# Lector Landing Page Brief & Copy

**Date:** 2026-04-04  
**Status:** Copy & structure recommendations for initial public landing page

---

## 1. HEADLINE / POSITIONING

### Recommended Primary Headline:
**"Read Greek and Latin at speed. Parse with precision."**

#### Alternative options (in order of preference):
1. "Master classical texts. Word by word. Every time."
2. "Classical reading, without the vocabulary lookup game."
3. "Daily Greek & Latin texts. Instant morphological parsing. No guessing."
4. "The fastest way from text to meaning."

#### Why this positioning:
- **Speed** (exam prep, reading fluency) + **parsing accuracy** (scholarly depth) are the core differentiators
- Speaks to the *frustration point*: classical students waste time looking up conjugations and declensions instead of reading
- "at speed" suggests both daily reading rhythm and examination performance
- Not positioning as "learn Latin/Greek" (crowded) but as "read *better*"

**Suggested subheading:**
"Lector combines daily classical passages with intelligent word-by-word parsing. Click any word. Understand conjugations, declensions, and meanings instantly. Build fluency. Ace exams."

---

## 2. TARGET AUDIENCE

### Primary (Hero Copy):
**Intermediate Greek and Latin students** — self-learners, university undergraduates, MA students, exam prep (exams 3–12 weeks out)

### Secondary (Mention but don't lead with):
- Instructors / Classics faculty (for assigning daily reading)
- Casual adult learners (secondary positioning)

### Recommended Copy Angle:
Lead with **"you're doing the reading. Lector handles the parsing."** This speaks directly to the student workflow: you're already assigned *Athenaze* or *JACT Reading Greek*, you're already reading Galatians or *Post Achillem*, you just need a tool that doesn't slow you down.

**Avoid positioning as:**
- "Learn Latin/Greek from scratch" (you're not Duolingo)
- "Tutoring replacement" (you're not; you're a reading companion)
- "Beginner-friendly" (you're advanced-reader-friendly)

---

## 3. FEATURES TO HIGHLIGHT

### Hero Section (Above the fold):
1. **Daily Passages** — new Greek or Latin text every morning (or on schedule)
2. **One-Click Parsing** — click any word, see lemma + full morphology
3. **Offline-First** — read anywhere; sync when connected

### Supporting Section (Below hero):
4. **Spaced Repetition (SRS)** — vocabulary retention without leaving the app
5. **No Distractions** — clean, serif-friendly text layout; no ads, no gamification
6. **Corpus-Backed** — texts from Open Greek & Latin, Perseus, JACT approved sources

### Feature to **de-emphasize or skip**:
- "Pronunciation" (lower ROI for intermediate readers)
- "Gamification" / badges / streaks (contradicts positioning)
- "AI explanations" (just add parsing confusion; let parsing speak)

### Recommended Feature Hierarchy on Page:
```
[Hero]
Daily passages. Instant parsing. No friction.

[3 Big Blocks]
1. Click any word → See conjugation, declension, translation, etymology
2. Read offline, sync anywhere. Never lose your place.
3. Daily vocabulary reinforcement. Spaced repetition that actually works.

[Social Proof / Testimonials]

[CTA]
Start reading. Free trial for 14 days.
```

---

## 4. DEMO ACCESS

### Recommendation: **YES, include a sample passage before signup.**

#### Mechanics:
- Show a **single sample passage** (e.g., Xenophon *Anabasis* I.1, or John 1:1 in Koine Greek)
- Let logged-out users click 3–5 words to see parsing in action
- After 5 clicks, soft CTA: "Sign up to unlock unlimited passages"
- No forced signup, just a "see how it works" moment

#### Why:
- Conversion rate typically **2–3x higher** with interactive demo vs. static copy
- For a parsing-focused tool, the demo *is* the best marketing
- Users immediately understand value (no explaining what "morphological parsing" means)

#### Sample Demo Copy:
"Try it now: Click any word in the passage below to see instant parsing."

```
[Sample Greek Text with clickable words]
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.

[Click on ἦν]
→ VERB: εἰμί (to be)
   Present indicative, 3rd person singular
   Inflected forms: εἶ, ἐστι, ἰσμεν, ἐστε, εἰσι
   Etymology: PIE *es- (to be)
```

---

## 5. TESTIMONIALS

### Current Status: **Use Placeholders**

You haven't shared actual quotes from Oliver, Petros, or classmates. **I recommend placeholders now, fill in real quotes later.**

#### Suggested Testimonial Structure (3 quotes):

**Testimonial 1 — Student (Speed/Exam Focus)**
> "I had three weeks to prepare for my Greek exam. Lector cut my reading time in half. I was actually reading fluently instead of grinding conjugations."  
> — *[Name], MA Classics, University of [X]*

**Testimonial 2 — Tutor (Pedagogy)**
> "My students stopped asking 'what's the genitive of this?' and started asking *why* that form appears there. The parsing layer shifts focus to meaning."  
> — *[Name], Classical Languages Tutor*

**Testimonial 3 — Self-Learner (Persistence)**
> "I tried every app. Lector is the first one that let me read *actual* texts — not simplified graded readers. That changes everything."  
> — *[Name], Independent Classics Student*

#### How to collect real quotes:
- Email Oliver + Petros asking for 1–2 sentences on how they'd describe Lector to a colleague
- Ask 2–3 classmates who've used it: "In one sentence, what's the difference between Lector and [competing tool]?"
- Keep quotes short (1–2 sentences max) and specific (mention what changed)

#### Placeholder format:
```markdown
> [Testimonial placeholder: Student feedback on speed/exam prep]
> — *[Student name + context]*
```

---

## 6. VISUAL STYLE

### Recommendation: **Match the app aesthetic. Use hero image as accent, not hero.**

#### Design Direction:
- **Keep it scholarly and minimal** — the existing serif/sans app aesthetic is exactly right
- Clean white/cream background
- Use existing `hero-classical.jpeg` as a **small accent** in one section (e.g., behind testimonials or as a divider) — NOT as the hero image
- Typography: serif for headings (matches app), sans for body (readability)
- CTA buttons: match app's primary color (assume blue or teal; check your app's color scheme)

#### Structure:
```
[Header/Nav]
Lector logo | [Login/Sign Up buttons]

[Hero Section — minimal]
"Read Greek and Latin at speed. Parse with precision."
[Subheading]
[CTA: Try Demo / Sign Up]

[3-Feature Blocks]
[Icon] + [Text] layout (clean, not "marketing-y")

[Interactive Demo Section]
[Sample Greek passage with clickable words]

[Testimonials Section]
[with subtle hero-classical.jpeg as background or divider]

[Final CTA Section]
"Start reading today. 14-day free trial."

[Footer]
About | Pricing | Docs | Contact
```

#### Color Palette:
- Assume: `#f5f3f0` (cream) for background
- Text: `#2c2c2c` (near-black)
- Accent: [Match your app's primary button color]
- Links: Classical blue or teal

#### Tone of visual language:
- No gradients, animations, or skeuomorphism
- Serif headings (Garamond, EB Garamond, or similar)
- Generous whitespace
- Aim for "a scholarly tool, not a startup pitch"

---

## SUMMARY: DECISIONS NEEDED FROM YOU

| Item | Recommendation | Your Input |
|------|---|---|
| **Headline** | "Read Greek and Latin at speed. Parse with precision." | ✓ Approve / suggest alt |
| **Audience** | Lead with students; mention academics secondary | ✓ Confirm scope |
| **Features** | Parsing, offline, SRS. De-emphasize pronunciation, gamification. | ✓ Anything to add/remove? |
| **Demo** | Yes, 1 sample passage with 5 free clicks before signup CTA | ✓ Confirm approach |
| **Testimonials** | Use placeholders now; collect real quotes later from Oliver, Petros, classmates | ✓ Will you collect? |
| **Visual Style** | Clean, scholarly, serif headings, minimal. Hero image as accent only. | ✓ Check app colors first |

---

## NEXT STEPS

1. **Confirm decisions above** (provide your input on each row)
2. **Collect real testimonials** (email Oliver, Petros, 2–3 classmates with a simple question)
3. **Check app color scheme** (hex codes for primary button, text, background)
4. **Confirm hero-classical.jpeg path** and crop/size if needed
5. **Build landing page component** using this copy structure

---

## COPY ALTERNATIVES (If you want to test different angles)

### Angle A: Speed/Exam Focus (Recommended above)
"Read Greek and Latin at speed. Parse with precision."

### Angle B: Scholarly Authority
"Classical reading for serious students. Parsing that scales from Xenophon to Aristotle."

### Angle C: Accessibility
"Classical texts shouldn't require a second lookup tool. Lector is the lookup."

### Angle D: Efficiency
"Every minute counts. Lector saves you the dictionary drudgery."

---

*File prepared: 2026-04-04*  
*Status: Ready for feedback and integration*