Landing Page Design: The importance of social proof

What is social proof and why is it important?

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people look to the behavior and opinions of others to help guide their own decisions. Sometimes referred to as "herd mentality", it is based on the idea that if other people are doing or endorsing something, it must be a good choice.

On a landing page, social proof reassures users that your product or service offering is trustworthy and worth trying.

Common Social Proof Examples

Here are some common examples of social proof that can be found on effective landing pages.

1. Testimonials: Customer quotes praising the effectiveness of a product or service.

2. User Reviews and Ratings: Written feedback (typically shown with a star rating) from previous buyers of a product or service.

3. Client Logos: Logos of companies that use your product or service (typically shown in a row or grid).

4. User statistics or numbers: Displaying metrics (eg downloads, customers, subscribers) such as "10,000 products sold"

5. Influencer Endorsements: A celebrity or expert recommending a product.

6. Media Mentions: A reference to a brand, product or service by an outside entity (such as a digital publication).

7. User-generated content (UGC): Content (such as videos, photos or social media posts) created by everyday users or customers.

8. Case Studies: Detailed success stories from real clients.

Effective Social Proof Designs

Slack

The slack landing page has some great examples of social proof. The well known brand logos in the hero area add instant credibility as soon as you land on the page.

There is a video testimonial area further down the page that features some major organisations. These videos are high quality and very well produced.

There is also 2 effective statistics sections. The first tells us that slack users feel “more connected” and that “helps them to collaborate more efficiently. The second stat area shows the scale of slacks popularity, with stats such as “700M messages sent daily”.

Social Proof Example: Nourished

This example from Nourished ticks pretty much every box in the social proof check list. Covering everything from user reviews and video testimonials to media mentions. The expert testimonials and accreditations are particularly effective here for adding credibility, which is highly important for a product of this nature.

How to Start Building Social Proof

Collecting social proof can feel like a daunting task. Fortunately, there are many ways to capture customer reviews, feedback, and user-generated content. 

Here are some examples:

• Automated emails: Tools such as Trustpilot, Reviews.io or Klaviyo automatically trigger an email 5–7 days after a purchase. These emails politely ask customers for a review or star rating.

• Manual Outreach: A good option for service based businesses. Reach out directly to your best clients asking if they’d be willing to share a quick quote, Google Review or perhaps even record a video testimonial.

• Incentivise Engagement: Increase the number of reviews you receive by offering an inceptive. These typically include offering a discount on a future purchase, entry into a giveaway or by collecting points.

Summary

By showing potential customers that others already trust and benefit from a product/service, landing pages become significantly more persuasive and effective. 

At Evoluted we understand the importance of designing a landing page that strengthens trust and reduces uncertainty through the use of social proof. If you want to improve your landing page, contact us today to learn more about our web design services.