For many web-based businesses, the homepage is the number one location to recruit new users, customers, converts, raving fans, etc. The website at Shopify.com does an excellent job of telling people exactly what they do… and they make it stupid-simple for the user to sign up for their own Shopify online store. The image above shows what is currently on the Shopify.com website. What you see here is what appears above the fold, whereas there is a bunch of additional information below the fold that is not depicted in this screenshot. This landing page style homepage does five simple things:

1. Tells the customer what this website is all about (Shopify: Create your online store today).

2. Lists the four main reasons you should sign up for Shopify.

3. Shows what the Shopify user and backend experience looks like.

4. Has two, large buttons which can be pressed to sign up for a Shopify storefront (the large blue circle in the upper right-hand corner that says “FREE 30-Day Trial” and the large green button in the bottom left corner that reads “OPEN YOUR STORE NOW”).

5. And the “Featured In” section at the bottom of the page adds some reputability to the Shopify service (similar to customer testimonials).

On October 31, 2011 the world population is expected to increase to more than 7 billion people.

The “What’s Your Number?” population counter on the Population Action International website is an excellent example of a landing page that uses current news to draw people into a website, interact (by entering their date of birth and learning where they lie in regards to the total number of people in the world), and potentially clicking around on the website and learning more about the organization.

More than anything, the “What’s You Number?” population counter is of great interest to social media users who, aware of the impending 7 billion person population count, will tell their friends and followers about this web page, garnering a lot of traffic for and cred for the people behind Population Action International.

See the “What’s Your Number?” population counter at:

http://populationaction.org/Articles/Whats_Your_Number/Summary.php

The landing page for Guiliana Rancic’s FabFitFun website is an excellent example of the near perfect landing page. A splash of color, an appealing design, a beautiful woman, and an obvious opt in box with a massive sign up button. It’s almost impossible to land on this page and not enter your name and zip code into the provided boxes. And hey… did  you notice? It’s free!