How should you write a landing page title?

Three approaches: 1) Explain what you do — when your product is unique, clarity is the hook (e.g., Loom: 'Record your screen and camera'). 2) Hooks — when your product isn't unique, address the customer's biggest objection head-on (e.g., 'Build a website in 5 minutes'). 3) Own your niche — write with conviction that you're THE solution for your category (e.g., Stripe: 'Payments infrastructure for the internet').

What makes a good CTA button on a landing page?

Three types that outperform generic 'Sign Up' buttons: 1) Call to Value — emphasize value over action by fulfilling your title's promise (e.g., 'Start selling more' instead of 'Sign Up'). 2) Objection Handle — add words that address the biggest hesitation (e.g., 'Start Trial — no credit card required'). 3) Email Capture + CTA — pair email capture with the button to minimize friction; collect other info during onboarding.

How should social proof differ above and below the fold?

Above the fold, social proof is about instant credibility — customer logos, review counts, star ratings that make your headline believable (e.g., Privy's '18,000+ reviews'). Below the fold, social proof is about inspiring action — use existing customers to bring to life the value you promise. Match proof to promise: if you promise 'more sales,' show customer revenue numbers. If you promise 'a smile you love,' show customers smiling.

The 10-Step Landing Page Formula That Actually Converts: Harry Dry's Guide from Marketing Examples (2025)

Q: What are the 10 elements of a high-converting landing page?

Harry Dry's formula: Above the fold — 1) Title (explain value), 2) Subtitle (explain how), 3) Visual (show the product), 4) Social proof (make it believable), 5) CTA (make next step easy). Below the fold — 6) Features & objections (make value concrete), 7) More social proof (inspire action), 8) FAQ (tie up loose ends), 9) Second CTA (repeat with context), 10) Founder's note (make yourself memorable). Above the fold earns attention; below the fold earns the sale.

Q: What is the acid test for landing page elements?

For every element on your landing page, ask: 'Would this help me sell if I met the customer in person?' If not, remove it. If you don't know, go out and sell to customers in person. You'll learn that fancy words and stock photos don't get you far. More importantly, you'll learn two things no amount of A/B testing can reveal: the attitude of your customer and the words you need to convince them.

Your Landing Page Is Your Sales Pitch

Harry Dry — founder of Marketing Examples, read by 130K+ marketers — created a landing page formula that breaks down the anatomy of high-converting pages into 10 clear steps. His core insight: examine each element and ask, "Would this help me sell if I met the customer in person?" If not, remove it.

There are two parts to any landing page: what's immediately visible (above the fold) and what the user scrolls to (below the fold). To quote Donald Miller: "A caveman should be able to glance at it and immediately grunt back what you offer."

The 10-Step Formula

Above the Fold (Earn Attention)

1 Title — explain the value you provide

2 Subtitle — explain how you'll create it

3 Visual — let the user visualize it

4 Social proof — make it believable

5 CTA — make taking the next step easy

Below the Fold (Earn the Sale)

6 Features & objections — make value concrete

7 More social proof — inspire action

8 FAQ — tie up loose ends

9 2nd CTA — repeat your call to action

10 Founder's note — make yourself memorable

Step 1: Title — Explain the Value You Provide

In five seconds customers try to establish whether or not you can help them. Your title must communicate value instantly. Harry outlines three approaches:

Explain what you do (when your product is unique)

When your product is genuinely unique, all you have to do is describe it as simply as possible. No cleverness required — clarity is the hook.

Example: Loom — "Record your screen and camera" (that's literally what it does)

Hooks (when your product isn't unique)

Most products aren't unique, so a hook adds oomph. The easiest way to write hooks is to address your customer's biggest objection head-on.

Example: "Build a website in 5 minutes" — the objection is "it takes too long," the hook handles it directly.

Own your niche (when you're THE solution)

Some startups transcend hooks. Write with conviction. You're not "a solution" — you're THE solution for your category.

Example: Stripe — "Payments infrastructure for the internet" (they own the entire category)

Step 2: Subtitle — Get Specific

Subtitles are where you introduce the product and explain how it creates the value promised in your title. The title says what you do for the customer. The subtitle says how you do it.

Title vs. Subtitle Pattern

Title: "Get a smile you love" (the value)

Subtitle: "Invisible aligners delivered to your door for 60% less than braces" (how)

Step 3: Visual — Show the Product in Action

The goal is to get as close to reality as possible. Don't show fancy illustrations — show the product itself. Or even better, the product in action.

⚠️ The Visual Trap

Generic stock photos of people shaking hands or abstract illustrations tell the customer nothing. Would those images help you sell if you met the customer in person? No. Show your actual product.

Do: Screenshot of your dashboard, product demo GIF, video of the product in use

Don't: Stock photos, abstract illustrations, generic team photos

Step 4: Social Proof (Above the Fold) — Instant Credibility

Social proof above the fold adds instant credibility to the value you're promising. Any startup can write a compelling headline — social proof makes people believe it.

The Privy Example

Any startup can write "How small brands sell more online." But it's Privy's "18,000+ reviews" badge that makes you actually believe the promise. The social proof turns a claim into a fact.

Common above-the-fold social proof: customer logos, review counts, star ratings, "trusted by X companies," media mentions.

Step 5: CTA — Make Taking the Next Step Easy

Most buttons emphasize action: "Sign Up," "Start Trial." Harry outlines three more compelling CTA types:

Call to Value

Emphasize value over action. Fulfill the promise in your title.

Instead of: "Sign Up"

Write: "Start selling more" or "Get my free report"

Objection Handle

Add a few words to handle the user's biggest objection to clicking.

Instead of: "Start Trial"

Write: "Start Trial — no credit card required"

Email Capture + CTA

Pair email capture with your CTA to make signing up as easy as possible.

Collect only email up front. Get the rest during onboarding. Fewer fields = more conversions.

Above the Fold Recap

In five seconds customers try to establish whether you can help them. Clarity over creativity. Explain your value (title), explain how (subtitle), show it (visual), prove it (social proof), make the next step easy (CTA).

Step 6: Features & Objections — Make Value Concrete

Below the fold is where you earn the sale. The first thing you do is make concrete the value you promised above the fold.

Features that deliver on the promise

Riverside's title promises "podcasts that look and sound amazing." Their first two features make this promise concrete — showing exactly how the audio and video quality is achieved.

Objections handled in their own words

Talk to customers. Group recurring objections together. Then use their own language to handle those objections on the page. The customer's words are always more persuasive than yours.

Step 7: More Social Proof — Inspire Action

Above the fold, social proof is about credibility. Below the fold, social proof is about inspiring action. It's a free pass to sell your product through existing customers.

Match Proof to Promise

→

"Get a smile you love" → Show customers smiling

→

"Email reinvented" → Customers describing the difference

→

"How small brands sell more" → Actual sales numbers from customers

Use existing customers to bring to life the value you promise. Let them do the selling for you.

Step 8: FAQ — Tie Up Loose Ends

There will be features and objections that don't fit neatly into the sections above. This is where your FAQ earns its keep. Write down every remaining concern and reframe them as questions and answers.

Step 9: Second CTA — Remind Them Why

You've done the hard selling. Now it's time for your second call to action. The difference from the first CTA: now you have the luxury of space. Instead of dropping one measly button, remind the customer why they should click.

Your first CTA says "Start free trial." Your second CTA says "Join 18,000+ brands selling more online" with a paragraph recapping the core value proposition and a prominent button. The customer who scrolled this far is interested — give them the final push.

Step 10: Founder's Note — Make Yourself Memorable

Leave the customer with a story that makes you easy to sum up. Harry's formula for the founder's note:

Put yourself in their shoes

Show the customer you understand their world. You've been where they are.

Explain their problem

Describe the pain they're feeling — in their language, not yours.

Take ownership of it

Show that you built the solution because you cared about fixing this problem.

Show the happy ending

You're walking them down a path they'll want to walk themselves. And remember — people buy from people.

The Acid Test for Every Element

Your landing page is your sales pitch. Never forget this. For every element on the page, ask one question:

"Would this help me sell if I met the customer in person?"

If not, remove it. If you don't know, go out and sell to customers in person. You'll learn that fancy words and stock photos of people shaking hands don't get you far.

More importantly, selling in person teaches you two things no amount of A/B testing can reveal: the attitude of your customer and the words you need to convince them.

🚀 Pitch the Right Investors with a Winning Landing Page

The same principles that convert landing page visitors convert investors. Search 100K+ verified VC and angel investor profiles on Datapile to find investors who understand your market and will respond to a clear, compelling pitch.

Search Investors →