On a previous blog post about marketing tests, a commenter asked for some examples of great landing pages. We've received that request more than once and figured it's about time to deliver! So I set out to find some of the best landing pages out there, and to get started, I went to some of my favorite companies. I figured they might be a great place to start because as a marketer, my favorite companies have to not only have a great product or service; they have to be great inbound marketers. Whether you're B2B, B2C, a product or a services business, these five companies have created great landing pages from which we can learn some serious lessons.

To help hammer those lessons home, I've also included suggestions for how these landing pages can be improved even more. These suggestions are based on landing page best practices, and don't take into account that sometimes, you can shirk the best practices based on the results of A/B and multivariate tests. I have no insight into whether these companies have run tests to reach these designs (many probably have!) but the lesson for all marketers is to build something according to best practices, then test, test, test until you get the best version possible.

ModCloth

ModCloth is a retailer of retro women's clothing. This landing page prompts visitors to sign up for its mobile communications and offers.

What they're doing right: ModCloth's landing page rocks for two reasons. First, notice the consistency between the page headline, the form headline, and the button; they all mention joining ModMobile (glad to see you're in on the mobile movement, guys!), so it's very clear what you're on this page to do. It's important to have this consistency in all your headlines so your visitor doesn't get confused about what action they can execute on that page.

ModCloth is also successfully explaining what happens if you join ModMobile through its page copy. Notice the use of bullets to break up each point they want to convey so the information is digestible.

How they can improve: Two page elements a ModCloth marketer might consider changing on this landing page are the color of the bulleted text and the "Join ModMobile!" button. The bulleted text is awfully light, making it hard to read, and the button could stand out more from the rest of the page, as the blue blends in with its site skin. Or hey, maybe they're in the middle of some A/B or multivariate tests!

Salesforce

Salesforce is a CRM and cloud computing software company (with whom you may be intimately familiar if they are your CRM of choice!). This landing page offers a free download of a Gartner research report on sales productivity and automation.

What they're doing right: First, take a look at the top of the landing page. Notice how there's no navigation? This is a wise move, as it prevents the visitor from getting distracted and abandoning the landing page for another area of the site. Salesforce is also leveraging the use of relevant images on the landing page, including a screenshot of the research report the visitor will receive if they complete their download. They back this up with a relevant quote from the report that continues to engage the visitor and entice them to download the report.

How they can improve: Salesforce should follow ModCloth's lead and include the name or subject of the report that the visitor will download. This should be in the form headline, and in the button copy. For example, the headline can be modified to read 'Get Your Complimentary Gartner Report,' or' Get Your Complimentary Salesforce Automation Report'; the button can be modified to simply say 'Download Your Report Now.' These changes will help solidify the purpose of the page, leading to more conversions.

YouSendIt

YouSendIt provides secure online file-sharing software so anyone can easily send large files and attachments. This landing page lets visitors sign up for a free trial with the software.

What they're doing right: Like ModCloth, YouSendIt is doing a great job using consistent language from its page headline to its form headline to its button. But also notice that they've selected a green button for their form. Using the green helps it stand out from the rest of their site, which is mostly blue and white. Aside from having a remarkably short form to redeem the free trial, there's one more page element that is probably helping their conversions: the TRUSTe seal of approval. Including verification signs from third parties like TRUSTe, the BBB, or VeriSign helps instill trust in the visitor that they can safely enter their information to redeem the offer.

How they can improve: YouSendIt is rocking a pretty sweet landing page for their free trial, but there's one area they can definitely improve. They have a navigation along the top and bottom of their site, increasing the likelihood that a visitor will get distracted and click away to another part of their site before filling out the free trial form. You can bring back your navigation and keep the visitor moving through the site with other offers on the thank-you page after the form has been completed.

Jetsetter

Jetsetter is an invitation-only travel community that provides its members with access to exclusive deals and insider information on amazing vacations.

What they're doing right: Between the headline and the images used at the top of this landing page, it's clear as day what you're supposed to do here. Buy a travel gift certificate for someone. They also lay out the steps of the process clearly, highlighting that you are on step one currently, and graying out the next two but still including the copy that explains what happens during those steps. For an ecommerce site, an easy and clear shopping cart experience is crucial to getting your visitors to move through all the stages necessary to complete a purchase.

How they can improve: Jetsetter's form falls below the fold of the web page, which can impact conversion rates for some sites. If you had a page with a similar layout to Jetsetter, one place they can cut space is the size of the image at the top. Alternately, a two column layout can help condense space and fit everything above the fold. To be really nitpicky, the copy on the "Proceed to Purchase" button is also quite small and light. Making it bigger, bolder, and brighter may help increase conversions.

SEOmoz

SEOmoz is a thought leader in search engine marketing and provides SEO software. This landing page lets visitors sign up for a free trial of their software.

What they're doing right: SEOmoz is also making use of a third-party verification badge to instill trust in the visitor and using consistent language from its header to the copy in its button. The best part of their landing page, however, is the inclusion of the chat icon, which follows the user as they scroll down the page. Along with removing the navigation, this chat icon helps mitigate the chance of page abandonment by giving visitors the opportunity to get answers to questions that are preventing them from completing the form.

How they can improve: While the red bubble on the top right corner of the landing page explains what the free trial is for, the header could benefit from the inclusion of the software's name. Visitors will be happy to easily confirm via the page heading that what they clicked through to download is in fact on this page!

When you're creating landing pages, what best practices do you think contribute the most to a higher conversion rate?

Image credit: Beth Kanter