🌟 Editor's Note
Welcome to the second edition of the Owned & Operating Newsletter! We've got a packed newsletter full of insights, events, and inspiring stories from the world of owned media.
1️⃣ The Weekly Play
The Above-The-Fold Audit
Many B2B startup sites lose visitors in under a few seconds. Not because of bad products, but because of bad positioning.
If your homepage doesn’t instantly communicate what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters, visitors bounce.
Run this 5-point audit to fix the fold:
Clear value prop. Can a distracted visitor explain your product in one line?
Visual hierarchy. Does the design guide the eye from headline → subcopy → CTA?
Single CTA. One clear action. Make it obvious.
Social proof. Add instant trust via logos, testimonials, and user counts.
Speed check. If your page lags, your bounce rate escalates. Aim for under 3 seconds.
If people don’t get what you do in 3 seconds, they’re gone. Do these 5 things to make it easy for them to stick around.
2️⃣ This Week in Growth
How CXL 5X’d Opt-in Rates With a Smarter Form Strategy
Most B2B email lists grow slowly. The signup offer is often weak, and the form gets buried in a flurry of information.
But CXL flipped the script and turned email into a top revenue driver.
Here’s what they did:
Replaced generic CTAs like “Subscribe to our newsletter” with specific value exchanges (think: ROI calculators and benchmarking reports).
Moved forms out of the sidebar and into high-intent zones like after key content or inside comparison pages.
Cut fields down to just name and email to remove friction.
This combo helped them 5x opt-in rates and turn email into a channel that drives 54% more revenue.
3️⃣ Owned Intel
3 Headlines You Shouldn’t Miss
Google CTRs Drop After AI Overview Rollout. New analysis finds Google’s top organic CTR dropped from 28% to 19% following the expansion of AI Overviews, highlighting how behavior is changing.
LinkedIn’s new algorithm rewards niche expertise. Posts now reach more people if they’re relevant to your audience, not just engagement bait. Focus on clarity > virality.
Gmail now enforces 1-click unsubscribes. Bulk senders must comply or risk spam placement. Clean your lists and simplify opt-outs to protect deliverability.
4️⃣ The Scroll Stopper
A/B Testing That Actually Teaches You Something
Designer Tom breaks down a real SaaS landing page A/B test and shows why the “prettier” version lost. In under a minute, he walks through the visual hierarchy, CTA clarity, and what actually drives conversions.
It’s a quick, useful example of how design choices can impact signups. Now you know what to watch for when testing your own pages.
@designertom If you think measuring an A/B test is as simple as publishing two versions and picking the one with the most favorable outcomes, then you ... See more
5️⃣ In the Loop
Use LinkedIn to Test What’s Worth Writing
Kyle Poyar grew Growth Unhinged to 50,000 subscribers by changing how he approaches content.
Instead of writing a full newsletter first, he shares quick LinkedIn posts to see what people actually care about. If a post gets strong engagement, he turns it into a full edition.
This helps him avoid wasting time on topics that don’t land and gives each newsletter a built-in audience before it's sent out. It’s a simple way to connect social content to steady email growth.
🎥 Sponsor Spotlight: Newsletter
Spacebar Studios are offering to set up a brand-new newsletter for free for subscribers of this newsletter.
If you run a company doing $1M–$50M in revenue and want a growth channel that compounds every time you hit “send,” I’d book a call by clicking on the image below ASAP while slots are still open.
📣 Forward or Reply
If you liked this edition of Owned & Operating, forward it to a founder who needs to stop renting audience — and start owning it.