Published: July 5, 2018
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) has been around since the dawn of the internet. CRO focuses on driving actions, or conversions, on a website and converting website visitors into customers. Lately, however, this digital advertising buzzword has been extra buzzy. Here at Envano, we’ve been CRO focused before it became a buzzword. Why?
Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
We are all about optimization. Optimization can stand on its own as a marketing buzzword. CRO, search engine optimization (SEO), people and traffic optimization (PTO), and social media optimization (SMO) all aim to enhance different aspects of your company’s marketing. They’ve each had their turn in the spotlight as the latest and greatest focus of your marketing.
So why CRO? It’s been gaining attention through the rising focus on user experience (UX), another acronym focused on how a user actually experiences your website. It’s no longer ‘good enough’ to just have a website — your website must meet users’ inquiries and needs in a simple way. UX and CRO can work hand in hand.
Getting Started with Conversions
Before you can even optimize for conversions, you have to determine if you have trackable conversions on your website. Conversions could be button clicks to a particular page, form submissions, clicks to call or text, or even a purchase, and should speak directly to your business or campaign goals.
All of these actions are trackable in analytics platforms like Google Analytics via code or a pixel placed on your site. A conversion rate is the percentage of how many website visitors actually take an action. After conversion tracking is in place, you’re ready for CRO.
Let’s Optimize
Like any other good optimization, you start with a little gut, data, gut:
1. First, gather data. When it comes to conversion rate benchmarking, you are your own benchmark. Take a close look at any conversion rates that are declining or seem low compared to others and start there.
2. Go with your gut and plan some tests. Consider adjusting the color or location of your buttons or the layout of your forms. Use a session replay or website heat mapping tool to watch how your users are responding to your adjustments.
3. After you’ve gathered a comparable amount of data, take a close look at how your changes impacted your conversion rate. If your experiment improved your conversion rate, you’ve successfully optimized.
Just remember, CRO is never quite done. Just like any other optimization, we must continue to meet the needs of our website visitors and customers in today’s fast-paced, technology-focused society.
Ready to optimize for conversions? Fill out our contact form and let’s chat!