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Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

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Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#1

Post by tmaly »

I have really not put much effort into my landing page because I have been working head down on the project.

I think I have lost a lot of potential opportunity to collect an email from interested people.

I know I should probably have: a headline, maybe a sub headline, a call to action, some features, some testimonials, and a second call to action at the bottom.

I am curious if there is one thing that would make a real difference on a landing page.

What is your best tip based on your own experience with landing pages?

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#3

Post by akerl_ »

eigengrau5150 wrote: post #2

If I see a call-to-action or a subscription form I hit the back button faster than Doc Holliday could draw his Colt.

How does a landing page work if it doesn’t offer a next step?

Maybe we’re not aligned on what a “call-to-action” is, but sort of tautologically a landing page should direct me to how I can try out / buy / learn more / etc. If it doesn’t do that, what’s the premise? I see a thing that looks interesting and then it’s my job to go on a hunt to figure out how to get it?

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#4

Post by PaulHoule »

eigengrau5150 wrote: post #2

If I see a call-to-action or a subscription form I hit the back button faster than Doc Holliday could draw his Colt.

What's worst is the pages that hit you with several pop-ups before you can even read the content: sometimes they ask for your email address twice and also ask if you want to get push notifications.

As they say in Germany, "Bitte Keine!"

Seriously, the "call-to-action" that doesn't flow naturally from the content is a scourge of the web in 2021. There's the audiophile blog that pops up a dialog asking if you are "confused" and want to book an appointment (Pro tip: that's why I haven't been to a stereo store since 1999) There's nothing you can do that makes you look more inauthentic than that.

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#5

Post by PaulHoule »

akerl_ wrote: post #3
eigengrau5150 wrote: post #2

If I see a call-to-action or a subscription form I hit the back button faster than Doc Holliday could draw his Colt.

How does a landing page work if it doesn’t offer a next step? Maybe we’re not aligned on what a “call-to-action” is, but sort of tautologically a landing page should direct me to how I can try out / buy / learn more / etc. If it doesn’t do that, what’s the premise? I see a thing that looks interesting and then it’s my job to go on a hunt to figure out how to get it?

There's nothing wrong with a contact link.

Collecting email addresses for the sake of collecting email addresses is a mug's game. (It's the royal road to having your emails end up in a spam folder.) Collecting email addresses of people who are deeply interested in your service or product is golden. Doing the first is the enemy of the last.

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#6

Post by eigengrau5150 »

akerl_ wrote: post #3
eigengrau5150 wrote: post #2

If I see a call-to-action or a subscription form I hit the back button faster than Doc Holliday could draw his Colt.

How does a landing page work if it doesn’t offer a next step? Maybe we’re not aligned on what a “call-to-action” is, but sort of tautologically a landing page should direct me to how I can try out / buy / learn more / etc. If it doesn’t do that, what’s the premise? I see a thing that looks interesting and then it’s my job to go on a hunt to figure out how to get it?

> How does a landing page work if it doesn’t offer a next step?

Does the front page not have links to other pages on the site? If not, then whoever built it fucked up. I don't want to be "directed". I don't want anything that resembles a hard sell. As far as I'm concerned, a website's front page should be a menu, not a "call to action".

> I see a thing that looks interesting and then it’s my job to go on a hunt to figure out how to get it?

Exactly, and what's wrong with that?

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#7

Post by Ace__ »

I have no tips, no hacks, no shortcuts. Honestly this is such a big topic, that I am tempted to just share v1 of a guide to landing pages I made. However before I do...

So, one thing that would make a real difference to a landing page. An appreciation of the foundational blocks of a landing page, which are:

1. The contextual factors: business, market, your solution, target audience, positioning, tactic, financial.

2. The Key Narratives: basically where they are now, and where they will be in the future with your solution.

3. The Overall Narrative:

a. What Are You?

b. Who Are You For?

c. What Do You Know About Me?

d. What Do You Do?

e. How Do You Do It?

f. What’s In It For Me?

g. Why Should I Believe You?

h. How Do I Get It?

I'll share the link now, but like I said, this is just v1, not had a chance to put up v2 yet: https://startizer.com/blog/startup-landing-page-guide

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#8

Post by PaulHoule »

Ace__ wrote: post #7

I have no tips, no hacks, no shortcuts. Honestly this is such a big topic, that I am tempted to just share v1 of a guide to landing pages I made. However before I do... So, one thing that would make a real difference to a landing page. An appreciation of the foundational blocks of a landing page, which are: 1. The contextual factors: business, market, your solution, target audience, positioning, tactic, financial. 2.…

I agree that landing pages should be content packed and that some serious thinking should go into them, but this rubric risks overwhelming both the landing page creator and visitor.

Often you don't know who the visitor is, for instance, and even if you did, having an answer to "what do you know about me?" might just creep people out. That's one case where "show not tell" is the answer.

Re: Ask HN: Best tip for landing pages?

#9

Post by PaulHoule »

eigengrau5150 wrote: post #6
akerl_ wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does a landing page work if it doesn’t offer a next step? Maybe we’re not aligned on what a “call-to-action” is, but sort of tautologically a landing page should direct me to how I can try out / buy / learn more / etc. If it doesn’t do that, what’s the premise? I see a thing that looks interesting and then it’s my job to go on a hunt to figure out how to get it?

> How does a landing page work if it doesn’t offer a next step? Does the front page not have links to other pages on the site? If not, then whoever built it fucked up . I don't want to be "directed". I don't want anything that resembles a hard sell. As far as I'm concerned, a website's front page should be a menu, not a "call to action". > I see a thing that looks interesting and then it’s my job to go on a hunt to f…

Not like you want to make people work too hard, but a person who works a bit will be motivated, self-selected and "drawn in" to the situation. Rather than you working to sell them they work to sell themselves, and they are more effective at that than you will ever be.
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