A Few Basic Things to Know About Conversion Rate Optimization

Kristina Witmer

Most everyone understands that conversion happens when a visitor to your website takes an action that you want them to take.

But what does that look like to you? It could be signing up for an email newsletter, creating an account with a login and password, making a purchase, downloading your app, signing up for a podcast or event or something else.

Whatever action you want your visitor to take is what you are going to measure and what you are looking to optimize.

Simply put, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is finding out why visitors are not converting and fixing the problem.

What Conversion Rate Optimization Is

  • A structured and systematic approach to improving the performance of your website
  • Informed by insights—specifically, analytics and user feedback
  • Defined by your website’s unique objectives and needs (KPIs)
  • Taking the traffic you already have and making the most of it

What Conversion Rate Optimization Is Not

  • Based on guesses, hunches, or what everyone else is doing
  • Driven by the highest paid person’s opinion
  • About getting as many users as possible, regardless of quality or engagement

Here are a few concepts and ideas that are good to know:

Call to Action (CTA)

The primary button, link or other user interface element that asks the user to take an action that leads to a conversion. A “Buy Now” button or “Sign Up” button, a “Download Now” are CTAs.

Conversion Funnel

This is the primary path of the user experience where visitors complete a conversion.

A/B or Split Testing

This is the testing of one version of a page or interface element against another version of the same thing. Each element is measured by its effectiveness in comparison to the other. In A/B testing only one thing is tested at a time.

Multivariate Testing (MVT)

MVT is the testing of multiple variations of many different page elements in various combinations to determine the best performing elements and combinations. For example, a multivariate landing test may test many variations of the pictures, copy, and calls to action used on the page in many combinations to find the best performer.

Watch for more insights on conversation rate optimization as we go forward into 2017. It’s where years of marketing evolution is converging.