Performance Marketing Knowledge Pack Files

CRO Audit Checklist

Complete conversion rate optimization checklist for performance marketing landing pages. Score each item as Pass / Fail / N/A. Calculate completion rate to prioritize improvements.

1. Message Match (Weight: Critical)

• Page headline reflects the ad headline's promise
• Page offer matches the ad offer (same free trial, demo, discount)
• CTA button text matches ad CTA
• Visual consistency (same product image, brand colors)
• Audience language matches between ad and page
• One dedicated page per ad group theme (or DTR configured)

Score: __ / 6

2. Above the Fold (Weight: Critical)

• Headline communicates primary benefit in under 10 words
• Subheadline adds specificity (how, for whom, or proof)
• Primary CTA visible without scrolling (desktop and mobile)
• CTA button text describes what they GET, not what they DO
• Hero image/video supports the message (not generic stock)
• No competing links or navigation that could leak traffic
• Social proof element visible (logos, metric, trust badge)

Score: __ / 7

3. Copy Quality (Weight: High)

• Benefits lead, features support (not feature-first)
• Specific claims, not vague promises ("40% faster" not "significantly faster")
• Customer language used (not internal jargon)
• One idea per section
• Every claim has supporting proof (metric, quote, logo)
• CTA repeated at logical intervals (hero, mid-page, bottom)
• Scannable: subheadings every 200-300 words, bullet points for lists
• No AI-sounding phrases ("in today's landscape", "leverage", "comprehensive solution")

Score: __ / 8

4. Social Proof (Weight: High)

• At least one social proof element on the page
• Social proof is specific and attributed (name, title, company)
• Proof matches the audience (testimonials from ICP, not random users)
• Proof addresses a likely objection
• Metrics are specific ("2,400 teams" not "thousands of users")
• Logos section includes recognizable names (if available)

Score: __ / 6

5. Form & Conversion Flow (Weight: High)

Field count targets vary by business model:

• PLG/B2C: 1-3 fields (email + minimal). If already at 1-3, pivot to post-signup activation.

• Sales-led B2B (ACV >$5K): 4-6 fields acceptable. Qualification fields (company size, role) are intentional friction that improves lead quality.

• B2C ecommerce: Checkout fields per Baymard (6-8 optimal for guest checkout).

• Form field count is appropriate for business model (see targets above)

• Every field is necessary — for PLG: the immediate next step; for B2B: sales routing and qualification

• Field labels are above inputs (not placeholder-only)

• Required fields are marked

• Error messages are specific and inline

• CTA button is descriptive ("Get my free report" not "Submit")

• Multi-step form used if >5 fields required (with progress indicator)

• Thank you page / confirmation is meaningful (not just "Thanks!")

• Post-conversion flow works (email triggers, redirect, CRM entry)

Score: __ / 9

6. Trust & Objection Handling (Weight: Medium)

• FAQ section addresses top 3-5 objections
• Privacy assurance near form ("We won't spam you" or privacy link)
• Security badges displayed if collecting payment/sensitive info
• Money-back guarantee or free trial mentioned (if applicable)
• Contact alternative available (phone, chat) for hesitant visitors
• Real company details visible (not anonymous landing page)

Score: __ / 6

7. Mobile Experience (Weight: Critical)

• Page renders correctly on 320px width (smallest common)
• CTA button is thumb-friendly (min 44x44px tap target)
• Text is readable without zooming (16px minimum body text)
• No horizontal scrolling
• Form fields are mobile-optimized (correct keyboard types)
• Images don't push content below the fold on mobile
• Click-to-call enabled for phone numbers

Score: __ / 7

8. Page Speed (Weight: High)

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) < 2.5 seconds
• INP (Interaction to Next Paint) < 200ms
• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) < 0.1
• Total page weight < 3MB
• Images are compressed and lazy-loaded
• No render-blocking JavaScript above the fold
• CDN configured for static assets

Score: __ / 7

9. Tracking & Analytics (Weight: High)

• Conversion event fires on form submit / purchase (verified in tag manager)
• UTM parameters preserved through to conversion
• Google Analytics (GA4) event configured
• Ad platform pixel fires (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok — whichever is active)
• Server-side tracking configured (if available)
• Thank you page / conversion confirmation trackable
• No duplicate conversion fires
• Cross-domain tracking configured (if applicable)

Score: __ / 8

10. Navigation & Focus (Weight: Medium)

• Main site navigation removed or minimized
• No sidebar or unrelated content
• One primary CTA (secondary allowed if lower visual weight)
• No external links that leak traffic (open in new tab if necessary)
• Footer is minimal (legal links only, no full site footer)
• Back button works (doesn't break or redirect)

Score: __ / 6

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Scoring Summary

Section	Max	Score	Priority
1. Message Match	6	__	Critical
2. Above the Fold	7	__	Critical
3. Copy Quality	8	__	High
4. Social Proof	6	__	High
5. Form & Conversion	9	__	High
6. Trust & Objections	6	__	Medium
7. Mobile Experience	7	__	Critical
8. Page Speed	7	__	High
9. Tracking	8	__	High
10. Navigation & Focus	6	__	Medium
TOTAL	70	__

Scoring guide:

• 60-70: Production-ready
• 45-59: Needs optimization (address Critical items first)
• 30-44: Significant issues (audit before increasing ad spend)
• <30: Do not send paid traffic until major issues resolved

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A/B Test Template

Test Design

Field	Value
Test name
Hypothesis	Changing [element] from [current] to [proposed] will [increase/decrease] [metric] by [expected %] because [reason]
Primary metric	Conversion rate (form submit / landing page view)
Secondary metrics	Bounce rate, scroll depth, time on page
Variant A (control)	[Current page]
Variant B	[Change description]
Traffic split	50/50
Minimum sample	[Calculate based on baseline CVR and MDE]
Test duration	[Minimum 7 days, calculate from daily traffic]
Significance target	95%

Sample Size Calculator

For a baseline conversion rate of X% and minimum detectable effect of Y%:

Baseline CVR	MDE (relative)	Sample per variation
1%	20% (to 1.2%)	131,000
2%	20% (to 2.4%)	64,000
3%	20% (to 3.6%)	41,600
5%	20% (to 6.0%)	24,000
10%	20% (to 12.0%)	11,200
2%	50% (to 3.0%)	11,500
5%	50% (to 7.5%)	4,200

Rule of thumb: If your page gets <1,000 visitors/week, only test changes expected to produce >50% relative lift. Small improvements need too much traffic to detect.

Post-Test Analysis Template

Metric	Control	Variant	Difference	Significance
Conversion rate
Bounce rate
Avg time on page
Scroll to CTA

Decision: [ Implement variant / Keep control / Inconclusive — need more data ]

Learnings: [What did this test teach us about the audience?]

Next test: [Based on this result, what should we test next?]