Your launch page is essentially your product’s pitch, and every decision you make on your launch page is reflected back on your product. An effective product launch page is a harmony of the right assets, tactical placement of elements for ease of user experience, astonishing copy, and etc. This allows you to extensively tell your story and it is a critical factor in visitor conversions.
To set yourself up for the best conversion rate, ask yourself these questions:
- Can a user completely grasp my product by only reading headlines?
- Does all important information appear above the fold, before needing to scroll?
- Does my content answer all questions a user might have?
- Does the information presented to me compel me to purchase the product?
New brands and new products typically have to work a little bit harder to get users to buy in; it’s just a result of not having existing brand presence or trusted recognition. Because of this, your launch page should be sure to convey the trust that can be guaranteed by your company. Highlight any trust-related information like warranties, refund policies, shipping guarantees, awards, certifications, etc. You should also look to convey an idea of exclusivity: by ordering your product now, users get a great discount (if you can offer one), one of the very first units, access to quality support, and to be part of an exclusive community of first backers. Make your users feel special! It’s also absolutely necessary to showcase your product’s uniqueness.
Our Senior Product Marketing Manager, Jordan Gardner, breaks down the elements of a product launch website that converts and shares her expert advice on the pre-launch phase.
- The elements of a good product launch site are actually pretty similar to that of a good website in general. You need a good site story that’s not filled with marketing fluff. Your brand is new, your audiences are all likely hearing about your brand for the first time. There’s nothing that will turn them off faster than wasted time reading about nothing. Be direct, but do it in a way that’s pulling the user through your page, answering a user’s questions in the sequence that those questions are naturally asked.
- You need clear, direct actions for your user to take. Where do you want them to click? What does each click do? Are you making it easy for them to always find where to order? Make sure your call-to-action buttons are sprinkled throughout the page and in obvious purchase-ready locations.
- You need good images and videos. I can’t stress this enough. The quality and content of your assets really set the tone for the price of the product, the product’s benefits to a user, and your brand as a whole. Do not skip out on getting quality assets.
- Most importantly, you need a quality mobile experience. Don’t stray from standard user behavior: your nav bar needs to be simple, you need to put a call-to-action button in the hero, your content needs to be clean and clear (not pixelated). Don’t make your users work hard to navigate your site: they won’t.
Pre-launch Page Advice
- Do Your Research. There’s no need to completely reinvent the wheel. Check out what kind of ads and content your competitors are running. If you see your closest competitor running ads constantly talking about a particular feature, you should look to prioritize highlighting that feature toward the top of your page’s story. That’s not to say you should directly copy your competitors–be inventive, be fresh, be you–but, don’t ignore their successes and learnings for hubris. You should also check out how your favorite brands display their information since their content has obviously stuck with you (How do your favorite brands talk about their products? Is it a particular tone of voice, creative assets, or website layout?)
- Run Tests. You shouldn’t consider your page “done” on the first try. You should constantly be running AB tests and experiments to see what your audience responds to.
- Showcasing the brand’s style and values is important, but as a brand-new brand, it’s not your goal…yet. Prioritize content (copy, creative, etc) that converts well vs starting right off with the visual identity you want to be. Learn what works for your audiences and then bleed in your brand style, especially if it’s modern.
- Try to keep all your important information toward the top of your product page. About 80% of users fall off after the fold, and very few make it to the bottom of your site. Don’t bury your important, sale-inducing info or make your users work too hard to understand your product.
- Keep it short! Write out your ideal copy for the page, and then go back and reduce everything by half, and then maybe by half again. Trust us, this is how you help improve your mobile experience.
An outstanding product launch website is a harmony of content, assets, and user experience. Rainfactory implements strategic ideas into actionable plans. We funnel traffic into high-converting landing pages and eCommerce websites. If you’re interested in learning what it takes to create a dramatically successful growth marketing strategy for your startup, Download Growth Marketing Handbook: A Guide For Startups.