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Business · 100 lists · 100 items · 5 min read

100 Conversion Levers

For one-person digital products. These levers turn a visitor into a paying customer. Leads fill the funnel, and conversion decides how much of it becomes money.

Sections
  1. Formulas
  2. Funnel math (1–12)
  3. Landing page (13–35)
  4. Pricing page (36–50)
  5. Onboarding and activation (51–68)
  6. Trial to paid (69–82)
  7. Selling, one-person style (83–92)
  8. Trust and anxiety (93–100)

Formulas#

  • Revenue = visitors × conversion rate × price. Doubling conversion is worth as much as doubling traffic, and it's usually cheaper.
  • Funnel = visit → signup → activated → paid. Multiply the step rates together. Fix the step with the largest drop first.
  • Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt. If any one is zero, nothing happens. (BJ Fogg)
  • Conversion rises with clarity and ease, and falls with anxiety. Most pages fail on clarity.
  • At low traffic, don't run A/B tests. Make big changes and compare week against week.

Funnel math (1–12)#

  1. Map the funnel in 4–6 steps and put a number on each.
  2. Fix the leakiest step first.
  3. Work on conversion before traffic until the funnel stops leaking.
  4. Measure each source separately. Blended numbers hide everything.
  5. Track signups by weekly cohort, not as one running total.
  6. At low traffic, make big changes. Small tweaks need traffic you don't have.
  7. Watch 5 session recordings before changing anything.
  8. Ask people who didn't buy one question: "What stopped you?"
  9. Ask buyers one question: "What almost stopped you?"
  10. Every step you remove raises conversion.
  11. Every form field costs signups. Ask only for what you need right now.
  12. Every second of load time costs signups.

Landing page (13–35)#

  1. The first screen shows what it is, who it's for, why it's better and one button.
  2. Match the headline to the link or ad that brought them.
  3. Show the product working: a short video, GIF or real screenshot.
  4. Put social proof near the top: customer count, logos or one strong quote.
  5. Use specific testimonials with a name, a face and a result.
  6. Answer the top 3 objections on the page.
  7. Show the price, or at least a starting price.
  8. Include an honest comparison table against the alternatives.
  9. Build the FAQ from real support questions.
  10. One main call to action, repeated down the page.
  11. The button says the outcome. "Start my free trial," not "Submit."
  12. Remove the navigation from campaign landing pages.
  13. Design for mobile first.
  14. Offer a guarantee that's visible and simple.
  15. Add the founder's photo and a short note. It builds trust for a small brand.
  16. Offer a demo or sandbox that works without signing up.
  17. Show real numbers: customers, years running, uptime.
  18. Use trust badges only if they're real.
  19. Give each segment its own entry point: "For X" and "For Y" pages.
  20. Offer an email capture for visitors who aren't ready to buy.
  21. Publish case studies for each main segment.
  22. Make the page readable in 60 seconds by someone who only skims headings.
  23. Update the page every time you hear a new objection.

Pricing page (36–50)#

  1. Three tiers, with the middle one highlighted.
  2. Anchor high. Show an expensive tier or the cost of the alternative next to your price.
  3. Name tiers after who they're for, not after metals or gems.
  4. Show annual savings in money, not only as a percent.
  5. Charge per unit of value (seats, usage, projects) so revenue grows as the customer grows.
  6. List outcomes per tier, not a 40-row feature grid.
  7. Decide the card question. A trial without a card brings more signups and fewer payments. A trial with a card brings fewer signups and more payments.
  8. A money-back guarantee can replace a trial.
  9. Offer a "talk to me" tier to catch big buyers.
  10. Launch pricing needs a real deadline. Never use a fake one.
  11. Show prices in local currency where your volume justifies it.
  12. Remove the options nobody picks.
  13. Keep the checkout to one page, with no account required before payment.
  14. Accept the payment methods your market actually uses.
  15. Repeat the guarantee and the cancellation terms at checkout.

Onboarding and activation (51–68)#

  1. Define the aha moment as one action.
  2. Make the path to aha short and hide everything else in the first session.
  3. Pre-fill sample data so it's never empty.
  4. A 3–5 step checklist.
  5. Offer templates instead of a blank canvas.
  6. Import from the tool they used before.
  7. The welcome email asks for exactly one action.
  8. Trigger emails by behavior, not by the calendar.
  9. Send a personal email from the founder asking one question. The replies are worth a lot.
  10. Offer early users a 15-minute setup call.
  11. Celebrate the first win.
  12. Empty screens should teach the next step.
  13. Let them try before creating an account wherever you can.
  14. Magic link or social login instead of a password.
  15. Nudge inactive signups on day 1, 3 and 7.
  16. Show progress: "2 of 4 steps done."
  17. Track time to value every week.
  18. Set it up for them on high-value accounts.

Trial to paid (69–82)#

  1. Match the trial length to the time to value. A shorter trial often converts better.
  2. Remind them before the trial ends, listing what they've already achieved.
  3. Send a weekly usage summary: "You did X this week."
  4. Extend the trial for engaged users who haven't converted.
  5. Put the paywall at the moment of value, when they want to publish, export or invite.
  6. Reverse trial. Start on the paid plan and drop to free when the trial ends.
  7. Show upgrade prompts at limits, not at random.
  8. Make upgrading one click.
  9. Ask for the sale plainly: "Want to keep going? Here's the link."
  10. Offer annual at the moment of upgrade.
  11. Fix failed payments with reminder emails and card updaters. It's free revenue.
  12. Send a win-back offer 30 days after a trial expires.
  13. Send an abandoned-checkout email.
  14. Thank new customers personally. A good first week prevents early refunds.

Selling, one-person style (83–92)#

  1. Offer calls for high-price plans and self-serve for low-price ones.
  2. Above a few thousand dollars a year, most buyers want a human.
  3. In a demo, talk about their problem, not your features.
  4. Ask questions first, then pitch only what they said they need.
  5. Send a written recap after every call.
  6. Follow up. Most deals take several touches.
  7. Ask when they'll decide.
  8. Run a paid pilot instead of a free one. Payment brings commitment.
  9. Answer "too expensive" with the cost of the problem.
  10. Ask for a referral right after a win.

Trust and anxiety (93–100)#

  1. A clear guarantee.
  2. Cancellation in one click, stated before they buy.
  3. A public changelog that shows the product is alive.
  4. A response-time promise you keep.
  5. A real founder name and company identity.
  6. A promise that they can export their data, which removes the fear of lock-in.
  7. Reviews on third-party sites, not only on your own.
  8. No dark patterns. They convert once and cost your reputation for good.

If you keep only 5: #2 (leakiest step first), #13 (first screen), #51 (define the aha), #73 (paywall at the moment of value), #79 (failed-payment recovery).