What Needs to Be Defined Before Designing a Landing Page

A landing page doesn’t start with design. This mistake is expensive for business.

When there is no clear input data about business goals, page objectives, and the user’s problem, the landing page starts to “beautifully talk about nothing.” Money goes into design, development, and revisions, but conversions do not grow.

Even the most advanced AI tools will not save a landing page if the initial data is not defined. In this case, AI starts substituting strategy with templates, pulling the page away from real business goals and blurring the product’s uniqueness.

Below is a preparation guide. It will help you collect the necessary information before approaching a design studio and save time, budget, and nerves.

Stage 1. Define the business goal of the landing page

The first thing to fix is why this landing page exists from the perspective of your business and its goals.

Prepare:

• the primary goal of the page
• a secondary goal, if there is one
• what business result counts as success

Examples of formulations (for reference):

• get demo requests
• sell one specific product
• test demand for a hypothesis
• collect a base of potential customers
• explain a complex product and lead to contact with the sales team

What is important to bring to designers and developers:

• one main goal, without compromises
• understanding of what exactly is considered a conversion
• goal priority, if there are multiple scenarios on the page

Business benefit:

• the landing page is designed for a specific action, not “just in case”
• it is easier to make decisions about structure and content
• fewer revisions and disputes at the design stage

Stage 2. Formulate the task of the landing page

The goal is “what the business wants to get.”

The task is how the landing page will communicate with the user so that this goal is achieved.

Answer in writing:

• what the user should understand within the first 5–10 seconds
• what key message the page communicates
• what action it logically leads to

It is useful to formulate the task in one sentence, for example: “Explain the value of the product for X and convince them to leave a request.”

What to pass to the team:

• a short formulation of the page task
• the expected user behavior
• where the user is on the decision-making journey

Business value:

• content and visuals work toward a single line of argument
• unnecessary text and decorative blocks are removed
• it is easier to evaluate whether the page works or not

Stage 3. Clearly describe your product or service

Designers cannot visually “package” what is not clearly described. No one understands your product as deeply as you do.

Prepare:

• what exactly you sell
• in what form it exists
• which key functions or characteristics matter
• how the product differs from alternatives

These are not advertising slogans, but facts and meaning.

A good preparation format:

• a short product description in 5–7 sentences
• a list of key features or characteristics
• an explanation of why this matters to the user

Business benefits:

• fewer abstract “about us” blocks
• easier to form a strong offer
• design reinforces meaning instead of replacing it

Stage 4. Analyze competitors and alternatives

A landing page does not exist in a vacuum. The user always compares, even if subconsciously.

If competitors are not considered, the page risks repeating others’ wording, visual clichés, and weak arguments.

Important: this is not about “being better than everyone,” but about understanding the market context.

What to prepare:

• 5–10 direct competitors or alternatives
• links to their landing pages or websites
• short notes on each:
• what they sell
• their main message
• what hooks the user
• what seems weak or unconvincing

It is also useful to separately note:

• which promises are repeated by everyone
• which formulations look template-based
• where users are already “used to” certain arguments

How to present this to the team:

• a list of links with short comments
• or a table “competitor / message / strengths / weaknesses”
• without “like / dislike” judgments, only observations

Questions to ask designers and marketers:

• is this market segment overloaded with the same promises
• what can be emphasized differently
• which visual solutions are already worn out
• how to stand out without shouting or aggression

Business value:

• the landing page does not blend into the market
• lower risk of copying others’ mistakes
• a clear point of differentiation appears
• it becomes easier to explain product value through contrast

Stage 5. Define the target audience and usage scenario

The phrase “our product is for everyone” is a stop signal for a landing page.

You need to define a specific user for whom the page is primarily designed.

Prepare:

• who this person or company is
• what problem they come with
• in what context they arrive at the landing page
• what is critical for them when choosing

It is useful to describe not demographics, but the situation:

• what hurts for the user
• why they are looking for a solution now
• which alternatives they have already tried

Business benefit:

• the landing page speaks the user’s language
• relevance and trust increase
• conversion grows through precision, not pressure

Stage 6. Fix the UVP (unique value proposition)

A value proposition answers the question of what specific value the user gets, what problem it solves, and why they need this product.

Prepare:

• the core value of the product
• 2–3 additional advantages
• what the user gets as a concrete result

It is important that this is:

• verifiable
• clear
• connected to real benefit

Practical value:

• headlines and first screens become stronger
• working with text and visual accents becomes easier
• the landing page communicates the essence faster

Stage 7. Formulate the USP (unique selling proposition)

If the value proposition answers “why the user needs this,” the USP answers another no less important question: why choose you.

On a landing page, the USP works only in connection with the market and competitors. Outside this context, it turns either into a slogan or an unsubstantiated claim.

What to prepare:

• 1–2 key differences from competitors
• understanding of how you are objectively different
• the reason this difference matters to the user

Important: the USP does not have to be “revolutionary.” It must be:

• truthful
• verifiable
• relevant to the audience

Questions to answer before starting design:

• what do we do differently from others
• where the user feels this difference
• why it is difficult for competitors to copy
• what happens if this difference is removed

If there are no answers to these questions, the USP has not yet been formulated.

However, your offer may not be unique for objective reasons. In that case, the USP is formed through the user’s position: by choosing you, they feel more conscious and confident in their decision.

How to present this to the team:

• a short formulation in 1–2 sentences
• an explanation of what it is based on (process, technology, expertise, focus)
• where on the landing page this difference should be emphasized

Business benefits:

• the landing page stops being “just another one on the market”
• working on the first screen becomes easier
• it is easier to build arguments and CTAs
• memorability and trust increase

Stage 8. Define the structure and mandatory blocks

Even a rough page logic helps the team significantly.

Prepare:

• which blocks must be present
• which information cannot be removed
• whether there are legal or product constraints

This can be a simple list:

• hero section
• product description
• cases or proof
• pricing or terms
• FAQ
• CTA

Benefit:

• time savings on concepts
• fewer iterations
• predictable results

Stage 9. Prepare materials and source assets

Even if the content will be refined, it is important to collect what already exists.

Prepare:

• texts, if they exist
• presentations, pitch decks, sales materials
• brand guide or visual constraints
• examples of websites you relate to

Value:

• designers understand the context faster
• lower risk of going “in the wrong direction”
• the project starts faster

Stage 10. Prepare questions for designers and developers

Good preparation is not only answers, but also questions.

Examples of useful questions:

• how best to achieve the main page goal
• which user behavior scenarios you see
• which solutions can help increase conversion
• what can be simplified without losing meaning
• which solutions would you advise against, and why

Business value:

• dialogue instead of guesswork
• more thoughtful decisions
• control over budget and timelines

AI tools for preparing and structuring landing page inputs

Important: this is not about creating a landing page with AI, but about preparing input data.

For competitor analysis

• Similarweb
  Useful for general understanding of traffic and attention sources.
• SparkToro
  Helps understand where and how the audience searches for solutions. Useful for formulating a USP.

For defining goals and value

• Notion AI
  Convenient for collecting and systematizing input information.

For audience and problem analysis

• Miro AI
  Suitable for visualizing user scenarios and page logic.
• Google Gemini
  Useful for testing hypotheses and refining formulations.

For landing page structure and logic

• Whimsical
  Helps quickly sketch page structure and blocks.

Conclusion

The more precisely the goals, tasks, and input materials are prepared, the more effectively a landing page works.

Design and development do not replace strategy, but they scale it well when it exists. They help a landing page become an indispensable tool for your business and attractive and useful for users.

This approach saves money, speeds up the process, and makes the result predictable. This is exactly what businesses and growth-focused teams expect.

You might also find these helpful:

Landing Pages That Sell

Startup Landing Page: New Opportunities for a Competitive Edge

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