I've shipped 15+ side projects. Only 3 had landing pages I'd show to someone. The rest were embarrassing collections of features with no clear value proposition.
After iterating through several approaches, I landed on a structure that converts. Here's what I learned.
Why Developer Landing Pages Fail
Developers write landing pages the way they write READMEs. They list what the product does. They explain the architecture. They include a features list.
Nobody buys a product because it has features. They buy it because it solves their specific problem better than the alternatives they've already tried.
The 5-Section Structure That Works
Section 1: The Problem (not your solution)
Open with the exact frustration your user feels. Be specific. "Tired of managing multiple spreadsheets" is weak. "You have 4 different spreadsheets tracking revenue, and none of them match at month-end" is strong.
Your target user should read the first sentence and think "how did they know?"
Section 2: Why They Haven't Solved It Yet
This is the section most landing pages skip. Name the alternatives that don't work:
- Generic tools that aren't built for their use case
- DIY solutions that take too long to set up
- Competitors with the wrong pricing model
When you name their failed attempts, you signal that you understand their journey.
Section 3: The Mechanism (not the features)
Don't list features. Describe the mechanism that makes your solution work differently.
Bad: "50+ templates included"
Good: "Pre-built for the 7 situations indie hackers face every launch — so you're editing, not starting from scratch"
Section 4: Social Proof (or honest absence of it)
If you have testimonials, use them. If you don't, be honest about your stage: "This is a v1 built by someone who ran into this problem repeatedly. Here's my personal experience with it."
Authenticity from a solo founder beats vague testimonials.
Section 5: Clear CTA with Friction Reduction
The CTA should remove the last objection. Common objections:
- Price: "One-time payment, no subscription"
- Quality: "Instant download, check it before you use it"
- Risk: "If it doesn't work for your use case, email me"
The Notion Approach for Indie Hackers
For fast launches, I use Notion pages converted to landing pages via Super.so or Potion.so. The workflow:
- Build the page in Notion with the 5-section structure
- Add embedded Gumroad buy buttons
- Point domain at the Super.so project
Setup: 2 hours. Iteration: 5 minutes per change.
This is why I built the Landing Page Builder Kit around Notion first — it's the fastest path from idea to live page for solo builders.
The HTML Version for More Control
When you need custom CSS or want to own the infrastructure, the HTML approach makes sense. Same 5-section structure, just more flexibility:
- Custom typography
- Animation on scroll
- Better mobile layouts
- No third-party dependencies
The Complete Templates
If you want to skip the structure iteration, the Landing Page Builder Kit includes 5 templates in both Notion and HTML formats:
- SaaS product template
- Digital product/info product template
- Chrome extension template
- API/developer tool template
- Freemium app template
Each template has the 5-section structure pre-built, copy examples for each section, and the CSS already done. $19. The Notion versions go live same-day.
I launch from Paraguay, which means I have limited time for perfection. These templates come from doing this quickly and repeatedly, not from agency budgets.
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