The design and function of your website are your audition as a SaaS company. If the website is attractive and easy to use, prospects will instinctively assume that your product is excellent. Your website needs to capture attention, represent your product well, and clearly state the specific work that your company can do. If you do all of this well, your website will be a lead-generating machine that will bring you the clients who seek exactly what you provide. A winning website takes effort, but we have some tips that will help you get those conversions quicker—without all the trial and error.
The Essential Qualities of a Successful SaaS Website
Let’s start with the most fundamental qualities that your website needs to accomplish your goals of attracting and converting customers. Your website must:
- Tell a story
Communication is always about telling a story. Humans are wired to be interested in narrative. To grab their attention, you need to be a good storyteller. - Present a Concise Value Proposition in the First View
Simply put, why should a potential client choose your SaaS? What value do you provide? What exact solution can you offer? Many sites state lofty goals and seem to promise to solve all of the world-s problems. You need to be specific about exactly what your company provides, what problems it solves, and hook the perfect clients who will value what you do. - Have Clear Calls to Action–Many of Them
Your website needs to motivate the user to do something, and that something is often to try your product/service and see how it works. No matter how clearly you tell your potential clients what your product does, they need to take that next step. They need to see a CTA no matter where they are on your site, so make sure you have a CTA handy at any moment they might take action. - Offer Proof Your Solution Works
Show clients who are using your service and how it solved their problems. There is no better proof of the value you provide than your client’s own words, or at the very least, a section of client logos. You can use short quotes from happy customers as testimonials, extended endorsements, video recommendations, or case studies. These types of social proof make prospects more likely to follow the crowd of satisfied customers and become clients themselves. - Incorporate Short, Hard-hitting Headlines
Attention spans are short, with the research showing that you have only 10-20 seconds to capture someone’s attention before they leave your website. In addition, many people skim, so your headlines need to be outstanding and meaningful. - Be Cohesive and Uncluttered
Keep it simple. Make sure the elements hang together well. Don’t clutter up the space and confuse the user. Don’t try to stuff every design idea into your homepage. A clean design can convey a lot about your brand.
Other Tips to Make Your SaaS Website Most Effective
Once you have covered the basics, you can also consider other features that can give your website the punch that will help you break through the fog of too much information and get your clients to pay attention.
Your company and its offerings are unique, and not every technique will work for your website. The trick is to get the right combination of successful features to make your site perform for your product. The following ideas can inspire you to think about how best to represent your brand, so use them to brainstorm for your ideal website. By taking the time to consider the look & feel, messaging, user flow, and content types of your site, you’ll end up with a site that works hard for you as the face of your company.
- Make the navigation easy and clear.
- Include a tutorial or explainer video.
- Use movement to catch the eye.
- Show off your company’s personality by highlighting an employee.
- Make sure the UX reflects your product.
- Use links to articles or a “featured in” section for your product.
- Include relevant numbers and statistics.
- Make sure every section of your site has a clear CTA.
- Use contrasting colors for clickable content (links & buttons.)
- If appropriate, display the plans and prices you offer.
- Feature users/clients as heroes—tell their story
- Highlight your succinct message by using the power of white space.
- Multi-column layout can work to fit in more content above the fold
- Consider capturing leads without redirecting the user by offering an up-front opt-in email box.
- Cross-link throughout your site to get potential customers deeper into your site.
- Carefully curate your color palette to give the right mood.
- Include photos of your product.
- Demo the product out front.
- Include a quick origin story to illustrate how you solve a problem or serve a need.
The Upshot
Cover the basics, but consider how you can differentiate your product or service from others in your space. You know your potential customers, so speak to them with your website. Using the deep knowledge you have of your company and a web design and development team, you can make a smashing first impression on website visitors and turn your site into a lead-generating powerhouse to increase your sales.
Whether you are just looking for a refresh or a brand new website, book a call to learn how we can help you reach your goals.