Conversion rate optimization

Conversion rate optimization is a powerful way to boost your digital sales. The most important goal of the CRO is to get your customer, that’s your website visitor or the new subscriber to your email newsletter, to convert to the decision that you want them to make.

What is conversion rate optimization?

Conversion rate optimization can be a lot of fun. It can also be very frustrating. By understanding the process, you can optimize your own website with more confidence and success. At the very least, you’ll know when you’re doing it right if your testing results show a performance increase in your site’s conversion rate!

CRO is not a linear act, with a predetermined path leading to desired results. It is more of an iterative process, which includes thoughtful trial and error as well as a number of useful techniques. To make this process as effective as possible, companies must conduct user testing and market research, as well as employ A/B testing to determine what will drive users to complete the desired action within their website. Once those results have been determined, it is up to the company to implement these insights and provide the best user experience possible. Through a combination of smart research, analysis, iteration (testing), and implementation of CRO tactics, your website can be optimized for conversions.

How to calculate the conversion rate?

The conversion rate is calculated by dividing the number of conversions (desired actions taken) by the total number of visitors and multiplying the result by 100 to get a percentage.

For example, if your web page had 31 sales and 575 visitors last month, your conversion rate is 31 divided by 575 (0.053), multiplied by 100 = 5.3%.

6 conversion rate optimization techniques for 2022

1. Make sure your website loads fast

To speed up your site, you should begin by running a website speed test at Google PageSpeed Insights. This will allow you to get an idea of where your website’s performance stands at all times. Next, think about which elements on your page are slowing things down. For example, images and videos can have a large impact on performance since the browser has to begin downloading them before they can be seen. Once you identify key problems either fix them or hire a freelance developer to help you out.

Recent studies found that increasing website speed can improve CRO up to 16%.

 A Shopzilla study found that faster loading pages increased conversions by 7-12%

A Firefox study found that improving site speed led to a 15.4% increase in conversions.

2. Design every page for just one purpose

The conclusion to draw here is that every page has a single purpose. Users need to get their message across quickly and therefore implement simplicity in the conversation that they’re trying to have with the user.

3. Keep your best content above the fold

The “above the fold” area of a web page is the most important part of the user experience. The “above the fold” area is critical for hooking users and making users want to scroll down. It shouldn’t be filled with images that provide little value to the customer. The key to using the “above the fold” area effectively is to strike the perfect balance between visual appeal and value proposition.

See below a good example of the above the fold design:

4. Reduce the number of fields in forms (especially mobile forms)

The takeaway here is simple. A lot of attention is being paid to designing more “beautiful” forms, but in doing so we are forgetting the core purpose of a form: to get the information we need from users in order for us to be able to fulfill their needs. The point is that by putting less fields on the form, you’re reducing friction (which can increase user abandonment) and ensuring that you’re only asking for the most crucial information. As mentioned before, I don’t recommend going below 3 fields (i.e. name, email and optional phone number). But if you must have more than 3 fields on your form in order to complete it successfully then consider breaking it down into 2 or more steps by offering the user advanced options that they can view/change once they get to the second step.

5. Make your CTAs stand out

Call-to-action isn’t just a button. It should be catchy and have a well thought design. While having a call-to-action can be beneficial, it is vital to make sure your page’s CTA text isn’t generic or flat. If you pay more attention to the design of your page; you will find that the conversion rate could rise quite steadily.

6. Use more dynamic pop-ups

Interesting and informative pop-ups can increase subscription rates by an enormous amount. Popup design is as much about what to leave out as what to include. It’s also more than just a pretty face. When it comes to pop-ups, consider making them more dynamic and interactive. The more personal they are, the better they convert readers into customers.

Conclusion

CRO is not a method for earning quick cash. You must have the patience to see through your efforts and make sure that you are continually doing the right things day in and day out.