I wasted six months convinced my landing pages were broken.
Tweaking headlines. Rewriting copy. Testing different CTAs. Changing colors. Nothing worked.
Then I learned about a book from 1966 called Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz. It explains something that made me realize the problem was simpler than I thought, but I'd never heard of it before.
And once I understood this concept, everything changed.
If your landing pages are converting at 2-3%, you're probably making the same mistake I was.
By the way, here's the video version of this post:
The Mistake I Was Making
Here's what I was doing wrong: Every single one of my landing pages was talking to everyone.
People who just discovered me. People who'd been following for months. People who were ready to buy.
Same headline. Same pitch. Same call-to-action.
Schwartz argues that's like trying to sell someone a solution when they don't even know they have a problem yet.
My landing pages were assuming too much. They were talking about things the prospect didn't care about.
The core issue was that I didn't understand the natural step-by-step process that people go through when buying products or services.
And once I understood THAT, I realized why 98% of my traffic was bouncing.
The Five Awareness Levels
In 1966, Eugene Schwartz wrote Breakthrough Advertising, arguably the most important advertising book ever written.
In it, he breaks down five stages of awareness that every prospect moves through:
- Unaware: They don't even know they have a problem
- Problem Aware: They know something's wrong but not what to do
- Solution Aware: They know solutions exist but haven't picked one
- Product Aware: They know about you but aren't convinced yet
- Most Aware: They're ready to buy, just need the right trigger
Here's the thing: each stage requires completely different messaging.
But failing landing pages ignore this. They use the same exact language with everyone.
Let's look at each stage closely.
Level 1: Unaware
At this stage, prospects don't know they have a problem. So your job isn't to sell them your product, it's to make them aware of their problem.
Example: A SaaS founder thinks their churn is "just normal." They don't realize they're losing $400K a year to cancellations that could have been prevented.
What NOT to say: "Sign up for our churn prevention platform!"
That's an instant bounce. They don't think they need churn prevention.
What to say instead: "Why SaaS companies with $2M ARR are losing $400K in hidden revenue"
You're not selling a solution. You're making them problem-aware. You're diagnosing something they didn't know was sick.
The right CTA: NOT "Book a demo." Use "Take the assessment" or "Calculate your churn cost", something that educates them while capturing their info.
Level 2: Problem Aware
They know something's wrong. They just don't know what will fix it.
You can't talk about your product here. You can't even talk about a specific solution.
Example: That same founder now realizes their churn is costing them, but they're not sure if the solution is better onboarding, customer success, feature development, or pricing changes.
What NOT to say: "Our platform reduces churn by 40%!"
It's too early. They're not evaluating platforms yet. They're still trying to understand what solution they need.
What to say instead: "The 3 reasons SaaS companies lose customers in the first 90 days (and which one is killing your growth)"
You're still educating. You're positioning yourself as the expert who understands their problem better than they do.
The right CTA: "Get the breakdown" or "See which applies to you", an assessment or diagnostic tool that helps them self-identify their specific problem while you capture qualification data.
Level 3: Solution Aware
They know what solution they need. But they don't know you exist yet, or they're comparing multiple options.
Example: They've narrowed it down to "customer retention." They know they need a customer retention platform. They're Googling options. Reading reviews. Watching demos.
What NOT to say: "We're the best retention platform!"
Everyone says that. They don't trust it.
What to say instead: "The difference between retention platforms that actually work vs. ones that just collect data"
You're still not selling your product. You're educating them on how to evaluate solutions, while explaining what makes yours different.
The right CTA: "Compare your options" or "See which platform fits your needs", a comparison tool or evaluation framework. They're actively looking. Help them make a smart decision (which hopefully leads them to you).
Level 4: Product Aware
They know about you. They've seen your site. Maybe they watched a demo or signed up for your email list.
But they're not convinced yet. They're comparing you to competitors.
They're looking at your pricing page. Reading reviews. Thinking, "Is this worth it?"
What NOT to say: Generic benefits they've already read. They're past that.
What to say instead: "Here's exactly how [Company X] used our platform to cut churn from 8% to 3% in 90 days"
Case studies. Customer results. Specific outcomes. ROI calculators that show them what they'd get.
The right CTA: "Calculate your ROI" or "See what you'd save", something that makes the value concrete and personalized. Not "book a demo." Give them a tool that does the math for them.
Level 5: Most Aware
They're ready to buy. They just need a reason to act now instead of later.
At this stage, they've decided you're the right solution. They're just procrastinating. Waiting for next quarter. Checking with their team. Adding it to the "someday" list.
You don't need to educate them anymore.
What to say: "Lock in 2026 pricing, rates increase in 2 days" or "Get onboarded before Q4 to see results this year"
Urgency. Scarcity. Clear, frictionless next step.
The right CTA: "Start now" or "Book onboarding call."
The Key Insight
Your landing page's job is to take the prospect from the stage they're currently in to the next.
From unaware to problem-aware. From problem-aware to solution-aware. And so on.
The first 3 stages are about education, which often happens on your blog or landing pages. And one of the best ways to do it is to use an interactive lead magnet that engages the prospect, solves a small problem for them, and captures their info.
Instead of asking everyone to book a demo, give them:
- ROI Calculator: "See how much churn is costing you" (Unaware → Problem Aware)
- Assessment Tool: "Find your biggest retention gap" (Problem Aware → Solution Aware)
- Comparison Tool: "Which platform fits your needs?" (Solution Aware → Product Aware)
Why This Works
1. You meet them where they are. Not everyone is ready to talk to sales. But they will engage with a tool that solves an immediate problem.
2. You capture their data. While they're using the calculator or assessment, you're capturing qualification info, company size, revenue, specific pain points.
3. You pre-qualify leads. By the time they talk to sales, you already know if they're a fit. Your team isn't wasting time on bad leads.
4. You enable time-shifted conversion. If they don't convert today, they enter a 90-day nurture sequence based on what they told you in the tool. You're not losing 98% of your traffic.
What You Should Do Next
1. Audit your landing pages. What awareness level are you writing for? Are you asking unaware people to book demos? Are you giving most-aware people education they don't need?
2. Match your CTA to the awareness stage. If you're targeting problem-aware people, don't ask them to "book a call." Give them a diagnostic tool. Let them self-qualify.
3. Build an interactive lead magnet. Stop using contact forms and PDF downloads. Build a calculator, an assessment, an analyzer, something that provides value while capturing qualification data.
Want to see how your landing page stacks up? Use our free conversion rate analyzer to get a personalized audit in 90 seconds.
And if you need help building these interactive tools, get in touch. We can build it for you.
But whether you work with us or do it yourself, just stop asking everyone to book a call.
Match your message to where they are. Give them a reason to engage that isn't "let me pitch you."
Do this, and your landing page will start working.
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
