landing-page

name	landing-page
description	When the user needs to create, critique, or optimize a landing page for conversion -- including headline rewrites, CTA placement, layout restructuring, or full page copy drafts.
related	["content-strategy","seo-technical","cold-outreach"]
reads	["startup-context"]
origin	startup

Landing Page

When to Use

• Creating a new landing page from scratch (product launch, feature page, waitlist).
• Auditing an existing page for conversion rate optimization (CRO).
• Rewriting headlines, CTAs, or hero sections.
• Structuring page sections for a specific audience and traffic source.
• Generating A/B test variants for copy or layout changes.

Context Required

• From startup-context: product description, ICP (ideal customer profile), value proposition, competitive positioning, stage, tone of voice.
• From the user: page URL or current copy (if auditing), page type (homepage, landing page, pricing, feature, blog), primary conversion goal (signup, demo, purchase, subscribe, download), traffic source (organic, paid, email, social), any existing conversion data or user research.

Workflow

1. Identify page type and conversion goal -- Every page gets one primary conversion action. Determine whether this is a homepage, landing page, pricing page, feature page, or blog post -- each has a different CRO framework.
2. Assess value proposition clarity -- Can a visitor understand what this is and why they should care within 5 seconds? Check whether copy is benefit-focused (good) or feature-focused (common problem). Ensure it is written in the customer's language, not company jargon.
3. Evaluate headline effectiveness -- Does the headline communicate the core value proposition? Is it specific enough to be meaningful? Does it match the traffic source's messaging? Apply headline patterns:
   • Outcome-focused: "Get [desired outcome] without [pain point]"
   • Specificity: Include numbers, timeframes, or concrete results
   • Social proof: "Join [N] teams who [achieve outcome]"
   • Direct address: "You [do painful thing]. There's a better way."
4. Audit CTA placement, copy, and hierarchy -- Is there one clear primary action visible without scrolling? Does button copy communicate value, not just action? ("Start my free trial" beats "Submit"). Check CTA hierarchy: primary vs. secondary, repeated at key decision points.
5. Check visual hierarchy and scannability -- Can someone scanning the page get the main message? Are the most important elements visually prominent? Is there sufficient whitespace? Do images support or distract from the message?
6. Evaluate trust signals and social proof -- Look for: customer logos (especially recognizable ones), testimonials with specifics and attribution, case study snippets with real numbers, review scores, security badges. Place trust signals near CTAs and after benefit claims.
7. Identify objection handling -- Are common objections addressed? Price/value concerns, "will this work for me?", implementation difficulty, "what if it doesn't work?" Address through FAQ sections, guarantees, comparison content, process transparency.
8. Find friction points -- Too many form fields, unclear next steps, confusing navigation, required fields that should not be required, poor mobile experience, slow load times.

Output Format

• If auditing: Recommendations structured as: (1) Quick Wins -- easy changes with immediate impact, (2) High-Impact Changes -- bigger efforts with significant conversion improvement, (3) Test Ideas -- hypotheses worth A/B testing. For key elements, provide 2-3 copy alternatives with rationale.
• If drafting: Full page copy organized by section with 2-3 headline variants and CTA text options. Include layout and visual recommendations.

Frameworks & Best Practices

Page-Specific CRO

• Homepage: Clear positioning for cold visitors, quick path to primary conversion, handle both "ready to buy" and "still researching" visitors.
• Landing page: Message-match with traffic source, single CTA (remove navigation if possible), complete argument on one page.
• Pricing page: Clear plan comparison, recommended plan indication, address "which plan is right for me?" anxiety.
• Feature page: Connect feature to benefit, include use cases and examples, clear path to try/buy.
• Blog post: Contextual CTAs matching content topic, inline CTAs at natural stopping points.

Copy Principles

• The headline is the most important element on the page. If the headline does not stop the scroll, nothing else matters. Test headlines before anything else.
• Specificity beats cleverness. "Save 12 hours per week on reporting" outperforms "Work smarter, not harder" every time.
• The subheadline does the heavy lifting. The headline earns attention; the subheadline explains the value. Use it to clarify who the product is for, what it does, and why it matters.
• Awareness-level matching. Match copy depth to visitor awareness. Paid search visitors are typically solution-aware (want pricing and CTAs). Social ad visitors are typically problem-aware or unaware (need problem education first). Traffic source reveals awareness level.

Conversion Principles

• One page, one goal. Never give the visitor two equal choices. Every element should push toward the primary CTA.
• Above-the-fold rule. Visitor should understand what you do, who it is for, and what to do next within 5 seconds.
• Risk reversal near final CTA. Address "what if it doesn't work?" -- free trial, money-back guarantee, or no-commitment language.
• Social proof placement. Small proof element in hero section ("Trusted by 500+ teams"), dedicated proof section below the fold.
• Testimonial specificity. "This product is great" is worthless. "We reduced onboarding time from 3 weeks to 2 days" is persuasive. Seek specific, outcome-driven testimonials with numbers.
• Reduce cognitive load. Every additional choice, link, or piece of information adds friction. Cut anything that does not directly support the primary conversion.
• Mobile-first. Over 60% of traffic is mobile. Design for thumb zones. Ensure CTAs are tappable without zooming.

Related Skills

• content-strategy -- when the landing page needs supporting content to drive traffic
• seo-technical -- when the landing page needs to rank organically
• cold-outreach -- when the landing page is the destination for outbound campaigns and copy must align with email messaging

Examples

Example 1: Page audit

"Here's our landing page copy. We're getting 15k visitors/month but only 1.2% conversion. What's wrong?"

Good output: Quick wins (e.g., rewrite feature-focused headline to outcome-focused), high-impact changes (restructure page sections, add social proof to hero), and test ideas (3 headline variants, 2 CTA copy options). Each recommendation includes the specific issue, the fix, and expected impact.

Example 2: New page draft

"We're launching a waitlist page for our developer tool. Target audience is backend engineers frustrated with deployment complexity."

Good output: Full section-by-section copy. Hero headline: "Deploy to production in 3 commands, not 30 steps." Problem agitation naming the specific pain. 3-step "how it works" section. Social proof placeholder guidance. CTA: "Join 2,400 engineers on the waitlist." Two alternative headline options and layout notes.

Example 3: A/B test recommendations

"Our signup page converts at 3.5%. What should we test first?"

Good output: Priority-ordered test plan. (1) Headline -- 3 variants reframing value prop from feature-first to outcome-first. (2) CTA copy -- "Start free trial" vs. "See it in action" vs. "Get started in 2 minutes." (3) Hero trust element -- customer count or logo bar. Each test includes control, variant, hypothesis, and minimum sample size guidance.