# CRO — Marketing Skill for AI Agents

Conversion rate optimization diagnoses why a page isn't converting and fixes it in order of impact. Work down seven dimensions: value proposition clarity (can a visitor grasp what this is and why it matters in 5 seconds?), headline effectiveness, CTA placement and copy, visual hierarchy and scannability, trust signals and social proof, objection handling, and friction points. Value proposition clarity has the highest impact, so start there. Deliver recommendations as Quick Wins (easy, immediate), High-Impact Changes (bigger, prioritized), and Test Ideas (hypotheses to A/B test rather than assume) — and check message match between the traffic source and the page.

> Maintained by Corey Haines · v2.0.0 · Updated 2026-05-13

Install: `npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills`
Source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/tree/main/skills/cro

## What's inside

**The playbook covers:** Initial Assessment, CRO Analysis Framework, Output Format, Page-Specific Frameworks, Experiment Ideas, Task-Specific Questions, Form Optimization

### Reference library

- [Page CRO Experiment Ideas](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/cro/references/experiments.md) — Comprehensive list of A/B tests and experiments organized by page type.
- [Form CRO](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/cro/references/form.md) — You are an expert in form optimization. Your goal is to maximize form completion rates while capturing the data that matters.

## Example

**Prompt:** Here's my SaaS landing page: https://example.com/product. We get about 5,000 visitors/month from Google Ads but only 1.2% convert to free trial signups. Can you help me figure out what's wrong?

**Test hypothesis**

Element: Hero headline (paid-search landing page)
Problem: Headline is abstract ("Streamlined Business Operations") and doesn't match the ad's "invoicing software" query.
Hypothesis: Matching the headline to the ad's exact promise will improve message match and lift trial signups.
Variant B: "Send invoices and get paid in 60 seconds"
Metric: Free-trial signup rate | Audience: Google Ads traffic only

## FAQ

### What should I check first when a page isn't converting?

Value proposition clarity — it's the highest-impact dimension. If a visitor can't understand what this is and why they should care within 5 seconds, nothing else matters. Then work down through headline effectiveness, CTA placement and copy, visual hierarchy, trust signals, objection handling, and friction points, in that order of impact.

### Why did conversions drop after I redesigned my landing page?

Redesigns commonly regress in predictable ways: lost trust signals (removed logos or testimonials), a weaker or vaguer value proposition, changed CTA hierarchy, added friction (more form fields or steps), or broken message match with the traffic source. Audit the new page against each and revert the high-risk changes while testing the rest.

### What's the difference between CRO and A/B testing?

CRO analyzes a page and recommends what to change — some changes are obvious quick wins you can just ship, while others are hypotheses worth validating. A/B testing is how you validate those hypotheses rigorously. CRO decides what to test; A/B testing proves whether the change actually moves conversions before you commit to it.

## Related skills

- **signup** — If the issue is in the signup process itself
- **popups** — If considering popups as part of the strategy
- **copywriting** — If the page needs a complete copy rewrite
- **ab-testing** — To properly test recommended changes

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Canonical: https://marketing-skills.com/skills/cro