These designs convert well and are also easy to use. In other words, they work well from both a business and a user-experience perspective. Here's a list of good practices we use all the time, and it's still growing.

1. Use a Single Column Instead of Multiple Columns

With a single-column layout, you have more control over how the content tells its story. Guiding readers from top to bottom is also more predictable. Multi-column layouts easily distract readers, which works against our goal of keeping users focused on the page's core goal. Start with a compelling story and end with a strong call to action.

2. Give a Gift Instead of Pushing to Close the Sale

Treat customers in a friendlier way, such as offering a small gift. On a deeper level, giving gifts is based on the principle of reciprocity, and it's a very effective persuasion strategy. Being kind to people and offering valuable little gifts pays off down the road.

3. Merge Similar Functions Instead of Fragmenting the UI

Over time, it's easy to accidentally create lots of layouts, elements, and features that do the same thing. This is basic entropy: things drift further apart over time. Watch for duplicated functions labeled in different ways; they don't help our users. The more fragmented the UI, the steeper the learning curve. Consider refactoring your UI to combine similar functions. For example, put Customer Service and Contact Us in the same section.

4. Let Users Vouch for You Instead of Bragging

Social proof is another effective persuasion technique that directly improves conversion rates. Seeing other people endorse and talk about your product is a great way to get more users to act. Share user testimonials, along with details that show those users are real.

5. Repeat Important Actions Instead of Showing Them Once

Repeating your call to action is a very effective strategy on long or repetitive pages. Of course, you don't want to torture users by showing the offer 10 times on one screen. But long pages are becoming the norm, and the idea of cramming everything above the fold is no longer popular. There's no harm in having a subtle button at the top and another prominent button at the bottom. When users reach the bottom of the page, they pause and think about what to do next. If there's a prominent place to buy, the order comes in. If not, nothing happens, and you lose a sale.