Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

Good for whom? Good by what standard? The older I get the more I've come to suspect that most UI and UX designers come from the Temple Grandin school. They seem to think that users, website visitors, etc. are just human cattle and that their job is to design better cattle chutes.

I don't want a "better user interface". I want web apps that work, and I have yet to find one. Even dict.org reports errors when run through wave.webaim.org.

- If your web app doesn't work in Lynx, it doesn't work.

- If your web app doesn't work on a 56K dialup connection, it doesn't work.

- If your web app isn't WCAG 2.0 AAA compliant, it doesn't work.

> If I load up a site for some product, there’s basically 3 possible outcomes of reading the page:

No, there are four outcomes. You forgot one:

4. This website is so obnoxious that I've forgotten why I bothered accessing it in the first place.

If even one of your users asks, "Why am I doing this to myself," when visiting your website or using your web app, you've messed up.

https://www.apicanary.com/l/beta_program_signup/

I'm in the middle of the landing page course right now, haven't applied much of it yet.

The audience cares much more about themselves than you. So talk about the audience first, then introduce yourself by connecting to their interests. Like other comments mentioned, the audience's problems/pains is a good place to start. (Then introduce yourself by showing how you provide benefit by solving that pain.)

Also prefer a casual, friendly tone (talking in 2nd person) over a formal, official tone (talking in 3rd person.) People think a formal, official tone makes them look more prestigious, but people tend to trust the casual friendly tone more. The best, strongest recommendations are from your closest friends, so use the same tone you would use talking to one of them.

As for the headline, it is probably the most important component because none of the other content matters if the headline doesn't grab their attention. The best headlines get the audience to ask themselves a burning question in their head.

The main call-to-action should be to exchange something of value for contact information. Most people will need more information before they are converted. You can't continue the conversation without contact information. Those who are really interested will find a way to sign up/buy even if the CTA for that isn't directly in front of them.

This type of writing is called direct response marketing. It has been used successfully long before the internet was a thing: mail, newspapers, radio, tv, etc... The landing page is just another medium/communication channel.

Just spend few day here at this curated and inspiration platforms:

1. SinteInspire

2. Land-Book

3. Lapa Ninja

4. GodlyWebsites

5. SaaSlandingPage

After that you will understand what type/structure/design/features/texts you need for your own product.

Good luck!