How to use website social proof: strategies and examples that work
Nov 27, 2024
Your product page is often the make-or-break point for potential customers. It's where interest transforms into action, and visitors decide whether your solution is worth their time and money.
As a SaaS website design agency, we look at hundreds of SaaS websites and get to see the good and bad examples. So, to help you create a product page that converts, we've compiled 7 best practices for SaaS product page design, complete with insights from industry experts and real-world examples.
Your hero section is the first thing visitors see, so it needs to pack a punch. A well-designed hero should clearly communicate your value proposition and align with your buyer's intent.
Key elements of an effective SaaS hero section:
Remember, your headers and heroes play a critical role in capturing attention and conveying your message. They must be crystal clear and aligned with how your buyers would describe their problem and the solution you're offering.
Databox excels at first impressions with their product pages. They combine clear messaging with relevant product visuals that immediately show visitors how the product works. The hero section wastes no time, demonstrating the solution to visitors' problems through both words and visuals.
The order in which you present information on your product page can significantly impact its effectiveness. Align your content with the buyer's journey and level of familiarity with your offering. Start with key features that are critical to the buyer's decision-making process, then progress to more detailed information, pricing, and social proof as the user scrolls.
It's crucial to prioritise information based on what the buyer wants from their visit to your page. Opening with key features that they'll want to know exist within your platform is a good idea. However, avoid leading with pricing, packages, or even customer testimonials. While these are important, they're not the first thing a visitor needs to see if they're still trying to determine whether your solution offers what they're looking for.
Asana's product page structure follows visitor priorities perfectly. Their page opens with a clear value proposition, quickly establishes credibility through strategic social proof, then flows naturally into feature demonstrations. This logical progression matches how buyers evaluate solutions.
Your product imagery should clearly demonstrate features and benefits. Use high-quality screenshots or illustrations that showcase your product's interface, ensuring they're large enough to be easily understood.
Strike a balance between creativity and clarity. Avoid over-stylising images to the point where they become difficult to interpret or animate them so quickly that the human eye can't consume the information.
When it comes to video, product demos can be a powerful tool when used strategically. A short, well-crafted demo video can effectively showcase your product's key features and benefits. Place it where it's most relevant to the user's journey on the page, and ensure it's not auto-playing, which can be disruptive to the user experience.
Equiem strikes an ideal balance between authenticity and presentation in their product imagery. Rather than showing raw screenshots, they enhance platform visuals with branded backgrounds and highlighted features. This approach maintains transparency while creating a more polished, professional appearance.
Make your product page easy to digest with clear headings and subheadings that break up the content. Keep paragraphs short - often just two or three sentences - to improve readability and make the page scannable for busy professionals.
Structure your copy to allow visitors to quickly find the information most relevant to their needs. Use clear, benefit-focused headers that guide the eye down the page, and incorporate bullet points to highlight key information without creating walls of text.
Equiem's website also uses typography as a visual hierarchy tool. Their strategic use of different font sizes and weights creates clear sections and subsections, making complex product information easy to scan and digest. This thoughtful typography helps visitors quickly find relevant information.
Your CTAs are crucial conversion points on your product page. They should be prominent, clear, and compelling. Use action-oriented, benefit-driven language in your CTA buttons and ensure they stand out visually from the rest of the page.
Consider offering multiple CTA options that cater to different stages of the buyer's journey, such as both "Start Free Trial" and "Schedule a Demo". This allows users to choose the path that best suits their current needs.
Most importantly, ensure your CTAs are honest and deliver what they promise. If your CTA says "Book a Demo", it should lead directly to a demo booking process, not a generic contact form or sales page. This honesty builds trust and improves conversion rates by aligning with user expectations.
Loom demonstrates how to tailor CTAs to user intent. They intelligently switch between 'Get Started Free' for basic use cases and 'Contact Sales' for enterprise features. Importantly, each CTA delivers exactly what it promises – there's no bait and switch. This builds trust while ensuring users follow the most appropriate conversion path.
Social proof is a powerful tool that builds trust and credibility with all potential customers, regardless of where they are in their buying journey. It provides validation of your product's value and can significantly influence purchasing decisions.
Incorporate various forms of social proof throughout your product page:
Use social proof strategically. While it's valuable content, avoid leading with testimonials or case studies. These elements should support your main message rather than overshadow it. Use social proof to reinforce specific points or to build trust after you've presented your core offering.
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PandaDoc layers different types of social proof for maximum impact. They combine customer testimonials with case studies and back these up with third-party validation through G2 badges and category rankings. This multi-faceted approach strengthens credibility from different angles.
For SaaS products, transparent and clear pricing can be a significant factor in a buyer's decision-making process. Clearly outline different pricing tiers and what's included in each, and consider highlighting your most popular plan. A comparison table can make decision-making easier for potential customers.
However, while pricing is important, it shouldn't be the first thing visitors see on your product page. Remember that visitors may not yet be familiar enough with your offering to make a decision based solely on price. Present your pricing information after you've clearly communicated the value and features of your product. This approach ensures that potential customers understand what they're paying for and can better justify the investment.
HubSpot's pricing presentation on product pages strikes the right balance. Their pricing table appears after product value is established and shows just enough information to help decision-making without overwhelming visitors. Clear CTAs then guide users to either convert directly or explore more detailed pricing information.
By implementing these SaaS product page design best practices, you'll be well-equipped to create a page that not only informs but also converts visitors into customers. Remember, optimisation is an ongoing process. Continuously monitor your metrics, test new approaches, and refine your strategies based on the data you gather.
Focus on what truly matters to your audience and provide clear, valuable pathways to conversion. This approach will not only increase your conversion rates but also build stronger relationships with prospects from the very first interaction. By respecting the buyer's journey and preferences, you create a product page that not only sells but also builds trust and credibility.
