cro-optimization

CRO Optimization

Purpose

Analyze a landing page and deliver a comprehensive CRO audit with specific, actionable recommendations to maximize conversions.

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Execution Logic

Check $ARGUMENTS first to determine execution mode:

If $ARGUMENTS is empty or not provided:

Respond with: "cro-optimization loaded, provide your landing page URL or paste your HTML/CSS code"

Then wait for the user to provide their landing page in the next message.

If $ARGUMENTS contains content:

Proceed immediately to Task Execution (skip the "loaded" message).

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Task Execution

When landing page is available (either from initial $ARGUMENTS or follow-up message):

1. MANDATORY: Read Reference Files FIRST

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT — DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP

Before doing ANYTHING else, you MUST use the Read tool to read ALL three reference files:

Read: ./references/cro_principles.md
Read: ./references/landing_page_patterns.md
Read: ./references/element_audit_framework.md

What you will find:

• cro_principles.md: 13 core CRO principles with detection criteria and fix patterns
• landing_page_patterns.md: Real patterns from high-converting pages (ClickUp, Notion, Stripe, Apple, etc.) organized by category
• element_audit_framework.md: Systematic framework for auditing HTML elements, CTAs, forms, and visual hierarchy

DO NOT PROCEED to Step 2 until you have read all files and have the principles, patterns, and audit framework loaded in context.

2. Check for Business Context

Check if FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md exists in the project root.

• If it exists: Read it and use the business context to personalize recommendations (industry, target audience, product type, competitors).
• If it doesn't exist: Proceed with analysis based on page content alone.

3. Fetch and Extract Landing Page

If user provided a URL:

• Use WebFetch to retrieve the landing page content
• Extract and catalog key elements (see Element Extraction below)

If user provided HTML/CSS directly:

• Analyze the provided code directly
• Note any missing context (live styling, images, etc.)

4. Element Extraction

Extract and catalog these elements from the page:

Typography:

• H1 (should be exactly one)
• H2s (section headers)
• Body text samples
• CTA button copy

Visual Structure:

• Above-the-fold content
• Section sequence
• Image/visual placement
• Color scheme and contrast

Conversion Elements:

• Primary CTA (copy, placement, design)
• Secondary CTAs
• Forms (field count, labels)
• Trust signals (logos, testimonials, badges)
• Social proof (metrics, reviews, case studies)

Technical:

• Mobile responsiveness indicators
• Load speed concerns (large images, etc.)

5. Audit Against CRO Principles

For each of the 13 principles in cro_principles.md:

1. Check if the page violates the principle
2. Note specific violations with evidence
3. Determine severity (High/Medium/Low)
4. Draft specific recommendations

Prioritize by impact:

• High: Above-fold clarity, CTA effectiveness, major trust gaps
• Medium: Objection handling, visual hierarchy, scannability
• Low: Minor copy tweaks, nice-to-have additions

6. Compare to High-Converting Patterns

Using landing_page_patterns.md:

1. Identify the most relevant category (B2B SaaS, E-commerce, etc.)
2. Compare page structure to proven patterns
3. Note missing elements that top performers include
4. Identify opportunities to adopt successful patterns

7. Generate Recommendations

For each issue found, provide:

1. What to change — specific element and action
2. Why it matters — principle violated and expected impact
3. How to implement — concrete example or rewrite
4. Priority — High/Medium/Low with reasoning

8. Format and Verify

• Structure output according to Output Format section
• Complete Quality Checklist self-verification
• Ensure recommendations are specific and actionable (not generic advice)

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Writing Rules

Hard constraints. No interpretation.

Core Rules

• Every recommendation must be specific and actionable
• Include before/after examples for copy changes
• Reference the specific principle violated
• Prioritize by conversion impact, not ease of implementation
• Frame changes as testable hypotheses when possible
• Never recommend changes without explaining the "why"

Analysis Rules

• Audit systematically — don't skip principles
• Note what's working well, not just problems
• Consider the page's apparent target audience
• Account for likely traffic sources
• Distinguish between critical issues and optimizations

Recommendation Rules

• Lead with highest-impact changes
• Group related recommendations together
• Provide specific copy rewrites, not just "make it clearer"
• Include placement suggestions, not just content suggestions
• Consider mobile experience separately

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Output Format

# CRO Audit Report: [Page Name/URL]

## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences: Overall assessment, biggest opportunities, expected impact]

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## What's Working Well
[Bullet list of 3-5 elements that follow CRO best practices]

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## Critical Issues (Fix First)

### Issue 1: [Specific Problem]
**Principle Violated:** [Principle name and number]
**Current State:** [What exists now]
**Problem:** [Why this hurts conversions]
**Recommendation:** [Specific fix]
**Example:**

BEFORE: [Current copy/element] AFTER: [Recommended copy/element]

**Expected Impact:** [What improvement to expect]

### Issue 2: [Specific Problem]
[Same structure]

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## High-Impact Optimizations

### Optimization 1: [Improvement Area]
**Current State:** [What exists]
**Opportunity:** [What could be better]
**Recommendation:** [Specific change]
**Example:**

BEFORE: [Current] AFTER: [Recommended]

**Priority:** [High/Medium] — [Reasoning]

[Continue for each optimization]

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## Section-by-Section Analysis

### Above the Fold
- **H1:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
- **Subheadline:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
- **CTA:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
- **Trust signals:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]

### [Section Name]
[Analysis and recommendations]

[Continue for each major section]

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## Quick Wins (Easy Implementations)
1. [Simple change with good impact]
2. [Simple change with good impact]
3. [Simple change with good impact]

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## Testing Roadmap
1. **Test First:** [Highest impact hypothesis]
2. **Test Second:** [Next priority]
3. **Test Third:** [Following priority]

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## Benchmark Comparison
**Compared to:** [Relevant high-converting examples from patterns file]
**Missing elements:** [What top performers have that this page lacks]
**Adoption opportunities:** [Specific patterns to consider implementing]

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References

All three files MUST be read using the Read tool before analysis (see Step 1):

File	Purpose
./references/cro_principles.md	13 CRO principles with detection criteria, fix patterns, and violation symptoms
./references/landing_page_patterns.md	Real patterns from ClickUp, Notion, Stripe, Apple, Shopify, etc. organized by category
./references/element_audit_framework.md	Systematic framework for auditing H1s, CTAs, forms, social proof, visual hierarchy

Why all three matter: Principles tell you what's wrong. Patterns show you what good looks like. The audit framework ensures you check everything systematically. Together they produce specific, evidence-based recommendations instead of generic CRO advice.

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Quality Checklist (Self-Verification)

Before finalizing output, verify ALL of the following:

Pre-Analysis Check

• I read ./references/cro_principles.md before analyzing
• I read ./references/landing_page_patterns.md before analyzing
• I read ./references/element_audit_framework.md before analyzing
• I have all 13 principles, category patterns, and audit criteria in context

Extraction Check

• I identified the H1 and assessed its clarity
• I catalogued all CTAs and their copy
• I noted social proof elements and placement
• I evaluated above-the-fold content
• I assessed the section sequence

Analysis Check

• Each principle was evaluated against the page
• Issues cite specific principles violated
• Recommendations include before/after examples
• Priority is assigned based on conversion impact
• I compared to relevant high-converting patterns

Output Check

• Executive summary captures key findings
• Critical issues are listed first
• Every recommendation is specific and actionable
• Testing roadmap provides clear next steps
• "What's working well" section is included

If ANY check fails → revise before presenting.

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Defaults & Assumptions

Use these unless context indicates otherwise:

• Page type: SaaS landing page (most common)
• Traffic temperature: Mixed (cold to warm)
• Primary goal: Signups or demo requests
• Audience: Business decision-makers
• Device split: 60% desktop, 40% mobile
• Conversion definition: Primary CTA click

If the page type is clearly different (e-commerce, content site, etc.), adjust analysis accordingly.

Document any assumptions made in the Executive Summary.

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