Field Notes on Landing Page Revision
Someone rewrites a landing page headline repeatedly while the actual product changes less often.
Search: "how to write a landing page headline"
Search: "landing page headline examples SaaS"
Search: "problem-solution headline framework"
Search: "is it better to lead with outcome or audience"
The searches precede the draft. The draft will be the fourteenth. The previous thirteen were not discarded; they exist in a Notion document titled "Headline Options v2 FINAL" which is neither the second version nor the final one.
The product is a template system for freelance contracts. The product works. The product has been demonstrated to four people. Two said they would use it. One has not responded since. One provided detailed feedback that required two weeks to process and is still being incorporated.
The landing page has been revised thirteen times. The product has been changed twice.
Search: "jobs to be done framework copywriting"
Search: "copywriting for freelancers who hate writing about themselves"
The project is supposed to create freedom, yet it keeps generating unpaid administrative work. The landing page is unpaid work. The landing page must exist before anyone finds the product. The landing page must be accurate before the product can be fairly evaluated. The headline must convey the value before anyone reads the subheadline.
The subheadline has been revised nine times.
Search: "what is the difference between a tagline and a headline"
Search: "should I use 'you' or 'your' in landing page copy"
Search: "landing page conversion rate without paid traffic"
The current headline is: "Contracts that protect you, without the lawyer."
The previous headline was: "Stop losing money to bad freelance agreements."
The one before that was: "The professional contract system for independent workers."
Visible preparation counts as revenue adjacent activity until the first customer forces a different standard. Each headline revision is preparation. Preparation can be completed before launch. Launch has not been scheduled.
Search: "how do I know when my landing page is ready"
After repetition, other people begin adjusting their behavior around landing page revision. The friend who was consulted on revision eleven has stopped offering feedback and now simply says "looks good" when shown new drafts. This is understood as fatigue and accepted without comment.
Eventually landing page revision acquires an unwritten enforcement system that everyone denies creating. The product cannot be launched until the headline converts. The headline cannot be tested until the product is launched. This is a known loop. The loop is documented in a separate Notion page titled "Blockers."
Search: "minimum viable landing page for first launch"
The fourteenth headline is being drafted. The draft will be better than thirteen. Thirteen was not bad. Fourteen addresses a concern about thirteen that emerged while reviewing twelve.
The product has not changed since May 3rd. Today is May 30th.
The product works.