Linktree, that link in bio company that you see everywhere, just completely overhauled their website. I learned so much about copywriting, creative, and CTAs by comparing the before and after. In this article, I break down the changes to their headline, subheading, hero image, and call-to-action.
Before we dive into the article, I wanted to let you know about the two short videos (under 2 min each) that I created about Linktree's website redesign. If you're more of a video person, you can watch these instead of reading the article.
Without further ado, let's get into it...
First things first, here is what the homepage looked like before the redesign in late May 2022:
And here's what the homepage looked like after the redesign:
Let’s start with the headline.
I think the big difference here is that before they were centering the product, "The Only Link You’ll Ever Need"
In the second headline, they’re centering you - the customer. "Everything you are. In one simple link."
As Linktree has matured as a company, there's less of a risk that prospective customers are unfamiliar with the product -- since, let's face it, those links are all over social media profiles. Their new headline makes a stronger emotional impact, and puts the spotlight squarely on the customer.
Moving on to the subheading.
The "join 25M+ people" is a great example of social proof. If over 25M people are using their product already, they are clearly on to something. This falls into a type of social proof known as "wisdom of the crowds."
They are also getting more specific about what they mean by “content.” This reminded me of Patrick McKenzie's tweet about being more conscious about how you use the word "content":
While Patrick was talking about something slightly different, how we refer to our own work, I think the same thing ought to apply to how companies refer to our work. If I'm a photographer who is using Linktree to link out to my photography portfolio, it feels like a slap in the face to refer to that as "content".
I have to empathize with the copywriters here, who are trying to encapsulate "anything you could link out to" into as a few words as possible -- without devaluing a person's life's work in the process.
That's why I like the new subheading that they landed on. They found a way to balance both of those goals: being concise without downplaying the importance of their users' work or internet homes.
Lastly, they got rid of the log in link in their subheading. It felt unnecessary there before considering they already had log in where you would expect it to be: in the top right corner of the page.
Now let's talk about the hero image.
Before, the hero image did two main things. It showcased the impressive brands and public figures who were using Linktree by animating the profile image to show multiple different customers. It also showed the high-value places that you might want to use your Linktree to link out to.
The problem was that it was a little to generic. The places that a photographer might want to link out to are very different than the places that a writer or a small business owner might want to link out to.
The new hero image gets a lot more specific. It animates a few different examples, each seemingly with a specific user persona in mind (i.e. musician, small business owner, activist, etc.) It shows It does a better job of showing what the product looks like and how you can use it for your specific use case.
I've saved the best for last: the call-to-action.
Before, Linktree had a generic "Get started for free" call-to-action button. It wasn't clear what happened next after you clicked that button: probably creating an account?
In the new version, they're doing something very interesting. They have a text box that says "linktr.ee/yourname", capitalizing on how popular Linktree links are across social media and connecting your goal of getting one of those to signing up. Next to that, they have a button that says "Claim your Linktree". This triggers the same fear of missing out that you might have when you join a social media platform for the first time: will they still have the username I want available? This implied scarcity can encourage visitors to create an account, even if they're "just looking" and not quite ready to start using it yet.
Taken together, the new homepage feels like a big step forward for Linktree. The new design elevates the brand as they move into a new stage of maturity. If you'd like to see the animated or mobile versions of the Linktree homepage or leave a comment, check out Linktree on Glance.
.png){kind=avatar}
