Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a multi-layered concept, leveraging UX design, copywriting best practices, SEO, and more to influence conversion. In this article, we discuss how marketers can:
- Start by measuring conversion rates via analytics
- Avoid three pitfalls on their CRO roadmap
- Follow five CRO best practices to achieve stellar outcomes
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is an essential element in any digital marketer’s arsenal. It ensures that the traffic flowing onto your website converts into actual, quantifiable outcomes. However, when it comes to designing a campaign, marketers often prioritize other website optimization techniques such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) over CRO. This is a major oversight, as SEO may direct traffic to your website, but without CRO, will only lead to low engagement and a high bounce rate.
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What Is CRO and How Do You Get Started?
“Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the process of increasing the number of conversions, from visitors to customers, on your website or online channels. Conversions are recorded when new users/visitors turn into subscribers, customers, click on your ads or fill out forms/surveys.”
Conversion Rate Optimization entails creating a website that is perfectly attuned to garner the desired outcome. For an e-commerce site, this might mean an increase in “add to cart” actions. For an online publication, CRO could be to increase subscriber volumes.
B2B marketers could use some CRO best practices to guide users into their product/service catalog. The first step to CRO is to measure your current and previous conversion rates. Google Analytics (or any other marketing analytics tool) will help you measure the number of daily/weekly/ monthly visitors to your website, find out how many people clicked on a particular link or product and thereby help you calculate your conversion rate.
It is important to understand the precise goals your website needs to achieve. For instance, if your website has 5000 visitors per month, generating 100 leads, your initial conversion rate will be two percent. But, if 10 out of those 100 leads turn into customers, that means your conversion rate stands at 0.2 percent.
Learn more: Conversion Rate Optimization — Best Strategies to Optimize your Website for Conversions
So, why are these calculations critical for marketers when exploring Conversion Rate Optimization best practices? Well, without knowing where you stand, it is almost impossible to try and do better! Find out how to interpret key digital marketing data here.
Why You Could Be Overlooking CRO in your Digital Marketing Strategy
Despite its clear impact on the bottom line, there are several reasons why CRO isn’t allocated its fair share of budgets and efforts. This is because:
1. Digital Marketing Campaigns Over-Stress New Customer Acquisition
This has been a topic of heated debate among marketers. Is gaining new customers more geared to ROI than trying to maximize existing ones? In reality, your existing customer base can be an attractive audience simply waiting to be converted into real revenues. While outbound marketing can help get new customers into your ecosystem, this will be useless without a stable CRO methodology in place. By following Conversion Rate Optimization best practices, you can ensure that every visitor – new and existing – is directed to a specific Call to Action (CTA) meant for that interaction.
2. There is no Single, One-Dimensional Definition for Conversion Rate Optimization
Optimizing conversion is a long-term effort, comprising many factors. For instance, your website’s homepage needs to be carefully designed in terms of design, functionality, usability, intuitiveness, and finally, persuasiveness. You could also explore a blog section, leverage “good” User Experience (UX) principles, and re-approach copywriting from a conversion perspective. In all of this, there is no single CRO best practice that guarantees immediate results after implementation, it’s the optimal combination that works.
3. CRO Effectiveness can be Difficult to Measure
Because of its many levers and elements, the impact of Conversion Rate Optimization efforts takes some time to show. In contrast, metrics such as SEO and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads can be quantified faster using available MarTech tools. However, CRO should remain a priority because, in the long run, not optimizing your website experience could put a dent in your SEO and PPC efforts.
Learn more: 5 Strategies for Success in Conversion Rate Optimization
5 Tips to Ensure Optimum Conversion Rates
In many ways, your digital marketing strategy should prioritize conversion rates optimization. We recommend making CRO best practices a constant in your long-term content and website strategy so that no impression is wasted, no click goes unnoticed, and ultimately, no visitor goes un-converted. To do this, here are five CRO best practices:
- Refresh your blog/s with text-based CTAs embedded across the content as well as relevant banner ads that function as “lead flows.”
Learn more: 4 Conversion Opportunities You Had No Idea You Were Missing Out On
- Remove friction from the sales and marketing experience; for example, visitors signing up for demos can be converted, which means that you should have a sales pitch integrated into your marketing plan.
- Optimize the highest performing content — analytics will tell you exactly which assets are getting the most traffic, thereby, guiding CRO actions.
- Add PPC to the mix by re-targeting visitors who interacted with your website (especially high performing assets) without being converted.
- Remember to run A/B tests after making every optimization change.
Learn more: A Simple Guide to A/B Testing for Marketers
Key Takeaways for Marketers
By following the guidelines and CRO best practices mentioned in this article – in combination with other tactics, including SEO, UX, and PPC – you can make the most of your online real estate. In fact, CRO isn’t just a methodology; it is an “attitude,” where every action is geared to convert. All the components of your marketing mix should work seamlessly together as part of your larger CRO blueprint.
How has Conversion Rate Optimization helped meet your marketing goals? Share your experience with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.