4 Questions Every Page Should Prioritise

A CRO Framework For Simply More Conversions

Read time: 5-10 minutes | Author: Courtney Pullen

Why Most Webpages Fail Before The User Scrolls

Ever wondered why your webpage is failing to generate meaningful interactions and conversions? It’s because you’re not answering the core questions users ask themselves before converting.

When users arrive on your webpage, they come with intent, scepticism and a limited attention span. Addressing these concerns is fundamental to conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and delivering a positive user experience that will drive conversions instead of drop-offs. 

So, what are they?

1. Is this relevant to me?

2. How long will this take?

3. Can I trust this?

4. When and how do I get value?

These four questions form a simple but powerful CRO framework that you can apply to any high-impact page to expose what’s really blocking conversions. These include landing pages, a core product page, a lead-gen funnel or even a pricing page.

Let’s break it down. 

Is This Webpage Relevant? (Message Match & User Intent)

If you can’t establish immediate relevance, then nothing else is going to matter. 

Contrary to popular belief, relevance isn’t established through clever copy. It’s established through message match. Users will always subconsciously check ‘does this page match what I clicked?’, and if not, you can be sure they won’t convert. 

What you need is complete alignment across:

1. Traffic source (e.g., Ad, email, organic, referral) 

2. User intent (e.g., Problem-aware vs. solution-aware)

3. Language and framing used before the click 

The first 5 seconds a user spends on your page is a relevance confirmation or rejection. So, how do you ensure relevance? Here are some CRO best practices for relevance to get you started: 

1. Headlines should mirror ad language, instead of creative rephrasing 

2. Subheadlines should clarify what this is and who this is for 

3. Confirmation of audience fit via industry logos or case studies 

An easy way to check this is by asking yourself: Could someone explain what this page is about after a 3-second glance?

Mistakes are often necessary for growth. That said, these are some common CRO mistakes that kill relevance that you can learn from without having to make them first:

1. Generic hero headlines that try to appeal to everyone (e.g., ‘The all-in-one platform for modern businesses’) 

2. Leading with brand slogans instead of user problems (e.g., ‘Built for what’s next’ instead of addressing a specific pain points like ‘Turn more visitors into qualified leads’)

3. Forcing users to scroll or read paragraphs to understand the page’s purpose

4. Mixing multiple intents (e.g. education + sales + recruitment)

Applying this knowledge to CRO means that you need to understand that relevance is binary, i.e., it’s a yes or no. So, high bounce rates often signal a messaging mismatch rather than bad UX. 

To ensure your CRO testing focuses on meaningful, relevant improvements, consider the following:

1. Headline variations aligned to different traffic sources

2. Dynamic copy by channel or campaign

3. Intent-specific landing pages vs “one-page-fits-all”

How Long Will This Take? (Effort, Friction & Expectation Management)

Commonly, what companies don’t realise is that unclear effort = perceived risk. Users are constantly assessing the time investment of what they’re doing, even if they’re not aware of it. This includes more than just duration, but also number of steps, cognitive load, and uncertainty about what comes next. 

In order to reduce friction it is important to practice expectation management. If users know exactly how long something will take, what is involved, and what comes next, then they are far more likely to engage. This is because setting expectations removes friction, as opposed to simply removing steps. 

Here are some expectation-setting CRO Examples:

1. Explicit cues e.g., ‘3 short steps’, ‘Takes 2 minutes’, or ‘No credit card required’ 

2. Progress bars, or copy that explains why information is needed

3. Break long, static forms into dynamic, smaller steps i.e., one question at a time 

To help you avoid learning the hard way, here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

1. Not being transparent about the length of your funnel (e.g., No indication of steps or time)

2. Over-optimising for fewer steps while increasing mental effort (e.g., One ‘short’ page that asks complex, multi-part questions in a single form field)

3. Assuming ‘as short as possible’ is always better (e.g., Forcing a one-step form for a high-consideration offer like pricing) 

From a CRO perspective, we know that users abandon webpages when the expected effort doesn’t match the actual effort required. What this also means, is that friction is heavily contextual and what can seem ‘long’ in one context is completely acceptable in another. 

Try these tests to better align effort expectations for your users:

1. Explicit vs implicit time cues (e.g., ‘It takes 2 minutes’ vs. progress bar) 

2. CTA language (e.g., ‘See if I qualify’ vs. ‘Request a demo’) 

3. Copy that explains effort trade-offs (why this is worth it)

Do I Trust This Place On The Internet? (Trust Is Everything)

We’re operating in a trust economy, where users don’t lack options, they lack certainty. Stop thinking of trust as a section on the page. Trust is a layer that sits across every interaction: copy, layout, form design, tone, and  sequencing. 

This is why many high-performing companies now optimise away from overly clever design and toward clarity, familiarity, and reassurance. Not because design doesn’t matter, but because trust matters more.

Cognitive load is one of the fastest ways to lose trust. When users have to work too hard to understand what’s happening, what’s required, or what they’ll get, uncertainty increases and uncertainty feels risky. Experiences that are easy to process are perceived as more trustworthy, even before any explicit trust signals are noticed.

Here are some trust signals that improve conversion rates: 

1. Social proof e.g., customer logos, testimonials, case studies

2. Authority and credibility e.g., endorsements or partners 

3. Transparency and consistency e.g., plain language, consistent messaging

4. Low cognitive load e.g. the experience feels easy to understand and predictable

To help you add effective trust signals to your webpage, consider the following:

1. Social proof that reflects your user’s identity (industry, company size, role)

2. Specific, outcome-focused testimonials 

3. Trust badges and third-party validations (e.g. certificates, security, compliance, awards)

4. Clear policies, pricing transparency, and contact information

To avoid undermining user trust, watch out for these common mistakes:

1. Introducing unnecessary cognitive load (e.g. dense layouts, too many messages competing for attention, unclear sequencing)

2. Using testimonials that are vague or non-specific 

3. Hiding pricing, terms, or next steps

4. Adding trust badges that are irrelevant to the actual risk 

Now, looking at this from a CRO perspective, you need to understand that small trust signals repeated consistently outperform one big trust block. On top of this, a mismatch between tone and audience reduces credibility; imagine your bank writing you an email using slang (immediate red flag). Trust isn’t what convinces users to convert, it’s what removes the reasons not to.

Make sure you are consistent with your trust signals, and never avoid testing what you can to be sure you’re optimising as you should be. For example: 

1. Placement and sequencing of social proof e.g., testimonials near CTA 

2. Outcome-focused vs emotion-focused testimonials e.g., ‘CVR increased 65%’ vs. ‘Great to work with’ 

3. Founder-led vs customer-led credibility signals e.g., founder credentials on the About Page vs. customer quotes 

How Does The Customer Realise The Value? 

This is a crucial part of converting traffic into sales, and what you truly need to understand is that conversion is a promise of value and realisation is when belief turns into action.  

Users will convert when they realise that what you’re offering genuinely provides them with value. This happens because users can clearly see how value can actually be unlocked. As opposed to them understanding the features of your product or the service you’re offering. 

What this means is that value should feel easy to attain, inevitable and proportionate to the effort required. Double-down on communicating value and ensure that each step users take reinforces progress to a tangible result. 

How is this achieved? By moving away from abstract benefits (e.g., ‘save time’, ‘grow faster’) and guide users with clear steps and progressive commitments. When users understand what is happening next, and why it’s continuing then friction decreases and confidence increases. 

Here of some examples of CRO techniques for value realisation:

1. ‘Step 1, Step 2, Step 3’ framing to make outcomes tangible (e.g., Step 1: Answer 5 questions → Step 2: Get a tailored recommendation → Step 3: See your personalised results)

2. Showing what happens immediately after conversion (e.g., After submitting, you’ll see your score instantly and receive a summary by email)

3. Outcome-oriented CTAs (e.g. ‘See my results,’ not ‘Submit’)

4. Early ‘quick wins’ that validate the decision fast (e.g., Instant benchmark, preview report, or actionable tip shown before the thank-you page) 

These are common CRO value mistakes you should look to avoid: 

1. Treating the CTA as the end of the journey (e.g., ‘Submit’) 

2. Being vague about what happens next (e.g., ‘thanks for signing up’ with no further explanation as to next steps) 

3. Asking for too much commitment before value is demonstrated (e.g., requiring phone number on the first step) 

4. Describing value abstractly instead of concretely (e.g., ‘Improve performance and efficiency’ instead of ‘See which page elements are costing you conversions’) 

In CRO we know that people are more willing to commit when they can mentally simulate success and also, progressive commitments increase follow-through. 

Here are some tests you can run to better communicate your value:

1. CTA language focused on outcomes vs actions (e.g., ‘See my conversion gaps’ vs. ‘Continue’)

2. Value previews before full commitment (e.g., Show a sample report, benchmark score, or insight preview before asking for email or booking a call)

3. Different step framings for different intent levels (e.g., Low intent: ‘Explore your options’ → High intent: ‘Book a 15-minute walkthrough’) 

Conclusion: A Simple CRO Framework For Better Pages 

High-performing pages meet users where they are and resolve uncertainty before it turns into friction. To optimise for conversion, you need to understand the questions users are silently asking and the psychology behind them.

When a page underperforms, use this CRO diagnostic framework:

1. Relevance

2. Effort required 

3. Trust

4. Value realisation 

Conversion optimisation is about removing uncertainty and not simply running more tests, more often. Before launching your next experiment, audit your key pages through this lens and fix what’s blocking belief.