Most conversion problems aren’t mysteries. They’re a handful of predictable, checkable issues: a CTA that’s easy to miss, a form that asks too much too soon, a value proposition buried under a hero image. This is the checklist we run at Salterra Digital Services before touching a headline or a button color — it’s an audit, not a rewrite.
Go section by section, mark what’s missing, and fix gaps in order of impact rather than overhauling everything at once. A page that passes every item won’t guarantee a lift, but one that fails several is leaving conversions on the table.
Above-the-Fold Clarity
- A visitor can state what the page is about within 5 seconds, without scrolling
- The headline names the outcome or benefit, not just the product category
- There is a visible next step (button, form, or phone number) without scrolling
- The hero image or video supports the message rather than replacing it
- Nothing above the fold requires the visitor to already know your brand
The fold is still the most abandoned real estate on a website. Visitors arrive with an expectation already formed by a search snippet, an ad, or an AI-generated summary — if the top of the page doesn’t confirm it immediately, most leave before scrolling. That matters more now that traffic increasingly arrives after a synthesized answer instead of several listings.
Test this by covering everything below the fold and asking someone unfamiliar with the business what the offer is. Hesitation or a wrong guess means the copy and layout need work first.
Value Proposition Strength
- The core benefit is stated in plain language, not industry jargon
- It’s clear who the offer is for and, ideally, who it isn’t for
- The value proposition differentiates from the obvious alternative, not just competitors
- Supporting bullet points answer “why this and not something else”
- The proposition is repeated, in varied language, at each major decision point on the page
A value proposition stated once near the top gets forgotten by the time a visitor reaches a form or pricing table. Restating the core benefit near every CTA keeps the reason to act present when the decision is made.
Watch for propositions that describe features instead of outcomes. “Cloud-based inventory software” is a feature; “never run out of stock again” is a value proposition. Audit your core message for which one it is.
Calls to Action
- Every page has one primary CTA that is visually dominant over any secondary actions
- Button copy describes the action or outcome, not a generic “Submit” or “Click Here”
- The CTA appears above the fold and again after any major section of supporting content
- Primary and secondary CTAs are visually distinct so visitors don’t have to guess which one matters
- There is no more than one competing, equally weighted CTA per screen
Competing CTAs are a common self-inflicted wound. When “Get a Quote,” “Learn More,” and “Download the Guide” all carry equal weight, the page is asking the visitor to make a decision it should make for them. Pick the one action that matters most and let everything else recede.
Button copy matters more than most teams credit. Specific, low-friction language — “Get My Free Audit” instead of “Submit” — reduces the hesitation right before a click, and that moment is where conversions quietly die.
Forms and Lead Capture
- The form only asks for information that’s actually needed at this stage
- Field labels are visible, not just placeholder text that disappears on click
- Error messages are specific (“enter a valid email”) rather than generic (“invalid input”)
- There’s a visible privacy or trust cue near the submit button (what happens after they submit)
- The form works cleanly on a small mobile screen, including the keyboard type per field
Every additional form field is a small tax on conversion. Before adding one, ask whether the information is needed for the next step or just for internal reporting — the second reason isn’t good enough to cost a lead. Long forms belong later in the funnel, after trust is established.
Placeholder-only labels are a real usability failure: once a visitor starts typing, the label vanishes, and if they’re interrupted, they may forget what the field asked for. Persistent labels remove that friction.
Trust and Social Proof
- Testimonials, reviews, or case studies are specific and attributed, not vague and anonymous
- Trust signals (certifications, guarantees, security badges) sit near the point of decision, not just in a footer
- Author or company credentials are visible on content that makes claims or gives advice
- Numbers used as proof (client counts, years in business, results) are accurate and can be defended if questioned
- Third-party validation (press mentions, industry associations, review platforms) is represented, not just self-reported claims
Trust signals do double duty now. They persuade a human visitor, and they give AI systems summarizing your page something concrete to cite — a vague “trusted by many clients” doesn’t quote well; a specific, attributed detail does.
Placement matters as much as content. A glowing testimonial buried in the footer isn’t doing any work. Move proof elements next to the CTAs and form fields where hesitation actually happens.
Page Speed and Mobile Experience
- The page renders its primary content and CTA within a couple of seconds on a mid-range mobile connection
- Tap targets (buttons, links) are large enough to hit accurately on a phone screen
- Images are compressed and sized appropriately rather than serving desktop-sized files to mobile
- The layout doesn’t shift after load in a way that causes mis-taps
- Forms and menus function correctly on both iOS and Android browsers, not just desktop Chrome
Speed is a conversion factor before it’s an SEO factor. A visitor who abandons a slow page never sees the value proposition, the CTA, or the trust signals, no matter how well those are built. Mobile deserves its own pass — most sites now see the majority of traffic arrive on a phone.
Test on an actual mid-tier device on a throttled connection, not office Wi-Fi on a new laptop. What looks instant in development can feel sluggish under real conditions.
Copy and Messaging Clarity
- Sentences and paragraphs are short enough to scan, not dense blocks of text
- Headlines and subheads work as a skimmable outline on their own
- Copy addresses objections directly rather than only listing features
- Jargon and internal terminology are translated into language the visitor actually uses
- The tone matches how the audience actually talks about the problem, not how the company talks internally
Most visitors scan before they read. If someone can move through your headlines and subheads alone and understand the offer, the copy is doing its job. If meaning only comes through in dense paragraphs, the structure needs work more than the sentences do.
Addressing objections — price, time, complexity, risk — directly in the copy, rather than hoping a testimonial handles it, shortens the path to a decision. A visitor with an unanswered objection rarely converts; they leave to find the answer elsewhere.
Navigation and Page Structure
- The page has one clear conversion goal, without competing links pulling attention elsewhere
- Navigation menus don’t tempt a converting visitor away from a landing page mid-decision
- Internal links point to genuinely relevant next steps, not just every page in the main menu
- Breadcrumbs or clear structure help a visitor understand where they are in the site
- Exit points (back buttons, closed tabs) don’t lose form progress a visitor already entered
A landing page built for a specific offer shouldn’t carry the same full navigation as the homepage. Every extra link is a possible exit ramp away from the one action the page exists to drive. This doesn’t mean stripping navigation everywhere — it means matching navigation to intent: rich on a browsing page, minimal on a conversion page.
Preserving form progress across a session is a small technical detail with an outsized effect on completion, especially for longer forms filled out on mobile.
Checkout and Lead Flow
- The number of steps to complete a purchase or submit a lead is as short as the process allows
- Progress indicators show how many steps remain in a multi-step flow
- Guest checkout or a low-commitment first step is available before requiring full account creation
- Pricing, shipping, or next-step expectations are shown before the final commitment, not sprung on the last screen
- Confirmation pages or thank-you messages clearly state what happens next
Unexpected costs or requirements at the final step are one of the most reliable ways to lose a conversion that was otherwise ready to happen. Whatever the visitor needs to know — total cost, account creation, delivery timeline — should surface earlier, not as a last-screen surprise.
A confirmation page is also a conversion opportunity, not just a formality. Telling the visitor what happens next — when they’ll hear back, how to reach support — reduces the anxiety that undermines an otherwise successful conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should this checklist be run against a live page?
Run a full pass whenever a page's traffic source, offer, or design changes meaningfully, and as a lighter quarterly check on pages that drive significant revenue or leads. Templated pages can often be checked in batches.
Which section of this checklist tends to have the biggest impact on conversion rate?
It varies by page, which is why this is a checklist rather than a fixed priority list. That said, above-the-fold clarity and CTA visibility are the two areas most likely to be silently broken, since teams close to a page stop noticing what a first-time visitor sees.
Do these checks apply the same way to B2B and e-commerce sites?
The categories apply broadly, but specifics shift. B2B pages lean harder on trust and social proof and often use a lead form instead of a checkout flow; e-commerce pages lean harder on speed and a low-friction checkout. Run every section, but weight the fixes to your funnel.
Is a checklist enough, or does this still need testing?
The checklist catches obvious, unambiguous problems — the equivalent of finding a typo before proofreading for style. Once a page passes it, A/B testing is still the right tool for deciding between two reasonable approaches where the answer isn't obvious from a quick audit.
How does AI-driven search change any of this?
The fundamentals don't change, but a few items matter more. Specific, attributable trust signals and clear value propositions are more likely to be pulled into AI-generated summaries, and a page that answers objections directly is more likely to be quoted accurately than one that buries the answer in vague language.
Where does this checklist fit if I'm just starting to learn CRO?
Use it as an audit tool after you understand the basic CRO workflow, not as a substitute for it. SEO University's CRO track covers the reasoning behind each area; this checklist is the fast, repeatable version you run once you already understand why each item matters.
Terry has 30+ years in software and SEO. He’s the founder of Salterra Digital Services and SEO Spring Training, host of the Roundtable SEO Mastermind, and lead instructor at SEO University — teaching the exact tactics his team uses on client work.
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