So What Is a Comparative Review?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Comparative reviews entail critiquing the design techniques other successful companies use in order to help you generate ideas of your own. Comparative reviews are inexpensive, often enlightening aids to the conversion optimization process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a review, our team walks you through the critique process to help you (and new team members) learn to develop a critical eye for site design<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, because it\u2019s not strictly data-driven, you won\u2019t know whether you\u2019re basing your views on what\u2019s working or not. That\u2019s why we recommend using this method strictly to help you develop better test ideas and design opinions, and to avoid making sweeping changes based on the results of your comparative reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Comparative Review Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The case study approach we use in this article shows you the kinds of things our team looks for when we perform comparative reviews for clients. We\u2019ll use multiple examples from industry-leading SaaS sites to keep the process simple, but this method can be applied just as easily to an ecommerce website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to learn more about how to perform your own comparative reviews, you\u2019ll find plenty of inspiration and direction here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, we\u2019ll list some of the primary factors our teams at The Good look for when reviewing a website. Then, we\u2019ll use them to briefly analyze a selection of SaaS sites.<\/p>\n\n\nComparative reviews can be a quick, cost-efficient aid to conversion rate optimization (#CRO). <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n Like ecommerce websites, there are two things SaaS websites should do well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elements on the page should support those two goals. Within a few seconds of viewing your landing page, prospects should be interested enough to stay and either learn more or take an action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The primary guidelines we\u2019re going to use to evaluate these sites include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, our own experience has also shown us some practices that hurt conversions. Here\u2019s a short list of those:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll illustrate both the good and the bad in the following comparative review examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> Clean header navigation<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Lack of a value proposition<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> Visitors to your website should never feel overwhelmed by content. They should immediately know where they are and what the site offers. Xero keeps it clean and simple. Color coordination helps with navigation, though providing multiple CTAs (calls to action) is potentially distracting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the downside, while Xero is clear about what they do (online accounting software for small businesses), they don\u2019t tell visitors why they\u2019re a better choice than any of the numerous other SaaS sites in their niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tagline at the top left reads \u201cBeautiful business.\u201d In most cases, the last thing someone seeking an online accounting solution cares about is whether or not the product is \u201cbeautiful.\u201d In most cases, an easy to use and well-supported website is much more valuable than one that looks good but doesn\u2019t perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> One CTA stands out on the page<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Jargon for a value proposition<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> We love landing pages that present one clear and unmistakable call to action. Active Network does that with one short \u201cContact Us\u201d suggestion inside a button that stands out plainly from the rest of the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, visitors aren\u2019t provided a clear picture of exactly what Active Network does. The abundance of jargon fails to focus on the prospect. Which activities get powered? Are they a data processing company? The track shoes and \u201cActive\u201d give us a strong clue this company focuses on sports or fitness, but that\u2019s still a big category. Do they work with ecommerce websites that sell athletic shoes? Do they work with college athletic departments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If visitors are unsure about whether the site is right for them at first glance, many will leave to find a provider that knows the customer and the customer\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond that, the homepage photo and message are on a slider. It moves approximately every eight seconds, but all the slides are as unclear as the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the positive side, Active does a good job of providing social proof icons that highlight their customers, a link to \u201cread success stories,\u201d and social media connection icons (see the screenshot above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> The copy focuses on the prospect, not on the company. Clear benefit statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Split CTA could cause confusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> This site provides an excellent example of how to let prospects self-identify. If you\u2019re in human resources and you\u2019re tired of focusing on processes instead of people, BambooHR has a solution for you. Instead of saying \u201cOur software focuses on people \u2026\u201d the copywriting here gets personal and \u201clets you focus on people, not processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The illustration suits the topic, and the page is clear and uncluttered. Our only suggestion is to present visitors with just one CTA. Offer them a free quote or provide a free trial; both are fine, but don\u2019t shoot for two. Give visitors one choice. In this case, it may be better to provide a CTA to \u201cFind out more\u201d\u2014then offer a quote or a free trial after the prospect knows more about the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scroll down to see the BambooHR Overview (see the screenshot above). It\u2019s an attractive series of videos about the company, its products, and its career opportunities. Farther down, you\u2019ll find a list of \u201cBamboo Awards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOTE:<\/strong> Choose how you\u2019re going to present your company name and stick to it. This company uses \u201cbambooHR\u201d on navigation tabs, but \u201cBambooHR\u201d elsewhere. That can only serve to confuse visitors and make the company appear inconsistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> Simple and clear<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Double CTAs<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> We\u2019re not completely sold on the primary benefit statement, \u201cWork better, safer, together,\u201d because all three terms are generic and non-specific. However, we like the explanation that Dropbox \u201csimplifies your work, with a central place to access and share files.\u201d The lack of clutter and to-the-point copy makes this site stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here again, the two CTAs present a problem. Each page should lead the prospect naturally from one step to the next along the path to purchase. Each time you make them stop and think, you\u2019re giving them a reason to come back when they have more time to consider the idea\u2014and that could be a long way down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scrolling down on the Dropbox Business homepage, you get pricing and a list of features. Dropbox uses the classic sales technique of providing three choices and highlighting the one providing the \u201cbest value.\u201d Great idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a few seconds, a chat box will pop up (see the screenshot above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep scrolling to find customer testimonials and icons of teams using Dropbox Business. At the bottom of the page is a list of FAQs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the bottom of the homepage, Dropbox claims to be \u201cThe best sharing and storage solution for your business.\u201d That\u2019s a fairly broad and unsubstantiated claim. It\u2019s best to stay believable and factual with your sales copy. If you can\u2019t prove it, don\u2019t say it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> One CTA<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Potential for confusion about product<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> Flow provides one clear and concise \u201cGet Started Now\u201d CTA button at page center. However, this button links to the same page as the \u201cStart Free Trial\u201d button in the header. Best practice would be to get rid of the header button or use the same CTA copy on both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another potential confusion point is the illustration, which is an animation of the Flow dashboard. However, starting out with the \u201cMobile App 2.0\u201d image could cause visitors to assume Flow is a mobile app only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ecommerce page design best practice is to avoid confusion completely. Scour your site for places that could create doubt in your prospect\u2019s mind and address the issues immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scrolling down on the Flow homepage, you\u2019ll see social proof icons (see the screenshot above). Because there is no copy to provide context for these icons, It\u2019s not clear whether those companies actually use Flow or not. If they do use Flow, why not brag about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The assertion that Flow is \u201cThe easiest way to manage any project \u2026\u201d fails the believability test. There are plenty of other good project management options. It would be tough to prove that Flow is the easiest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the copy below that offers a much better selling point: \u201cFrom simple checklists to kanban boards, we\u2019ve got you covered.\u201d Simple checklists and kanban boards are real-life examples of tools many project management prospects are seeking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll give the same advice to Flow that we gave to Dropbox Business: Dispense with the hype. Use copy that visitors will perceive as realistic and desirable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> Short, succinct, targeted copy<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> The \u201cWhat You Can Do\u201d drop-down menu is confusing<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> We love the Mailchimp homepage. The bird moves and changes to catch the eye. the copy is short and engaging, and there\u2019s just one call to action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only negative here is that the \u201cWhat You Can Do\u201d drop-down menu in the header (shown above) opens up a slew of choices that counteracts the simplicity of the page and could confuse the visitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scrolling takes you to a condensed version of \u201cWhat You Can Do,\u201d and then to a testimonial, some informative links, social proof (above), and another CTA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019d probably back off on the length of the scroll and stay focused on getting sign-ups. All told, though, Mailchimp provides an excellent example of simple, to-the-point digital marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> Offers a separate entry point for Enterprise visitors in navigation<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Long page scroll<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> InVision offers one CTA, but complicates the appearance by providing an email address entry box next to the button. We would want to test this approach against collecting the email address after the button click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The delineation between free users and enterprise customers is helpful. However, the descriptive copy may be too long and too extravagant; \u201cworld\u2019s best\u201d and \u201cworld\u2019s most powerful\u201d are subjective at best and may be received as over-the-top hype. We\u2019d test those for user experience effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scrolling down, InVision does an excellent job with citing social proof (see the screenshot above). It\u2019s initially unclear if they are clients, but if you keep scrolling, you see testimonials from individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the footer, you\u2019ll find detailed content options that speak to engaged visitors. Just above that is a final CTA to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> Simple messaging speaks directly to prospects<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> The illustration tends to move eyes the wrong way<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> It\u2019s tough to fault Slack. If you\u2019re looking for a pattern to learn from, this site is among our top ten recommendations. We do note, though, that the full-page view has the man in the green jacket pulling eyes away from the CTA. Best practice is to make every part of the page direct focus to the call-to-action button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scroll down to learn more about Slack and how it can work for each department, from Sales to HR. Following that, you\u2019ll see an excellent testimonial\/social proof section (see the screenshot above) with links to case studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One call to action on the homepage, an easy option for current members to sign in to their workspaces, and a clear header menu with nothing but the essentials\u2014Slack is darn near the poster child for website design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kudos!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\u2019re doing well:<\/strong> Social proof on the homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needs to be fixed:<\/strong> Demo video on the homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussion:<\/strong> Here\u2019s why the demo video on the homepage may not be a good idea: it leads the visitor away from the CTA. Yes, it presents another CTA on the linked page (see the screenshot below), but watching a 10-minute video may not seem appealing to the prospect. It could result in the loss of a lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re calling them the way we see them, but please understand this: we\u2019re not always correct in our assumptions. That\u2019s why we test ideas<\/a> before making changes. Sometimes what we think will happen does happen, and sometimes it doesn\u2019t. Either way, learning takes place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can Optimizely determine the truth? Test to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSetting the foundation for the critique<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Include a video.<\/strong> Help them understand the benefits of your tool with a quick two-minute walk through.<\/li>Comparative Review Case Studies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Xero<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"xero](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/xero.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nActive Network<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"active](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/active-1024x501.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"not](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/active-2-1024x435.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBambooHR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"hr](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/BambooHR1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"bamboo](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/bamboohr2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDropbox Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"dropbox](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropboxbusiness2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"double](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFlow Project Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"flow](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Flow1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"flow](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/flow2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMailchimp<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"mailchimp](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mailchimp1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mailchimp2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"mailchimp](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MailChimp3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nInVision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"invision](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/invision1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"invision](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/invision2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSlack<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"slack](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/slack1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"slack](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/slack2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOptimizely<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"optimizely](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/optimizely-1-1024x501.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
![\"uber](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/uber1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"rideshare](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/uber2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"google](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/googlebusiness1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"google](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/googlebusiness2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"microsoft](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/microsoft1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"comparative](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/microsoft2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n