Most teams think their conversion problem is a traffic problem.
Or a product problem.
Or a pricing problem.
But after 100+ CRO audits across SaaS, ecom, and service funnels… that’s rarely the case.
The truth is: your conversion rate is a reflection of five very fixable things. And most brands are ignoring all five.
#1 – Your Story Sucks (or doesn’t exist)
"There is no CRO without narrative structure."
It means your landing page should immediately answer the same questions a good story answers:
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Where am I?
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Who is this for?
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What’s the problem?
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What’s the promise?
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Why should I trust them?
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What happens if I do nothing?
In a film or novel, the story opens with a protagonist in a situation, facing some challenge, and (ideally) escalating stakes.
Your user is the protagonist. They land on your site already inside their own story—they're struggling with something, consciously or subconsciously.
Maybe they're overwhelmed by choices. Maybe they're anxious about wasting money. Maybe they’re curious but skeptical. Your job is to make them feel like they just stepped into the next scene of their story… not like they opened an ad.
Brands think copy should be clever, punchy, benefit-driven, and short.
So they write stuff like:
“Smarter tools for better growth.”
“Reimagine your workflow.”
“Change the way you [X].”
That’s not a story. That’s a slogan generator.
And it doesn’t help your visitor feel anything. Especially not clarity or momentum.
Here’s a boring example:
“We help dental practices grow through better SEO.”
Here’s a page with narrative tension:
“Most dental practices rely on word-of-mouth. But word-of-mouth is drying up. The practices growing today are the ones who show up on Google—before the searchers even finish typing.”
This does a few things:
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It names the problem (relying on referrals)
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It hints at the stakes (growth is at risk)
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It introduces the solution (SEO that ranks you first)
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It emotionally aligns with the visitor (“That’s me. That’s what I’m worried about.”)
Now you’re telling a story—one where the user is in the opening chapter and your product is a way to reach the resolution. It’s about giving them a reason to believe this page is worth their time, money, and trust.
Without a clear narrative thread—without context, stakes, and resolution—your visitor stays emotionally flatlined. And flatline = bounce.
#2 – You’re Hiding the Wrong Stuff
"Social proof doesn’t belong in the footer."
Most teams treat social proof like an afterthought. A carousel of generic testimonials, a few client logos, and a wall of tiny Trustpilot stars squeezed above the copyright bar.
But humans aren’t logical creatures. We’re mimetic ones. We take cues from others—especially when we’re uncertain.
Put another way: your visitor believes other people more than they believe you.
So bring the proof up. Make it loud. Stack credibility before you stack benefits. Because if your offer is so good… why does no one seem to be buying it?
#3 – You Confused Me (So I left)
"Design that wins awards isn’t always design that sells."
The more time a user spends “figuring out” your interface, the less time they spend engaging with your offer.
Conversion happens when cognitive load is reduced. That’s why respecting conventions is so powerful.
We expect the logo top-left. We expect navigation at the top. We expect the CTA to contrast, and the hero to explain what the hell you do.
When you defy those expectations, you introduce friction. Friction kills momentum. And momentum is the engine of conversion.
This is not about “playing it safe.” This is about removing unnecessary resistance. There’s a difference.
#4 – You Took Too Long to Say the Thing
"Clarity isn’t a copy tweak. It’s an existential question."
The average user decides whether to engage or bounce within 5 to 10 seconds. That’s not a stat—it’s a sentence you should hang over your team’s monitors.
What can you communicate, with ruthless clarity, in 5 seconds?
Try this test:
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Show someone your homepage for 5 seconds.
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Take it away.
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Ask: “What does this company do? Why should I care?”
If they can’t answer with >80% accuracy, your landing page is leaking trust and attention like a punctured tire.
Most brands optimize for clever. The winners optimize for clarity.
#5 – You’re Writing for Strangers, Not Buyers
"Short copy isn’t high-converting. High-relevance copy is."
Almost every “cut the copy” argument I’ve heard collapses under the weight of real data.
In test after test, longer, structured, informative copy—the kind that’s written with real buyer psychology in mind—outperforms “minimalist” fluff.
Why?
Because conversion isn’t about catching everyone’s eye. It’s about helping the right people say yes.
And the right people have questions:
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How does this actually work?
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Who’s this for?
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What if it doesn’t work?
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Why is this more expensive than X?
Long copy gives you the room to answer those questions directly, credibly, and persuasively.
Just make it scannable. Make it beautiful. And above all—make it matter.
Want to go deeper? We built an entire curriculum on how to design high-converting landing pages from scratch—based on the exact frameworks we use for clients spending millions a month.
It’s all inside the All Access Pass, along with 200+ hours of strategy, audits, and creative breakdowns.
If 2026 is the year you want to convert better, scale faster, plan more intelligently, and operate like the top 1% of advertisers, well, I'll see you inside.
- Isaac Rudansky
Founder of the Modern Marketing Institute
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