landing-pages

Landing Pages

Overview

A landing page has one job: convert visitors into leads. Every element that doesn't serve that goal is distraction. The best landing pages make a single promise, prove it quickly, and make the next step frictionless.

This skill audits existing pages against conversion best practices and produces prioritized fix lists with before/after recommendations.

When to Use

• "Audit our landing page"
• "Why isn't our page converting?"
• "Improve our signup flow"
• "Optimize our demo request page"
• "What should we A/B test?"
• "Redesign our hero section"

Authoritative Foundations

Robert Cialdini's seven principles of persuasion (reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity, unity) form the psychological foundation of effective landing pages.

Joanna Wiebe's conversion copywriting framework: start with the prospect's problem, not your product. Write copy that answers the question "what's in it for me?" in the first three seconds.

Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Audit Current Page

Score the page against the CRO checklist:

Above the fold (most critical):

• Hero headline states value in <10 words
• Subheadline explains who it's for and what they get
• Primary CTA is visible, specific, and action-oriented
• Social proof visible (logos, testimonials, metrics)
• No navigation elements that compete with the CTA

Body:

• Benefits, not features. Each section answers "so what?"
• Proof points: customer logos, case study pulls, metrics
• Objections pre-handled (security, pricing, integration concerns)
• Mobile-optimized: text readable, buttons tappable, no horizontal scroll

CTA:

• Single primary CTA per page
• CTA copy is specific ("Get your free audit" > "Submit")
• Minimized form fields (fewer fields = higher conversion)
• Trust signals near CTA (no credit card required, SOC 2, etc.)

Phase 2: Conversion Architecture

Structure the page for scanning, not reading:

Section	Purpose	Content Type
Hero	Capture attention, state value	Headline + subheadline + CTA + social proof
Problem	Agitate the pain	"Without [product], teams struggle with [problem]"
Solution	Show how you solve it	3-4 benefit blocks with supporting visuals
Proof	Build trust	Customer logos, case study metrics, testimonial pulls
How It Works	Reduce anxiety	Simple 3-step visual flow
Pricing (if applicable)	Qualify and convert	Transparent tiers or "starting at"
FAQ	Handle objections	5-10 most common questions
Final CTA	Close	Reiterate value, single CTA, trust signals

Phase 3: Prioritized Fix List

Rank fixes by impact × effort:

1. High impact, low effort: Fix CTA copy, add social proof above fold, reduce form fields, fix mobile rendering
2. High impact, high effort: Redesign hero, add customer video, build ROI calculator
3. Low impact, low effort: Button color test, headline word test
4. Low impact, high effort: Full redesign, custom illustrations

Output Format

CRO audit report:

# Landing Page Audit: [Page URL]

## Current Performance
- Conversion rate: X%
- Bounce rate: X%
- Mobile conversion: X%

## Audit Score: X/100

## Critical Fixes (High Impact)
1. [Fix description] — Expected impact: +X% CVR
2. ...

## A/B Test Queue
1. [Test hypothesis] — Expected lift: +X%

## Mobile-Specific Issues
1. [Issue] — Fix: [solution]

Quality Check

• Hero communicates value in <3 seconds of scanning
• Single primary CTA — no competing actions
• Social proof visible above the fold
• Mobile experience tested (not just responsive, usable)
• Form fields minimized (every field costs conversion)
• Page load time under 3 seconds

Common Pitfalls

1. Feature list as hero. Nobody converts because of a feature list. They convert because they believe you understand their problem.

2. Multiple CTAs. "Sign up," "Book a demo," "Learn more," "Read case study" — four CTAs means four decisions. One CTA per page.

3. No social proof. A page without customer logos or testimonials is asking visitors to trust a stranger. Social proof converts.

4. Long forms. Every additional form field reduces conversion by 5-10%. Start with email only. Ask for more later.

5. Ignoring mobile. Over 50% of B2B traffic is mobile. A page that's hard to use on mobile loses half its potential conversions.

Execution Artifacts

• references/framework-notes.md — Named frameworks and reference tables
• templates/output-template.md — Deliverable shell for agent output
• scripts/check-output.py — Lightweight deliverable validator

Related Skills

• a-b-testing: Test the changes this skill recommends
• ui-ux-gtm: Broader UI/UX patterns for GTM pages
• lead-magnets: Gated content that landing pages promote
• content-marketing: Content driving traffic to these pages