Landing page
A landing page is often the first real experiment of a startup: if strangers will not leave an email, they are unlikely to pay. This skill writes the page, builds it as a single HTML file, and sets the numbers that decide what happens next.
When to use
- To test demand before building (a smoke test), to collect a waitlist, or to take pre-orders.
- After
brand-identityif a name and colors exist, but a plain page works too. - Not for a full website or a search engine strategy.
Inputs
- Target visitor, problem, promise and any real proof (quotes, numbers, logos with permission).
- The one action wanted: an email, a pre-order, a demo request.
- Brand elements if they exist, and where the form data should go.
Method
- One page, one visitor, one action. Choose the target visitor and the single call to action; remove links that lead away from it.
- Write the top of the page first: a headline that states the result for the visitor (not the technology), a line that says how, the call to action, and an image of the product or of the result. Test: a stranger understands what it is and who it is for in five seconds.
- Then the rest: the problem in the customers' own words (from
customer-interviews), how it works in three steps, real proof, answers to the main objections (price, trust, time), a short FAQ, and the call to action again. - Stay honest: if the product does not exist yet, say "join the waitlist" or "pre-order, delivery planned for…". Never invent testimonials, counters or scarcity. For pre-orders, state the delivery date and the refund terms.
- Build it as one HTML file: semantic headings, alternative text on images, readable contrast, works on a phone. The form posts to a service the founder chooses (a form tool, a newsletter tool or a spreadsheet), and a short privacy notice says how the emails will be used (GDPR in the European Union).
- Plan the test: where the visitors will come from (it matters as much as the page), how many, the target conversion decided in advance, and the duration. Test two headlines at most.
- Read the results: visitors and conversion by source, questions people asked, and the decision against the criteria set before launch.
Output
### Page plan
Visitor: … | Promise: … | Call to action: … | Success if …% of … visitors from … within … days
### Copy
Headline: … | Line under it: … | Button: …
Sections: problem, how it works, proof, objections, FAQ
### HTML
<one accessible file, form address to configure, privacy notice included>
Quality bar
- The headline states a result for a specific visitor, and the page has one main call to action.
- Every claim, testimonial and number on the page is real; nothing fakes scarcity or social proof.
- The page is accessible, works on a phone, and explains how collected data is used.
- The traffic plan and the success criterion are written before launch.
- Written in the user's language, with the terms below.
Terminology
| English | Français | Español |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | Page d'atterrissage (landing page) | Página de aterrizaje (landing page) |
| Call to action (CTA) | Appel à l'action | Llamada a la acción |
| Above the fold | Haut de page, partie visible sans défiler | Primera pantalla |
| Conversion rate | Taux de conversion | Tasa de conversión |
| Waitlist | Liste d'attente | Lista de espera |
| A/B test | Test A/B | Prueba A/B |
Sources
- Krug, S. (2014). Don't Make Me Think, Revisited (3rd ed.). New Riders.
- Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup. Crown Business.
- W3C. (2023). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/