You know you want a really good landing page
A landing page that actually converts
So, we went out & looked for the best hacks for getting your landing pages to convert better.
These landing page conversion elements are common among the most successful landing pages in the market today but mostly unknown to the average agency, freelancer or business owner..
This one is loaded with examples so dive straight in!
1. Social Proof
The use of social proof in landing pages is so successful that the best and the brightest use it in five different ways.
Let’s take a look at each one individually
1.1 Proof Widget
A proof widget is a small popup that’s got a mighty impact on your prospect’s behaviour.
These usually show a recent action like buying or downloading by another person with their name, location & time of action.
This is especially useful in impulse purchases like eCommerce product landing pages or even lead magnets
1.2 Facebook Embed
Having support from a good audience on any social media platform such as Facebook is always beneficial for the business.
Showcasing that on your landing pages is a great way to add to social proof especially since Facebook shows some of your friends too.
1.3 UGC (User Generated Content)
User Generated Content such as posts, comments, etc from your customers is extremely effective to add social proof to your landing page.
This way people can see the response of your customers directly posted on their socials or other platforms.
1.4 Video Testimonials
The most significant advantage of video testimonials is that it’s hard to script them & they have a raw feel which is relatable to your prospect.
This is being used in landing pages to great effect.
There’s also written testimonial fatigue that’s set in so most people ignore the regular typed-out testimonials (especially since a lot of companies fake them too)
1.4 Chat Testimonials
Prospects crave authenticity & there’s nothing better than a testimonial or proof that comes in the form of an actual chat.
Further, this assures the prospect that what they’re reading is authentic.
Landing pages are using this to great effect.
2. Countdown Timer
Firstly, a countdown timer is used in landing pages quite a lot and is there to increase urgency.
You’re telling the user that they have a limited time to take advantage of a certain deal you’ve presented
Finally, even though fake timers are present across a lot of landing pages, which isn’t ethical or legal, if done correctly, the timer can be quite effective.
3. Low Stock Counter
Scarcity is shown by a low-stock counter.
It encourages potential customers to take action quickly.
Further, it’s been found to be extremely effective in landing pages especially impulse purchases.
It’s actually quite common even with large retailers, in the airline industry (remember 2 seats left?) and a lot of other industries.
4. Results screen grabs
While social proof is great, the use of result screen grabs like Stripe, Paypal or email confirmation of leads etc takes building trust to a whole new level. As fatigue sets in with old cookie-cutter methods of building trust, actual performance becomes more important than ever. Landing pages are using this really well in industries where they can.
5. Outcome-focused headlines
Headlines can make or break a landing page.
Most funnel headlines are direct, outcome-focused & provide time, specificity in numbers & use pain/pleasure effectively.
6. Thud Value
It’s hard for prospects to visualise or get a feel of the product when it’s just another digital file, so landing pages include a physical mockup of desktops, books, laptops, mobile phones etc for it to have a feeling of being real.
Customers are still used to physically feeling a product & this is crucial in every landing page to ensure they don’t feel like it’s just another digital file but an actual part of reality.
Something they can see, feel, touch (at least to have an effect of it)
7. Risk Reversal
The most controversial yet most important aspect of really good funnels is their use of a Guarantee section. There are all kinds of guarantees but the fact still remains – use a guarantee in your funnels!
8. Call To Action (CTA)
There’s so much information the prospect has to take in while on a funnel so it only makes sense to make it absolutely clear what they need to do next.
There’s no need to equivocate here. Make sure your CTA stands out from the rest of your landing page’s elements, allowing interested visitors to proceed to the next level as soon as they’re ready.
9. Bullet Points –
One of the most underrated aspects of copy/design on a funnel is the use of bullets.
As you’ll notice, in the most successful funnels, the use of bullet points is almost mandatory at this point. This helps the prospect understand the offer in bite-sized chunks of information which is usually a benefit/outcome or a point that handles objections.
10. Heavy Discounts
Prospects on your funnel are like everyone else, they love a great deal offered to them. Successful funnels use this well & make the contrast of retail price & discounted price very obvious. This has been effective in the offline world & we’re seeing this work digitally. Best example? Amazon!
11. Video Sales Letter (VSL)
Videos that sell a product or service are known as video sales letters. They’re similar to online sales emails, but with a more immersive experience. Some product and service sales pages can only contain a single video with little copy but overall, it’s become almost a guaranteed feature among top landing pages.
12. Summarize section
Funnels are increasingly using a section to summarize all the key information in a section on their sales pages. Some prospects just scroll through most of the page & find this section useful to sum up what the deal is all about.
13. Curiosity / Emotional Photos
You should choose your funnel pictures with consideration, as it must both catch your prospect’s eye and emotionally appeal to them at a more relatable level. It’s been used to drive curiosity as well.
14. Demonstration videos
Showing the product in action is as important in ads, as it is in your funnel. Show, don’t tell, is a powerful concept that’s used in the best funnels today. Videos that demonstrate the product in action. This is very effective with software, ecommerce and if one can get creative, even info products.
15. Order bumps
When Apple, Amazon and every single big brand uses a particular hack, you want to try & emulate that with your own marketing. Enter Order bumps. These are optional checkout add-ons that are offered to the customer who’s about to confirm their main order. Similar to the low-value items at checkout counters in retail stores.
16. Trust badges
It’s just what it sounds like: a trust badge. It’s a trust-instilling badge that you show on your website. They’re most commonly seen during the checkout process, but more and more we’re seeing them on funnels. They are important & help with handling any trust issues the customer might have about paying over the internet.
17. Disclaimers
This one’s going to be a surprise to most but a lot of funnels use Disclaimer sections for qualifying prospects. Typically a funnel makes a lot of claims & it’s easy to get a lot of people to take action like filling up an application or a form. So it’s important to balance these claims by also adding a disclaimer/qualifier that only prospects who are serious should apply. This helps in attracting better quality leads especially for service-based businesses.
18. Typography
High converting landing pages work with really well when there’s creative use of font type, size & colour really. This is used to highlight certain points & also keep the prospect engaged especially with headlines & very specific outcomes/benefits
19. Minimal design
One thing that’s consistent among the best landing pages out there is their focus on keeping the funnel design as minimal. They’re usually simple & don’t let fancy design come in the way of an effective pitch. Instead of more design, they let conversion elements (all the other hacks in this PDF you’re reading) do the heavy lifting.
20. Arrows
Visual aids, such as arrows or a model’s eye look, point to the most critical elements of your post-click landing page, such as your lead capture type, CTA, video, testimonials, or details below the fold.
21. Authority
Prospects often find themselves relying on authority when it comes to buying from someone. This is especially true when funnels include popular media publications they’ve been featured in. This is one of the most used but still effective hacks of a funnel (if you can get featured of course)
