CRO Optimization
Purpose
Analyze a landing page and deliver a comprehensive CRO audit with specific, actionable recommendations to maximize conversions.
Execution Logic
Check $ARGUMENTS first to determine execution mode:
If $ARGUMENTS is empty or not provided:
Respond with: "cro-optimization loaded, provide your landing page URL or paste your HTML/CSS code"
Then wait for the user to provide their landing page in the next message.
If $ARGUMENTS contains content:
Proceed immediately to Task Execution (skip the "loaded" message).
Task Execution
When landing page is available (either from initial $ARGUMENTS or follow-up message):
1. MANDATORY: Read Reference Files FIRST
BLOCKING REQUIREMENT — DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP
Before doing ANYTHING else, you MUST use the Read tool to read ALL three reference files:
Read: ./references/cro_principles.md
Read: ./references/landing_page_patterns.md
Read: ./references/element_audit_framework.md
What you will find:
- cro_principles.md: 13 core CRO principles with detection criteria and fix patterns
- landing_page_patterns.md: Real patterns from high-converting pages (ClickUp, Notion, Stripe, Apple, etc.) organized by category
- element_audit_framework.md: Systematic framework for auditing HTML elements, CTAs, forms, and visual hierarchy
DO NOT PROCEED to Step 2 until you have read all files and have the principles, patterns, and audit framework loaded in context.
2. Check for Business Context
Check if FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md exists in the project root.
- If it exists: Read it and use the business context to personalize recommendations (industry, target audience, product type, competitors).
- If it doesn't exist: Proceed with analysis based on page content alone.
3. Fetch and Extract Landing Page
If user provided a URL:
- Use WebFetch to retrieve the landing page content
- Extract and catalog key elements (see Element Extraction below)
If user provided HTML/CSS directly:
- Analyze the provided code directly
- Note any missing context (live styling, images, etc.)
4. Element Extraction
Extract and catalog these elements from the page:
Typography:
- H1 (should be exactly one)
- H2s (section headers)
- Body text samples
- CTA button copy
Visual Structure:
- Above-the-fold content
- Section sequence
- Image/visual placement
- Color scheme and contrast
Conversion Elements:
- Primary CTA (copy, placement, design)
- Secondary CTAs
- Forms (field count, labels)
- Trust signals (logos, testimonials, badges)
- Social proof (metrics, reviews, case studies)
Technical:
- Mobile responsiveness indicators
- Load speed concerns (large images, etc.)
5. Audit Against CRO Principles
For each of the 13 principles in cro_principles.md:
- Check if the page violates the principle
- Note specific violations with evidence
- Determine severity (High/Medium/Low)
- Draft specific recommendations
Prioritize by impact:
- High: Above-fold clarity, CTA effectiveness, major trust gaps
- Medium: Objection handling, visual hierarchy, scannability
- Low: Minor copy tweaks, nice-to-have additions
6. Compare to High-Converting Patterns
Using landing_page_patterns.md:
- Identify the most relevant category (B2B SaaS, E-commerce, etc.)
- Compare page structure to proven patterns
- Note missing elements that top performers include
- Identify opportunities to adopt successful patterns
7. Generate Recommendations
For each issue found, provide:
- What to change — specific element and action
- Why it matters — principle violated and expected impact
- How to implement — concrete example or rewrite
- Priority — High/Medium/Low with reasoning
8. Format and Verify
- Structure output according to Output Format section
- Complete Quality Checklist self-verification
- Ensure recommendations are specific and actionable (not generic advice)
Writing Rules
Hard constraints. No interpretation.
Core Rules
- Every recommendation must be specific and actionable
- Include before/after examples for copy changes
- Reference the specific principle violated
- Prioritize by conversion impact, not ease of implementation
- Frame changes as testable hypotheses when possible
- Never recommend changes without explaining the "why"
Analysis Rules
- Audit systematically — don't skip principles
- Note what's working well, not just problems
- Consider the page's apparent target audience
- Account for likely traffic sources
- Distinguish between critical issues and optimizations
Recommendation Rules
- Lead with highest-impact changes
- Group related recommendations together
- Provide specific copy rewrites, not just "make it clearer"
- Include placement suggestions, not just content suggestions
- Consider mobile experience separately
Output Format
# CRO Audit Report: [Page Name/URL]
## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences: Overall assessment, biggest opportunities, expected impact]
---
## What's Working Well
[Bullet list of 3-5 elements that follow CRO best practices]
---
## Critical Issues (Fix First)
### Issue 1: [Specific Problem]
**Principle Violated:** [Principle name and number]
**Current State:** [What exists now]
**Problem:** [Why this hurts conversions]
**Recommendation:** [Specific fix]
**Example:**
BEFORE: [Current copy/element] AFTER: [Recommended copy/element]
**Expected Impact:** [What improvement to expect]
### Issue 2: [Specific Problem]
[Same structure]
---
## High-Impact Optimizations
### Optimization 1: [Improvement Area]
**Current State:** [What exists]
**Opportunity:** [What could be better]
**Recommendation:** [Specific change]
**Example:**
BEFORE: [Current] AFTER: [Recommended]
**Priority:** [High/Medium] — [Reasoning]
[Continue for each optimization]
---
## Section-by-Section Analysis
### Above the Fold
- **H1:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
- **Subheadline:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
- **CTA:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
- **Trust signals:** [Assessment and recommendation if needed]
### [Section Name]
[Analysis and recommendations]
[Continue for each major section]
---
## Quick Wins (Easy Implementations)
1. [Simple change with good impact]
2. [Simple change with good impact]
3. [Simple change with good impact]
---
## Testing Roadmap
1. **Test First:** [Highest impact hypothesis]
2. **Test Second:** [Next priority]
3. **Test Third:** [Following priority]
---
## Benchmark Comparison
**Compared to:** [Relevant high-converting examples from patterns file]
**Missing elements:** [What top performers have that this page lacks]
**Adoption opportunities:** [Specific patterns to consider implementing]
References
All three files MUST be read using the Read tool before analysis (see Step 1):
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
./references/cro_principles.md | 13 CRO principles with detection criteria, fix patterns, and violation symptoms |
./references/landing_page_patterns.md | Real patterns from ClickUp, Notion, Stripe, Apple, Shopify, etc. organized by category |
./references/element_audit_framework.md | Systematic framework for auditing H1s, CTAs, forms, social proof, visual hierarchy |
Why all three matter: Principles tell you what's wrong. Patterns show you what good looks like. The audit framework ensures you check everything systematically. Together they produce specific, evidence-based recommendations instead of generic CRO advice.
Quality Checklist (Self-Verification)
Before finalizing output, verify ALL of the following:
Pre-Analysis Check
- I read
./references/cro_principles.mdbefore analyzing - I read
./references/landing_page_patterns.mdbefore analyzing - I read
./references/element_audit_framework.mdbefore analyzing - I have all 13 principles, category patterns, and audit criteria in context
Extraction Check
- I identified the H1 and assessed its clarity
- I catalogued all CTAs and their copy
- I noted social proof elements and placement
- I evaluated above-the-fold content
- I assessed the section sequence
Analysis Check
- Each principle was evaluated against the page
- Issues cite specific principles violated
- Recommendations include before/after examples
- Priority is assigned based on conversion impact
- I compared to relevant high-converting patterns
Output Check
- Executive summary captures key findings
- Critical issues are listed first
- Every recommendation is specific and actionable
- Testing roadmap provides clear next steps
- "What's working well" section is included
If ANY check fails → revise before presenting.
Defaults & Assumptions
Use these unless context indicates otherwise:
- Page type: SaaS landing page (most common)
- Traffic temperature: Mixed (cold to warm)
- Primary goal: Signups or demo requests
- Audience: Business decision-makers
- Device split: 60% desktop, 40% mobile
- Conversion definition: Primary CTA click
If the page type is clearly different (e-commerce, content site, etc.), adjust analysis accordingly.
Document any assumptions made in the Executive Summary.