8 criteria that decide whether visitors convert
Every roast is scored against the same rubric — descended from the Landing Page Checklist and sharpened on real projects. Here's each criterion, what it measures, and what a top and bottom score actually look like.
Clarity of value
Do I understand what this is in five seconds?
The single most predictive criterion. If a first-time visitor can't say what you offer and who it's for within five seconds, nothing below matters. We check the headline, the sub-headline and the first visual for a concrete, specific promise — an outcome, not an adjective.
Reads the promise instantly, in the visitor's language.
"Innovative solutions for modern teams" — could be anything, means nothing.
Hero & first impression
Does the fold earn the scroll?
The above-the-fold area is the whole pitch in miniature: headline, supporting line, one primary action, and a visual that reinforces the promise instead of decorating it. We score whether the fold makes a confident, focused first impression or buries the point under stock imagery and competing messages.
One clear message, one obvious action, a visual that proves the promise.
Carousel, three CTAs, a hands-on-laptop stock photo, and no focal point.
Call to action
Is there one obvious next step?
A good CTA names the result, not the mechanic, and there's a clear primary among any secondary actions. We look at button copy, prominence and repetition — whether the path to "yes" is unmistakable or the visitor has to hunt for it.
"Start your free trial" / "Book a 20-min call" — one dominant, outcome-worded.
"Submit" or "Learn more", repeated at equal weight all over the page.
Trust & social proof
Why should I believe you?
Trust is built with specifics: named people, real numbers, recognizable logos with context, guarantees. We check whether the proof is concrete and relevant or a generic "trusted by thousands" with no stakes behind it.
"Reduced churn 34% in 60 days — Carla M., VP Product."
A grey logo bar and "loved by teams everywhere."
Visual hierarchy
Where is my eye pulled — and is it the right place?
Hierarchy is you deciding where attention goes so the visitor doesn't have to. We assess whether size, weight, colour and spacing guide the eye along the intended path, or whether everything competes at the same volume.
A clear focal point on each screen, quiet secondary elements.
Everything bold, everything boxed — the eye gives up.
Copywriting
Do the words carry weight?
We score whether the copy leads with the problem and the outcome, stays specific, and cuts the throat-clearing. Polite, hedged, feature-listing copy is the most common — and most fixable — conversion killer.
Direct, specific, benefit-first. Every line earns its place.
An "About" memoir and benefits hidden behind adjectives.
Performance & mobile
Is it fast, and genuinely fine on a phone?
Over 60% of traffic is mobile and a slow load is literal lost revenue. We read real signals — page weight, render-blocking scripts, image handling, viewport — and whether the mobile experience was designed or merely survived.
Sub-2s mobile load, thumb-friendly, hero legible on a phone.
Heavy unoptimized images, CTA three scrolls down on mobile.
Conversion path
How smooth is the road to yes?
The end-to-end journey from landing to conversion: how many steps, how much friction, how many exits. We look for a single, low-friction path and flag every place a motivated visitor could stall or bounce.
A short, obvious path with friction removed at each step.
Long forms, unexplained steps, dead ends before the goal.
See how your page scores.
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