Conversion rate optimization is said to be one of the most underused and overlooked techniques in digital marketing. But its impact cannot be understated…
It’s hard to overstate the potential financial impact that increased conversion rates can have on an e-commerce business.
Consider this scenario: Your website brings in $5,000,000 in revenue annually, with 1,000,000 visitors. Let’s say your conversion rate is 2%—you get 20,000 orders each year—and your average order value is $250.
With just a half of a percentage point increase in your conversion rate (to 2.5%), you would receive 25,000 total orders each year from the same number of visitors, bringing your annual revenue up to $6,250,000—that’s more than a million dollars in additional revenue each year.
What is conversion rate optimization?
Often referred to as CRO, conversion rate optimization is all about increasing the percentage of users or website visitors who take a desired action, like subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form, or making a purchase.
Techniques to increase conversions involve gathering data to understand how users navigate your site, interact with the content, and track their actions. Once you know a visitor’s behaviour, implement changes that will allow them to complete the desired goals.
Conversion rate optimization strategies
Several CRO tactics will increase the conversion rate of a page. Here are some ideas to consider:
Content
- Clearly articulate what you do. Have you ever gone on a website and weren’t sure what they did or even if you were on the right page? Ensuring that you clearly articulate your offering or value will help keep visitors on your site
Image source: toolset.com
- Tell them what you offer. Make it easier for your visitors to select the product that is right for them. In the Pottery Barn example below, the company listed their top categories under the primary navigation. However, you could include more about your offering and the value under the hero image.
Image source: potterybarn.com
- Build a pricing page. Pricing pages are popular, so they are great places to test your conversion rate optimization techniques to convert more prospects into customers. Give information about product features with each package, pricing options (price/month or price/year), specials, and how to contact your sales team. You can also use the pricing page to advertise specials or free trials to convert even more prospects.
Image source: hotjar.com
Design
- Style call-to-action buttons by priority.If your webpage has two or more CTA buttons beside each other, make the background of the less important button a less noticeable colour or even transparent.
Image source: toolset.com
- Eliminate unnecessary distractions. Make it easier for the user to navigate your site and make sense of your offering. Cramming too much content (or ads) makes it harder for the visitor to find what they are looking for (and convert). Below is an example of a busy homepage from cruise.co.uk that was eye-full (they have since redesigned their site).
Image source: tribulant.com
Authority
- Provide social proof. Not everyone is a trailblazer. Help build confidence in your company and products by showing how many companies are using your products, the names of some of your top customers, industry awards that you have won or testimonials about your company or products.
Image source: hubspot.com
Image source: hubspot.com
Entice
- Offer something for free. Almost everyone likes a sale or discounted product. In the example below, Shopify and Zendesk are offering free trials just above the fold to make it easier for prospects to get started.
Image source: shopify.com
Image source: zendesk.com
CRO101 for landing pages
Landing pages are a great way to drive specific visitors towards a particular action. However, a good landing page requires great design and content. Here are some tips on what to keep in mind when creating landing pages.
Content
- Compelling headline: Create a clear, attention-grabbing headline immediately communicating the value proposition. Use subheadings to elaborate on the headline.
- High-quality visuals: Choose images, videos, or graphics that support your headline. Remember to be mindful of image sizes so that they do not drastically affect page load time, which will deliver a poor visitor experience and affect your SEO performance.
- Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Add a prominent CTA button or link that tells visitors exactly what action to take next.
- Benefits and value proposition: Develop clear content that describes the value of the offer, product or service. I like using concise bullets and depending on the product, supporting content to elaborate on the benefits. In the example below, Zoho describes the benefits right under the hero image for maximum visibility.
Image source: zoho.com
Conversion
- Trust indicators: Include social proof elements demonstrating trust in your products, such as customer logos, testimonials, reviews, case studies, certifications, and security badges.
- Prominent form: To reduce conversion friction, opt for a short form that asks for the most essential information.
- Consistent branding: For a cohesive experience, ensure that your landing pages use the same colours, fonts, logos, tone of voice, and other brand characteristics.
- Mobile responsiveness: Ensure that your landing page is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices for greater conversion.
- Contact Information: Let visitors know who to contact if they have questions or need further assistance.
Measurement
- Analytics and tracking: Implement ways to track visitor behaviour nd measure the landing page’s effectiveness.
Incorporating these elements into a landing page helps create a persuasive, user-friendly, and high-converting visitor experience.
CRO metrics
The right metrics to measure the effectiveness of CRO tactics depend on your company/product type and goals.
For B2C and eCommerce brands, your KPIs might include:
- session time
- average order value or revenue per visit
- cart abandonment rate
- purchase conversion rate
- customer lifetime value.
With B2B companies your KPIs might be:
- newsletter signups
- white paper or eBook downloads
- free trial or demo signups
- sales inquiries
- sales cycle length.
Monitoring these metrics regularly can help organizations understand the effectiveness of their CRO strategies and identify areas for improvement.
Get CRO help
Are you looking to improve your website’s performance with conversion rate optimization? Let us audit your website and provide strategies to increase engagement and conversion.