Landing Page Hot Tips: Recent Episodes
Rob Hope
Strengthen your Landing Pages with 100 design, development and conversion tips by Rob Hope from One Page Love. ISBN: 978-1-64999-244-4 Website: onepagelove.com/100
Firstly, a big thanks to you. Because of your investment in the book I can reinvest the earnings into making even better content. Next up for me is a series of Landing Page online courses.
Hot Tip #100 is don’t forget the why. Sure, your product/service looks great but why is this part of your life’s journey?
Hot Tip #99 is to make it fast. Not only does Google favor fast websites but your visitors will be able to decipher your offering quicker.
Hot Tip #98 is to test new narratives for your offering. This is probably the most advanced Hot Tip in the series, but one worth doing if you have the traffic and budget.
Hot Tip #97 is to reinvest your profits into your Landing Page. Once your Landing Page is converting, and you’re pleased with your solo optimization efforts, it’s time for the specialists to step in
Hot Tip #96 is don’t get too fancy. Parallax scrolling, scroll transitions, custom cursors, color switchers… While they all have their time and place, avoid dwelling on them when you are new to Landing Pages and not making sales.
Hot Tip #95 is to reuse your winning Landing Page templates. It’s tempting to start a Landing Page from scratch for a new launch, but why not consider reusing an older template that worked well.
Hot Tip #94 is to consider parity pricing. Simply put, Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) suggests a discounted price for people earning a weaker currency.
Hot Tip #93 is to emphasize the value. A “$79 Design Systems Course worth $249” doesn’t offer much appeal, other than a monetary saving of $170.
Hot Tip #92 is to keep the tone of your copywriting positive. Position your offering as a confident solution, not a snarky competitor.
Hot Tip #91 is to bring it to life. Skeuomorphism is the design concept of making digital items resemble their tangible real-world counterpart.
Hot Tip #90 is to alternate section background colors. Consider a slightly darker or lighter background color for every alternate Landing Page section. This design tip will also help contain section content better as a visitor scrolls.
Hot Tip #89 is to focus on the benefits, not the features. As the proud owner of a product or service, it’s natural to want to climb up the tallest building and let the world know how damn awesome the technical features are. Unfortunately, our Landing Page visitor isn’t impressed by technical features, nor do they resonate with them.
Hot Tip #88 is to consider a lifetime pricing option for your SaaS service. If your running costs are very low and you have minimal support demands, consider a once-off pricing option for your subscription.
Hot Tip #87 is to focus on form UX. The importance of good form usability is overlooked in Landing Pages. Fancy layouts with too many required fields will drop conversions.
Hot Tip #86 is to include an explainer video. Well-thought-out explainer videos can help improve conversions for complex products or services.
Hot Tip #85 is to show them how it works. The first question most SaaS Landing Page visitors ask is “How much is it?”. This should always be answered with full transparency, no tricks.
Hot Tip #84 is to focus on people, not search engines. Organic search traffic to a Landing Page is brilliant, but Google is an unpredictable beast right now.
Hot Tip #83 is to strategically position testimonials. We’ve discussed curating testimonials to provide the most value to your Landing Page visitor.
Hot Tip #82 is to prove you are established. Years in the game with revenue/customer/operating stats thrown in is a powerful combo to reduce a sign-up risk decision.
Hot Tip #81 is to set a maximum width for your content. Hot Tip #19 referred to setting a max-width for your typography — but what about defining your Landing Page container width?
Hot Tip #80 is to wrap your screenshots in a device. A device mock-up, with a subtle drop shadow, can really bring your digital product to life.
Hot Tip #79 is to remove inactive social media accounts. Launching your Landing Page with social media icons linking to new profiles with low followers is perfectly fine. Linking to social accounts last updated 3 years ago gives the impression the product or service is either poorly supported or even abandoned.
Hot Tip #78 is to define a clear visual hierarchy. Step back from your Landing Page, squint your eyes, and take note of the content that appears most prominently.
Hot Tip #77 is to implement smooth scroll in your long-scrolling Landing Page. Clicking on a navigation pricing link and jumping to a Landing Page pricing section can feel like a fast page load to your visitor.
Hot Tip #76 is to soft launch with a discount. A soft launch involves moving your Landing Page from private server to live production without a grand public announcement.
Hot Tip #75 is to boost confidence with payment method logos. We’ve come a long way with online transaction confidence, but some demographics are more hesitant than others.
Hot Tip #74 is to steer clear of a header carousel. A Landing Page journey should always start with intro copy that the visitor identifies with.
Hot Tip #73 is to personalize the success message. The nerds call this Lead Nurturing but think of it more as a cherry on top. The same kind of sweet cherry when someone includes an (unexpected) handwritten note inside a packaged delivery.
Hot Tip #72 is to reassure your visitors during the checkout process. Nerves are high. Settle them with these small reminders, strategically positioned near the checkout form.
Hot Tip #71 is don’t take shortcuts on website hosting. Cheap, shared hosting will end up costing a lot more (through downtime, hacks, sluggish speeds, slow support, and frustrated customers) in comparison to the “savings” you’d get from using a reputable host.
Hot Tip #70 is to integrate an in-page product demo. Traditionally Landing Pages demonstrate their products through screenshots, embedded videos, or link out to an online demo.
Hot Tip #69 is to make it accessible. Providing people with health conditions or impairments, the ability to read and navigate your Landing Page easily is the right thing to do. Here are five small tasks that can go a long way...
Hot Tip #68 is to add a hint to scroll. Sometimes, I see long-scrolling Landing Pages with spacious content above the fold, but no indication there is more information further down.
Hot Tip #67 is to seek for background images featuring “negative space”. Negative space refers to the area of an image surrounding the main subject or object.
Hot Tip #66 is to open non-essential links in a new tab. Open links to documentation, support, privacy, and demos in a new browser tab, keeping the primary Landing Page within a tab’s reach.
Hot Tip #65 is to offer a demo down-sell. Phone calls aren’t for everyone. If your Landing Page suggests “hopping on a call” to secure a high-end sale, offer an alternative info package download.
Hot Tip #64 is to delay your chatbot. If you feel your Landing Page benefits from one, only kick that bugger off once your visitor has scrolled to the pricing table, FAQs, or footer.
Hot Tip #63 is to add a radial burst behind your product imagery. With only a few additional lines of CSS code, you can add another dimension to your Landing Page design.
Hot Tip #62 is to include a support email address within your error messages. If your Landing Page payment integration offers message customization, include a support email address for when a problem persists.
Hot Tip #61 is to trim the
fat. This can (and will) uncover scripts, font weights, and code snippets that add nothing but load time to your visitor’s experience.Hot Tip #60 is to liven with illustrations. Illustrated characters, devices, and elements can really bring a Landing Page to life.
Hot Tip #59 is to consider font smoothing. Simply put, adding the CSS font-smooth property to a font will trim it down very slightly.
Hot Tip #58 is to minimize the options. Do you really need 5 different pricing plans? 7 required fields in your enquiry form? 16 different product color choices?
Hot Tip #57 is to only A/B test high traffic pages. A/B testing (aka split-testing) with low data will lead to inconclusive and even misleading results.
Hot Tip #56 is to increase the contrast of your CTA button text. A common design mistake by beginners is keeping the global link color the same throughout Landing Page elements.
Hot Tip #55 is to align your marketing and Landing Page narratives. A Google Ad for freelance time-tracking software that takes you to a page offering time-tracking for teams is confusing
Hot Tip #54 is to consider dark mode. There is something remarkable about a Landing Page with a strong, dark color scheme.
Hot Tip #53 is to focus on solving copy first. Polishing the design of a badly worded Landing Page is counter-intuitive and a waste of time.
Hot Tip #52 is to add social proof. Think of social proof as herd mentality. We tend to follow bigger herds vs. smaller herds. We are influenced by higher ratings vs. lower ratings.
Hot Tip #51 is to increase demand by limiting supply. Headlime.io has a limited number of $129 lifetime pricing spots available. Once sold out the price goes up.
Hot Tip #50 is to suggest a pricing option. Sure, some Landing Page visitors are price-conscious, but a good portion of them don’t want to spend time investigating.
Hot Tip #49 is to keep vertical spacing even. The vertical padding between your Landing Page section dividers is often overlooked.
Hot Tip #48 is to keep brand capitalization consistent. Landing Pages with different case variations of the brand name look unprofessional and can be confusing.
Hot Tip #47 is to lower the risk to commit. Your Landing Page visitor is more likely to commit knowing they will be taken care of post-purchase.
Hot Tip #46 is to remove obstacles in the way of demoing your product. You are confident your SaaS offering will satisfy your potential customer. Why not get visitors to experience it as soon as possible?
Hot Tip #45 is don’t neglect Retina optimization. Simply put, Retina Displays have higher density pixels, needing a bigger version of the imagery to appear crisp.
Hot Tip #44 is to tighten your big typography. Font Kerning and Tracking is a tricky subject as not all typefaces need it. That said, it’s a good idea to experiment with your bigger fonts.
Hot Tip #43 is to emphasize time-saving. Most SaaS offerings are trying to streamline our operations and save us time in one way or another.
Hot Tip #42 is to add Open Graph meta tags. These tags add images — plus text alongside them — to Landing Page links shared on social media.
Hot Tip #41 is to code your own social share buttons. Embedding a crowd of social share buttons adds unnecessary requests to your Landing Page load.
Hot Tip #40 is to offer a free teaser. Teasers are great ways for visitors to experience more without having to pay upfront.
Hot Tip #39 is to place copy before images on mobile. Having a legible responsive design is great, but are you ordering your content for a seamless scrolling experience on mobile?
Hot Tip #38 is to invest in an icon library. Having a go-to icon pack can speed up Landing Page development and keep the aesthetic consistent.
Hot Tip #37 is to add a splash of color. A burst on a Landing Page can command attention and add excitement.
Hot Tip #36 is to align with a grid. Layout grids keep your Landing Page tidy by positioning within constraints.
Hot Tip #35 is to put your name on it. A common concern among Landing Page visitors is how well a product or service is supported.
Hot Tip #34 is to run a regular speed test. Speed tests can highlight excessive use of fonts, images or scripts in your Landing Page.
Hot Tip #33 is to deconstruct your About paragraph. Your Landing Page visitor cannot be persuaded to take action if they don’t understand what your service does.
Hot Tip #32 is to offer an annual discount. Offering a saving for a 12-month commitment can really help boost cash flow for your SaaS.
Hot Tip #31 is to replace those demo GIFs with video. The argument for using GIFs is that they are easier to produce and save. Neither are reasons to use them in your Landing Page.
Hot Tip #30 is to curate your FAQs. A list of unsorted FAQs is not helpful to your Landing Page visitor, who is presumably confused at this point in their journey.
Hot Tip #29 is to add personality. People want to support people, and these little touches give visitors a glimpse of the human behind the Landing Page.
Hot Tip #28 is to space using ratios. For example, set a base size of 8px, then define your padding using multiples of 8.
Hot Tip #27 is to step into your visitor’s shoes. Load your Landing Page on mobile. Read the text aloud. Use the navigation. Checkout successfully.
Hot Tip #26 is to use fewer fonts. Multiple typefaces, each with a number of weights, add unnecessary load time to a Landing Page.
Hot Tip #25 is to integrate a sticky header navigation if your Landing Page is long. A sticky header makes it easier for visitors to navigate page sections and keeps that CTA button visible at all times.
Hot Tip #24 is to create haste. Consider offering a discount or a gift within a diminishing timeframe to encourage a quicker purchase. Call it FOMO if you will.
Hot Tip #23 is to avoid the word cheap. Positioning your offering as “cheaper” sells it short and could raise concerns the competition is perhaps more quality.
Hot Tip #22 is to consider a color scheme. A carefully crafted Landing Page color scheme stands out and takes effort. An effort your visitor will assume carries over to your event, product, or service.
Hot Tip #21 is to avoid animation overkill. Gratuitous scroll transitions no longer impress. Subtle animations are timeless and show intent.
Hot Tip #20 is to highlight a testimonial from an opinion leader who is well known to your target audience.
Hot Tip #19 is to set a max-width for your typography. 100% width paragraphs are very difficult to read on bigger resolutions. Typography optimization can get very technical but try aim for 55–100 characters per line (CPL).
Hot Tip #18 is to sit with someone from your target market and study what it takes for them to convert.
Hot Tip #17 is if you are marketing to everyone, your message is resonating with no one. Identify your audience and research the subject matter to craft Landing Page copy your targeted community will appreciate.
Hot Tip #16 is to embed your forms to try capture leads immediately. Remember, with every page load your conversion rate drops, so try capture leads as soon as possible.
Hot Tip #15 is to track marketing efforts with specific coupons that lead to your Landing Page. Dedicated coupons will uncover which channels are more effective while feeling exclusive to your audience.
Hot Tip #14 is to offer more pricing tiers. Aim to tier up with more features and benefits versus tiering down by stripping your core offering.
Hot Tip #13 is to highlight your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) among your features. A grid/list of 12 features can be overwhelming for a visitor who is learning about your product/service for the first time.
Hot Tip #12 is to use your footer area for pre-sale support. If your visitor has not committed by the end of the scroll, they still have doubts.
Hot Tip #11 is to remove your main website navigation. If your Landing Page sits within a bigger website, hiding your navigation will prevent a potential customer from wandering.
Hot Tip #10 is to create a text color hierarchy. The biggest tell a Landing Page was built by someone with little design experience is black text with maximum contrast on a white background. Soften the blow with an off-white background and a subtle grey/color text hierarchy
Hot Tip #09 is to set a single objective. An effective Landing Page should only have one objective, not many.
Hot Tip #08 is to replace old content when new content arrives. Your Landing Page with 8 testimonials does not need a 9th. Kick out the weakest of the bunch.
Hot Tip #07 is to avoid center-aligned or justified paragraph text. When applied to long paragraphs, these two alignments can be difficult to read. This can result in fatigue while browsing Landing Pages with a lot of content.
Hot Tip #06 is to empathize with the visitor’s problem using your intro copy. Then explain exactly what your product or service does in the subtext, removing all verbose words or phrases.
Hot Tip #05 is when in doubt, double the padding. Whitespace isn’t just breathing room for your content, it’s breathing room for your potential customer. Digestible content improves focus and clarifies what you’re offering.
Hot Tip #04 is to spice up your Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons. Remember: you’re excited to share your product or service.
Hot Tip #03 is to use fewer images but also better images. Good imagery builds trust, and trust is the foundation for conversions. When it comes to your visuals — spend the money.
Hot Tip #02 is to showcase testimonials from similar demographics to your potential customers. If you are selling enterprise-level support software, it’s wise to curate testimonials from customers who work for enterprise-sized businesses.
Hot Tip #01 is to utilize your customer testimonials by highlighting features and answering doubts. So often I see Landing Pages packed with testimonials providing very little value to the visitor.
Context is everything when it comes to Landing Page optimization.
One hundred tips can be overwhelming. So to get the most out of this Ebook, I recommend listening to a handful at a time, digesting the info, and then implementing the lessons that resonate the most with you.
The goal of the book is not to turn a Landing Page into a money-maker overnight. It's for you to strengthen your current and future Landing Pages through understanding.
And context.