Conversion Playbook
Industry-calibrated CVR baselines, copy frameworks, CTA strategy, and per-section heuristics. The playbook drives Strategy-stage CVR target setting and Structure-stage copy framework choice.
This is a reference, not a script. bazaar uses it to brief Funnel / Prose / Growth — those agents own the craft.
CVR Baselines by LP Type
Source: synthesis of public benchmarks (Unbounce, WordStream, HubSpot, Databox 2024–2025) + practitioner calibration. Numbers assume warm or mixed traffic unless noted; cold paid traffic typically halves the median. Use as a starting point and calibrate against the client's own baseline.
| LP Type | Median CVR | Top Quartile | Top Decile | Traffic Qualifier | Friction Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SaaS Free Trial | 2.0% | 4–5% | 7%+ | warm/mixed | Email-only signup (lowest friction trial path) |
| SaaS Demo Request | 1.5–3% | 5% | 8%+ | warm/mixed | 5–7 form fields, qualification gate |
| SaaS Freemium Signup | 4–8% | 12% | 18%+ | warm/mixed | Email + password, immediate product access |
| E-com Product | 1.5% | 3% | 5%+ | mixed | Trust + reviews + scarcity dominant |
| E-com Cart Recovery LP | 8–15% of recovery clickers | 20% | 30%+ | warm | Reminder + incentive (clarify denominator: % of clickers, NOT % of cart abandoners) |
| Lead Magnet — warm traffic | 20–30% | 40% | 50%+ | warm (email/retargeting) | Email-for-content, very low friction |
| Lead Magnet — cold paid | 5–10% | 15% | 25%+ | cold paid | Same form, lower intent |
| Webinar / Event Registration | 10–20% | 25% | 35%+ | warm/mixed | Urgency + speaker authority |
| Newsletter Signup | 1–3% | 5% | 8%+ | mixed | Value preview + frequency clarity |
| B2B Contact / Enterprise — warm | 2–4% | 5% | 8%+ | warm | Trust badges + case studies + named accounts |
| B2B Contact / Enterprise — cold | 1–2% | 3% | 5%+ | cold | Same with longer trust-build |
| App Install (mobile web → app) | 1–2% | 4% | 6%+ | mixed | Smart App Banner + value-first hero |
| Course / Education Signup | 3–6% | 10% | 15%+ | warm/mixed | Outcome promise + syllabus preview |
| Real-Estate Lead | 2–5% | 8% | 12%+ | mixed | Geo-specific + virtual tour |
| Pricing Page | 3–6% (next-step click) | 9% | 15%+ | warm | Plan-tier psychology + anchor pricing + comparison clarity |
| Service / Consulting | 2–4% | 6% | 10%+ | mixed | Case studies + trust + clear scope |
Use: lock the CVR target during Strategy stage. Communicate it to Funnel (structure decisions), Growth (CRO priority), Experiment (variant hypothesis).
Copy Framework Choice
| Framework | When it fits | Section Order |
|---|---|---|
| AIDA (Attention / Interest / Desire / Action) | Default for consumer LPs, broad funnels | Hook hero → benefit interest → desire (proof) → CTA |
| PAS (Problem / Agitate / Solve) | B2B pain-driven products, security, compliance | Name pain → amplify cost → present solve |
| BAB (Before / After / Bridge) | Transformational products (fitness, productivity, education) | State before → show after → bridge = product |
| 4Ps (Promise / Picture / Proof / Push) | High-CVR direct response, lead magnets, sales pages | Bold promise → vivid picture → social/numeric proof → strong push |
| StoryBrand SB7 | Brand-driven B2B with hero-arc fit | Customer = hero, brand = guide, plan, call, success vs. failure |
| JTBD-first | Product-led SaaS where job is well-defined | Name the job → friction of current solutions → product as new way → proof |
Rule: choose ONE framework per LP. Mixing dilutes. Magi can arbitrate when two frameworks tie.
Recipe → Framework Default Map
When the Recipe is known but the framework is ambiguous, default to this map (override only with Magi arbitration logged):
| Recipe | Default framework | Why |
|---|---|---|
premium |
Magi arbitration required (no default — brand-defining surface) | Stakes too high for default |
lead-gen |
PAS (Problem / Agitate / Solve) | B2B pain-driven decision |
saas (free trial) |
JTBD-first | Product-led; job is the wedge |
saas (demo request) |
PAS or StoryBrand SB7 | Sales-assisted; objection-heavy |
ecom |
AIDA with strong proof block | Consumer impulse + trust |
event |
4Ps (Promise / Picture / Proof / Push) | Time-boxed; urgency + speaker authority |
magnet |
4Ps with stripped Push | Email-for-content; low friction |
Section Sequence Heuristics
High-converting default (consumer, ~1500 words)
- Hero: headline + sub + primary CTA + hero asset (image/video/illustration) + optional trust strip (logos or numbers)
- Benefit block 1: top benefit framed as outcome
- Benefit block 2: second benefit framed as outcome
- Social proof block: testimonials, case studies, numbers ("10,000+ teams")
- Objection handling: FAQ-style or comparison table
- Benefit block 3: third benefit (often "how it works" mini-explainer)
- Final CTA: stronger close, urgency or risk-reversal
- FAQ: 3–5 Q/A, scannable
- Footer with trust signals: privacy, terms, contact, security badges
B2B / Enterprise
- Hero with named-account logo wall in trust strip
- Pain framing (PAS) + cost of inaction
- Solution overview with 3 capability pillars
- Case study spotlight (specific customer, named numbers)
- ROI / value calculator (if applicable)
- Integration / security / compliance section
- Demo request CTA
- Resources (whitepapers, analyst reports)
E-com Product
- Hero with main product image + add-to-cart sticky
- Key benefits + key specs (above the fold for mobile)
- Image gallery + variant selector
- Customer reviews + ratings (verified)
- Use-case storytelling
- FAQ
- Cross-sell / related products
- Trust footer (returns, shipping, warranty)
Lead Magnet
- Hero: cover image + title + email form (above the fold)
- What's inside (3–5 bullet points)
- Author credibility / brand authority
- Sample preview (1–2 page snippets)
- Final email form (repeat CTA)
Event / Webinar
- Hero: title + date + speakers + register CTA + countdown
- Agenda
- Speaker bios with social proof
- Why attend (3 takeaways)
- Past-event highlights or testimonials
- Repeat register CTA + add-to-calendar
CTA Strategy
| Decision | Heuristic |
|---|---|
| Primary CTA count above fold | 1 (one). Decision fatigue is real. |
| Repeat CTA frequency | Every ~2 sections after benefit blocks; absolutely after social proof and after FAQ |
| CTA microcopy | Verb + outcome ("Start free trial", "Get the playbook", "Book a demo"). Avoid "Submit", "Click here". |
| CTA button color | High contrast vs. surrounding palette; aligned with brand accent. Test color in Experiment, not Strategy. |
| Secondary CTA | Single low-commitment option (e.g., "Watch a 2-min demo") if primary is high-friction |
| Sticky CTA | Mobile: yes for E-com and lead-gen. Desktop: optional for very long pages (>2500 words). |
| Exit-intent CTA | Lead-magnet downgrade or discount; A/B test before adopting (can hurt brand) |
Form Design
| Decision | Heuristic |
|---|---|
| Field count | Lead magnet: 1 (email). Free trial: 1–2. Demo request: 5–7 with qualification. Enterprise: 7–10. |
| Progressive disclosure | If >3 fields, break into 2–3 steps with progress indicator. Step 1 ≤ 2 fields. |
| Label position | Top-aligned (faster scan, accessibility friendly) |
| Validation | Inline, on blur; success-state microcopy |
| Required-field marking | Mark optional fields, not required (when most are required) |
| Error microcopy | Specific ("Email format looks off — example: name@company.com"), never "Invalid input" |
| CAPTCHA | Avoid unless bot traffic is verified pain. Bot Manager or invisible reCAPTCHA preferred. |
Social Proof Hierarchy
In order of impact (highest first):
- Specific outcome from named customer: "Acme cut onboarding time 67% in 30 days"
- Named-account logo wall: well-known logos > unknown logos
- Numbers: "10,000+ teams", "$1B+ processed", "4.8/5 from 12,000 reviews"
- Recognizable awards / press: G2 Leader, Gartner Magic Quadrant, TechCrunch coverage
- Star-rating block with review snippets
- Founder / leadership credibility: when brand is early, founder authority can substitute
- Open-source / community signals: GitHub stars, npm downloads, Discord member count (B2D)
Anti-pattern: avatar grid with no names ("our happy customers"). Reads as stock photo bingo.
Trust Mechanics
Pick AT LEAST ONE trust mechanic per LP:
- Named-account social proof
- Money-back guarantee
- Free trial / no credit card
- Open-source / transparency
- Security badges (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR)
- Press logos (only if Tier-1)
- Verified review platforms (G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, ProductHunt)
- Founder authority (B2D / B2SMB)
- Industry endorsement (when applicable)
Urgency vs. Clarity Trade-off
| Approach | When it works | When it backfires |
|---|---|---|
| Time scarcity ("Offer ends Friday") | Real deadlines, events, launches | Manufactured urgency hurts brand long-term |
| Quantity scarcity ("3 spots left") | Cohort-based products, services with capacity | Visible-only-on-some-pages reads as dark pattern |
| Loss framing ("Stop losing X") | Cost-of-inaction is concrete and measurable | Generic loss framing reads as fearmongering |
| Clarity ("Calm UI") | Premium / trust-driven / B2B-enterprise | When CVR target is high and audience is action-ready, can underperform |
Magi arbitrates urgency vs. clarity during Strategy stage when persona signals are mixed.
Common LP Failure Modes
| Symptom | Likely root cause | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| Dual-promise drift (hero says one thing, section 5 says another) | Two unrelated value props leaked past UNDERSTAND | Stop chain; return to UNDERSTAND; lock one promise; second promise becomes a separate LP |
| Low CVR + high bounce | Hero fails 5-second test (Hero-Contract Legibility ≤ 1/3) | Re-write hero in Structure stage |
| Low CVR + low bounce | Trust gap (Trust-Signal Density ≤ 1/4) | Strengthen social proof + guarantee + author authority |
| High click-through + low form submit | Form friction | Reduce field count, progressive disclosure |
| Inconsistent mobile | Above-fold breaks on common viewports / tap targets < 44px | Bolt + Voyager regression sweep |
| AI search not citing the page | GEO weakness; check per-platform tactic table | Growth — structured data, AI-friendly headings, citation-ready facts, AI bot crawl policy |
| Strong CVR but low quality leads | Targeting / qualification mismatch | Add qualification fields; tighten persona in Audience stage |
| Strong CVR + high refund/churn | Qualification gap (separate from low-quality leads) | Move qualification upstream; add deselect-friendly copy in objection block |
| Spike CVR then collapse | Burnt audience / scarcity overuse / FTC dark-pattern risk | Rotate creative, restore clarity-led variant; audit per FTC dark-pattern guidance |
Calibration Workflow
- Read the brief: identify LP type → look up baseline.
- Adjust for context: brand maturity, traffic source, audience temperature.
- Set Strategy CVR target: usually median × 1.5 → top-quartile range.
- Communicate to Funnel + Prose: target drives copy aggression (calm vs. direct response).
- Lock in handoff bundle:
CVR_Targetfield inLURE_STAGE_BUNDLE. - Validate post-launch in Beacon dashboard: actual CVR vs. target; feedback loop to next iteration.