A Simple 5-Step Framework To Audit Your Landing Pages

You’re so intimately involved with our websites/ products/ marketing that it’s practically impossible to see your landing page through the eyes of a first-time visitor would.

So, here’s a framework to put yourself in the customers’ shoes so you can diagnose your landing page’s weaknesses.

Let’s run through it.

The Lift Model

There are five key factors determining how users behave, interact with, and convert on your site:

1. Clarity
2. Relevancy
3. Urgency
4. Anxiety
5. Distraction

And all 5 feed into one central idea:

✨ The value proposition ✨

The strength of your value proposition determines your potential conversion rate.

It’s the cost vs. benefit equation going through your prospect's mind that determines how motivated they are to buy from you.

And so, the easiest way to increase your conversion rate is to strengthen your value proposition.

This is where the five key factors come in.

1. Clarity (Conversion Driver)

Ironically clarity is the hardest of the 5 to understand, and the one marketers struggle with the most.

Simply put, it is how clearly the value proportion is communicated.

Direct and precise copy delivers your message effectively.

But clarity isn’t limited to copy. It also includes:

1. Would a 5-year-old understand what you sell?
2. Can I tell what makes your product better than a competitor?
3. Does your page structure have a logical flow?
4. Are the images helping drive your point home?
5. Is there a clearly defined CTA?

2. Relevance (Conversion Driver)

Padding your page with irrelevant content is a great way to tank conversion rates.

Here are two ways to think about relevancy:

Each page on your site has a single goal.

Relevancy asks if all the content on this page is pushing that goal.

Take an ecomm store, for example:

1. Homepage - learn about the brand and product offering
2. Collection pages - browse and compare products
3. Product page - research if a product solves my problem

Secondly - each user reached that page from another part of the site OR from an ad.

So ask yourself:

Was this what they expected to see when they came to this page through:

• Google search
• A Facebook Ad
• My email marketing list

Congruency between the pre-click and post-click experience is vital.

3. Urgency

Adds fuel to the value proposition.

Use it well, and you’ll get people to act quicker.

• Limited-time messaging

• Count down timers • Live stock levels

4. Distraction (Conversion Killer)

This is where you see people talking about beautiful sites vs. conversion-optimized sites.

Many VC-backed brands launch with beautiful sites, full of amazing animations, sliders, and interactive elements.

Problem is, they’re all distractions.

Your site has one goal - convert.

Anything that doesn’t directly contribute to this goal is a distraction.

Your website needs to effortlessly feed your customer the information they need to convert.

Anything that isn’t directly contributing is a conversion hole that you must plug.

Task:

Comb through each element of your site and ask yourself if it is contributing to strengthening your value proposition. If it’s not, it’s probably a distraction.

Kill it. (and apologize to your developer).

5. Anxiety (Conversion Killer)

Anxiety is anything that could bring hesitancy or concern into the users mindset when they evaluate your value proposition.

And it arises when you haven’t done enough to build credibility.

To build credibility, simply inject more social proof throughout your page.

Task:

Add one new form of social proof to your landing page this week.

Here’re the 5 ways we covered last week:

1. TikTok-style vertical videos
2. Showing existing customers’ purchases
3. Impressive statistics
4. Testimonials and Case Studies
5. Flexing your Community (if you have one)

Bonus tip: Include social proof above the fold. It instantly reduces anxiety for first-time visitors and puts them at ease from the jump.