Mastering data-driven landing pages: Expert tips from Jordan Carruthers

Creating a high-converting landing page requires more than just great design—it demands a data-driven approach. For Shopify merchants and eCommerce store owners, knowing exactly how your customers behave, what pain points they encounter, and how to guide them seamlessly from curiosity to conversion is key to growing your business without wasting ad spend. This is exactly what Jordan Carruthers, CRO specialist and founder of Lunify, breaks down in this episode of Instant's Click To Buy podcast.

Introduction: Building landing pages that convert

With experience spanning from launching Hood Greetings to helping health and wellness brands optimize their landing pages, Jordan shares invaluable insights into the world of data-driven design. In this blog, we’ll dive into key segments of the podcast, revealing practical strategies and advice to help you optimize your landing pages for maximum performance.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify or watch it on YouTube:

Jordan's journey: From Hood Greetings to Lunify

Becca: “I'd love to learn more about how your journey as a store owner has shaped your current business today. What’s one lesson from Hood Greetings that you've carried into Lunify?”

Jordan: “I would say it’s grit and perseverance. I call it ‘aggressive patience’—you have to attack every day while accepting that things take time. When we first launched Hood Greetings, nobody was buying our cards. It was a disaster. But over time, we honed the design, branding, and store layout. Now, we’re stocked all over Europe. That journey taught me the importance of patience and continuous improvement, which is crucial for building landing pages.”

Jordan’s story emphasizes the value of perseverance in business and web design. Whether you’re launching a new store or optimizing a landing page, patience combined with consistent testing and data analysis is key.

Data-driven landing pages: The key to success

Becca: “How did you start gaining expertise in data-driven landing pages? Was it something you learned while launching Hood Greetings?”

Jordan: “Exactly. When I started Hood Greetings, we had low average order values, and I realized I needed to optimize the post-click experience. So I learned everything I could about landing pages. I focused on maximizing efficiency—getting as many people as possible to make a purchase.”

Jordan's transition from eCommerce store owner to CRO specialist highlights the importance of understanding the full customer journey. For eCommerce businesses, data-driven design is essential, especially when operating on a tight budget or within a niche market.

Understanding customer behavior and pain points

Becca: “What data do you use to inform the design or layout of your landing pages?”

Jordan: “We use both qualitative and quantitative data. Google Analytics is great for tracking user behavior—like where customers drop off in the purchase journey. We also use post-purchase surveys to understand why customers bought the product and how they felt about it. Surveys can also reveal any barriers they faced other than price. One key question we ask is, ‘How would you describe this product to a friend?’ This helps us create customer-centric messaging.”

By using a combination of analytics tools and direct customer feedback, Jordan is able to craft landing pages that speak directly to the user’s needs and pain points. This combination of hard data and customer voice is what makes landing pages truly effective.

Optimizing for mobile: Best practices

Becca: “Many store owners spend a lot of time designing desktop pages, but with so much traffic coming from smartphones, what elements of a landing page should be optimized for mobile?”

Jordan: “For mobile, focus on the navigation first—it’s one of the top interactive elements on a site. Make sure customers can find products quickly. Also, prioritize everything above the fold, like the add-to-cart button, because there’s always a drop-off after that point. Don’t overlook the cart page either—it’s often too cluttered on mobile, and the checkout button gets lost. Keep it simple and direct.”

With most online traffic coming from mobile devices, eCommerce brands need to rethink their design priorities. By focusing on fast, intuitive navigation and simplifying the checkout process, merchants can ensure they don’t lose conversions due to poor mobile experiences.

Effective landing page examples in health and wellness

Becca: “Can you give an example of a landing page that’s worked particularly well in the health and wellness space?”

Jordan: “Sure. One of my clients sells a de-bloating supplement. We used a light, airy design with clouds to create a feeling of lightness and comfort. Instead of listing product features, we highlighted real-life benefits like ‘regain your freedom from the bloat’ and ‘comfort throughout your cycle.’ This was all based on customer feedback gathered through surveys.”

This example shows how design, combined with customer research, can create a landing page that resonates emotionally with users. For eCommerce businesses, focusing on how your product solves real problems, rather than just listing features, can significantly boost conversions.

Digger vs. Skimmer: Tailoring content for different customers

Becca: “You mentioned earlier the importance of balancing between providing enough detail for ‘diggers’ versus keeping it simple for ‘skimmers.’ Can you elaborate on how you approach this?”

Jordan: “It comes down to knowing your customer. Some people want to know every detail, so they’ll read the FAQs, ingredient lists, etc. Others just want the key benefits. That’s where landing pages come in. You can create different versions based on the customer’s level of awareness. For example, a product like protein powder doesn’t need much explanation, but something like mushroom coffee might need more educational content.”

By tailoring landing pages to different types of customers, brands can maximize conversions. Segmenting customers by awareness level allows merchants to provide the right amount of information without overwhelming or under-informing their audience.

Final tip for merchants: Stop blindly following best practices

Becca: “What’s your final piece of advice for merchants looking to improve their landing pages?”

Jordan: “Stop blindly following best practices. There’s so much advice out there about what makes a landing page great, but the truth is, you have to look at your own data. Every business is different, and what works for someone else might not work for you. Focus on what your data is telling you.”

This is a critical takeaway for Shopify merchants: while it’s tempting to copy successful designs or follow trending advice, nothing beats data. Your customer behavior and journey will provide all the insights you need to optimize your store.

Final thoughts

The insights shared by Jordan Carruthers in this episode of Click To Buy offer actionable advice for anyone looking to create a high-converting landing page. From understanding the importance of customer data to optimizing for mobile and tailoring content to different customer segments, the value of a data-driven approach is clear. If you're a store owner or designer looking to improve conversions, start by gathering insights from your customers and using that data to guide your design.