11 Best Examples of Lead Generation Website Designs

When people come to your website, oftentimes the first page they land on and see is your homepage.

With 63% of marketers saying generating leads is one of their top challenges, you most definitely want to capitalize on this, one of the highest viewed pages of your site.

Trying to determine what to include on the page can be overwhelming though. What should it say? What kind of features should it include?

There are so many lead generation opportunities often missed when it comes to homepage designs. One way to make sure you check all the boxes is to watch this video:

But another is to learn by example.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at 11 companies who have awesome lead generating homepages to help drive their business.

1. Databox

Starting off with one of my personal favorites, Databox is a key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard that pulls data in real-time for businesses.

Up until a few months ago, however, the messaging on the homepage didn’t reflect who they were truly selling to.

Databox’s Director of Marketing, explains how “in the years prior, Databox had been positioned more toward executives and the analysts that work for them within enterprise companies, enabling them to understand how their business was performing at any time, on any device–but with a strong emphasis on mobile.”

Selling to enterprise companies proved difficult so by mid-2016, the company started to pivot to sell to mass market, by opting for a freemium model that allowed users to sign up and use the product for free.

Why their Homepage Works:

• Targeted messaging to their audience. As you continue to scroll down the page, you’ll see alternating sections that speak to some of the most common pain points their audience has. As business owners, marketers and sales leaders, we’re constantly crunched on time and Databox capitalizes on that feeling. We all know we need to analyze our data in order to make informed decisions that drive sales and marketing, but when can we fit it into the day?
• Dynamic messaging to keep your attention -- the opening question changes to ask “Do you know how your marketing performed today” and “Do you know how your sales performed today?”
• An opt-in to get started right away, with the extra sell text telling you it’s “Free Forever.”

How to Improve:

• Remove the animation further down the page. I scroll through pages quickly and as I do so down the homepage to get a sense of what the product does, I miss half of the information because it’s still fading in.

2. RedShelf

In the ever-expanding digital world, RedShelf provides eTextbooks for students and publishers. After hearing about RedShelf, I thought it was genius but couldn’t help but ask, why would a textbook publisher want to sell eBooks? They would see 60% less revenue per book sold.

However, RedShelf was able to use its model to help publishers see more money in the long run. Since eBooks cannot be resold or passed on to other students, “publishers make more moolah by selling books every year, rather than just when the books disintegrate from use or get yet another edition bump to encourage students to buy new books.”

Why their Homepage Works:

• Clear calls-to-action (CTA). I immediately know how to search for a title and am directed to a page where I can find and purchase the book.
• Separate messaging per audience. It can be tricky trying to market to multiple audiences with different needs. RedShelf does a great job in keeping its navigation uncluttered and a clear breakdown of why publishers, schools and students would all want its product.
• Separate contact options for support and sales. Nothing is more frustrating than receiving a support question when you’re trying to navigate through sales prospects, and your customers also want answers to their issues quickly. Easily distinguishing how to contact support versus sales is crucial for both sides.

How to Improve:

• Draw more attention to best sellers. Add the title and author beneath the top selling eBooks to make it more clear on what the books are. Relying on cover images alone is tough.

3. Evernote

Evernote’s digital notepad allows you to sync your thoughts and notes across multiple devices. I’ve used this product for some time now and love it. I’m able to take notes on a book I’m reading while traveling and pull them up on my desktop during our company’s book club meeting.

Why their Homepage Works:

• Dynamic messaging. Before the hero statement, “Meet Evernote, your second brain.” appears, different messages scroll in the same spot to keep the user engaged -- “Remember everything. Get organized. Succeed together.” Simple messages that help explain what the product enables you to do.
• Easy sign up. In addition to the traditional email and password registration, Evernote gives users the option to sign up with their Google account.

How to Improve:

• Incorporate other calls-to-action. Throughout the homepage, there are really only two calls-to-action: sign up for free and learn about Evernote business. Though being able to create an account for free is a huge draw, I know Evernote has a lot more content they can use to help drive users to sign up, such as multiple plan offers, customer stories and use cases.
• Make it clear images are videos. It took me several minutes of scrolling on the page to realize each of the three images used to describe the product were actually videos that provide further context. With 72% of businesses saying video has improved their conversion rate, you want to get it right.

4. Ellevest

Ellevest is a digital investment platform specifically for women. CEO and co-founder Sallie Krawcheck describes having an “a-ha” moment when she realized the financial industry was built “by men, for men.”

Women face completely unique income life cycles that many investment companies and firms weren’t talking about. For instance, did you know women’s salaries peak at 40 while men’s peak at 55?

Ellevest’s messaging addresses women-centered financial issues head on and created a software to do the same so it can help women plan for a future where they may earn less money yet live longer than men.

Honestly, this is the only investment company I would sign up with thanks to their website.

Why their Homepage Works:

• Ellevest truly knows its audience. The messaging speaks directly to women, in a tone that is conversational and real, not stuffy and cliche like most financial advisor and investing websites.
• A simple call-to-action. The “Get Yours” message is powerful and immediately directs the user to create an account.
• Social Proof. I love that they include a few quotes directly beneath the header to showcase positive writeups about the company. Plus, two of the three publications have women as primary readers.

How to Improve:

• Change up the headline. Though the current message is strong and powerful, it doesn’t immediately make me take action. Further down the homepage is a message that speaks to women’s concerns in a more direct way -- “We live longer. We don't get equal pay. Shouldn't we use financial tools created for us?” Now if this was the headline, I would immediately click the “Get Yours” CTA.

5. Basecamp

This project management system has grown exponentially over the years, with more than 2.5 million accounts currently signed up.

Why their Homepage Works

• An image that resonates. All too often, companies use stock photography or images that barely have anything to do with the product or audience -- but Basecamp gets it perfectly. They capitalize on the ever-so-often feeling of being overwhelmed when managing projects.
• The free offer explains benefits in signing up. The simple checkmarks beneath the call -to-action “Try Basecamp for FREE” answer the unwritten question of why, enticing users to sign up.
• Evident customer support. The homepage showcases three statistics and supporting statements from customers, providing a validation component to visitors.

How to Improve:

• Alignment of text. The center alignment for all text on the homepage makes it difficult to read. The harder your copy is the read, the more likely it won’t get read.

6. Book of the Month

Disclaimer: I am a huge book nerd. I actually asked for Book of the Month for Christmas last year and have been hooked ever since. The club provides you with five hardcover books to choose from each month and receive directly on your doorstep for either a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee.

Why their Homepage Works

• Messaging that speaks to its process. The “Read. Love. Repeat,” directly ties in to the monthly subscription model Book of the Month offers and makes it sound fun.
• Users are teased with this month’s selection. A little further down the homepage, you see a section for this month’s selections, but in order to see the books offered, you need to create an account first. This curiosity helps drive incentive to sign up.
• A clear “how it works” section. This is a must considering nowhere else on the website does it explain how the process of the club works.

How to Improve:

• Provide a glimpse of past books. A huge hurdle from people signing up is not know what kind of books they will be able to select. Providing a glimpse of what has been offered previously would help overcome that hurdle.

7. charity: water

This non-profit organization aims to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

Why their Homepage Works:

• Direct messaging. The hero messaging on the homepage states “Every person on the planet deserves clean water” -- something you can’t argue against. It also includes an easy CTA to literally say “I agree,” which leads to the donation page.
• Exit-intent pop-up. I personally hate pop-ups when they interrupt my user experience but the ones that work for me are exit-intents. With it, charity: water provides you with an opportunity to stay connected even if you chose not to donate.
• Opportunities to get involved. Further down the homepage, there is an entire section that shows you how you can get involved. Giving your users multiple options to take action will help increase your odds for conversions.

How to Improve:

• Highlight the impact. Calling out why clean water is so vital to communities would help visitors to get involved. Though there is a section on the homepage that charity: water has funded 24,537 water projects for 7 million people around the world, you have to dig to find out just how impactful the mission truly is. With 90% of all purchasing decisions not made consciously, it’s essential you provoke emotion.

8. Warby Parker

I’m obsessed with Warby Parker -- and I don’t even need glasses.  

Their business model enables people to choose five different eyeglass styles and have them shipped directly to their home, to try on in their own time. Once people choose the style they want, they can purchase the frames (typically way cheaper than what brick-and-mortar shops offer) and fill their prescription.

Since first starting, the company has expanded to offer try-at-home prescription sunglasses and now has physical stores for those who prefer to shop in-person and book an eye exam.

Why their Homepage Works:

• An interactive quiz. Warby Parker created an interactive quiz users can take to receive recommendations on eyeglasses they might want to try on at home, encouraging the free trial registration. This creates a fun, low-friction way to get visitors to convert and opt in to their marketing emails.
• Location finder. When online retailers also have store locations, it’s great to include a call-to-action for users to find a location near them.

How to Improve:

• Offer new style alerts. Since the entire company is built around getting stylish eyewear for less, Warby Parker should enable email alerts for those that want to know when new styles are added.
• Highlight email updates. The email opt-in on the homepage is all the way at the bottom, whereas a simple exit-intent pop-up would allow the company to capture contact information if someone intends to leave without browsing or purchasing.

9. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is one of the better known email marketing systems (especially for those on a budget), citing themselves as the world’s largest marketing automation platform.

Why their Homepage Works:

• Actionable messaging. Each of the main sections throughout the homepage begins with an action verb -- “send,” “find,” “automate.”
• Product shots. Showcasing your product visually is a great way to give users a sneak peek of what to expect once they sign up for an account.
• Navigation CTA. Mailchimp features a “Sign Up Free” call-to-action in its navigation that sticks with you as you scroll, making it even easier to sign up for an account.

How to Improve:

• Add a form directly on the page. The page features another “Sign Up Free” call-to-action button at the very bottom of the page, which redirects the user to a landing page. Embedding the form directly on the homepage eliminates one more step the user has to take.

10. Hootsuite

Hootsuite enables you to schedule your company’s social media posts in one consolidated place.

Why their Homepage Works

• Hero statement defines exactly what the company does. Even if you’ve never heard of Hootsuite, the hero statement clearly explains how you can leverage the platform -- “manage all your social media in one place.”
• Call-to-action options. Not everyone is immediately ready to sign up for a free trial. Providing the option to “Compare Plans” is a great way to drive users to a secondary step if they’re not ready to commit.

How to Improve:

• Limit the calls-to-action. It’s a tough balance when trying to determine how many calls-to-action to feature on your homepage. You don’t want to overwhelm the user by giving them too many options but you also don’t want to stunt their experience. Giving the user the choice to “Learn More,” “Download the Full Report,” “Start Your 30-day Free Trial,” “Sign Up,” and “Compare Plans” is a little too much. Streamline their experience and limit the number of calls-to-action.

11.  Quickbooks

Quickbooks is one of the top accounting software for small businesses.

Why their Homepage Works:

• Using video as a background. The video background in the hero section on the homepage features customers using the software and shows just how device friendly the platform is, from desktop to mobile.
• Limited time offer. Promoting a discount and limited-time offer helps encourage users to purchase.

How to Improve:

• More content above the fold. As much as I love the video background, not all devices will display to message and you risk losing users. Moving the green content block slightly higher will help ensure those even on a 13-inch MacBook can still accurately read your message.

The common takeaways are pretty easy to pick out if you’ve been following along.

First, always speak to your target audience in a clear and conversational way that will resonate well. Second, include action for the user to take on an offer to immediately capture them as a lead. And third, make sure your navigation -- both down the homepage and throughout the menu -- is easy to understand and follow.

Once you capture your lead, don’t forget to nurture them. The homepage is just the beginning. If a user converts, you can personalize messaging and offers to cater their experience to their interests or demographics throughout the rest of your site and through email marketing.

Want more inspiration? Check out our list of best business website designs!