Ui ux gtm

UI/UX for GTM

Overview

GTM tools live or die on usability. A landing page with beautiful design that converts at 1% loses to an ugly page converting at 4%. The mistake: designing for aesthetics over conversion, or for desktop over mobile, or for perfect vision over real-world accessibility. This skill covers UI/UX patterns for every GTM surface — landing pages, forms, signup flows, dashboards, and onboarding — with a ruthless focus on conversion, accessibility, and mobile performance.

When to Use

Trigger phrases: "design a landing page UI", "audit our form UX", "improve signup flow conversion", "design a GTM dashboard", "make our pages accessible", "mobile-first GTM design", "conversion rate optimization", "form design", "onboarding UX", "WCAG compliance"

Authoritative Foundations

Nielsen Norman Group — 10 Usability Heuristics

1. Visibility of system status
2. Match between system and real world
3. User control and freedom
4. Consistency and standards
5. Error prevention
6. Recognition rather than recall
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
10. Help and documentation

Baymard Institute — Form UX Research

• Average form abandonment rate: 68%
• Every field removed increases conversion by 5-10%
• Inline validation reduces errors by 22%
• Single-column forms outperform multi-column by 15%

Steve Krug — Don't Make Me Think

"Don't make me think" is the first law of usability. If a user pauses to figure out what to do next, the design has failed.

Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Landing Page Architecture

Conversion-first landing page structure (top to bottom):

1. Hero (above fold — 3 seconds to communicate value):

   • Headline: The outcome, not the feature. "Close more deals" > "CRM software"
   • Subhead: One sentence. "Automate prospecting and enrichment so your team spends time selling, not researching."
   • Hero image: Product screenshot (real, not illustration) or demo video
   • Primary CTA: "Start free trial" or "Get a demo" — one CTA only
   • Secondary link: "See how it works" (for people not ready to commit)

2. Social proof (immediately after hero):

   • Customer logos (5-8 recognizable names)
   • Key stat: "Used by 2,000+ sales teams"
   • Testimonial: One quote from a named customer with photo

3. Value props (3-5, each with visual):

   • Icon + headline + one sentence each
   • NOT "Feature list." Outcome: "Find emails instantly" > "Email finder"

4. How it works (3 steps):

   • Visual: screenshot or diagram per step
   • Keep it 3 steps. More = overwhelming.

5. Detailed features (for comparison shoppers):

   • Expandable sections or tabs
   • Comparison table: you vs alternatives

6. Pricing (if self-serve):

   • 3 tiers, one recommended
   • Annual default, monthly option
   • "Start free trial" CTA on each tier

7. FAQ (address top 5 objections):

   • "Do I need a credit card?" → "No, 14-day free trial, no card required."
   • "Can I cancel anytime?" → "Yes, no contracts, no questions."

8. Final CTA:

   • Same as hero CTA (consistency)
   • "Join 2,000+ teams already using [product]"

Mobile considerations:

• Stack columns vertically (single column on mobile)
• CTA visible without scrolling (sticky CTA on mobile)
• Touch targets: minimum 44×44px (Apple HIG)
• Forms: use appropriate input types (tel, email, number) for right keyboard

Phase 2: Form Design

The 8 rules of high-converting forms:

1. Fewest fields possible. Every field is a friction point. Start with: Email only. Add more fields via progressive profiling AFTER signup.

2. Single column layout. Multi-column forms confuse users about field order. Users scan vertically. Single column always.

3. Top-aligned labels. Labels above fields (not left-aligned) reduce completion time by 50% (Google/EYE tracking studies).

4. Inline validation. Validate as user types, not after submit.

   • Valid: green checkmark
   • Invalid: red border + error message below field
   • Error message must say: what's wrong + how to fix it

5. Clear error messages (not vague):

   • BAD: "Invalid email" → GOOD: "That doesn't look like an email address. Use format: [email protected]"
   • BAD: "Password too short" → GOOD: "Password must be at least 8 characters. You entered 5."

6. Appropriate input types:

   • type="email" for email fields (mobile keyboard shows @)
   • type="tel" for phone (numeric keypad)
   • type="number" for quantities
   • type="url" for website fields

7. No placeholder as label. Placeholder text disappears on focus. Users forget what the field was for. Use a real label above the field.

8. Optional vs required labeling:

   • Mark required fields with an asterisk and label: "Email *"
   • OR mark optional fields with "(optional)" — only one approach per form
   • Don't mix: "Email *" and "Phone (optional)" on the same form

Form field reduction patterns:

Current State	Improvement	Fields Saved
First Name + Last Name	Full Name	1
Separate address fields	Address lookup (Google Places API)	4-5
Company + Company Size	Company name only (size from enrichment)	1
Phone Number	Remove (get later via progressive profiling)	1

Phase 3: Signup and Onboarding Flow

Signup flow:

1. Email → Password → "Create account" (3 fields max)
2. Verify email (6-digit code or magic link — NOT "check your email and come back")
3. Onboarding: "What's your goal?" (1 question, multiple choice)
4. Product tour: 3 steps, skippable, 30 seconds total
5. Empty state: "Here's what you'll see when you have data" + "Get started" button

Time-to-value (TTV) targets:

Product Type	TTV Target	How
Free tool (calculator, checker)	<30 seconds	Instant result, no signup required
Self-serve SaaS	<5 minutes	Guided setup, sample data, templates
Sales-assisted SaaS	<1 day	White-glove onboarding, import existing data
Enterprise platform	<2 weeks	Dedicated implementation, SSO, data migration

Phase 4: Dashboard Design

Dashboard layout principles (Nielsen Norman Group):

1. Most important metric first — top-left, largest visual weight
2. Trend over point — "Up 12% from last month" > "$52,340"
3. Red/Yellow/Green thresholds — contextualize numbers
4. Filters persist — don't reset filters when navigating
5. Exportable data — "Download CSV" on every data view
6. Date range presets — "Last 7 days," "Last 30 days," "This quarter"

KPI dashboard wireframe:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo]  Dashboard                    [Date Range ▼]│
├──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────────────┤
│ ARR      │ NRR      │ Churn    │ Pipeline         │
│ $5.2M    │ 112%     │ 1.8%     │ $2.4M            │
│ ↑12% QoQ │ ↑3% QoQ  │ ↓0.3% QoQ│ 3.2x coverage    │
│ ● Green  │ ● Green  │ ● Green  │ ● Yellow         │
├──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────────────┤
│ [Revenue trend chart — 12 months]                │
│                                                   │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Pipeline by stage — funnel visualization]        │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Recent activity — table]                         │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Phase 5: Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA)

11-point accessibility checklist:

#	Requirement	How to Test
1	Color contrast ≥ 4.5:1 (normal text)	WebAIM Contrast Checker
2	Color contrast ≥ 3:1 (large text, 18px+)	WebAIM Contrast Checker
3	Don't use color alone to convey info	Add icons, text, or patterns
4	All images have alt text	Screen reader audit
5	Forms have associated labels	<label for="id">
6	Keyboard navigation works	Tab through entire page
7	Focus indicators visible	:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid blue; }
8	Skip navigation link	<a href="#main">Skip to content</a>
9	ARIA labels on interactive elements	aria-label="Close dialog"
10	No auto-playing video/audio	Or provide pause/stop controls
11	prefers-reduced-motion respected	@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)

Accessibility testing tools:

• axe DevTools (browser extension)
• Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools)
• VoiceOver (macOS built-in screen reader)
• WebAIM Contrast Checker

Output Format

UI/UX SPEC — [Page/Flow Name]

Page Type: [Landing / Form / Signup / Dashboard / Onboarding]
Conversion Goal: [primary action — signup, demo, purchase]

Sections:
[Wireframe or description of each section]

Component Specs:
- Buttons: [size, color, states (default/hover/active/disabled/focus)]
- Inputs: [type, label position, validation rules, error states]
- Cards: [padding, shadow, border radius, hover state]
- Typography: [hierarchy — H1 through caption]

Mobile Behavior:
- [How layout changes at <768px, <480px]
- [Touch target sizes]
- [Mobile-specific CTAs]

Accessibility:
- [Contrast ratios]
- [Keyboard navigation path]
- [Screen reader annotations]
- [Focus order]

A/B Test Readiness:
- [What elements to test first]
- [Hypothesis per element]
- [Success metric]

Implementation Checklist

• Hero communicates value in <3 seconds (show to someone, ask "what does this do?")
• Single primary CTA per view (no competing CTAs)
• Forms use email-only minimum, progressive profiling for more
• Single-column form layout, top-aligned labels
• Inline validation on all form fields (validate as user types)
• Error messages say what's wrong AND how to fix it
• All touch targets ≥ 44×44px (Apple HIG minimum)
• Color contrast ≥ 4.5:1 for all text (WCAG AA)
• Keyboard navigable — Tab through the entire page
• Mobile tested — over 50% of B2B traffic is mobile
• Empty states designed (not just "No data" — show what WILL be there)
• prefers-reduced-motion respected for animations

Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

• Output matches the user's stated request
• Named frameworks or sources are reflected in the recommendation
• The deliverable is specific enough for an agent to execute
• Any assumptions, risks, or dependencies are explicit
• No unsupported claims, invented facts, or private/internal references are included

Common Pitfalls

1. Design over conversion. A beautiful page with 1% conversion is worse than an ugly page with 4%. Fix: A/B test. Let data decide. Beauty is subjective. Conversion is not.

2. Too many fields. "Name + Email + Phone + Company + Role + Team Size + How did you hear about us?" = 2% conversion. Fix: Email only. Collect the rest via progressive profiling or enrichment.

3. Inaccessible color choices. Thin gray text on white background. Blue links on blue backgrounds. Red/green as the ONLY status indicator (4.5% of the population is color-blind). Fix: Test contrast ratios. Add icons alongside color.

4. No mobile testing. "Our B2B buyers are on desktop." Wrong. 50%+ of B2B research happens on mobile. If your mobile experience is broken, you're losing half your pipeline. Fix: Design mobile-first. Desktop is an enhancement, not the default.

5. Vague error messages. "An error occurred." "Invalid input." These don't help users fix the problem. Fix: Every error message must say: what went wrong + how to fix + example if helpful.

6. Ignoring the empty state. New users see a blank dashboard that says "No data yet" and leave. Fix: Empty states should show sample data, explain what will appear, and provide a "Get started" button.

Execution Artifacts

• references/framework-notes.md — named frameworks, citation anchors, and operating assumptions
• templates/output-template.md — copy-paste deliverable structure for the user
• scripts/check-output.py — local checklist validator for required sections This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand: Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

Related Skills

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• design-system-gtm — Brand tokens, CSS variables, voice/tone
• effective-ui-design — Professional UI design guidelines
• a-b-testing — Experiment design, statistical significance