Landing Page Copy

---
name: landing-page-copy
description: Write and structure a high-converting landing page section by section, from hero header through features, objections, social proof and CTA. Use when asked to write a landing page, build a homepage, write website copy, fix a page that is not converting, write a hero section or headline, structure a sales page, improve a page's narrative flow, or someone says 'people visit but nobody signs up'. For making the page quotable by AI engines, see answer-engine-optimisation. For the visual system around the copy, see design-system-spec. For auditing a built page, see design-review.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
---

# Landing page copy

A landing page is not a list of sections. **It is a narrative read top to bottom**,
and every section has to earn the scroll to the next one.

The discipline that makes it work: think of the page as a five-paragraph essay. The
header is your first sentence, the subheader finishes the first paragraph, and each
features/objections block is a supporting paragraph. If the sections do not connect,
the page does not convert no matter how good the individual copy is.

## Before you start

| Input | Why |
| --- | --- |
| The full feature list — every novel thing the product does | Step 2 picks the one that earns the header |
| Value props | The subheader and features sections are written from these |
| The 3–4 objections buyers raise before purchasing | Each becomes a features/objections section |
| Real testimonials or client logos, if any | Social proof is skipped entirely rather than faked |
| A product screenshot | The hero image should show the product, not stock imagery |

If there is no feature list and no objection list, stop and gather them. Writing the
header first from a vague brief is the most common way this goes wrong.

## Step 1 — Lay out the structure

| Section | Job |
| --- | --- |
| Navbar | Logo, few links, one CTA button |
| Hero (above the fold) | Header, subheader, and optionally CTA, image, social proof |
| Features / objections × 3–4 | The meat. Each: header, paragraph, image, CTA |
| Social proof | Testimonials and logos. Skip if you have neither |
| Final CTA | The next step you want taken |

**The fewer links in the navbar, the more the CTA stands out.** If you are feeling
bold, drop every link except the CTA — it stops visitors being pulled off the page.

Write social proof and CTAs **last**. They flow from the sections above them.

Worked examples and per-section copy rules:
[references/section-patterns.md](references/section-patterns.md).

## Step 2 — Pick the feature that earns the header

The header is the most valuable space on the page. Do not spend it on a feature every
competitor also has.

1. List every novel feature of the product.
2. Cross off the ones standard to the category.
3. From what remains, pick the feature that is **both** most compelling ("I want
   that!") **and** most representative of the product's purpose.

Worked example — a video chat app. Features: chat quickly · works on any device ·
**auto-translate for real-time conversation across languages** · emailed transcripts.

Auto-translate wins: it differentiates in a saturated market *and* it represents the
purpose. "Find someone to chat with in under 30 seconds" loses — speed is not why
someone picks this over a competitor.

→ Header: *"Have auto-translated video chats with foreigners"*

## Step 3 — Write the header

Six to twelve words. State the **what**, plainly.

- Do not be coy. Do not be cryptic. *"Improve your workflow!"* forces the visitor to
  scroll to find out what you actually do, and most will not.
- Treat it as the first sentence of the essay: *"I shall prove the world is round."*
  Straight to the point, and it earns the next line.
- Optionally extend it with the high-level purpose — but only if the purpose is not
  already self-evident from the feature.

## Step 4 — Write the subheader

The subheader supports the claim the header made. In essay terms: *"I shall prove the
world is round by discussing horizons, shadows, and time zones."* Boring, but clear.

Two cases:

| If the header's "how" is… | Then the subheader… |
| --- | --- |
| Not obvious | Explains how you deliver on the header |
| Already obvious (e.g. "photography agency") | Lists the 1–3 most compelling benefits instead |

For the photography agency, *"We are a team of top photographers"* restates the
obvious. *"Get document-style photos and mobile-friendly videos from our
award-winning team"* does work.

Aim short and succinct — then test longer variants. Let data decide.

## Step 5 — Write 3–4 features/objections sections

This is the meat of the page. If the hero is the front door, this is the kitchen
where everyone congregates.

1. List the 3–4 objections customers raise before buying.
2. Write one section per objection, each pairing a feature to the objection it
   answers. Pull the solution from the value props.
3. Each section has four elements: **header, paragraph, image, CTA**.

Address skepticism proactively. A features section that only asserts a benefit,
without answering the doubt attached to it, leaves the objection alive.

## Step 6 — Social proof

Two forms: testimonials and logos. **If you have neither, skip the section** — do not
invent one.

- Keep testimonials short. A wall of text gets skipped.
- Include a photo of the author; it reads as more credible.
- If the product serves several audiences, pick testimonials spanning them, so more
  visitors find one that resonates.

## Step 7 — Imagery

- **Show the product.** A screenshot wherever possible.
- Illustrations are acceptable when a screenshot does not do it justice, or to show
  interactivity.
- **No vague stock imagery** — people with laptops in coffee shops shows the visitor
  nothing new and wastes the space.

## Step 8 — Check the narrative

Read the page top to bottom as one piece. Each section should follow from the one
before it. Then check length: do not build pages that scroll endlessly. Give readers
the key value props before they have to scroll.

## Output

```
# <Page name>

## Navbar
Links: <few>  |  CTA: <button text>

## Hero
Header:     <6-12 words, the what>
Subheader:  <supports the claim, or 1-3 benefits>
CTA:        <button text>
Image:      <product screenshot description>

## Features / objections
### 1. <objection it answers>
Header:    <...>
Paragraph: <...>
Image:     <...>
CTA:       <...>
[repeat 3-4x]

## Social proof
<1-3 short testimonials with author + photo note, or logos, or OMITTED and why>

## Final CTA
<...>

## Narrative check
<One line confirming each section follows from the one before.>
```

## When it breaks

| What you see | What it means | The fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Header could describe any competitor | A category-standard feature was picked | Redo step 2 — cross off what everyone has first |
| Visitors bounce from the hero | Header is vague or coy ("Improve your workflow!") | State the what plainly in 6–12 words |
| Subheader restates the header | The "how" was already obvious | Switch to listing 1–3 benefits instead |
| Sections read as a disconnected list | No narrative — written section by section | Read top to bottom as an essay; rewrite the joins |
| Page converts on traffic that already knows you, not cold | Objections were never addressed | Add the missing objection as a features section |
| Testimonials get skipped | They are too long | Cut to a sentence or two, add author photos |
| Nothing to put in social proof | No testimonials or logos exist yet | Skip the section. Never fabricate one |
| Hero image is stock photography | It shows the visitor nothing new | Replace with a product screenshot |
| Page scrolls forever | Every feature got a section | Cut to 3–4; lead with the key value props |

If the feature list or objection list is missing, stop and ask for it. Do not infer
objections — guessing them produces sections that answer doubts nobody has.

## Rules

- **Never invent a testimonial, logo, statistic, or result.** Skip the section rather
  than fabricate proof; a false claim on a landing page is a legal problem, not just
  a marketing one.
- **One CTA intent per page.** Every link that is not the CTA is a way to leave.
- **The header states the what.** Cleverness costs you the visitors who will not
  scroll to decode it.
- **Do not highlight a feature just because it is impressive.** It has to represent
  the product's purpose, or the header is misspent.
- **Skip social proof rather than pad it.** One real testimonial beats three vague ones.
- Test variants rather than trusting the first draft. Let data drive the decision.
- This skill writes **copy and structure**. It does not cover visual design,
  responsive layout, page speed, or accessibility — see `SOURCES.md`.
- **Conversion leads on this page type; AEO earns its place where it costs
  nothing** — one liftable what-is-us definition serves both masters, but when
  extractability and persuasion conflict, persuasion wins here.

## Related skills

- **answer-engine-optimisation** — the AEO balance for pages; run its pass after
  the copy converts.
- **design-system-spec** — the visual system this copy gets set in.
- **design-review** — audits the built page's quality.
- **cta-selector** — the button, matched to audience warmth.
- **offer-builder** — when the page is fine and the offer is the problem.