The Art of the Signup Page

A site's signup page is the second most important page on a site (the most important is the home page itself) because this is where you're asking for committment. Everyone worries about the home page (and still don't do a good job), but most companies do a poor job with the signup page. For example, HAMweather's is aesthetically-challenged, and Last.fm's doesn't convey enough information. This article about signup pages by Tim Bednar is a good read. His list of important signup-page elements is:

• Logo

• Elevator pitch

• Descriptive copy

• List of key features

• List of key benefits

• Call to action

• Testimonials

• Tours

• Examples of users

• Screen shots

• Life-style images

• Link to more information

However, you can clearly be successful without a great signup page.