A quick intro: I was writing a list of blog posts I wanted to do and this one came. I started to do the research, I recalled the best ones. Also, I didn't want to make a list of "101 best landing pages" or "250 pricing pages" or "999 beta signups". These are the best in my opinion with the explanation of reasons why I love them.
What makes a great Homepage, Signup page or Landing page?
You have very little time to grab attention, educate and persuade your visitors to take action you want. Great pages do exactly that. Regardless if it's a world-known brand or startup, homepage/signup/pricing/landing page have similar things in common. What makes them great:
- Design that is aligned with overall site design
- Persuasive, simple, meaningful message(s)
- Call to action
- Perfectly placed buttons
- Additional text & images that explain the product, but don't get in the users' way of completing the action
Lets take a look at 20 best examples!
Skype
Great:
- Segmentation (3 sliders)
- Download button
- Price-awareness box
Not so great:
- Too big search area on top menu
- Too many buttons (Join, Download, Special offers, Search)
URL: Skype
Social Brando
Great:
- Button!
- Great brand name
- Great headline
- Showing product
- Good explanation of the service
Not so great:
- I would put lower headline (Lower cost, save time...) below Social Brando headline
- I am missing a slider on product. If I want to get intrigued, I would like to see more screenshots
URL: SocialBrando
SEOMoz
Great:
- Free Trial Button
- Explanation of the service
- Who is using the product
- Showing product
- Social buttons
Not so great:
- Repeated Free Trial 3 times
URL: SEOMoz
CampaignMonitor
Great:
- Free Trial Button
- Excellent explanation of the service
- Who is using the product
- Showing product and mobile version
- Micro explanation of the features
- Pricing
Not so great:
- Two buttons
- Maybe a bit crowded
URL: CampaignMonitor
Apple
Great:
- One product
- Simple headline
- 4 additional call-to-actions below main product
Not so great:
- Nothing
URL: Apple
This one requires explanation: Simplicity and design in one package. Showing only flagship product (one in focus). Everything is perfectly aligned with sales and marketing strategy.
Facebook
Great:
- Perfect explanation and image of the service
- Signup that is simple to use. Explanation that it is free and reassurance that it will always be free
- Privacy policy, cookie use, data use
- Pages - secondary call-to-action
- Rotating explanation of the service (Mobile use, Timeline)
Not so great:
- N/A
URL: Facebook
Highrise HQ
Great:
- Explanation of the rather complex service
- Person / Testimonial
- Showing product
- Risk free trial and cancel notice
Not so great:
- Too much text
- Button is below the fold
- Two additional screenshots are not necessary
URL: Highrise
MixPanel
Great:
- Explanation of the rather complex service through icons
- Case studies
- Free trial
Not so great:
- Not telling why is it the most advanced analytics service
- 2 buttons on main navigation (Login and Signup)
- Not showing the product
URL: Mixpanel
CrazyEgg
Great:
- Perfect headline
- Johnson box
- Video
- Customers
Not so great:
- Nothing. This one is perfect!
URL: Crazyegg
SEMRush
Great:
- Perfect headline
- Upsell from 1 month to recurring subscription
- Price-awareness for recurring subscriptions
- Payment options
- Visual signal (stars)
- Just 3 packages to prevent choice paralysis
- No main navigation
Not so great:
- Nothing. This one is perfect!
URL: SEMRush
RavenTools
Great:
- Just two options - prevent choice paralysis
- Free trial option in main navigation and headline
- Difference between services
Not so great:
- Signup is detached from options
- Headline could be better
- Call-to-action could be better
URL: Raven Tools
Media Temple
Great:
- Great headline - describes the service perfectly
- Showing difference between the products - no long descriptions
- Pricing options (yearly and monthly)
Not so great:
- Too much plans
- Just one graphic for all packages
- Call-to-action could be better
URL: MediaTemple
Litmus
Great:
- Free trial
- Explanation of the pricing policy
- Difference between plans
Not so great:
- No headline
- 2 bigger packages are too similar
URL: Litmus
ZenDesk
Great:
- Free trial signup bar
- Featured package is designed perfectly
- Learn more link
Not so great:
- No headline
- Wasted the space with left-side menu
- Description of the service is in text
URL: ZenDesk
HasOffers
Great:
- Free trial signup
- Featured package is designed perfectly
- Compare features
- Who is using it
Not so great:
- Headline could describe service and benefits
URL: HasOffers
WeatherWise
Great:
- Perfect headline and explanation
- Product is shown and explained
- Download button for two platforms
- Perfect design
Not so great:
- Really nothing
URL: WeatherWise
Choicr
Great:
- Mystery and suspense before launching the service
- Perfect call-to-action
- Perfect signup form
- Social buttons
Not so great:
- Really nothing
URL: Choicr
Google Analytics
Great:
- Slider
- Showing the product
- Perfect headline
- Learn more
Not so great:
- Y U No Give Us Keywords Google Analytics (promise not fulfilled - what kind of enterprise analytics doesn't give me keywords)
URL: Google Analytics
Klout
Great:
- Perfect explanation of the service
- Signup login with exactly what users expect (Facebook, Twitter)
- Social proof (when logged in, Klout shows your Facebook friends that use the service)
Not so great:
- Nothing. Signup they want, signups they'll get
URL: Klout
ResearchGate
Great:
- Perfect heading (who is it for)
- Perfect explanation of the service
- Signup, connect and login are great
- Social proof (number of people/scientists using the platform, as number of scientific papers)
Not so great:
- Nothing. This one is perfect
URL: Research Gate
There's no perfect page! Remember to test, tune, optimize
Some of the pages are "perfect" in this test. Yet, even if you think that you've managed to get the most out of it, there is always room for improvement. Make tests, tweak new headlines, new CTA, new images and see the results. With that in mind, I'll be going back to the drawing board for Webiny :).
Share your own favorites in comments!
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Author: Goran Candrlic
Co-Founder, Marketing and Sales
"Getting things done is the motto. Chase every detail and create the ultimate user satisfaction. I believe that technology is too complex and that even the most intriguing business problems can be solved smarter and with ease."
Chande said 1 year ago:
And I found this one after finishing the article: http://chartbeat.com/
Really nice concept
Goran Duskic said 1 year ago:
Thanks for posting, this looks awesome, I love it! And it also came in the absolutely best moment, we are just redesigning our home page!
Visnja Zeljeznjak said 1 year ago:
No list of best landing page designs is complete without mentioning http://www.squareup.com/ - one of the best "no bullshit" approach to copy
Chande said 1 year ago:
@Visnja: thanks for sharing. Really a great example.
Chande said 1 year ago:
Another nice one: http://www.infogr.am/
Danny said 10 months ago:
Great list, Chande. (and lol @ Apple's "cons").
Chartbeat and Square are also phenomenal examples.