In this section, we will give you detailed information on:
1. Exactly what pages you need to build for your website/app/product.
2. How you should build them to achieve the highest conversion rate.
3. What information you should include on each page.
Also, the time-required in this section are also just the amount of time needed to go through the material and absorb the knowledge. The time needed to build is different for everyone. Again, the best thing you should do while building is give yourself a time limit for each feature or page, so that will help you stay on track.
For your MVP, you must have these pages:
Not all websites are the same, so you might need to have more pages than what we've listed. When you think about the pages on your website, think about a route you want your customers to take. Each route should be created so that each page has a clear message and 1-2 call-to-actions that you want the user to take. The acquisition subfunnel below is an example of a customer's path when he/she arrives at your website.
What pages do you need to create for your main features?
Every website is different, so we cannot tell you which pages you need to create for your main features. Just remember to keep things as simple as possible. Also, if possible, elliminate excess layers of page - simplify navigation.
For StartitUp, for our main features, we created 4 different pages:
Build a killer landing page. This is where users see when they land at your website address (www.example.com)
The first step to creating an awesome startup is to create a landing page that converts visitors into users.
Each of your landing page should have 1-2 call to actions. Call to actions are buttons or links that grab the visitor’s attention in less than 8 seconds and lead them to click on it.
Tip to remember: All the most important information that will convert your users should be "above the fold" - which is the area that is displayed on the screen when loaded. This is the area that you need to utilize to capture your customers' attention within 8 seconds.
Essential elements to have on your landing page (you can use StartitUp's landing page as a reference):
Also Read: Step-By-Step Landing Page Copywriting
A good landing page with all the right ingredients can possibly convert 400%+ more signups than a bad landing page. Imagine the difference between 10% and 40% conversion rate...that's the difference between 1000 users and 4000 users! Successful companies never stop optimizing their landing pages. There is ALWAYS a better landing page that can help you convert more users.
Another great example:
Notice how they have a great UVP headline, a sub-headline. They also have a simple supporting description on the left just above their screenshots. Their signup page on the right is just on the homepage, so that that decreases the friction of having to go to another page to sign up. It also has a very strong call-to-action (Create a Free Account) that has a different button color (Contrast!) that stands out from the rest of the page (optimized conversion).
I highly recommend Copy Hackers if you want to learn to write converting copies.
Here's another beautiful landing page example by WealthFront.com.
Call to actions (CTA) are buttons of links on your website that you want customers to click on to complete some kind of action. CTA itself is so important that it has become a study on its own. The reason why CTAs are so important because the goal of designing great landing pages is to convert visitors into users, and the pathway on your landing page that does that is CTAs. Therefore, it's very important to understand what kind of CTAs work and what kind of CTAs don't.
Also, a detailed research on which colors conver the best tells us that there's no color that absolutely converts better than another color. The point here is to create contrast so that your CTAs stand out and users feel inclined to click on them.
A good strategy to follow is to not use too many colors on your website, and always stay consistent with the color of your call-to-action.
Case Study: Google always uses white as their background and 1 consistent purplish color for all of their links and most of their buttons.
Here's a deck that will help you understand how to create awesome CTAs:
Also read:
http://conversionxl.com/blog/ - awesome blog you should read to learn how to convert your visitors.
http://unbounce.com/landing-pages/writing-high-converting-copy/
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2012/09/26/how-to-create-a-high-converting-landing-page/
Tools:
Read-able.com: A tool that helps you analyze how readable your website is to your visitors and to search engines.
Since a landing page is super important, we are creating a bonus section to help you optimize it.
Your signup process should be simple, but not frictionless - because you want to filter out the people who are just curious from your real customers. Your signup process should also include fields that demonstrates your UVP - where you already start collecting information that can help you deliver the UVP. This will help you learn more about your early adopters. Make your signup forms clean, and don't clutter all the questions on 1 page.
Your signup page should have these basic features:
As you see below, many websites are now utilizing social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Pinterest to make it easier for users to log in, since they already have those accounts in place.
Another big advantage of using social logins is that with the user signing up using their social accounts, you also get some the users' access and data on those sites, so that you can use that data to providing a better experience with the user.
Sign-in page should have these features:
Also, you see that on this sign-in page, they make it easy for you to sign in by offering options like Facebook and Twitter login - which actually automatically registers you as a user.
This part is super important. A big part of your MVP is to validate your idea, and you want to try to collect as much feedback as possible.
Prepare a super easy way the user can contact you should they encounter any problems or have suggestions. Include a contact form/email, or a 1-800 number. This is the best and fastest way to learn from your customers. It's okay to leave a number, because initially you won't have that many customers, so you don't have to worry about being swamped by customers – which is actually a good thing.
Technical support is one of the best marketing/customer development tools.
Features to include:
Your about page is to provide compelling reasons to visitors to buy your product. This is an opportunity to "put a face on your product, to tell your story, and to connect with your customers." – Ash Maurya
While this page isn't read as often as your landing page, your ideal customers who really need your solution will want to learn more about your service.
A good example is Apple's iPad Mini's about page: http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/overview/
Their about page obviously is quite perfect. We just need to meet them half way there :)
The page is an about page because this page actually isn't the main landing page for the iPad mini, but an inner page that better help introducing the iPad mini.
Like a good main landing page, A good about page should also have these 3 elements:
These 2 pages are mandatory by law. You don't necessarily have to write them up yourself. A good way is to get default templates and just use them first. When you start growing and really have users to worry about, then you should write one up from scratch or customize your existing ones.
The point here is to make users feel safe about using your service and that you try to own their personal data, read it, or sell it to a 3rd party.
Terms and Conditions + Privacy Policy Template: http://www.entrepreneur.com/formnet/form/1174
Automated Privacy Policy Creators:
If your service is one where customers will require more data (details, specifications, etc.) from you, then you can consider creating an additional page as an extension to your main landing page.
See how Apple iPad Mini has a main landing page: http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/overview/
and then they have other additional information pages like: http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/specs/
To build a great pricing page, refer to KISSMetric's page on how to build a good pricing page. I think they have nailed it here: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/the-best-pricing-pages/
An example plan below is one of the best ways to strategize your pricing plan. The plan below is great because it covers 3 types of different customers, and the middle one that's highlighted is the one that most people will purchase. Studies were carried out and the results shows that the highlight pricing plan always convert better. The reason is because customers like you to choose for them, and they assume that plan is the best plan.
So a few killer pricing tips to remember:
1. Highlight 1 option - Name the different tiers, and you can label your "main" plan with "Most Popular Plan" - This works!
2. Testing your pricing plans.
3. Keep your pricing plan above the fold (meaning the area that users can see when they open a webpage)
4. Make your plans easily comparable - the more confused your users are, the more they won't buy it.
5. Set the highest price on the left.
6. Put out a clear call-to-action - like "Start Trial Now)
7. Social Proof - You can put logos of your customers below the pricing plan to increase trust.
8. Make things dead easy - Don't include too many features that are not important, because again it'll just confuse the customers, and confusion will drive customers away.
9. Put FAQ below the pricing plan in case customers have doubt.
10. Give out 30-day free trial - and make that really clear at the top of the page.
11. Make sure customers know they can cancel it at any time.
12. Provide a phone number, live chat, or email so that they can talk to you immediately.
13. Prices ending with 9 has higher conversion.
14. Put out extra pricing plans not to sell, but to make the plan you want them to buy relatively attractive.
Example (this plan makes plan 2 the most attractive): plan 1: $29/month, plan2: $99/half year, plan 3: $179/year.
Must read: http://conversionxl.com/pricing-experiments-you-might-not-know-but-can-learn-from/
Billing/Payment Tools (In case if you want to charge early):
