Inbound Marketing Blog | Fine Media

What is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

Written by Tumisang Bogwasi | Aug 19, 2022 6:42:23 PM

 

Are you wondering what conversion rate optimization (CRO) is, and how it can help your business? It's an important tool in digital marketing which can help you convert website visitors into customers.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy. It helps marketers identify the best methods for improving the customer experience on their website, ultimately leading to increased conversions.

By utilizing CRO techniques, businesses can optimize their web pages for higher conversion rates. Through A/B testing, user data analysis, and other techniques, marketers can make strategic changes that result in more leads and sales.

In this article, we will discuss what CRO is and how you can use it to take your digital marketing strategy to the next level.

 

Conversion Rate Optimization

Conversion Rate Optimization or CRO is the process of improving website traffic by optimizing the user experience on your site.

 


What is conversion rate optimization (CRO)?

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is about optimizing your website for conversion. This includes everything from how your landing pages look to what typeface you use.

In short, it’s all about making sure your site works well for your target market. This helps increase the number of visitors who convert into customers.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the process of making changes to your website so that it generates more leads for you. Content enhancements, split tests, and workflow improvements are used to achieve conversion rate optimization. Conversion rate optimization helps increase qualified leads, increase revenue, and reduce acquisition costs.

 

What is a conversion?

A conversion is a term used to describe the completion of a specific goal by a visitor on a website. Goals can vary based on the purpose of the website and can come in different forms, from completing a purchase to filling out a contact form. The ultimate goal, also known as a macro-conversion, depends on the type of website and its objectives.

 

Examples of Macro-conversions:

If you run an e-commerce website, your primary goal is to get visitors to purchase products, and therefore, the macro-conversion is the sale of a product. Other macro-conversions can be:

  • Requesting a quote
  • Subscribing to a service
  • Signing up for a free trial.

 

Examples of Micro-conversions:

A micro-conversion is a smaller action taken by a visitor before they complete a macro-conversion. These actions help visitors move closer to the primary goal. Other micro-conversions can be:

  • Signing up for email lists
  • Creating an account
  • Adding a product to the cart

 

Although these actions are smaller in nature, they can provide valuable insights into the behaviour and preferences of your website visitors.

 

Why is conversion rate optimization important?

CRO gives you greater control over how your customers use your website and the paths that they take towards conversion. What are the actual benefits?

Some of the benefits associated with CRO include:

 

1. CRO Keeps You Focused on Customers

CRO is an approach to marketing that focuses on customer needs and wants. You can take a CRO approach when making changes to your website by looking through the eyes of your potential customers instead of your preferences. Design decisions, copy, and ad placement that focuses on the customer will increase your conversion rate more than any other type of decision.

 

2. Increased User Engagement

Conversion rate optimization works towards optimizing your website and campaigns for greater engagement and, ultimately, conversion.

A rise in engagement metrics can give you insight into how well your campaign is doing and which parts of your content are most appealing to users.

 

3. Higher return on investment

CRO leads to higher conversions, meaning you get more value out of your marketing dollar than if you were not optimizing at all.

You can get more customers without necessarily having to generate more traffic or increase your marketing budget.

 

4. CRO Increases Your Traffic

Higher conversion rates mean more people find it easier to navigate your site, find the right products, and complete their purchases. Visitors who convert into paying customers to spend more time on your website, leave more positive reviews about your product, and become satisfied customers.

Even more important than that, these happy shoppers will persuade their friends and family to shop at your store, which means even more traffic. Traffic for you.

 

Valuable User Insights

Understanding your audience helps you create more effective content and improve your marketing efforts.

You'll be better equipped to reach the right kinds of customers with the right messages at the right times.

 

The Four Principles of CRO

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is increasing the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action. It is an essential component of any digital marketing strategy, as it allows businesses to increase revenue without increasing their marketing spend. Entrepreneurs and marketers adhere to four basic CRO principles to achieve the highest conversion rates.

 

Compelling value proposition

Your value proposition is the promise you make to your customers that your product or service will solve their problems or meet their needs. It should be prominently displayed on your website and communicated clearly and concisely. A strong value proposition can help differentiate your business from your competitors and increase trust with your audience.

Clear call-to-action (CTA)

A CTA is a button or link that encourages website visitors to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter. The CTA should be prominently displayed on your website and should communicate the benefits of taking the desired action. A strong CTA can help increase the number of conversions on your website.

Reduce friction in the conversion process

Friction refers to any obstacle that prevents website visitors from taking the desired action. This could include long forms, slow-loading pages, or confusing navigation. By reducing friction in the conversion process, you can make it easier for website visitors to take the desired action, which can help increase conversion rates.

Use social proof to increase trust

Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to take an action if they see that others have already done so. This could include customer reviews, testimonials, or social media shares. By using social proof, you can increase trust with your audience and encourage them to take the desired action.

 

The four principles of CRO are having a clear and compelling value proposition, a clear call-to-action, reducing friction in the conversion process, and using social proof to increase trust. By following these principles, businesses can increase their conversion rates and grow their revenue.

 

How to calculate the conversion rate

A conversion rate is calculated by dividing desired actions taken by the total number of visits and multiplying the result by one hundred to get a percentage.

For example, if your web page had 50 sales and 1000 visitors last month, your conversion rate is 50 divided by 1000 (0.05), multiplied by 100 = 5%.

 

CRO Formulas

CRO is important for any business online to be optimized for conversion. That’s because, regardless of how well-established or large your business may be, you want to turn your website visitors into qualified sales leads, customers, and advocates – and you want to do it in the most effective, efficient, and reliable way.

Conversion rate optimization will help you get more from your current website traffic while ensuring you’re attracting qualified leads.

Setting a conversion goal is not as simple as just saying, "We want to convert 50 people per month," but rather requires some thought and planning.

 

CRO Calculation 1: Conversion Rate

I have already mentioned earlier, that to calculate the conversion rate, you must divide your number of conversions (or leads generated) by your number of visitors (or web traffic), and then multiply that number by 100 to get the percentage.

Leads Generated ÷ Website Traffic x 100 = Conversion Rate %

 

CRO Calculation 2: Number of Net New Customers

To calculate your number of net new customers, you need to divide your net revenue target by your average sale price.

New Revenue Goal ÷ Average Sales Price = Number of New Customers

 

CRO Calculation 3: Lead Goal

To calculate your lead goal, take your number of new customers and divide it by your lead-to-customer close rate (which is your total number of leads divided by the total number of customers) percentage.

Number of New Customers ÷ Lead-to-Customer Close Rate % = Lead Goal

 

Best Practices for Conversion Rate Optimization

There are many best practice guidelines when it comes to conversion rate optimisation (CRO) but, ultimately, you must figure out what works for your business and what drives results.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) can help improve the performance of your website and increase your revenue. While there are many best practice guidelines to follow, it's essential to understand what works best for your business and what drives results.

To get started with CRO, consider these three action items:

 

  1. Use the Three Formulas

The three formulas are an excellent starting point for the CRO conversation. These formulas include:

  • Conversion Rate = Total Conversions / Total Visitors
  • Average Order Value (AOV) = Total Revenue / Number of Orders
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) = (Average Order Value x Purchase Frequency) x Customer Lifespan

By understanding these formulas and analyzing the data, you can gain valuable insights into your website's performance and identify areas for improvement.

 

  1. Try Different CRO Strategies

There are many CRO strategies you can try, including changing the layout and design of your website, optimizing your content, improving your website's speed, and more. It's important to experiment with different strategies to see which ones work best for your business.

 

  1. Use the PIE Framework

The PIE (Prioritize, Investigate, Execute) framework is a useful tool for prioritizing your CRO efforts. This framework involves:

  • Prioritize: Determine which pages and areas of your website have the most impact on your revenue and conversion rates.
  • Investigate: Identify the problems or barriers that are preventing visitors from converting to these pages.
  • Execute: Implement changes and solutions to address these problems and improve your website's performance.

Using the PIE framework, you can focus your efforts on the areas that will impact your website's success.

Implementing best practices for conversion rate optimization can help your business improve its website's performance and increase revenue. By using the three formulas, trying different strategies, and using the PIE framework, you can make data-driven decisions that will drive results for your business.

 

Start Converting

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is an integral part of a successful marketing strategy, and its benefits cannot be overstated. CRO provides insights into your website's performance, helps you turn visitors into customers, and identifies where your focus needs to be. With the right tools and strategies, you can measure and improve your website's performance continuously, ensuring that your online business remains successful in the long run.

However, CRO is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one business may not work for another. It's important to experiment with different strategies and analyze the data to determine what works best for your business. Remember, CRO is an ongoing process, and your website's performance can always be improved.

If you need help with your CRO strategy, consider working with an inbound marketing agency like Fine Media. Our team of experts can help you identify areas of improvement, develop effective strategies, and implement them to help you achieve your business goals.

Don't wait any longer to start optimizing your website for conversions. Take action today and experience exponential growth for your business. Contact Fine Media now to get started!