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Why Conversion Rate Optimisation is an Astute Idea

12/10/2018 - Digital Marketing

When it comes to measuring and quantifying online success, it’s easy to get caught up in a world of numbers.

You might have a great site with a great web design and an effective digital marketing strategy, and as a result you continuously see strong traffic numbers.

If this is the case then great! You want people coming to your site. You want them to like what they see and be impressed by your brand.

But above all else, you want them to buy from you. So in terms of digital commerce, there’s really only one statistic that concerns the powers at be – profit margins.

Small things can make a big difference when it comes to the purchasing journey. Any hiccups along the way only increase the likelihood of a potential customer getting fed up and searching somewhere else.

So if you’re looking at your visitor stats and liking what you see, but this not being reflected in your profitability, then carrying out conversion rate optimisation could hold the key to greater online success.

Man using a laptop on a dark wooden desk

Why CRO is the way to go

A conversion rate optimisation (CRO) project focuses on getting more of your site visitors to become customers by delivering a heightened, efficient user experience.

There are many factors that contribute to whether a customer journey ends in a purchase or site abandonment. From the point of view of an online retailer, it’s all about making things as simple as possible for the shopper to make their decision.

To do this, it’s vital that the customer journey is analysed and understood. That way, any pain points or inefficiencies can be identified. Is there some important information that’s not made clear enough to a visitor? Is navigating the site problematic? Is the checkout process too convoluted?

This can be done using tools such as heat maps to see where visitors are heading on your site, and close analysis of website data, purchasing patterns and more. You could also look to gain customer feedback and user research to get a rounded view of things.

Once you have insightful information around how your site is being used, you can start to identify why the site is being used as it is.

Essentially, at the heart of successful CRO is gaining a better understanding of customer behaviour on your website. So once you know what your customer is dealing with, you can start to think of ways to make their experience smoother.

New ideas can be tried and tested, and a structured plan around ways to engage with site visitors can be created.

That starts with page design. Is your site making it clear and obvious how a transaction is completed? Can your customers easily navigate through your site and buy from you? If your UI design isn’t on the money, this is only going to have a negative impact on your conversion rate.

Content can also play a large role in conversion rates. You want every piece of content and information your site contains to be relevant, informative and engaging. This can be achieved through the creation of ‘personas’, that positively reflect your brand and provide information while garnering engagement with site visitors.

Equally, regular performance updates around content can give a greater insight into how visitors are engaging with these elements of your site, giving you a better understanding of what’s hitting the mark and what isn’t.

Analysis, testing and planning also have a major role to play when it comes to conversion rate success.

By adding CRO to your business plan, you can really help tie together your aims and unite your team with a single goal – delivering the best customer experience you can.