How Learntocodewith.me sells itself
A master class in messaging and clarity
I’m hugely impressed with learntocodewith.me, programmer and teacher Laurence Bradford’s popular site that turns her inexperience with programming into a valuable asset for adults who want to learn to program but don’t know where to start.
Here’s what I noticed when checking out her site:
Crystal clear initial call to action
…with a human face — the author’s:

Direct introduction and pitch
…that states as succinctly as possible why you should be here and what you’ll get out of it. Positions the author as on your side, and promises a benefit after the jump, with a bright orange button to click:

Quick and strong credibility check

Secondary call to action
…which catches the most likely valuable readers who are still not sure what to do — the people who want to learn to code, but don’t feel ready to dive in:

Secondary credibility check
…with only a few quotes. Note how this was not merged with the first check, which would have pushed the second CTA down:

Minimalist navigation
After entering email address, you see the main site navigation, which has very few choices:

Next step clear
No doubt about the next step to follow:

Asking for help from a position of camaraderie
Tweeting is pitched as something you can do because you’re part of something that matters:

Catchall footer
And the footer isn’t wasted, but provides a catchall for unsure browsers who want to get back onto the rails:

Free content pitches her approach
“Start here” takes you to the free course, which in its simple and clean presentation precludes stress about a steep learning curve:

Providing a ready-to-wear narrative frame
“As you can see”, “This guide is perfect for” hold the reader’s hand through beginning, and provide a narrative frame that casually assures the user:

Practical steps
…spelled out in simple, comfortably spaced form:

Bradford’s approach is brilliant throughout.