Build the Page: A 7-Section Landing Page Outline
Objective: Draft a complete landing page copy outline for a real launch scenario, following the lesson's 7-section order, so every section earns the next one instead of just filling space.
You're a growth marketer at Duolingo building the landing page for a new 'Duolingo for Schools' offer aimed at time-strapped teachers.
Work through the 7-section playbook in order and produce a page outline a copywriter could hand off to design without further back-and-forth.
Before you start
What you'll need
Free path (everything below is enough to finish)
Free, and a shared sheet is easy to hand to a copywriter or designer for the next step
Paid upgrades (optional, faster/deeper)
Speeds up stakeholder buy-in with a rough visual instead of a plain text doc
No access? Hand off the text outline directly; most designers can wireframe from a clear written brief
The process
3 steps
Step 01 of 03
The lesson's Section 1 rule: one sentence, states the outcome the visitor gets, never the product name or a clever tagline.
Given the audience is time-strapped teachers, which of these three headline candidates actually passes the 'stranger test'?
Procedure
- List 3 headline candidates in column A
- Score each one PASS/FAIL against 'states an outcome, not the product name' in column B
- Keep the highest-scoring headline and write a one-to-two-sentence subheadline beneath it naming the audience and the mechanism
HEADLINE CANDIDATES 1. 'Introducing Duolingo for Schools' — FAIL (names the product) 2. 'Get Every Student Speaking a New Language in 15 Minutes a Day' — PASS (states the outcome) 3. 'Free Language Learning for Classrooms' — PARTIAL (states the offer, not the outcome) KEPT: #2 SUBHEAD: 'Built for teachers with no extra prep time — assign a lesson in under a minute.'
Healthy
The kept headline names a concrete outcome the visitor wants, with zero mention of the product name or company history.
Unhealthy
The headline opens with the product name, a launch announcement, or company history instead of a result.
What this means
If a stranger with zero context can't repeat back what they'd get from the page, the headline still needs another pass.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Every candidate headline mentions the product name first | Rewrite starting from the outcome sentence, then see if the product name is even necessary in the headline at all | 5 min |
Step 02 of 03
The lesson's Section 4 test: does each bullet answer 'so what?' for the visitor, or does it just list a feature?
Turn these 3 raw product features into outcome-framed benefit bullets a teacher would actually care about.
Procedure
- List the raw features in column A: auto-graded exercises, progress dashboard, offline mode
- For each, write the outcome version in column B using the 'so what' test
- Keep only the 3-5 strongest outcome bullets for the final page
FEATURE → BENEFIT 'Auto-graded exercises' → 'Get grading off your plate — every exercise scores itself' 'Progress dashboard' → 'See which students are falling behind before test day, not after' 'Offline mode' → 'Assign homework that works even without home Wi-Fi'
Healthy
Every bullet answers a 'why does this matter to me' question a teacher would actually ask.
Unhealthy
Bullets read like a spec sheet: feature name, then nothing else.
What this means
A benefits list that could be copy-pasted onto a competitor's page unchanged has not been translated into outcomes yet.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| A bullet is just a feature name with no verb tied to a result | Add the 'so what' clause: what does the teacher get to stop worrying about, or start doing, because of this feature | 5 min |
Step 03 of 03
The lesson's Section 6-7 rule: one CTA button labeled with what happens next, paired with one line that removes the last micro-doubt.
Which CTA label and objection-handler pairing gives a teacher the least reason to hesitate before clicking?
Procedure
- Write 2 CTA label candidates that describe what happens next, not a generic verb
- Pick the strongest label and write one objection-handler line directly beneath it
- Paste the finished CTA + objection-handler pair at the bottom of the outline
CTA CANDIDATES 'Submit' — weak, generic 'Get My Free Classroom Trial' — strong, outcome-labeled FINAL: [ Get My Free Classroom Trial ] 'No credit card required. Set up your first class in under 5 minutes.'
Healthy
The CTA label describes the specific next step, and the objection-handler line directly answers the one doubt a teacher would have before clicking.
Unhealthy
The CTA says 'Submit' or 'Continue' with no supporting line beneath it.
What this means
A CTA without an objection handler leaves the visitor's last hesitation completely unaddressed at the exact moment it matters most.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| The CTA button has no microcopy beneath it | Add one line removing the most likely objection: cost, time, or commitment | 5 min |
Final deliverable
A complete landing page copy outline covering headline, subheadline, benefits, CTA, and objection handler, in the lesson's 7-section order, ready for a copywriter or designer to build from.
See a reference example
Squarespace 'Squarespace for Nonprofits' outline (excerpt) HEADLINE: 'Launch a Donation Page Your Board Will Actually Approve' SUBHEAD: 'Built for nonprofits with no in-house designer — go live in an afternoon.' CTA: [ Start My Free Trial ] 'No credit card required. Cancel anytime.'
Success criteria
You're done when you can:
- Headline names an outcome, never the product name
- At least 3 benefit bullets are outcome-framed, not feature lists
- The CTA label describes the next step and is paired with an objection-handler line