Conversion rate optimization is a process designed to improve the ratio of website visitors who complete desired actions based on either subtle or direct requests. A successful conversion might be a website sale, a membership registration, a download, or even a completed contact form. The goal of a CRO campaign is to increase the number of website conversions from existing traffic as opposed to increasing traffic. The CRO process has really taken website design and marketing to a whole new level. It’s created a need for scientific analysis in an industry that has been anything but scientific.

Unfortunately most business owners don’t understand conversion rate optimization. We find this strange because the process can be so beneficial, especially to those in competitive industries. Consider this analogy. Suppose you meet a guy named Alex. Alex has never shot a basketball, and his first attempt doesn’t go very well. It’s so bad you can barely watch. Luckily there are several strategies Alex can implement to improve this ratio. They might include making adjustments to his form, changing the trajectory of his shot, increasing the ball’s backspin, etc. If he implements our suggestions and continues to fine-tune them as he practices, we would expect him to increase his field goal percentage. In a similar way websites can be modified and adjusted to improve their conversion ratio.

In the example above Alex represented a website, the ball represented a website visitor and the hoop represented a conversion. Did you notice that the suggestions for improvement focused on changes only Alex could make? Very little can be done to the basketball or hoop to improve Alex’s field goal percentage. Understanding that website visitors (the basketball) can come from any direction is very important, but knowing how to convert a healthy percentage of them can be game-changing.

Advanced CRO is just one of the things that separates Netmark Essentials from the competition. For us, CRO is one of the most important parts of a website marketing strategy. Businesses pay a lot for the traffic their website receives and it’s foolish to ignore strategies that can help convert a higher percentage of them. Remember that your website can be your best salesperson.

The CRO Process:

• Create a hypothesis for improving conversion rates on your website
• Decide which elements need to be tested to support your hypothesis
• Make the appropriate website changes & begin conversion testing
• Collect enough data to accurately draw conclusions from your test
• Review the changes in conversion performance & adjust appropriately