# Writing a landing page that says what the product does
A section-by-section plan for a first landing page in plain language, with accessibility basics from W3C and Digital.gov and a check you can run without code.
Canonical URL: https://worldenterprise.org/insights/writing-a-landing-page-that-says-what-the-product-does/
Last updated: 2026-10-10
Publisher: World Enterprise, run by World Enterprise Group Incorporated
A landing page has one job: to let a visitor who has never heard of you work out what the product does, who it is for and what happens if they continue. Most first landing pages fail at the first of those. They describe a feeling, a category or a vision, and leave the visitor to guess. This article is a plan for writing the page in plain words, one section at a time, and for checking that people with different needs can read it. You do not need to write code. If someone else builds the page, the checks near the end tell you what to ask them for.
## Start from the positioning statement
A page written without a plan drifts toward whatever the writer finds interesting. If you have a [one-page positioning statement](https://worldenterprise.org/insights/a-one-page-positioning-statement/), each of its five parts becomes a section of the page, and every sentence can be tested against it. If you do not have one, write it first, because the landing page is the same thinking in public.
## Seven sections, in the order a visitor needs them
| Section | What it answers | Source in your statement |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | What does this do, and for whom? | Customer and difference |
| Supporting line | What is the situation it helps with? | Situation |
| How it works | What would I actually do? | Difference |
| Who it is for | Is this meant for someone like me? | Customer |
| What you have so far | What is real today? | Evidence |
| What happens next | What does the button do? | Next step |
| Contact and policies | Who is behind this and how do I reach them? | Not in the statement |
The order is an editorial suggestion. The aim is that a visitor who stops reading after any section has still learned something true.
### Headline and supporting line
State what the product does in the visitor's words. Compare two versions of an invented example, a made-up tool for design studios that tracks which client files are still missing:
| Version | Headline |
|---|---|
| Vague | "Reimagine how your creative team collaborates" |
| Specific | "See which client files your studio is still waiting on" |
The first could describe thousands of products. The second tells a studio owner whether to keep reading. The Digital.gov plain language guide, published by the U.S. General Services Administration, says: "The first rule of plain language is: write for your audience." Write for the person you named in part 1 of the statement, using the words they used in your interviews.
### How it works
Describe what the visitor would do in two or three steps, each a short sentence that starts with a verb. Digital.gov's guidance includes: "Use the active voice. Active voice helps the message stay clear and easy-to-read." and "Use lists. They can help you convey detailed information quickly without overloading your readers." A three-step list fits both.
### Who it is for, and who it is not for
Say who the product is designed for, and be honest about who it does not suit yet. An honest limit also saves you a conversation with someone you cannot help.
### What you have so far
Include only what is real. A line such as "In use with four studios in a pilot" is fine if it is true and you can show the record. Do not add logos, quotes, ratings or numbers you cannot back up, and do not borrow a customer's name without agreeing it with them. Rules about quoting customers are covered in the article on [customer references and case studies](https://worldenterprise.org/insights/customer-references-and-case-studies-without-breaking-ftc-rules/). If you have nothing yet, leave the section out, since an empty claim is worse than none.
### What happens next
Name the action in the words of the result. "Request a walkthrough" tells the visitor more than "Get started". Then say what follows: who will reply, what you will ask for and what the visitor has to give. State a reply time only if you can meet it.
### Contact and policies
Give a real way to reach a person and link your privacy policy. Where the page collects any personal details, ask a qualified professional which notices apply in the places your visitors live.
## Accessibility is part of writing
People who use screen readers, magnification, keyboards, or who simply read on a poor screen are all visitors. The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative publishes writing tips that apply directly to a landing page. Its tips include these, as written on the page:
- **Page titles.** "For each web page, provide a short title that describes the page content and distinguishes it from other pages." The related success criterion, WCAG 2.4.2, reads: "Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose." The same W3C page adds: "When titles appear in site maps or lists of search results, users can more quickly identify the content they need." Write the title as the shortest true description of the page.
- **Headings.** "Use short headings to group related paragraphs and clearly describe the sections." Each of the seven sections above should have one.
- **Link text.** "Write link text so that it describes the content of the link target." Success criterion 2.4.4 says "The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone", with some exceptions. A link that reads "click here" does not say where it goes. "Read the pilot results" does.
- **Images.** "For every image, write alternative text that provides the information or function of the image." Alternative text, or alt text, is a short description that a screen reader reads aloud in place of the picture. If you add a screenshot, describe what it shows.
- **Instructions.** "Ensure that instructions, guidance, and error messages are clear, easy to understand, and avoid unnecessarily technical language." This applies to any sign-up form on the page.
- **Clear and concise text.** "Use simple language and formatting, as appropriate for the context."
### Contrast
Text must be readable against its background. Success criterion 1.4.3 says: "The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for the following:" and, for large text, "Large-scale text and images of large-scale text have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1;". The ratio is a measurement of how different two colors are, and online checkers calculate it from two color codes. You do not need to compute it yourself. You need to ask whoever builds the page whether the text colors have been checked, and to look at the page on a phone in daylight.
## A check you can run without code
1. Cover everything below the headline and supporting line. Show them to someone who fits part 1 of your statement. Ask them to tell you what the product does and who it is for.
2. Read the page aloud. Wherever you stumble, a visitor will.
3. List every link and read only the link text. Does each one say where it goes?
4. Read only the headings. Do they tell the story of the page?
5. Ask the builder what the page title is and what the alternative text says for each image.
6. Ask whether the text colors have been checked for contrast.
7. Tab through the page with the keyboard only. Can you reach every link and button, and can you see where you are?
Step 7 needs no tools. If the focus disappears or you get stuck, say so to the builder.
## Revise from questions, not from taste
After the page goes live, keep a list of the questions people ask before and after seeing it. Each question is a sentence the page should have answered. Edit one thing at a time and write the date. How to read results from a test of two versions is covered in the [article on landing page tests](https://worldenterprise.org/insights/landing-page-tests-you-can-read/), and the [glossary](https://worldenterprise.org/glossary/) defines terms such as ICP that you may meet along the way.
## What this article cannot tell you
This article cannot tell you what headline will work for your product or how many visitors will respond to any page. The seven sections are an editorial plan, not a standard, and the invented example describes no real product. The accessibility guidance is quoted from W3C and Digital.gov pages as read on 2026-10-10. The WCAG criteria quoted here are a small part of a much larger set, so meeting them does not make a page conform to WCAG as a whole. Claims in the page about your product, your customers and your results are subject to advertising and consumer-protection rules that vary by country. Where a page makes a claim that could be checked, or collects personal data, ask a qualified professional who knows the places where you sell.
## Sources
- Principles of plain language. Digital.gov, U.S. General Services Administration.
- Writing for Web Accessibility. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.
- Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.2: Page Titled. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum). W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.
- Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context). W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.