page-cro

Page CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization)

Purpose

Take any landing page and audit it for conversion leaks. Score each element, prioritize fixes by impact, and provide ready-to-implement copy and layout changes. No vague advice — specific rewrites and structural fixes.

Reads

• brand/audience.md — Target personas, pain points, buying triggers
• brand/positioning.md — Value props, differentiators, proof points
• brand/voice-profile.md — Brand voice for copy rewrites

Brand Integration

• audience.md — Scoring thresholds shift by persona. A developer audience tolerates minimal social proof; a non-technical buyer needs more hand-holding. Pain points from audience.md inform which objections the page should address — unaddressed objections are the most common conversion killer.
• positioning.md — Every copy rewrite must reinforce the positioning angle. If the brand differentiates on speed, the hero rewrite should lead with speed. Proof points from positioning.md become the social proof recommendations.
• voice-profile.md — All before/after copy rewrites match the brand voice. A playful brand gets different CTA copy than a professional brand.

Workflow

Step 1: Capture the Page

Get the page content. Try these in order:

1. User provides URL — Use WebFetch or browser tool to get the rendered page
2. User provides HTML/markdown — Work with what's given
3. User describes the page — Ask for the actual page content before auditing; descriptions alone produce weak audits

If the page is behind authentication, ask the user to paste the HTML or provide screenshots.

Extract and map:

• Hero section (headline, subheadline, CTA)
• Navigation and header
• Each content section in scroll order
• All CTAs (primary, secondary, inline)
• Social proof elements (testimonials, logos, stats)
• Forms and their fields
• Footer and secondary navigation
• Page load performance indicators

Step 2: Run the Audit

Score each element 1-10 with specific reasoning.

Hero Section Audit

5-Second Test: If someone sees only the above-fold content for 5 seconds, can they answer:

1. What does this product do?
2. Who is it for?
3. Why should I care?
4. What do I do next?

CTA Audit

Social Proof Audit

Objection Handling Audit

Form Friction Audit

Step 3: Score and Prioritize

Generate a priority matrix. Score each of the 5 audit areas 1-10 (hero, CTA, social proof, objection handling, form friction). Sum them, multiply by 2 to get a /100 score. Then assign priority based on impact and effort:

## CRO Audit Score: [X]/100

| Element | Score | Impact | Effort | Priority |
|---------|-------|--------|--------|----------|
| Hero headline | 4/10 | High | Low | P0 |
| CTA copy | 3/10 | High | Low | P0 |
| Social proof | 5/10 | High | Medium | P1 |
| Form friction | 6/10 | Medium | Medium | P2 |
| Objection handling | 2/10 | High | Medium | P1 |

Priority ranking: High impact + Low effort = P0, High impact + Medium effort = P1, everything else = P2

Step 4: Generate Recommendations

For each P0 and P1 issue, provide:

### Issue: [Element] — Score [X/10]

**Problem:** [Specific description of what's wrong]

**Before:**
> [Exact current copy/structure]

**After:**
> [Rewritten copy/structure]

**Why this works:** [Psychology principle or data point backing the change]

**Expected impact:** [Estimated conversion lift range]

Step 5: Provide Implementation Checklist

## Implementation Priority

### This Week (P0 — High Impact, Low Effort)
- [ ] Rewrite hero headline to [specific suggestion]
- [ ] Change CTA from "[current]" to "[suggested]"
- [ ] Add anxiety reducer below primary CTA

### Next Sprint (P1 — High Impact, Medium Effort)
- [ ] Add 3 specific testimonials with results
- [ ] Create FAQ section addressing [top objections]
- [ ] Add logo bar above the fold

### Backlog (P2 — Medium Impact)
- [ ] Reduce form fields from [X] to [Y]
- [ ] Add secondary CTA for lower-commitment action
- [ ] Implement exit-intent offer

Key Frameworks

AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action)

• Attention: Headline that stops the scroll
• Interest: Subheadline that creates curiosity
• Desire: Benefits, social proof, and outcomes that build want
• Action: Clear, low-friction CTA

PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve)

• Problem: Name the specific pain point
• Agitate: Amplify the consequences of not solving it
• Solve: Present your product as the resolution

Above-the-Fold Checklist

Everything visible without scrolling must include:

1. Clear headline (what you do)
2. Subheadline (how/why it matters)
3. Primary CTA (what to do next)
4. One credibility signal (logo bar, stat, or testimonial)
5. Relevant visual (product screenshot > stock photo)

CTA Copy Formulas

Worked Example

• Hero: 7/10 — Headline is benefit-focused but subhead is too long. Recommend: cut to 8 words.
• CTA: 5/10 — Generic 'Sign Up' button. Recommend: 'Start your free trial' with benefit reinforcement.
• Social Proof: 3/10 — No testimonials above fold. Recommend: add 1-2 customer quotes near CTA.

Anti-Patterns

• Don't suggest a complete page redesign — focus on conversion fixes within the existing structure
• Don't critique branding, aesthetics, or color choices unless they directly impact conversion (e.g., CTA blends into background)
• Don't provide vague advice ("improve the headline") — every recommendation must include specific rewrite copy
• Don't audit content/blog pages as if they were landing pages — different goals, different criteria
• Don't recommend tools or integrations the agent can't implement — stay within copy and structural changes
• Don't ignore mobile — flag any element that would break on small screens

Edge Cases

• Page behind auth: Ask user to paste HTML or provide screenshots. Don't attempt to bypass login.
• Blog/content page: Shift criteria — evaluate for CTA to next step (newsletter, lead magnet), not for direct conversion. Skip form friction audit.
• No clear CTA: Flag as P0. The page needs a CTA before anything else matters.
• Mobile-only page: Prioritize tap target sizes, scroll depth, and thumb-zone placement in recommendations.

See references/cro-benchmarks.md for industry conversion rates, element-specific impact data, and A/B test planning benchmarks. Use these to ground scores and expected impact estimates in real numbers.

Recommendation Psychology

Ground every recommendation in conversion psychology: social proof leverages conformity bias, anxiety reducers counter loss aversion, benefit-focused CTAs activate approach motivation. The 5-second test works because users form lasting first impressions in 50ms — if the value prop isn't instant, bounce rates spike.

Output

The audit produces:

• Scored element breakdown with specific reasoning
• Prioritized recommendation list (P0/P1/P2)
• Before/after copy rewrites for every P0 and P1 item
• Implementation checklist ordered by impact/effort
• Framework references for each recommendation

Quality Checks

• Every P0/P1 issue has a specific before/after rewrite, not vague advice
• Copy rewrites match brand voice (if voice-profile.md exists)
• Recommendations are achievable without a full redesign
• Mobile experience considered for all recommendations
• Prioritization reflects actual impact/effort, not just opinion
• Social proof recommendations reference specific proof types available to the brand