In this digital age, your website is akin to the digital storefront you’d otherwise have as a brick-and-mortar business.
This is especially true for startup businesses.
Although there are obviously many different factors that will determine a startup’s success, few are more important than having a well-designed, attractive, and fully-functional website.
No matter what industry your startup is in, nowadays, it’s likely that it will be the first touchpoint your prospective customers or clients will learn about your brand, and as they say: first impression matters.
If your website is attractive and informative, these visitors may decide to learn more about your business and your product/service, so they hopefully make a purchase.
On the other hand, if your website loads slow, is non-functional, and with a rather obsolete design, its visitors will simply perceive you as an untrustworthy and irrelevant brand.
Fortunately, nowadays, building a professional website is much easier and more affordable than ever. Yet, you may still need some inspiration.
Here, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best startup websites in 2022 you could get inspiration from and learn something about.
1. Hyperframe
Why is it on this list?
Hyperframe is a relatively new startup founded in 2018, specializing in producing a smart steel framing system for buildings (with thicker steel gauge), allowing users to install building components in a more cost-effective and faster way without any tools or experience needed.
With that being said, Hyperframe’s website is great not only because it’s beautifully designed but also because it is very effective in taking you—the website visitor—through a journey about what Hyperframe does and what its product is in an interactive and engaging way.
With just a few simple (and fun) scrolling, you can effectively learn more about the product, which is something to say considering Hyperframe’s product is actually quite complex and technical.
Scrolling animation websites are rather saturated in 2022, but this is a good example of how it should be implemented.
2. Preply
Why is it on this list?
Preply is a good example that sometimes, function trumps aesthetics.
Ultimately a good startup website is one that properly communicates what the startup business is about in an attractive way.
With that being said, Preply is one of the fastest-growing language tutoring businesses at the moment (think about Upwork for language tutors), and the website makes it clear right away about this purpose for its customers.
The first thing visitors will see, front and center, is the large menu allowing visitors to choose between English tutors, Spanish tutors, and so on. It allows visitors to easily check right away whether the language of their choice is available and browse different tutors with just a few simple clicks.
As visitors scroll down, they have the option to request a private tutor by posting their requirements, accommodating the natural journey the typical visitor would make if they can’t find the tutors they’re looking for in the section above.
Further below, there’s another section showcasing how Preply works, as well as other information.
Preply’s website clearly demonstrates that in a tech-oriented startup, it’s okay to keep functionality upfront while at the same time, it shows a good example of how to keep the website’s layout simple and uncluttered while still providing an adequate amount of information.
3. Cazoo
Why is it on this list?
Cazoo is a UK-based startup specializing in streamlining the process of buying and selling cars online. Cazoo’s key offerings rely on its promise to deliver the ordered cars within 72 hours while ensuring strict quality control through comprehensive inspections. On top of that, Cazoo also offers a generous return policy.
Similar to Preply, Cazoo’s website puts functionality front and center: visitors will be directed right into the core function of the website (and the startup as a whole): buying and selling cars.
Right up front on the homepage, there’s a large form where you can select a make and car model right away, with a large CTA button showing how many cars are currently being listed on Cazoo. If you’re looking to sell your car, there’s another simple form right below where you can enter your vehicle registration and get a haggle-free offer with just a click.
By making all these options available right upfront, and making all the processes easy and seamless (everything only needs one or two pieces of information), Cazoo’s website is an example of how we can optimize the buyer’s journey right on the homepage by reducing potential obstacles on each and every step to maximize conversion.
4. Superlist
Why is it on this list?
Superlist is a software startup aiming to publish “the perfect mix” between notes and to-do lists, currently in private Beta.
The website is another technical prowess, showcasing a great example of how a one-page website design should be executed: it’s fast with smooth scrolling, essentially free from loading times, and it’s both attractive and informative.
Design-wise, the website features the right balance between 3D graphics, animations, and fun 2D elements with flat-themed layouts, with screenshots and interactive animations explaining how the Superlist app would work.
Users can simply scroll down (and sometimes hover the mouse) to access the information on the website, with splashing colors and rich animations taking place with each scroll. A great example of how to showcase a software product on a website without being too technical.
5. Tempo
Why is it on this list?
The fitness startup Tempo offers personalized home gym coaching in a SaaS, membership-based model, with its main offer centered on customizable, one-on-one fitness coaching from certified coaches.
The Tempo website mainly utilizes full-width video in its design, which is also very effective in showcasing what the startup is about: engaging visitors right away so they can learn what they can get from a Tempo membership.
Some parts of the website use website sliders to add interactivity, allowing visitors to use their mouse to access more information horizontally. There is also a lot of smart utilization of photos and videos, making it more fun and engaging for its visitors.
Scroll down a bit, and visitors will be presented with interactive boxes showcasing Tempo’s unique features and offers, a great approach to inform visitors without making the site too cluttered.
Tempo’s website is a great example of how pictures (and videos) speak louder than words. Rather than presenting information in blocky texts, Tempo leverages creative usage of graphics and videos to get its point across.
6. Attentive
Why is it on this list?
Attentive brands itself as “The most comprehensive text message marketing solution,” and as you might have guessed, is a startup with a software product that sends automated and personalized text messages to customers. Attentive utilizes AI technology to send text messages based on real-time data to ensure the right message is received by the right people and at the right time..
Attentive website clearly showcases the brand’s purpose, mission, and objectives. The page is filled with statistics showcasing Attentive popularity and credibility in its text messaging speciality, and visitors can easily learn about Attentive software solution’s key features and benefits as they start scrolling the page.
Scroll lower, and you’ll be able to see the major brands Attentive has partnered with, which is also a great example on how to use social proofs effectively around a website design.
7. Pedestal
Why is it on this list?
Pedestal is a social network designed to connect mentors to mentees, where both prospective mentors and mentees can earn rewards for working together.
Pedestal’s website is an example of effective use of the flat website design, with simplistic (but attractive layout) and interesting graphics to keep visitors engaged.
The secret of this type of design is the smart use of contrasts (white spaces,) and Pedestal’s website is really effective in utilizing these white spaces.
A good example of how a startup website doesn’t always need to be flashy with animations, videos, and other complex elements. Instead, sometimes simplicity can be the better approach.
Even if you aren’t planning to use this approach on your main website, consider using this type of design on your landing pages, for example, when introducing new products and for “coming soon” pages.
8. MikMak
Why is it on this list?
MikMak is a B2B startup that offers eCommerce analytics and enablement software solutions. Its solution is designed to help eCommerce stores (or any businesses that sell their products online) understand their customers’ online journey so they can identify bottlenecks and make the necessary optimization.
Being a technical product by nature, MikMak requires more in-depth explanation than other software products, especially customer-facing solutions, and this is where MikMak’s website shines.
MikMak’s website is a good example of how to provide in-depth information without making the page too cluttered. Literally, all elements on the website, from buttons to menu options, are very informative. If they are still not enough, additional resources and in-depth guides are readily available on the site.
This website is also very effective in its CTAs.You can easily purchase the product or schedule the demo right on the navigation menu.
9. Lattice
Why is it on this list?
Another example of an excellent flat website design, Lattice’s website is rich in information with strategic placements of CTAs, and yet still looks simple and uncluttered.
Lattice, in its own words, is a “people success” platform, offering a software solution for companies to manage the performance, engagement, and development of team members.
Again, being a rather technical product, in-depth explanations are required to clearly elaborate what Lattice is about, and the website successfully achieved this purpose.
Lattice’s website is rich with information in different formats. Right up front on the homepage, visitors are presented with a large CTA button straight to the product demo. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll be able to find a walkthrough video showcasing what the app is about (and its benefits.)
A great example of how to effectively use the “show, don’t tell” principle in explaining a rather complex product.
10. Meatable
Why is it on this list?
Meatable’s website is an excellent example of great storytelling, which aligns really well with the unique nature of the startup.
Meatable is a startup that produces lab-grown meat products using samples from pigs and cows. Using the scrolling animation technique, the website tells the story about the environmental effects of industrial farming, the main source of our meat diet, the solution they presented, and the benefits of their lab-grown meat products.
As you might have expected, the website is information-rich, but it is presented in such a smart way, so it’s very fun to read through and understand. With the product’s main selling point lies in its story and its mission to become more environmentally friendly, this approach to website design is a perfect fit for the brand.
11. Webflow
Why is it on this list?
Webflow is a web development startup offering an affordable website builder tool, so it would only make sense that Webflow’s website itself should showcase its expertise.
Webflow’s website is a scrolling animation website with effective use of contrasts, both white space and dark space. These accents are strategically placed to guide visitors’ attention to the information presented on the screen while at the same time reducing clutter despite the richness of information.
The website itself is also very attractive and engaging, with colorful elements, strategic placements of CTAs (with great design approaches,) and, again, smart use of contrasts.
A really good example of how to present plenty of information without cluttering the website.
As with other successful startup websites, Weblow’s website is also very effective in the use of fun graphics and bold colors; combined with to-the-point text content, the website is very easy to navigate and is overall accessible.
Are You Ready to Build Your Own Startup Website?
As discussed, the quality of your website can literally make or break your startup’s chance of success, especially in winning your early customers or clients.
Thus, you should invest adequate time and resources to build your startup website, not only to ensure the right aesthetics that fits your startup’s brand identity but also to make sure it’s fully functional and reliable: mobile-friendly, loads fast, SEO-optimized, and so on.
You can use the websites we’ve shared above as your inspiration, and by evaluating what worked for them (and what didn’t), you’ll have a more solid foundation on how to build a startup website that is totally yours.
