Landing Page Design Trends That Increase Conversion

We all know the impact of a first impression. Landing pages are often the first interaction a potential customer has with your company. Incorporating current trends will not just keep your site fresh and current, but help to make that first impression a great one by capturing visitors’ attention, engaging them in your content or design, and getting them to take that next step.

Trends come and go, but great design is timeless. We are focusing here on landing page trends that are consistent with general principles of effective UX. Incorporating a few of these trends while maintaining a focus on minimalism, engaging content, eye catching design, and creative value propositions will make your site stand out.

Incorporate movement

One of the biggest trends, and one that’s been around for a few years now, is movement. Techniques range from background videos to subtle motion as the user moves around the screen. Movement is eye catching and pulls the user in.

• Videos
  • Background video
  • Intro Video
  • Autoplay Video
  • Animated Videos
• Animation
  • Animated Page Elements
  • Parallax Scrolling
  • Particle Backgrounds (examples)
  • Subtle Motion

Jet Up incorporates several of these techniques, without being overwhelming. The page starts with a loading animation, then uses subtle particle animation and subtle movement as the user interacts with the page. The watermark shifts slightly, the cursor is unique and changes depending on the placement, and other graphical elements shift in purposeful ways.

Jet Up has also provided a video, accessed by an animated button, which opens in a pop-up.

Visual hierarchy and queues

The core design elements of typography and contrast feature heavily in current landing page trends for both capturing the viewer’s attention and focusing that attention toward CTAs and other important page elements. 

• Large fonts – using oversized typography to emphasize the most important elements, like your value proposition, helps overcome lack of attention by visitors who are simply scanning your page and making snap judgements. 
• High contrast CTAs – bright colors are trending as well, so using a brightly colored button on a solid white or dark background helps it jump off the page. 

Go to Meeting makes effective use of both trends by using a big, bold headline and high-contrast orange for their primary CTA. Contrast here is combined with another trend we’ll discuss later, offering a freebie.

Interactivity

What could be more engaging than direct interaction with your visitors? People are naturally social, curious creatures. We want to play, explore, and connect. Some of the top ways designers are accomplishing this is through elements that shift, respond, move, or change when the user interacts with them.

• Live chat and chat bots – establish a connection with customers, answer questions real time, and cut down on help desk calls.

• Content and forms – allow users to drill down for more information, accomplish a task, or submit a request all without leaving the page.

• Guided tours – allow users to experience your product or tool while getting a hands-on customer experience.

• Strategic pop-ups – make helpful, timely suggestions when appropriate for the user flow without detracting from the task or risking abandonment due to irritation or annoyance.
  
  

Social proof

People love to ask for, and give, referrals. Think Yelp, or really any social media platform. Tapping into this trend takes more than just putting your FaceBook and Instagram links on your page, which does keep them involved with your brand, but drives them away from the page. Social proof can come in many forms, but it should always feel real, organic, and natural. 

• Images or videos of the product in use – pictures, videos, or illustrations can give your users a better idea of how to use your product, or see how it works.

• Brand bars – show your potential customers which of their peers are using your product, or even bigger name brands to help them understand how you can help their business as well.

• Testimonials – recommendations from social media platforms or direct quotes and feedback provide a personal feeling recommendation for new visitors.

• Free trials and tools – first hand experience can be even better than seeing or hearing about someone else’s.

https://www.referralcandy.com/	https://www.holded.com/	https://www.techsmith.com/

Imagery and Aesthetics

People HR masterfully combines some of the trends we’ve already discussed with some of the best graphical trends for landing pages. They use custom illustrations in combination with visual hierarchy of large fonts and high contrast CTAs to create a fresh, unique interface that also visually guides visitors to the most important information and next steps. The result is clean, crisp, and effective.

The current visual trends especially borrow from classic design principles.

• Layout and design

• Cards and chunking – keep content tidy, easy to digest, and provide a simple way for users to quickly parse information.

• Two column layouts – great for structured content like forms by guiding the eye down the page and reducing cognitive load.

• Flat design – simple, two dimensional imagery often in combination with oversized typography and bright color schemes are fun and crisp. They also work really well on mobile UIs. 

• Drop shadows – depth and richness can be added subtly with drop shadows.

• Organic shapes – feel natural and work well with many of the other trends to guide the user, add emphasis, or provide character to the landing page.

• No (or little) navigation – allow users to focus on the CTAs that lead to conversions. Navigation can distract and lead the user away from the primary goal.

• Color
  • Ample use of white space – a staple of good design. When used in combination with other layout trends like bright pops of color, cards, and organic shapes, white space creates a simple, crisp, and fun look.
  • Bright, vibrant color schemes – bright pops of color help focus the eye, draw attention to the most important elements of the screen.

• Custom visuals
  • Illustrations – custom illustrations are less expensive than photo shoots but provide a fresh, authentic brand personality.
  • Photography – stock photography can come across as stale. Custom photography adds richness and originality.

Shopify is another great example of current layout and design trends. Information is chunked to be easy to digest, as well as visually appealing. Visitors can easily find and understand key information related to the service offerings. They use plenty of white space, bold colors, and organic shapes that flow across the page, pulling the eye along with it.

Conclusion

Landing pages should be updated frequently based on data, so don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t completely right or needs adjustment over time. Look around for inspiration, try a few trends that might work best for your users, and tweak as needed to find the right mix. Keep it simple, don’t try to do all of these together, and have fun with your designs. 
Check out UXPin 2020 Design Trends for more design trends you can incorporate into other areas of your sites.