What is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

Conversion Rate Optimization – actions aimed at optimizing the conversion rate, i.e., increasing the percentage of users taking the desired action on your website (e.g., filling out a contact form, subscribing to a newsletter, making a purchase).

The above definition is very general because CRO is a very broad concept. It includes a variety of strategies, the effectiveness of which depends on the needs of a specific case.  Conversion rate optimization depends primarily on what your website looks like at the moment and what type of business you are in – each situation requires an individual approach, so an online store will need a different strategy than a website that offers a specific service.

What Should You Pay Attention to When Optimizing Your Website?

The process of optimization may include many elements such as:

• Content marketing: The quality of the content on your website has a huge impact on its reception by both users and search engines, so it is worth paying attention to the topicality and readability of your content, but also the timeliness and reliability of the information you provide.
• Payment methods: Offering users a quick and convenient option to finalize their purchase increases the chance of conversion, and the availability of diverse payment methods can encourage more users to make a purchase.
• UX and UI: Complicated website navigation and too many steps that a user has to take between entering the website and achieving the desired effect, e.g., making a purchase, may act as a deterrent. Therefore, making your website intuitive, but also adaptable to mobile devices, should be among your priorities.
• Contact forms: The forms on your website provide users with a chance to contact you and ask questions about the offer – their efficiency and functionality are therefore important factors that directly affect the quality of the service you provide.
• Page speed: Site loading speed affects both search engine results and user satisfaction, thus effectively affecting the conversion rate as well. The longer it takes for your website to fully load, the higher the number of users that will simply go to your competitors’ website instead.
• Competitiveness and attractiveness of the offer: Whether your potential customers decide to take advantage of your offer or not depends on how it is presented. So increasing your website’s attractiveness and checking how it looks compared to your competitors can give you great results.

There are many aspects in which you can improve your website and make it more accessible to users – from improving the quality of your content and contact forms to advanced changes in the payment systems offered. It is best to start optimization with changes that are the easiest and fastest to implement. If improving your website’s UX requires working with a graphic designer, other changes can be made while waiting for such a project to be completed. Such changes may include content optimization or adding a button/form to selected subpages among others.

What Should You Analyze for Your Optimization to Be Effective?

To be effective, your optimization efforts must be based on accurate data. However, it is also important to remember that analyzing user behavior is a very complex process. The results of your store can vary greatly, e.g., due to the seasonality of the offer, so when analyzing the data, you should be aware that some factors are beyond your control. If you cannot clearly determine the direction your strategy should take, carrying out appropriate A/B tests may be a good solution. Such tests allow you to divide users into two groups – those who will see the changed version of the website and those for whom the changes will not be visible.

Among the important issues that should be analyzed are the answers to the following questions:

• Where do your visitors come from? How do they find their way to your website?
• What is the first page most of your visitors see?
• Which devices are used to access your website? Is it optimized for mobile devices?
• On which pages do users spend most of their time?
• Where are the users from? If your offer is limited to people from a particular region, it is worth checking whether they are the ones visiting your website.
• How fast does your website load? According to the latest statistics, if the loading time is too long by even just one second, the conversion rate can decrease by as much as 7%.

Using the available analytical tools such as Google Analytics will help you find answers to the questions listed above, and, with such information, you will be able to develop an effective strategy and set a goal to focus on in the near future.