37 psychological principles for SaaS Landing Pages to Get instant conversions!

We curated a list of psychological principles for SaaS landing pages from copywriting experts and SaaS founders!

37 psychological principles for SaaS Landing Pages to Get instant conversions!
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We curated a list of psychological principles for SaaS Landing Pages to Get instant conversions!
Let’s go!
A good sales page will make visitors feel like they're not being sold something, but that they're being helped.
It should:
  • feel easy
  • provide value
  • make them feel like they're the right person to buy your product

1. Keep your landing page simple

Visitors are more likely to become customers when they don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they need to process.
It is well-known that simple websites convert better than complex ones. The more complex a website is, the harder it is to navigate.
The more frustrated a user becomes the quicker they leave your website.
You don't need a lot of text, images, or even a design.
You just need to communicate your value proposition, and method of delivery as clearly as possible.
When you have a complicated landing page, you're asking your visitors to do a lot of work to understand your offer.

2. Be Relevant

Nothing is more valuable than time in this world.
When someone hops onto our page we have to make sure we aren’t wasting their time.
We craft the message to directly hit the people we want as clients.
Here’s how…
You have to get clear on your ICP (Ideal Client Profile):
  • Challenges
  • Pain points
  • Motivations
  • Goals
  • Needs
Know your customer like the back of your hand.

3. Make the next move easy

On a landing page, you are taking them on a journey.
At any point, the visitor may have decided that it is right for them.
Make it easy to take the next move by placing CTAs throughout the page.
A good rule of thumb is: After every value proposition, give them an opportunity to opt in.
Make the next step as clear as possible.

4. The Perfect Headline

A headline should capture the reader's attention and make them want to continue scrolling.
Here are Marketing expert Perry Marshall's 7 tips:
  • Short and clear
  • Should be about what the reader will get out of it.
  • Highlight the solution to the problem.
  • In the Present tense.
  • Use negative words
  • Use numbers
  • You, your and you're

5. Use EMOTION triggering visuals

One client I had did car detailing, boring.
But add pictures of flash, super-clean, luxury cars - immediate emotional response.
Leverage color psychology and the right images to 10x the power of the offer, and enhance the clarity of the product or service offered.

Marketing is psychology + math. When creating your landing page, include NLP( Natural Language Principles) principles. A structure that starts with emotions and hooks, justifies their purchase with logic, builds trust, and finally remove objections and risks. ~ Darius Kunca

Jon Brosio shares 11 psychological triggers everyone should know (please use them ethically)”

6. Hick's Law

More options create decision fatigue and buying uncertainty. @thejustinwelsh does a great job with his empire by offering one purchase option:
Use Hick’s Law by offering only one purchase option.
Use Hick’s Law by offering only one purchase option.

8. Goal Gradient Effect

β†’ Motivation increases as users get closer to their goal. Used in setup, sign-up, and checkouts. Example: @aioseopack WordPress setup:
Deploy the goal gradient effect to trigger the purchase.
Deploy the goal gradient effect to trigger the purchase.

9. Feedforward

β†’ Conversions increase when people know what to expect before they take action This can be used in Saas, signups, or emails (as we see with @ItsKieranDrew
Use the feedforward technique to clearly illustrate the requirement for completion.
Use the feedforward technique to clearly illustrate the requirement for completion.

10. Fresh Start Effect

β†’ Users are more likely to take action if there's a feeling of new beginnings. The copy here from @dickiebush "Finally Start" helps envision a new beginning:
Use the fresh start technique to help your user make a new beginning!
Use the fresh start technique to help your user make a new beginning!

11. Scarcity

β†’ People value things more when they're in limited supply.
Can be done with:
  • Urgency
  • Screening
  • Limited spots
@WrongsToWrite creates urgency with a screening:
Create urgency through screening.
Create urgency through screening.

12. Variable Reward

β†’ People are drawn to an unexpected outcome.
Use:
  • Quizzes
  • Bonuses
  • Giveaways
To utilize variable rewards. Just like @austinbelcak

13. Loss Aversion

β†’ Potential losses have a greater effect than potential gains. Budget airlines perfected this with "add-ons":
Create loss aversion to have a greater effect.
Create loss aversion to have a greater effect.

14. Von Restorff Effect

β†’ People notice items that stand out more. Specific colors and designs can prompt action.
Look what @MakadiaHarsh does with his button/chat colors:
Use specific colors to apply the Von Restorff Effect and stand out!
Use specific colors to apply the Von Restorff Effect and stand out!

15. Cashless Effect

β†’ People spend more when they don't actually see the money
  • PayPal
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
All reduce friction for payment.
@arvidkahl uses PayPal checkout with his course:
Use the cashless effect to make it easy to purchase.
Use the cashless effect to make it easy to purchase.

16. Confirmation Bias

β†’ People want evidence that confirms their beliefs.
This is an effective copywriting technique to frame your offer.
Here @thedankoe uses bullets to confirm bias:
Use confirmation bias to confirm a worldview.
Use confirmation bias to confirm a worldview.

17. Storytelling Effect

β†’ People remember stories better than facts alone.
A good "origin" story works to sell an offer. See how @JeffGoins keeps you captivated with his storytelling:
Use the storytelling effect to captivate your users.
Use the storytelling effect to captivate your users.

Β 

18. Cognitive Overload

Nectar’s homepage is stuffed with emotional triggers:
  • Fear of missing out
  • Social proof
  • Scarcity
Activate emotional decision-making and Suppress logical decision-making
Nectar showcases emotional triggers.
Nectar showcases emotional triggers.
What I would change:
  • Add urgency to CTA copy.
  • Add review stars social proof higher on the page.

19. Fresh Start Framing

Big decisions are easier to make when framed as a β€œfresh start” @ConvertKit triggers this frame perfectly:
  • Headline primes visitor to think about email marketing.
  • β€œFree month” offer reduces risk.
  • β€œFresh start" frame drives action.
ConvertKit showcases Fresh Start Framing.
ConvertKit showcases Fresh Start Framing.
What I would change:
  • Add an offer to the CTA: "Get a fresh start and a free month"
  • Make offer stand out (I missed it in my first read-through)
  • Explain why I should watch the video and tell me how long it is.

20. Magic Solution

  • Headline grabs me with an easy solve to a hard problem.
  • Subhead shows how they do the magic (subscription concierge).
  • Image supports message: "Cancel subscriptions as easily as you delete apps".
Truebill showcases magic solution.
Truebill showcases magic solution.
What I would change:
  • Show price to reduce fear.
  • Add social proof to reduce doubts.
  • Change CTA copy to mirror visitor's job to be done: "Review my Subscriptions".

21. Sell the Dream

  • Headline promises dream state without the usual constraint.
  • CTA describes exactly what I want to do.
  • Made in Webflow badge shows proof that the tool works.
Webflow showcases sell the dream concept.
Webflow showcases sell the dream concept.
What I would change:
  • More social proof: Used for X websites, by X marketers, etc.
  • Add time to value statement: "Professional website in minutes, no code needed".
Β 

22. Share the benefit, not the product

Users don't care what you sell, they care about how they get value:
  • Start with an action verb
  • Make a bold claim
  • Talk directly to your persona
Hook the users so they NEED to read on.
notion image
notion image
notion image
notion image

23. Turn your feature sections into narratives

  • Dig at your audience's problem
  • Twist the knife at why the problem is bad
  • Share your feature's solution
Make your feature sections both memorable AND relatable.
Display of wrong approach in features section.
Display of wrong approach in features section.
Display of right approach with narratives in features section.
Display of right approach with narratives in features section.

24. Give users a sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

When pitching your product, make users feel like everyone else already knows about it.
  • "2,194 trials started"
  • "25,000+ privacy community"
Showcase of FOMO tactic.
Showcase of FOMO tactic.
Showcase of FOMO tactic.
Showcase of FOMO tactic.

25. Show users how easy it is to get started by handling objections

  • "Join our Beta. It's free."
  • "No credit card required"
  • "Cancel anytime"
Give users no excuse to NOT click through.
Showcase to users the ease of getting started.
Showcase to users the ease of getting started.
Showcase to users the ease of getting started.
Showcase to users the ease of getting started.

26. Motivate users to take the next steps

Be specific about the value users get by clicking forward:
  • "Get started" β†’ "Sign up now to automate Slack"
  • "Join us" β†’ "Start learning"
Reassure users they're on the right path.
Motivating the users.
Motivating the users.
Motivating the users.
Motivating the users.

27. Keep your visuals simple

Bad: @Retool's demo is overwhelming with text and visuals
Good: @HelloSign instead uses blurred text so users only focus on the features that matter.
Showcase of wrong visuals.
Showcase of wrong visuals.
Showcasing the right visuals.
Showcasing the right visuals.

28. Landing page psychology best practices

  • Use scarcity to drive customer action.
  • Add time-based scarcity such as time-limited deals.
  • Add quantity-based scarcity such as limited stock.

29. Use social proof to emphasize value & benefits

  • Add real-time counters & notifications to underscore the popularity of the offer.
  • Add reviews & ratings from customers.

30. Show that your product is sued by people just like your target audience

  • Use reviews & testimonials from customers who fit your target customer profile.
  • Use images & copy that echoes the demographics & psychographics of your target customers.

31. Clearly label your audience

  • Refer to your customers by the groups or qualities they want to identify themselves like expert marketers, hardworking salespeople and etc.

Want to increase your landing page's CVR? Use these 7 psychology principles: 1. Authority 2. Scarcity 3. Exclusivity 4. Price sensitivity 5. Social proof 6. Risk reversal 7. Loss aversion (FOMO) Watch your CVR go up. ~ Web Design Wizard

32. The Time Game

  • The dwell time (time spent on your website) increases if users spend their time watching the videos as videos have a greater CTR (Click-through rate) over text.
  • This avoids users from immediately bouncing back from the website.
  • A lower bounce rate and increased dwell time indicate Google that the content on your website is relevant to users.
  • Content relevance acts as an SEO factor and improves your site's ranking.

33. Internal Linking

  • You can add CTA at the end of the video like, "Click on the link below to download my e-book." or "Click on the link below to unleash top courses."
  • If the content is paid, the CTR is higher when CTA comes via video.
  • If CTR is more, users are directed to another web page of your site via an internal link.
  • If users spend time on different web pages of your website, then Google considers your website important and ranks your site higher on SERP.

34. Persuasion

  • It is a proven fact that video content is highly persuasive if you have good selling and speaking skills.
  • You can consider the introductory video as a two-minute one-on-one conversation with your website visitor.
  • This gives you a chance to, β€”Tell about yourself. β€”What you have to offer. β€”What can a prospect expect. β€”Establishes a better relationship with your customer, etc...
  • Personally, I feel having a video is always an added advantage.
Make sure your video is under two minutes. Long videos might disinterest users.

I’m assuming that the product is something your market wants.
And it has a good USP and a good big idea. Otherwise…
Nothing will work regardless of this one element.
But if everything’s in place?
This will increase sales. By a lot.
You need to understand one thing.
Information products β€” are information.
Information is free on YouTube. More often than not?
The SAME information you’re selling.
So you need to do one thing to give that information real value:
Tell what that value is.
How?
We call it β€œperceived value”.
Because something is only as valuable as the person perceives it.
So how do you build perceived value?
By showing the effort you put into getting that information.
Yes. As simple as that.
Here are the three easiest ways to do it:

35. Increase perceived value with Time

Write how long it took you to accumulate the information.
Example:
β€œI bought all the best email marketing courses. A total of 100 hours.
Then I took only the best parts and put them in the course. It took me 3 months”.

36. Increase perceived value with Effort

Write about the amount of effort it took you to get that information.
Example:
β€œI wrote 1,000 emails to see what works best so you don’t have to.
Inside are the best emails I wrote”.

37. Increase perceived value with Money

Write about how much it cost you to gather that information.
Example:
β€œI bought a one-on-one coaching from the best email marketer on the planet.
It cost me $35,000. But you won’t have to pay that because…”
If possible…Mix all three: Time + Effort + Money
β€œI bought all the best email marketing courses. It cost me a total of $80,000.
Then it took me 3 months to implement the lessons and after sending 1,000 emails…
I picked out only the best ones that worked.”
But please, I’m begging you.
No BS stories.
No β€œI walked 42 years through the desert to meet the shaman of email marketing who lives on the tallest hill…”
People read through BS. And it’s not bad business practices.
Only tell the truth.

A Case Study: How Smart Coin got 50% of unique site visitors = 100% of all unique SMRT wallets with memes and psychology

Smart Coin created a token that 100x'd in a week and a platform with the highest converting landing page in the history of crypto (50% of unique site visitors = 100% of all unique SMRT wallets).
About network effects, human psychology, and memes:
10 days ago Smart Coin came out of stealth. In that time the token price went from $.03 to a high of $2.63.
TVL went from 0 to $ 15 million. And a community of rabid fans was born.
This is how we did it:
  • Exploited the abhorrent lack of creativity currently in crypto (most projects are just cheap knockoffs).
Most projects are created by devs and marketed by devs. Most teams overlook hype and end up with their carcasses left in the wake of projects with better marketing.
Too much logic = bad. Emotion = good. It's why memes go viral.
Alliteration? Hell yeah! We all love a good catchphrase. British accent? Sounds authoritative, tell me what to do daddy.
With that in mind, we made a video for SmartCoin and focused on infotainment. It worked... really well. (Full vid at Smart Coin )
Smart Coin showcasing infotainment
Smart Coin showcasing infotainment
It’s why people like @CryptoCobain and @zhusu so crypto-popular: they balance information with entertainment.
"Super cycle?" Fuck yes. Su took a complicated set of ideas and simplified them into a singular meme that went viral.
Our tokenomics:
  1. The "Double-Double": every time TVL doubled, APR also doubled.
  1. The "Bollinger Band Booster": if the price of $SMRT fell below the danger zone, a temporary "boost" in APR was triggered.
That's it. 2 simple meme-y mechanics. Alliteration galore.
Notice anything about those 2 mechanisms? I'll tell you:
  • Not hyper-logical
  • Brandable memes
We suppressed logic in favor of reptile-brain, short-term, emotional thinking.
And guess what? Everyone participating knows... and they love it.
Deep down, we all want to be degens.
We intentionally created a brand around meme psychology.
We made silly videos like "the SmartCoin meditation series."
The community ran with our meme seeds and started creating their own en masse.
The word-of-mouth marketing engine started revving.
(Perhaps @smartcoin will create a marketing arm for a few projects we like.)
notion image
notion image
notion image
notion image
Β 
So, how does this end?
Will it collapse? Will innovative tokenomics stand the test of time?
Not sure. But #SmartCoin is a social experiment with a 10-phase roadmap, and in 30 hours phase 1 will be revealed, and we're pretty sure it's going to make history. #GetSMRT
Β 

Written by

Qayyum Rajan
Qayyum Rajan

Qayyum (”Q”) is a serial builder with more than 5 startups to his name with 3 exits. He specializes in shipping products fast, and early with an focus on driving traffic across the marketing funnels

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