
Landing Page Best Practices: Social Proof
December 14, 2012
By Ryan Malone
As President Reagan once famously said, "Trust, but verify." Well, that's pretty much what your customers are doing when they're looking at your landing page and deciding whether to respond to your call-to-action (CTA).
They really want to download your offer or try your product; but they're afraid that if they fill in the form and give you their email address, they'll get spammed with lots of irritating communiqués from you; or the product you deliver won't even come close to meeting their expectations.
Trustworthiness is one of the biggest factors driving online purchase decisions and lead generation, so make sure you use a landing page best practices tool called social proof. Also called informational social influence, this concept says that people will follow the actions of others because people assume that those actions are correct behavior. (If he likes that camera, and I like/trust him, then I would like that camera, too.)
Over 71% of online shoppers look specifically for third party seal's of approval when they visit a website, says research. Companies can use these seals if they abide by a set of standards, such as use of personal information.
Use credible outside experts to vouch for your business. Prominently feature their seal of approval on your landing page so visitors will immediately see it. Place it near your CTA. Depending on the industry you're in, such experts could be The Better Business Bureau or VeriSign.
Another landing page best practices is using testimonials or reviews from actual customers.
According to a free and fabulous Google study on the consumers' zero moment of truth, a full 70% of Americans now say they look at product reviews before making a purchase. Further, other studies have concluded that reviews on a site can boost conversions.
How do you find these reviews or testimonials? Simple. Visit your social media sites and see what people are saying about your company or your product/service. Contact fans and ask to use their comments on your landing page. A positive testimonial goes a really long way to convincing new customers to take you up on your offer or to buy your product.
Add social proof to your landing page best practices and you'll get more leads, better leads, and more conversions. Tell us about your experience using social proof tools.

About the author
Ryan Malone is the founder and Chairman of the Board of SmartBug Media and is a veteran of Deloitte & Touche, Seagate and several venture-backed technology companies. When he's not leading SmartBug and helping clients build high-octane marketing organizations, he's loving his wife and daughters and unsuccessfully learning the guitar. Go Terps! Read more articles by Ryan Malone.