Landing Page Roast Examples: Templates and Scripts to Run a Fast CRO Roast Session

What a landing page roast actually is

A landing page roast is a short, candid critique session that treats a page like a script in need of sharper lines. The goal is not humiliation. The goal is to expose the clearest friction points, produce crisp test hypotheses, and prioritize fixes that likely move metrics. For teams focused on landing page review, landing page audit, and conversion rate optimization, a roast speeds up judgment and produces test-ready ideas.

Why use roast examples for conversion rate optimization

• Rapid signal. Roasts highlight glaring issues faster than long research cycles.
• Clear test ideas. Each roast point becomes a hypothesis for A/B testing or a focused iteration.
• Team alignment. Roasts create a shared language between product, design, and marketing.

How to run a five-step CRO roast session

1. Pick one page and set a timebox: 30 minutes.

2. Gather 3 to 6 reviewers from different functions. Limit commentary to one-sentence roasts per element.

3. Capture every critique as a short statement plus a test idea.

4. Score critiques by severity and ease of implementation.

5. Feed top 3 items into a landing.page audit process or an AI landing page review for a second opinion.

Ready-to-use landing page roast examples

Below are concrete roast examples for common page elements. Use the one-line roast, then convert it into a test hypothesis and next-step task.

Headline

• Roast: "Headline reads like a textbook; it does not tell me why I should care in 3 seconds."
• Test hypothesis: A benefit-first headline that mentions the main user outcome will increase click-throughs to the CTA.
• Next step: Draft two short benefit-first headlines and run a headline A/B test.

• Roast: "Subheadline repeats the headline and wastes prime real estate."
• Test hypothesis: A subheadline that adds a specific feature or social proof will lift time on page and conversions.
• Next step: Replace duplicate subheadline with a single sentence detailing the most persuasive supporting fact.

• Roast: "Hero image feels decorative; it does not show the product in context or the user."
• Test hypothesis: Replacing a decorative image with an image that shows the product solving a problem will increase engagement.
• Next step: Swap to contextual imagery and measure scroll and click rates.

• Roast: "CTA text sounds like an internal label, not an action that benefits me."
• Test hypothesis: Changing CTA copy to a verb that names the outcome will increase click rate.
• Next step: Test 'Start free plan' versus 'See pricing' style CTAs depending on funnel intent.

• Roast: "Form asks for too much too early and looks like commitment."
• Test hypothesis: Reducing required fields to the absolute minimum will increase form completions.
• Next step: Create a short variant and track conversion and lead quality.

• Roast: "Trust badges are tiny and buried; they are invisible when trust matters most."
• Test hypothesis: Prominent, contextual social proof near the CTA will increase conversions.
• Next step: Add customer logos or a short testimonial next to the CTA and run a test.

• Roast: "Page lacks a clear reading path; eye jumps around and nothing points to the CTA."
• Test hypothesis: A simplified layout with a clear visual funnel will increase CTA engagement.
• Next step: Reorder content so the value proposition leads directly to the CTA.

• Roast: "Mobile layout compresses everything and buries the action below the fold."
• Test hypothesis: A mobile-first rearrangement that surfaces the CTA will boost mobile conversions.
• Next step: Create a mobile variant that shortens copy and lifts the CTA above the fold.

Sample roast session script (5 minutes per reviewer)

• Moderator: 30-second context reminder (goal, audience, KPI).
• Reviewer: 60 seconds of one-line roasts across headline, hero, CTA, form. Keep statements blunt and constructive.
• Scribe: Record every roast as "issue + suggested test".
• Prioritize: Vote on severity and ease to pick top 3 test candidates.

Turning roast items into prioritized work

After the session, convert roast comments into three deliverables:

• A short test brief with hypothesis, success metric, and variant instructions.
• A quick design or copy task scoped for 1 day of work.
• An audit request or automation input to validate technical blockers via an AI landing page review.

Examples of bad roast outcomes and how to correct them

Bad roast: Critiques without a test idea. Fix by forcing each roast into a hypothesis format: If X changes, then Y will happen.

Bad roast: Personal taste argued as fact. Fix by requiring at least one data point or metric that would indicate improvement.

Bad roast: Too many top priorities. Fix by scoring items by expected impact and implementation cost.

How to combine roast sessions with landing.page audits

Run roasts early to surface obvious wins. Use landing.page audit workflows to validate technical constraints, measure baseline metrics, and sequence experiments. For teams using AI landing page review, feed roast-sourced hypotheses into the AI review to get a prioritized list of tests that match audit signals.

Final checklist before launching tests from roast examples

• Convert each roast into a one-line hypothesis and a measurable metric.
• Assign a single owner and a deadline for the test.
• Run a pre-launch check with analytics and a landing page audit to confirm tracking.
• Report outcomes back to the team and archive roasts as future ideas.