We Work Remotely

Critical Assessment of We Work Remotely

As an expert Marketing Strategist, I have analyzed the landing page for We Work Remotely (WWR). While the platform has incredible historical authority in the remote work space, the landing page currently suffers from "legacy bloat" and dual-audience confusion.

The site looks like a classic Web 2.0 job board. While it functions well due to massive brand awareness, a new competitor with a highly optimized, conversion-focused landing page could easily steal market share.

Here is my brutally honest, section-by-section breakdown of your landing page, complete with actionable recommendations.

1. Hero Text Effectiveness

The Problem: The current hero messaging ("We Work Remotely is the largest remote work community in the world...") is entirely company-centric, not user-centric. You are bragging about your size instead of immediately solving the user's problem.

Why it matters: Visitors care about what you can do for them, not how many visitors you have. Furthermore, combining the message for job seekers ("find") and employers ("list") in the same breath dilutes the impact for both.

Recommended fix:

• Split the messaging to address the dual-sided marketplace dilemma.
• Focus the primary headline on the ultimate emotional benefit: freedom for seekers, and top-tier talent for employers.
• Read more about writing high-converting hero sections in Julian Shapiro's Landing Page Guide.

2. Value Proposition

The Problem: The value proposition is clear within 5 seconds (it is obviously a job board), but the unique value proposition (UVP) is weak. "Incredible remote jobs" is a generic claim used by every competitor in the space.

Why it matters: Competitors like FlexJobs or Remote.co offer the exact same core service. Without a sharp UVP, you are competing solely on brand legacy, which degrades over time.

Recommended fix:

• Highlight why your jobs are better (e.g., "100% vetted," "Direct access to founders," or "No scam postings").
• Emphasize the speed of hiring for employers (e.g., "Hire top 1% remote talent in 48 hours").
• Learn how to craft a unique value proposition at CXL's Value Proposition Guide.

3. Above the Fold Impression

The Problem: The first impression is highly cluttered. Visitors are hit with navigation links, a massive block of text, a search bar, a price tag ($299), and a banner of company logos all at once.

Why it matters: Cognitive overload kills conversions. When a user is presented with too many options and competing visual hierarchies, they experience decision fatigue and bounce.

Recommended fix:

• Simplify the header navigation and remove secondary links.
• Move the "trusted by" company logos slightly lower down the page to let the main headline breathe.
• Read about the impact of cognitive load on website usability from the Nielsen Norman Group.

4. Target Audience

The Problem: You are operating a dual-sided marketplace (B2B employers and B2C job seekers), but you are forcing them through the exact same funnel above the fold.

Why it matters: An employer looking to spend $299 needs completely different messaging, trust signals, and user flows than a desperate job seeker looking for an engineering role.

Recommended fix:

• Create a self-segmenting hero section that forces users to choose their path immediately.
• Tailor the resulting page dynamically based on whether they click "I want to hire" or "I want to work."
• Dive deeper into marketplace dynamics via Lenny's Newsletter on Dual-Sided Marketplaces.

5. Call to Action (CTA)

The Problem: Your primary employer CTA ("Post a job for $299") introduces friction instantly by slapping a price tag on the button before the employer has even digested the value of the platform.

Why it matters: A CTA should focus on the value being delivered, not the cost being extracted. Asking for $299 on the first click is the equivalent of asking for marriage on a first date.

Recommended fix:

• Change the CTA text to focus on the outcome, such as "Find Your Next Hire."
• Introduce the pricing on the next page once they have committed to the process.
• See examples of high-converting buttons in HubSpot's Guide to Call-to-Actions.

Concrete Improvements (Before → After)

Here are specific, actionable rewrites to improve your conversion rates instantly.

Example 1: The Main Headline

Before: "We Work Remotely is the largest remote work community in the world."

After: "Find Your Next Dream Job. Hire Your Next Top Performer."

Why this works: It immediately addresses both sides of the marketplace with active, benefit-driven verbs instead of passively bragging about community size.

Example 2: The Subheadline

Before: "With over 4.5M visitors, WWR is the number one destination to find and list incredible remote jobs."

After: "Join 4.5M professionals using the world's most trusted remote job board. 100% vetted opportunities. Zero geographical borders."

Why this works: It keeps the social proof (4.5M) but adds specific value pillars ("trusted," "100% vetted," "zero borders") that alleviate user anxiety.

Example 3: Employer Call-to-Action (CTA)

Before: "Post a job for $299"

After: "Reach 4.5M Remote Workers" (with a smaller subtext: Flat rate of $299 per post)

Why this works: The button text focuses on the massive value they are getting (access to 4.5M people). The price is moved to a supporting role to manage expectations without causing friction.

Example 4: Job Seeker Search Bar Placeholder

Before: "Search for jobs (e.g. 'ruby' or 'marketing')..."

After: "What's your next remote role? (e.g., 'Senior Rails Developer' or 'Marketing Director')"

Why this works: It challenges the user emotionally ("What's your next role?") while providing highly specific, aspirational examples that match higher-paying job searches.

Why These Changes Matter for Conversion

Implementing these psychological and structural changes will directly impact your bottom line. By reducing cognitive load, you keep users on the page longer.

By separating your audiences, you can tailor your B2B sales pitch to employers without alienating the B2C job seekers who generate your page views.

To track the exact impact of these changes, I highly recommend running these variations through an A/B testing tool. You can find a comprehensive guide on setting up these tests at Optimizely's A/B Testing Guide.

Product Positioning Score: 8/10

1. Problem-Solution Fit The core problem—connecting distributed companies with global talent—is clearly addressed. WWR solves this by providing massive marketplace liquidity. Their hero copy, "We Work Remotely is the largest remote work community in the world," immediately establishes trust. The solution is highly compelling for employers who need visibility, but slightly less tailored for job seekers who might suffer from applicant fatigue on such a massive platform.

2. Feature Communication Communication is heavily skewed toward the buyer (the employer). The copy "With over 4.5M visitors, WWR is the number one destination to find and list incredible remote jobs" translates a feature (traffic volume) directly into a benefit (faster hiring with a larger talent pool).

For job seekers, however, communication is purely functional rather than benefit-focused. They are presented with static category buttons ("Programming," "Design," "Management") rather than copy that speaks to career freedom, work-life balance, or verified company cultures.

3. Market Positioning WWR positions itself as the default, ubiquitous remote job board. The target audience is broad: any digital knowledge worker and any company willing to hire them. The prominent "Post a job for $299" button clarifies that this is a premium, paid tool for companies, positioning WWR above free, low-quality aggregators. It successfully occupies the "industry standard" space in the market.

4. Competitive Angle WWR’s competitive moat is legacy and scale. In a crowded market with competitors like Remote OK and FlexJobs, WWR leans on its size to win. Their unique angle isn't a specific technological feature, but rather the network effect of their massive audience. However, relying purely on "being the biggest" leaves them vulnerable to niche platforms that compete on candidate curation or skills-based matching.

Actionable Recommendations:

• Split the Hero Funnel: The homepage currently mashes both audiences together. Introduce immediate, dual-path messaging in the hero section (e.g., "Hire Top Remote Talent" alongside "Find Your Next Remote Role"). This allows you to deliver highly specific, benefit-driven copy to both sides of the marketplace without diluting the message.
• Shift Seeker Messaging from 'Volume' to 'Curation': To a job seeker, the "largest" community can imply overwhelming competition. Counter this by adding benefit-focused copy for seekers that emphasizes quality. Taglines like "Discover vetted remote roles tailored to your timezone and skills" will reduce anxiety and improve seeker retention.
• Prove the "Community" Claim: The headline calls WWR a "community," but the homepage functions strictly as a transactional job board. To defend against pure-play job aggregators, surface actual community features on the homepage—such as Slack group snippets, upcoming events, or remote work resources—to validate this positioning.

Bottom Line:

We Work Remotely leverages its legacy brand and massive traffic to dominate the employer side of the remote job market. To future-proof their positioning against specialized competitors, they need to evolve their job-seeker messaging from a basic "directory of links" into a curated, benefit-driven career destination.