The Landing Page Checklist
23 checks before you ship. Tick items as you fix them — the point is not the score, it's never shipping a page that fails #4 and #17.
Hero (the 5-second test)
A stranger can say what you sell after 5 seconds Show it to someone outside your head. Not "what do you think" — "what do we sell?"
The hero names a pain, not a category "Stop copy-pasting CSVs" beats "Data workflow platform".
One primary CTA, phrased as the outcome "Start free — no card" · not "Submit", not three buttons.
CTA is visible without scrolling on a laptop and a phone 1366×768 and a 390px phone. Physically check both.
Proof (borrowed trust)
At least one number in your proof "2,400 teams" · "4.8★" · "cuts QA time 40%" — adjectives are not proof.
Testimonials name a result, not a feeling "Our QA cycle went from 40 min to zero" · not "Great product!"
Any logo wall is real customers, max 6 Fake-ish partner logos get you called out. Small? Use counts and quotes instead.
Body (the skim path)
A "how it works" in 3 steps or fewer 1. [action] → 2. [action] → 3. [outcome]. If you can't fit 3, the product's too complex or the page is.
Features are written as benefits first "Never re-drink a mediocre bottle" → then how. Benefit, then mechanism.
One image or GIF shows the product doing the thing Screenshots beat illustrations for tools. 8-second before/after GIF beats both.
An honest "not for" section exists "Skip this if…" qualifies traffic and lifts conversion. Counterintuitive but repeatedly true.
Pricing (the fear zone)
Prices are visible without a "contact us" Hidden pricing = assumed unaffordable. One tier can say "contact" — not all.
A free or cheap entry tier exists Unless you're enterprise-on-purpose, give skint visitors a legal path in.
The recommended tier is visually marked "Most picked" badge, border, size. Deciding for people sells more than options.
Cancellation/refund is answered in FAQ, plainly "Reply to the receipt email within 14 days" — one sentence kills the biggest purchase fear.
Trust (the boring stuff that closes)
It says who built this, in human words "Built by Mara, a working freelancer" > "Team of passionate experts".
No stock photos of people in headsets You know the ones. Screenshots, product, or honest illustration.
Privacy is addressed in one plain sentence Especially tools: "runs locally, zero data leaves your machine".
Every external claim links to its source "+38% inbound leads" links to the case. Unsourced numbers read as fiction.
Mobile & mechanics
Page passes a real phone, not devtools emulation Thumb-reach, tap targets ≥44px, no horizontal scroll. Load it on your actual phone.
All links work — including footer and legal Dead links on a sales page read as "abandoned". Click every one.
One analytics event exists (view / CTA click) No data = flying blind. Even a pixel-level counter beats nothing.