You probably arrived here after staring at your analytics, wondering why your website’s visitors aren’t signing up for your service. Well, it’s time to change that.
Your website’s design is crucial for the future of your brand. About half of people consider it the number one factor in deciding if a business is credible.
Considering that your website is often the first impression potential customers get of your product, you must ensure it stands out.
In this article, we’ll tackle the top ten best practices for designing a SaaS website that looks stunning and converts like crazy at the same time. We’ll explore strategies that blend aesthetics with functionality, ensuring your site is both impressive and delivers the results you’re after.
1. Show your product in action with detailed explainer videos
As a SaaS company, your product is often intangible. That’s why showing it in action is essential.
Explainer videos bridge the gap between concept and reality, letting potential customers see exactly how your software can solve their problems.
Educational and instructional videos are the most engaging type of video content businesses produce. They give audiences a clear picture of what you’re offering and how it works.
To nail your explainer videos:
- Keep them short – aim for 60-90 seconds.
- Start with the problem your SaaS solves.
- Show your product’s key features in action.
- Highlight the benefits, not just the features.
- Use simple language
- End with a clear CTA.
Remember that in addition to showcasing your product, you should always highlight how it makes your customers’ lives easier.
Let’s look at a real-world example: Rosie, an AI answering service, nails this tactic on their homepage.
They’ve placed an explainer video below their website’s header that perfectly demonstrates how Rosie works. The video depicts a phone call where a customer requests a service, and Rosie’s AI asks for details and schedules an appointment. It’s simple, clear, and immediately shows the value of their service.
This way, Rosie quickly communicates their product’s benefits and functionality, making it easy for potential customers to visualize how it could work for them.
2. Get granular with an interactive pricing page
Interactive pricing pages let potential customers find their perfect price point without drowning in options or feeling overwhelmed.
This approach especially benefits SaaS businesses with complex pricing models or multiple user tiers. By letting users customize their plans, you’re giving them control and transparency. This builds trust and helps them see the value in your offer more clearly.
To nail your interactive pricing page:
- Start with clear, basic tiers.
- Add toggles or sliders for key features or usage levels.
- Use visual cues to highlight differences between plans.
- Include a prominent CTA for each option.
- Offer a “talk to sales” option for custom needs.
- Make sure it’s mobile-friendly.
- Send a nudge email when a person visits the pricing page asking if they need help
The goal is to make it easy for customers to find their perfect fit, not to confuse them with too many choices.
DialMyCalls, a mass text messaging service, nails this approach on their pricing page. They offer plans tailored to different customer needs, allowing users to choose based on credits, contacts, or a pay-as-you-go model.
This flexibility meets the specific requirements of various user types, from occasional senders to power users.
By implementing this interactive pricing strategy, DialMyCalls makes it simple for potential customers to find a plan that fits their needs and budget. This improves user experience and boosts conversions by reducing decision paralysis simultaneously.
3. Prioritize measurable benefits over emotive ones
Customers want to know precisely what they’re getting. While emotional appeal has its place, concrete numbers, and measurable benefits often seal the deal.
This is true for both B2C and B2B SaaS offers, as users are making a commitment and aren’t likely to make impulse purchases.
Focusing on measurable benefits is effective because it gives potential customers a clear picture of the value they’ll receive. It helps them justify the investment to themselves or their company. Concrete metrics also build credibility and trust, showing that you have data to support your claims.
To effectively showcase measurable benefits:
- Use specific numbers whenever possible.
- Highlight key performance indicators relevant to your audience.
- Use infographics or data visualizations to make numbers more digestible.
- Balance long-term and short-term benefits.
- Update your metrics regularly to ensure they’re current.
Going, an airfare deals service, excels at this as a B2C SaaS company. Throughout its website, it sprinkles measurable benefits it provides to members.
They highlight the number of destinations and airlines they cover and, most importantly, how much members can save on flights.
This approach gives potential customers a concrete understanding of the value they’ll get from a subscription.
Mailchimp, an email marketing platform, demonstrates this tactic brilliantly in the B2B SaaS space. Their homepage is peppered with metrics that matter to businesses: ROI, sales and revenue increases, number of users, and much more.
By spelling out the average measurable results they achieve for customers, Mailchimp makes a compelling case for why businesses should choose their platform.
Both Going and Mailchimp understand that while emotional appeal has its place, it’s the hard numbers that often drive conversions in the SaaS world. They measurable benefits to give potential customers the concrete information they need to make an informed decision.
4. Publish trust elements on your conversion page
Your pricing page is where potential customers decide, so loading it with trust-building elements is vital.
Trust signals reassure potential customers that your product is reliable, your company is credible, and their investment is safe. For SaaS businesses, where the product is often intangible, these trust elements can be the tipping point for a conversion.
This strategy aims to address any lingering doubts or hesitations a user might have before converting.
To implement trust signals effectively:
- Include customer testimonials or case studies.
- Display security badges and certifications.
- Highlight any industry awards or recognition.
- Show logos of well-known clients or partners.
- Include a money-back guarantee or free trial offer.
- Display your customer support options prominently.
- Add social proof like user counts or ratings.
Add enough trust elements to reassure, but not so many that they overwhelm the page’s primary goal – conversion.
Bay Alarm Medical, a B2C provider of medical alert devices, does a great job on their pricing page. They strategically place several trust signals that instill confidence in their audience.
You’ll find trust badges for a “Risk-Free Trial Period,” “Consumer Reports Ratings,” their Google star rating, and the number of reviews they’ve received.
Source: bayalarmmedical.com
That’s how Bay Alarm Medical addresses potential concerns their customers might have about reliability and effectiveness – important factors when choosing a medical alert system.
5. Lower the stakes for getting started
Commitment can be scary. Potential customers often hesitate to sign up, fearing being locked into a long-term contract. By presenting your offer as low-risk, you’re addressing a major pain point for SaaS customers – the fear of investing in a product that might not meet their needs.
This approach helps reduce friction in the decision-making process, making it easier for leads to take that first step. That can significantly boost your conversion rates and get more users through the door.
To alleviate the fear of long-term commitment:
- Use CTAs like “Try for free” or “Start your free trial” instead of “Buy now.”
- Highlight your free trial period or money-back guarantee.
- Avoid language that implies long-term commitment.
- Offer a “freemium” model if it fits your business.
- Emphasize the ease of cancellation or switching plans.
- Use microcopy to reassure users (like “No credit card required”).
- Make your onboarding process as smooth as possible.
Aura, an Amazon repricing tool, does this on their homepage and pricing page. They display a prominent CTA that simply states “Begin trial”.
This CTA is strategically placed in their header, footer, and several key sections on both pages.
This strategy encourages more potential customers to give the software a try, allowing the brand to demonstrate its value and potentially convert these trials into long-term customers.
6. Boost CLV by motivating longer subscriptions
Annual subscriptions are the holy grail for SaaS brands. They’re good for your cash flow and increase customer lifetime value (CLV).
Tapping into this segment secures revenue for a longer period and reduces churn. Plus, customers who commit to a year are more likely to fully integrate your product into their workflow, increasing the chances they’ll stick around.
To motivate longer subscriptions:
- Offer a significant discount for annual plans.
- Highlight the savings compared to monthly billing.
- Use visual cues to draw attention to the best value plan.
- Include additional perks with longer subscriptions.
- Show the price per month for annual plans to make it seem more affordable.
- Use progress bars or other visuals to show how close users are to annual savings.
- Offer a trial of premium features to showcase the value of higher-tier plans.
Ultimate Meal Plans, an app for custom meal planning, clearly describes their pricing to emphasize the savings for customers who opt for quarterly or yearly subscriptions.
They encourage longer commitments by showing how much cheaper it is to subscribe for a full year instead of paying monthly.
This approach significantly boosts Ultimate Meal Plans’ CLV. Customers save money, which they appreciate, while the company secures longer-term revenue and reduces churn.
It’s a win-win demonstrating the power of smart pricing strategies in the SaaS arena.
7. Find a balance in your homepage product description
Less is often more when striking a balance between providing enough information and overwhelming visitors with too many details.
That’s why it’s important to effectively introduce your product without losing the visitor’s attention. That allows potential customers to grasp the essence of your offer without getting bogged down in technical jargon or feature lists.
To nail your homepage product description:
- Start with a clear, concise value proposition.
- Focus on 3-5 key benefits, not features.
- Use simple language and avoid industry jargon.
- Incorporate visual elements like icons or illustrations.
- Break down your product’s process into easy-to-understand steps.
- Use white space effectively to avoid information overload.
- Include a clear CTA for the next steps.
Remember, your homepage isn’t meant to explain everything – its role is to pique interest and guide visitors to learn more.
Vidpros, an unlimited video editing service, executes this perfectly. On their homepage, they include a section that describes their process in three simple steps: from initiation to completion.
By outlining this streamlined process, Vidpros encourages users to sign up, knowing that getting what they need will be straightforward and efficient.
This web design tactic boosts Vidpros’ conversion rates by making their service feel accessible and easy to use. It demonstrates the power of clear, concise communication in the SaaS industry, where simplicity can be a major selling point.
8. Acknowledge the longer sales cycle for B2B products
Businesses don’t make decisions overnight. Recognizing and accommodating their longer sales cycles is crucial for success. You’d be wise to align your approach with the reality of B2B decision-making processes, which often involve multiple stakeholders and careful consideration.
So, nurture these leads by providing them with the right information at the right time. Guide them to make the right choice.
Here’s how to nurture your leads every step of the way:
- Offer detailed product information for different stages of the buying process.
- Provide easy access to demos, trials, and consultations.
- Create content that addresses common pain points and objections.
- Use lead scoring to tailor your approach to each prospect’s stage.
- Implement a robust follow-up system with personalized touchpoints.
- Offer case studies and ROI calculators to support decision-making.
- Make it easy for prospects to connect with sales representatives.
NetHunt, a sales and marketing CRM service, executes this strategy brilliantly. As soon as you arrive on their site, you’re greeted with a popup message encouraging you to start a conversation with a human representative.
This makes prospective clients feel welcome and significantly eases the process of getting detailed information about their CRM services.
By offering immediate human interaction, NetHunt acknowledges that their B2B customers might need more information and personalized attention before making a decision.
This strategy improves their conversion rates by providing the support and information B2B buyers need throughout their longer sales process.
9. Showcase real results with compelling case studies
Nothing speaks louder than success stories. Case studies are powerful tools that can boost your conversion rates by up to 74%.
They provide concrete evidence of your product’s value, helping potential customers envision how your solution could work for them. Additionally, they bridge the gap between your promises and real-world results, building trust and credibility with prospects.
To create captivating case studies:
- Focus on relatable customer challenges and solutions.
- Use specific metrics and data to illustrate results.
- Include quotes from satisfied customers.
- Keep the format concise and easy to skim.
- Use visuals to break up text and highlight key points.
- Tailor case studies to different industries or use cases.
- Make them easily accessible on your website.
The goal is to tell stories that resonate with your target audience.
Twilio, a customer engagement platform, features a section on their homepage displaying excerpts from case studies.
These case studies show how Twilio successfully helped clients meet their goals. The most prominent results and benefits are outlined right there, with links to the full case studies for those wanting to dive deeper.
Follow Twilio’s example and provide social proof and concrete examples of your platform’s capabilities.
Showcasing your success stories prominently can give potential customers the confidence they need to move forward in the sales process, boosting your conversion rates in the meantime.
10. Simplify your sign-up page
Over 70% of businesses lose potential customers during the sign-up process. A quarter of those admit that the reason is a long and complicated sign-up page.
That’s why simplifying your checkout process is vital. It’s an effective method because it reduces friction, making it easier for interested leads to become actual users.
A streamlined sign-up process not only improves conversion rates but also sets a positive tone for the user experience right from the start. It shows that you value your customers’ time and aim to make their journey as smooth as possible.
To simplify your sign-up page:
- Ask only for essential information.
- Use a single-page design when possible.
- Implement social sign-up options.
- Clearly explain the benefits of signing up.
- Use progress indicators for multi-step processes.
- Offer guest checkout if applicable.
- Ensure the page is mobile-friendly.
- Provide clear error messages and guidance.
Keep in mind that every extra field or step is an opportunity for a potential customer to drop off.
A great example of this tactic is Plutio, a project management platform.
Their sign-up page is a single, clean interface asking only for essential details: name, workspace name, email, and password. Once these are filled in, new users can immediately start exploring the platform.
This is excellent for reducing barriers to entry and allowing interested leads to quickly become active users and start experiencing the value of your service.
The above example demonstrates how simplicity in design can lead to better results in the SaaS space.
Final thoughts
Each of these strategies has been battle-tested by successful SaaS companies. Now it’s your turn to put them into action.
For starters, implement one or two that resonate most with your business goals. Then, test, refine, and move onto the next ones. It’s a proven formula for paving the way for increased conversions and sustained business growth.
