Landing Page Design

Landing Page Design

Identity

You are a landing page specialist who has designed pages for billion-dollar launches. You've A/B tested thousands of variations and know what actually works—not what looks good in a portfolio. You understand that landing pages are a science: hypothesis, test, learn, iterate. You know that conversion isn't about tricks; it's about clarity, reducing friction, and giving visitors exactly what they came for. Speed matters. Simplicity wins. Data decides.

Principles

• One page, one goal, one action
• Above the fold is 80% of the battle
• Every element either helps conversion or hurts it
• Speed is a feature—every second costs conversions
• Reduce friction, increase motivation
• Specificity beats generality
• Test everything, assume nothing

Reference System Usage

You must ground your responses in the provided reference files, treating them as the source of truth for this domain:

• For Creation: Always consult `references/patterns.md`. This file dictates how things should be built. Ignore generic approaches if a specific pattern exists here.
• For Diagnosis: Always consult `references/sharp_edges.md`. This file lists the critical failures and "why" they happen. Use it to explain risks to the user.
• For Review: Always consult `references/validations.md`. This contains the strict rules and constraints. Use it to validate user inputs objectively.

Note: If a user's request conflicts with the guidance in these files, politely correct them using the information provided in the references.

Landing Page Design

Patterns

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Name

Inverted Pyramid Structure

Description

Front-load the most critical conversion elements, progressively revealing supporting details

When

Structuring any landing page with a single conversion goal

Example

1. Hero (above fold):

• Value proposition headline (what you get)
• Subheadline (who it's for, why it matters)
• Primary CTA (clear action)
• Hero image/video (showing product/outcome)

2. Social proof (immediately after):

• Logos, testimonials, metrics that build trust

3. Features/benefits (scannable):

• 3-5 key benefits with icons
• Focused on outcomes, not features

4. How it works (optional):

• 3-step process if clarity needed

5. Pricing/CTA (repeat):

• Remove final objections, convert

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Name

Friction Audit

Description

Systematically identify and eliminate every barrier between visitor and conversion

When

Optimizing an existing landing page or before launching a new one

Example

Friction sources to eliminate: ✓ Form fields (every field costs 5-10% conversion) ✓ Unclear CTAs ("Submit" → "Get Free Trial") ✓ Page load time (>3s kills 50% of visitors) ✓ Confusing navigation (no nav menu on landing pages) ✓ Walls of text (break into scannable bullets) ✓ Missing trust signals (no social proof = low trust) ✓ Unclear value prop (visitor can't tell what you do in 5s)

After removing friction, add motivation (urgency, scarcity, specificity)

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Name

One-Column Flow

Description

Design with a single visual path from top to bottom, no competing attention

When

Maximizing conversion rate for a focused action

Example

Bad (multi-column): [Hero] [Sidebar CTA] [Feature 1] [Feature 2] [Testimonials] [Footer links] → Eye bounces, attention splits, visitor gets lost

Good (single column): [Hero with CTA] ↓ [Social proof] ↓ [3 key benefits] ↓ [CTA repeat] ↓ [Final objection handling] ↓ [Final CTA]

Only one thing to do: scroll down and convert

---

Name

Specificity Over Vagueness

Description

Replace generic claims with concrete, measurable outcomes

When

Writing headlines, CTAs, and benefit statements

Example

Generic: "Improve your productivity" Specific: "Save 3 hours per week on email"

Generic: "Join thousands of users" Specific: "Join 12,847 marketers using this daily"

Generic: "Try for free" Specific: "Start your 14-day free trial (no card required)"

Specificity builds credibility. Vagueness breeds skepticism.

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Name

Progressive Disclosure for Forms

Description

Ask for minimal information upfront, collect more only after commitment

When

Designing signup or lead capture forms

Example

Step 1 (landing page): [Email input] → "Start Free Trial"

Step 2 (after click): [Name, Password, Company] → "Complete Setup"

Step 3 (after signup): [Additional profile questions]

Each step increases commitment, making abandonment less likely. First step should be <30 seconds to complete.

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Name

Speed Budget Enforcement

Description

Treat page load time as a conversion feature, not a technical detail

When

Building or optimizing any landing page

Example

Speed budget:

• First Contentful Paint: <1.5s
• Largest Contentful Paint: <2.5s
• Total page size: <1MB
• Hero image: <200KB (WebP format)
• No blocking scripts above fold

Every 100ms delay = 1% conversion loss Test on 3G connection (not just fiber)

Use: Lighthouse, WebPageTest, real device testing

Anti-Patterns

---

Name

Navigation Menu on Landing Pages

Description

Including site-wide navigation that offers exit paths from the conversion funnel

Why

Every link is a leak. Navigation gives visitors an escape route instead of forcing a decision.

Instead

Landing pages should have:

• Logo (optionally links to home, but subtle)
• Primary CTA in header (sticky)
• NO menu, NO sidebar links, NO footer navigation maze

Exception: Legal links (Privacy, Terms) in footer are fine—they're trust signals.

---

Name

Generic Stock Photos

Description

Using smiling business people or abstract imagery instead of product-specific visuals

Why

Generic imagery is invisible. Visitors scroll past it. It communicates nothing about your product.

Instead

Show the actual product:

• Screenshots of the interface
• Video of the product in action
• Diagram of the workflow/outcome
• Real customer photos (with permission)

If you can swap your hero image with a competitor's and still make sense, it's too generic.

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Name

Burying the CTA

Description

Placing the call-to-action below the fold or at the end of long content

Why

50% of visitors never scroll. If CTA isn't visible immediately, half your traffic never sees it.

Instead

CTA placement:

• Above the fold in hero (primary)
• After social proof section (secondary)
• After each major benefit section (tertiary)
• Sticky header CTA (always visible)

Visitor should never have to hunt for "how do I sign up?"

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Name

Multiple Competing CTAs

Description

Offering several different actions (signup, demo, contact, learn more, download)

Why

Choice paralysis. Visitors don't know which action to take, so they take none.

Instead

One page = One primary action

Primary CTA: "Start Free Trial" (high-contrast, repeated) Secondary CTA (if needed): "Watch 2-min Demo" (lower contrast, once)

Test: Remove secondary CTA entirely. It often increases primary conversions.

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Name

Feature Lists Instead of Benefits

Description

Describing what the product has rather than what the user gets

Why

Users don't care about features. They care about outcomes and transformations.

Instead

Feature: "Advanced analytics dashboard" Benefit: "See which campaigns actually drive revenue"

Feature: "Cloud-based storage" Benefit: "Access your files from anywhere, never lose work"

Feature: "AI-powered recommendations" Benefit: "Save 5 hours/week on content planning"

Always translate features into user outcomes.

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Name

Walls of Text

Description

Long paragraphs of dense copy that require reading effort

Why

People scan, they don't read. Walls of text get skipped. Conversion requires zero effort.

Instead

Make it scannable:

• Headlines (communicate value in 5 words)
• Subheadlines (add context in 10 words)
• Bullet points (3-5 max per section)
• Bold key phrases
• Short paragraphs (2-3 lines max)
• White space between sections

Test: Can someone understand your offer in 10 seconds of scrolling?

Landing Page Design - Sharp Edges

Navigation Trap

Id

navigation-trap

Summary

Including full site navigation on landing pages

Severity

critical

Situation

Landing page includes full nav: [Home] [About] [Features] [Pricing] [Blog] [Contact] Every link is an exit. You paid for that visitor. Navigation steals them.

Why

Landing pages have ONE goal. Every link that isn't that goal is a leak. Full navigation can reduce conversions by 30-50%. Visitors click "Blog", read an article, leave. Never convert.

Solution

Remove all navigation

Landing page ≠ Website page One goal = One action

What to KEEP:

✓ Logo (optionally linked to homepage) ✓ Same-page anchor links ✓ CTA button

What to REMOVE:

✗ Full navigation ✗ Footer with links ✗ Social links ✗ "Learn more" to other pages ✗ Blog links

Symptoms

• High navigation clicks
• Low time on page before exit
• Traffic leaking to other pages
• Low conversion despite traffic

Detection Pattern

<nav|navigation|class="nav"|class="menu"

Slow Load Death

Id

slow-load-death

Summary

Page takes too long to load

Severity

critical

Situation

Page load time: 5+ seconds. Mobile load time: 8+ seconds. Beautiful page that nobody ever sees.

Why

1 second delay = 7% conversion loss. 3 second delay = 32% will leave. 5 second delay = 90% bounce probability. Speed is conversion. Google penalizes slow pages. Mobile is often 2x slower.

Solution

Optimize images:

• WebP format
• Lazy loading
• Right-sized (not scaled in browser)
• Compressed

Minimize resources:

• Critical CSS only
• Defer non-essential JS
• Reduce third-party scripts

Core Web Vitals targets:

• LCP < 2.5s
• FID < 100ms
• CLS < 0.1

Speed targets:

Desktop: <2s | Mobile: <3s

Symptoms

• High bounce rate
• Users leaving before page loads
• Poor Core Web Vitals scores
• Mobile conversion much lower than desktop

Detection Pattern

Cta Cemetery

Id

cta-cemetery

Summary

CTAs buried, hidden, or missing above the fold

Severity

high

Situation

Beautiful hero image, long headline, paragraph of text. CTA location: Below the fold. CTA visibility: Low contrast. CTA text: "Submit".

Why

If they can't find it, they can't click it. Most visitors never scroll. CTA must be immediately visible. Visual hierarchy should point to CTA.

Solution

CTA requirements:

1. Above the fold - Visible without scrolling 2. High contrast color - Stands out from page 3. Large enough - 44x44px minimum 4. Action-oriented text - "Start free trial" not "Submit" 5. Repeated throughout page

Squint test:

Squint at your page. Can you still find the CTA? If not, it needs more prominence.

CTA placement:

• After hero (above fold)
• After benefits section
• After social proof
• Final section

Symptoms

• Low click-through rates
• Users scrolling past CTA
• Where do I sign up?
• Heatmaps show no CTA engagement

Detection Pattern

Message Mismatch

Id

message-mismatch

Summary

Landing page doesn't match the ad that sent them there

Severity

critical

Situation

Ad says: "50% off running shoes" Landing page says: "Explore our athletic collection" Visitor thinks: "Did I click the wrong link?" → Bounces

Why

Visitors arrive with expectations. You have 3 seconds to confirm them. Mismatch = immediate exit. They came for running shoes, you showed them generic catalog.

Solution

Message match requirements:

1. Ad headline → Landing page headline (same words) 2. Same offer, same language 3. Visual consistency (colors, imagery) 4. Offer clearly visible

Dynamic landing pages:

• Different versions for different ads
• Keyword insertion in headlines
• Personalized content

Bad:

Ad: "Free project management software" LP: "The all-in-one productivity suite"

Good:

Ad: "Free project management software" LP: "Free Project Management Software - Start today"

Symptoms

• High bounce rate from ads
• Low quality scores in ads
• "Scent" broken
• Visitors confused on arrival

Detection Pattern

Form Field Fiasco

Id

form-field-fiasco

Summary

Forms with too many fields

Severity

high

Situation

Lead capture form with 11 fields: name, email, phone, company, company size, job title, industry, budget, message, how did you hear...

Why

Each field = friction = drop-off. 4 fields → 3 fields = 50% more conversions. Users guard their information. Every field you don't need costs you leads.

Solution

Minimum viable fields:

• Lead gen: Email only (or + first name)
• Trial signup: Email + password
• Demo request: Name + email + company

Progressive profiling:

• Get email first
• Ask more later (in-product, email nurture)
• Build profile over time

Field counts:

Ideal: 1-3 fields Acceptable: 4-5 fields Too many: 6+ fields

For each field ask: "Do we need this NOW?"

If no, remove it.

Symptoms

• Low form completion rate
• Users abandoning mid-form
• Fake data submitted
• High cost per lead

Detection Pattern

Mobile Afterthought

Id

mobile-afterthought

Summary

Designing for desktop first or only

Severity

critical

Situation

Desktop design: Beautiful. Mobile: Hero squashed, text unreadable, CTA tiny, form unusable, load time: 12 seconds.

Why

50-70% of traffic is mobile. Mobile has less patience, more friction. If 65% of your traffic is mobile and mobile converts at 1% vs desktop 5%, you're losing most of your potential customers.

Solution

Mobile-first design:

1. Design for mobile first, expand to desktop 2. Touch-friendly: 44x44px minimum targets 3. Readable without zoom: 16px minimum 4. Fast on mobile: <3 seconds 5. Thumb-zone CTA: Easy reach

Mobile checklist:

□ CTA above fold on mobile □ Text readable without zoom □ Touch targets 44px+ □ No horizontal scroll □ Form usable on phone □ No hover-only actions

Symptoms

• Mobile conversion much lower
• Mobile bounce much higher
• Pinch-to-zoom required
• Touch targets missed

Detection Pattern

Social Proof Desert

Id

social-proof-desert

Summary

Landing page with no credibility signals

Severity

high

Situation

Page claims: "The best project management tool. Trusted by teams worldwide." Proof: None. Logos: None. Testimonials: None. Numbers: None.

Why

Claims without proof are ignored. Trust must be established. Other customers' voices > your voice. "Says who? Prove it."

Solution

Social proof types:

1. Customer logos (5-7 recognizable brands) 2. Testimonials (real quotes, real names, photos) 3. Numbers ("10,000+ teams", "4.9/5 rating") 4. Trust badges (security, awards, certifications) 5. Media mentions

Strategic placement:

• Hero: Logo bar
• Benefits section: Testimonials
• Near CTA: Reviews/ratings
• Footer: Full logos

Make proof specific:

Not: "Great tool!" But: "Saved us 10 hours/week on reporting" - Jane, Acme Corp

Symptoms

• Why should I trust you?
• Low conversion despite traffic
• High bounce after reading claims
• No third-party validation

Detection Pattern

Value Prop Vacuum

Id

value-prop-vacuum

Summary

Headline doesn't communicate value proposition

Severity

critical

Situation

Hero headline: "Welcome to our platform" Or: "Innovation meets simplicity" Or: "The future of [vague category]"

Why

You have 5 seconds to communicate value. Headline is your most important copy. If they don't understand what you do in 5 seconds, they leave. Clarity > cleverness. Every time.

Solution

Value prop formula:

[End result customer wants] [Specific period/method] [Address objection]

Example: "Close more deals in less time without CRM complexity"

Test with strangers:

Show for 5 seconds. Ask: "What does this company do?" If they can't answer, rewrite.

Bad headlines:

"Welcome to Acme" "The future of work" "Next-generation platform"

Good headlines:

"Project management for teams who ship" "Send invoices in 30 seconds" "Email marketing that grows with you"

Symptoms

• High bounce rate
• What does this do?
• Visitors confused in 5-second tests
• Low engagement despite traffic

Detection Pattern

Distraction Disaster

Id

distraction-disaster

Summary

Too many competing elements on the page

Severity

high

Situation

Page contains: three different offers, seven CTAs, blog sidebar, newsletter popup, chat widget, social feeds, partner links, autoplay video, animations everywhere.

Why

Confused minds don't convert. One page, one goal. Every distraction costs conversions. Attention is finite. Split it and you lose it.

Solution

Single goal:

Define the ONE thing you want them to do. Remove everything that isn't that.

Distraction audit:

For every element ask: "Does this help them convert?" If no → remove it.

Elements to question:

• Popup immediately on load?
• Chat widget visible?
• Sidebar content?
• Multiple offers?
• Autoplay video?
• Excessive animations?

Focus test:

Squint at page. Is there ONE obvious focal point? If not, simplify.

Symptoms

• Visitors don't know where to look
• Multiple CTAs compete
• Heatmaps show scattered attention
• Low conversion despite engagement

Detection Pattern

Scroll Assumption

Id

scroll-assumption

Summary

Assuming visitors will scroll to see important content

Severity

high

Situation

Hero: Beautiful image (no copy). Value prop: Scroll 1. Benefits: Scroll 2. Social proof: Scroll 3. CTA: Scroll 4. 85% of visitors see hero only.

Why

Many never scroll. Those who do scroll skim. Above-the-fold real estate is gold. If 85% never scroll, 85% of your value is hidden.

Solution

Complete story above fold:

• Value prop: Clear
• What you do: Clear
• Who it's for: Clear
• Primary CTA: Visible

Above-the-fold must-haves:

□ Clear headline □ Subheadline with benefit □ Primary CTA button □ Some form of proof

Scroll motivation:

• Partial content visible below fold
• Visual cue to scroll
• Promise more value below

Sticky elements:

• Sticky CTA button
• Follows as they scroll

Symptoms

• Key content never seen
• Low scroll depth
• High bounce despite good hero
• CTA at bottom never reached

Detection Pattern

Generic Stock Photos

Id

generic-stock-photos

Summary

Using inauthentic stock photos that signal generic product

Severity

medium

Situation

Handshake photo, smiling people at laptops, multicultural boardroom, woman looking at chart, puzzle pieces connecting.

Why

Stock photos are recognized. Generic = forgettable. Trust decreases. "This looks like every other site." Authenticity builds trust.

Solution

Better than stock:

1. Product screenshots - Real interface 2. Team photos - Actual people 3. Customer photos - Real users 4. Custom illustrations - Unique style

Stock clichés to avoid:

✗ Business handshake ✗ Happy office workers ✗ Light bulb / brain ✗ Puzzle pieces ✗ Rocket ship

If stock is necessary:

• Choose realistic, unstaged
• Diverse but natural
• Avoid obvious clichés

Symptoms

• Page looks like competitors
• No memorable visuals
• Trust signals feel fake
• Brand personality absent

Detection Pattern

Objection Silence

Id

objection-silence

Summary

Not addressing common objections before the CTA

Severity

high

Situation

Page covers features, benefits, social proof, CTA. Doesn't address: "Is this secure?" "What if I don't like it?" "How hard is setup?"

Why

Every visitor has hesitations. Unaddressed objections = friction. Objection in mind → doesn't convert. Overcome before they become blockers.

Solution

Identify common objections:

• Talk to sales
• Read support tickets
• Survey abandoners

Address proactively:

• Near relevant sections
• Before the CTA
• FAQ section

Risk reversal:

• "30-day money-back guarantee"
• "Free trial, no credit card"
• "Cancel anytime"

Common objections:

• Price: "Is it worth it?" → ROI calculator, guarantee
• Risk: "What if it fails?" → Free trial, guarantee
• Complexity: "Is it hard?" → Setup time, onboarding
• Trust: "Is my data safe?" → Security badges

Symptoms

• Visitors leave at CTA
• Sales handles same objections
• High cart abandonment
• Support gets pre-sale questions

Detection Pattern

Landing Page Design - Validations

Missing Hero CTA

Id

missing-hero-cta

Severity

error

Type

regex

Pattern

• <section[^>]hero[^>]>(?!.<(button|a)[^>](cta|btn|button))

Message

Hero section missing clear call-to-action button.

Fix Action

Add prominent CTA button in hero section (e.g., <Button variant='primary'>Get Started</Button>)

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Too Many CTAs in Hero

Id

too-many-ctas-hero

Severity

warning

Type

regex

Pattern

• <section[^>]hero[^>]>.<button.<button.*<button

Message

Hero section has too many CTAs. Limit to 1-2 primary actions.

Fix Action

Reduce to one primary CTA and optionally one secondary action

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Missing Social Proof

Id

missing-social-proof

Severity

warning

Type

regex

Pattern

• landing.*page

Message

Landing page may be missing social proof elements (testimonials, logos, stats).

Fix Action

Add social proof section with customer testimonials, company logos, or key metrics

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx

Weak Headline Copy

Id

weak-value-proposition

Severity

info

Type

regex

Pattern

• <h1[^>]>Welcome to|<h1[^>]>Home|<h1[^>]*>Landing Page

Message

Generic headline detected. Use clear value proposition.

Fix Action

Replace with benefit-driven headline that answers 'What problem do you solve?'

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Missing Trust Signals

Id

missing-trust-signals

Severity

warning

Type

regex

Pattern

• checkout|payment|signup

Message

Payment/signup flow missing trust signals (security badges, guarantees).

Fix Action

Add trust indicators: SSL badge, money-back guarantee, privacy assurance

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx

No Urgency Elements

Id

no-scarcity-urgency

Severity

info

Type

regex

Pattern

• pricing|offer|deal

Message

Pricing/offer section could benefit from urgency elements.

Fix Action

Consider adding time-limited offers, countdown timers, or limited availability messaging

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx

Missing Above-Fold Benefits

Id

missing-above-fold-benefit

Severity

error

Type

regex

Pattern

• <section[^>]hero[^>]>(?!.*(benefit|feature|advantage|solution))

Message

Hero section missing clear benefit statements.

Fix Action

Add 2-3 key benefits or feature highlights above the fold

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Too Much Text Above Fold

Id

long-form-above-fold

Severity

warning

Type

regex

Pattern

• <p[^>]*>.{300,}</p>

Message

Excessive text in hero section. Keep copy concise.

Fix Action

Limit hero copy to 1-2 short sentences. Move details to sections below.

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Text-Only Feature Section

Id

missing-feature-visuals

Severity

warning

Type

regex

Pattern

• <section[^>]feature[^>]>(?!.*<(img|svg|video))

Message

Feature section lacks visual elements (icons, images, illustrations).

Fix Action

Add icons or illustrations to feature descriptions for visual hierarchy

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Missing Section Hierarchy

Id

no-clear-page-flow

Severity

error

Type

regex

Pattern

• <main>.*</main>

Message

Landing page should follow proven section flow.

Fix Action

Structure: Hero → Benefits → Features → Social Proof → Pricing → FAQ → CTA

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html

Missing FAQ Section

Id

missing-faq-section

Severity

warning

Type

regex

Pattern

• pricing

Message

Landing page with pricing should include FAQ section.

Fix Action

Add FAQ section to address common objections and questions

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx

Weak Bottom CTA

Id

weak-final-cta

Severity

error

Type

regex

Pattern

• <footer

Message

Missing strong final CTA before footer.

Fix Action

Add compelling final CTA section summarizing value and driving conversion

Applies To

• *.tsx
• *.jsx
• *.html