For now I’ll just stick to drinking wine.

Things I’d change or test

• Repeat the CTA: As it’s a long page, I’d place at least one extra CTA half way down and have it scroll you back up to the form at the top. Right after the chart would be a good spot.

Site*: investmentwine.info

24. Kingsley Judd Wine Investments

What I like

• More wine!: Gotta like that.
• Two word headline: You don’t get much simple than that. In just two words they’ve told you exactly what the page is about.
• Beautifully simple and compact design: The blurred image is clear enough to convey the vineyard feeling, while pumping the form box right out at you. Great use of contrast for the form container and button.
• Incentive: Having an opt-in for a free prize draw is a good way to entice conversions.

Things I’d change or test

• Terms & conditions: If you are going to have a prize draw, you should have a link to terms & conditions.

Site*: kingsleyjudd.com

25. Cookie Dough Fundraising

What I like

• Headline establishes status: The declaration of being America’s #1 is reminiscent of Grey Goose and their “World’s Best Tasting Vodka” statement that served them so well.
• Delicious photos: Showing high quality photography of the products helps you believe it’s something that people would want – that you could be successful selling them.
• Step-by-step guide: A nice directional cue (arrow) points you to the a simple “How Does It Work” which explains the process well.
• Success stories: The success stories are very believable and hit the demographic perfectly, which helps to build lots of trust.

Things I’d change or test

• Simplify the goal: there are several things to do here. Request an info kit via the form, or click a button to get a brochure from their site. I’d suggest keeping them on this page and having one goal only. Especially if your primary goal is to collect leads.
• Focus more on the benefit to the customer: Even though it’s for fundraising, people need to know what’s in it for them and there are only a few small spots where this is mentioned. Use language that says that you’re doing good while making an income for yourself – then show the numbers.

Site*: justfundrasing.com

Recap: 10 Expert Tips for Your Next Lead Gen Landing Page

Now that we’ve run through those critiques, I thought it would be good to pull together a recap of the most important lessons we’ve learned that you can use for your next page. Use these tips and you’ll be creating pages that convert better.

1. Previews: If you are giving away written content (eBook etc.) then include a short barrier-free preview. Like Amazon’s “Look Inside”.
2. Form headers: Your form header should describe why someone should fill in your form and what they’l get.
3. Form CTA: The button copy should reinforce #2 and describe what will happen when it’s clicked.
4. Encapsulation: Keep your form in a high-contrast container to make it stand out from the rest of the page.
5. Ask a question: Make your headline a question to encourage people to think about the answer or have to complete your form to get the answer.
6. Message match: Ensure the page content (primarily the main headline) matches your upstream ad copy very closely. This is good or building strong information scent (for humans) and good for increasing your quality score if you’re doing PPC.
7. Use video: To make things simple – just read this.
8. One at a time!: Don’t have multiple CTA’s and links everywhere to leak people away. That’s what your homepage is for.
9. The confirmation page: Put social sharing buttons and bonus giveaways on your confirmation page so they are in position at the highest point of lead warmth and to de-clutter your main page.
10. Testimonials: Make them authentic, and when sourcing them, ask your customers directly for examples of how your product or service has benefited them. Dollar signs and numbers work best.

– Oli Gardner

In this post Carlos and myself (Oli) are going to analyze one of our customers – Vinoetic.com – landing pages (after they opted to allow us to get our opinionated hands on it). Our goal is for it to be an educational exercise that can hopefully help improve the page, but let’s have a little fun too, shall we? We’ll be scoring each point in our discussion with + or – points to arrive at a total score and we’ll be arguing on certain points to show that everyone has a different opinion – which shows the importance of testing.

Warning for the creator of the page: There are going to be some criticisms, but our goal is for this to be useful to you so that you can have a more successful campaign in the future.

Let the battle commence!

1. The Main Headline

2. The Call to Action (CTA)

3. Personas (who is this product/service for?)

4. Big Background Image

5. What is the purpose of this page?

6. Explain your benefits

7. What am signing up for?

8. Interaction

9. Privacy Policy

10. Is this a Landing Page or a Microsite?

Oli’s Final Score: -4 I guess I’m more of a hardass.
Carlos’ Final Score: -3

Sorry! We do genuinely hope that the discussion helps you and others when thinking about your landing pages.

Btw. If any readers think we missed something – it would be awesome if you added it to the comments.

– Oli Gardner & Carlos Del Rio

Usually we celebrate the awesomeness of landing page design. But today we’re taking a stroll down scary street to look at some examples of how it shouldn’t be done. I apologize in advance if anyone takes offense – but really, your pages scared me!

Note: The majority of these pages were found by clicking on paid search ads, and most of them should really be using standalone landing pages specific to the promotion, rather than a homepage. I’ll give a couple of quick comments on each below the images. Yikers!! I’ll try not to be mean, but it’s scary out there.

If you do find yourself getting frightened, you can see some good examples of landing pages here.

1. I think my eyes are bleeding

Tips

Hire an effin designer. Stat… You’re business is clearly worth it in a monetary sense, so present yourself accordingly on the web. And please show some before and after examples of hair replacement. We may not believe you, but we certainly expect it.

2. That reset button is what I’d click

Tips

Unlock the potential for what? Living in a cul-de-sac in a Florida gated community? Be a little more specific about what the purpose of the page and offering is.

3. Sugar hermaphrodites?

Tips

I get that the hot women are there to help sell the idea (to the men) of using money to “get what you want”. But still, throw in a few statements of what the “service” provides. You’ll get more conversions if people know what to expect And maybe add a little class. #JustSayin.

4. Get a job!

Tips

Just looks like a curated site of scams. So yeah, my advice is to get a real job. Sorry.

5. The internet makes money for you!

Tips

Building a site that has the potential for someone to become a “member” does zero for your chance at making money. You still need a business plan/idea. The design is all over the place here and rife with cheap stock imagery. If you want people to sign up to build sites through your service, show them some examples/previews to get them excited.

6. Arrrrg navigation!

Tips

Landing pages shouldn’t have navigation on them! If you’re paying for ads then you should be thinking in terms of campaigns and promotions – so keep your landing pages focused on those single objectives. This is lazy advertising. People will just wander all over the place with those 450 links and never achieve your conversion goals.

7. War and Peace

Tips

To quote Steve Krug – “Take your copy, cut it in half and remove 50% of what’s left”. JASON! We need your knife again.

8. Waterproof phones only

Tips

Goggles? Wetsuit? Rake? Scuba gear? That’s all I’ve got.

9. Where’s the value proposition?

Tips

This page looks like Vegas. Waaaaay too much to do! I’ll say it again. Keep it simple, focused and use one landing page for each product. Sales will cometh. Promise.

10. These are not the droids you’re looking for

Tips

This is just dumb. If you don’t “know” that you have something in stock, don’t pay to advertise it!

11. Doctor’s waiting room?

Tips

WTF. This is like a 1996 flash splash page. Just load the site already. Don’t make me wait. Slow sites lower conversions. Don’t believe me? Read abut how faster sites convert better here.

12. Is this for kids making money?

Tips

I hit the back button the moment I saw this site. Then I came back to look at it for this post. It’s beyond confusing. First off, I’d remove the banner looking thing at the top of the page as it looks like an advert which will make people gloss over it. And it has the most important info in it! What the site is actually about.

13. Who eats electronics to lose weight?

Tips

Stop bidding on irrelevant keywords…..

Scared yet? If you’re cowering under a blanket, you might want to check out these great landing page examples for some comfort. And if you’ve seen some shockers on your travels, please share them in the comments – we can all learn something from looking at bad examples.

– Oli Gardner