What is Conversion Rate Optimization?
One of the biggest challenges that webmasters have is getting visitors to their websites. However, that is not sufficient. Getting people to your website is one thing, getting them to do something on the site is another.
As a webmaster, you must make good use of the traffic you get to your site. Quality calls to action are important here, and this is where conversion rate optimization (CRO) comes in handy. So what really is CRO?
CRO is a process where you systematically increase the number of visitors who come to your website and perform a specific action. Some of the actions you might need from the visitors include filling forms or making a purchase.
In CRO, the goal is to make sure you know what users do when they come to your site, and what is keeping them from doing what you hope they should.
Simply put, a conversion is a procedure where a visitor to your website performs one of the actions you consider site goals. There are macro-conversions and micro-conversions. Assuming you have an eCommerce website, your ultimate goal is selling items. This is your primary goal, hence a macro-conversion.
We also have smaller targets that happen before visitors to your site can complete micro-conversions, like signing up for your newsletter or subscribing. These are the micro-conversions. Others might include creating an account or loading a product to their cart.
The following are 12 reasons why you should consider investing in CRO:
- Making Data Guided Decisions
- Improved Results
- Gain More Customers
- Earn More Profits
- The Ultimate Weapon Against Competitors
- Understanding Your Customers
- Traffic Utility
- Beat the Competition
- Cost of Customer Acquisition
- Brand Awareness and Perception
- Get Google’s Approval
- Lifetime Customer Value
You need an apt data science team to help you understand these things, and how they relate to your website as it is at the moment. A lot of webmasters have data that they do not understand, or know what to do with.
A good understanding of the data you have at your disposal will go a long way in boosting your marketing efforts.
1. Making Data Guided Decisions
Data analysis is all about using data to make important decisions about your website. You no longer have to make decisions based on what your gut tells you is right, but use data instead. Through CRO, you can conduct A/B tests, study and evaluate results and have a better shot at making smart decisions about your website and your strategies for the future.
“One of the best things about CRO is that you can make simple decisions that have a profound impact on your website. The results are tangible, and you have a better shot at improving performance this way.”
2. Improved Results
One of the best things about CRO is that you can make simple decisions that have a profound impact on your website. The results are tangible, and you have a better shot at improving performance this way.
Take a situation where you change the color of one of the buttons on your website. If in testing this proved to earn you 10% more clicks from visitors, you can look forward to 10% clicks when you roll it out. This is far much better than worrying about conversions made from changes to your website without testing.
3. Gain More Customers
Every business strives to get more paying customers each day. As you keep optimizing your website, one of the main targets is often to try and get as many customers as you possibly can. You should have a business analytics expert go through your website, and advise you accordingly.
The emphasis here should be on creating a good user experience for your visitors. This should help you build on the traffic that you are currently enjoying, and even manage to convert more visitors into paying customers.
4. Earn More Profits
One of the perks of conversion rate optimization is that it helps you boost your revenue projections. You have a team of experts who will study the data from your website, and use this to help you understand why you are earning what you are right now, and how they can assist you to make a scalable improvement on your current net earnings from the website.
This is where business intelligence comes in handy. Even the slightest improvement in your conversion rates can always result in significant profits. This is different from what you notice with advertising.
In CRO, you are looking at prospects of tangible, and immediate return on your investment. The best thing about it is that your money will be streaming into your account, not advertisers.
5. The Ultimate Weapon Against Competitors
It is no secret that most websites are already running some form of CRO at the moment. More often, your competitors will study your website in order to see what you are doing, especially with regard to SEO or marketing on social media. This is obvious. However, with conversion rate optimization, things are slightly different.
It is virtually impossible for a competitor to run a test on your website and figure out what techniques you are using. In data science, there is a wide range of tools and methods that can be used in different proportions to help you get the perfect results you seek. Therefore, unless you leak the information to someone, your key to success will remain your secret.
6. Understanding Your Customers
One of the most important things for any business is to try and understand the customers. You should know the demographic composition and what they need from you. This helps you align your business objectives and the customer needs, and in the long run, allows you to build a smart and effective marketing strategy.
“The idea behind CRO is not necessarily about getting more traffic, but it is making sure that you convert the ones you already have into customers.”
7. Traffic Utility
Perhaps one of the best things about CRO is that you get to work with what you already have. The traffic you currently have is useful in this regard. After setting up and having all systems running, it is the traffic your website currently receives through any other digital marketing practices you have been using, that will convert into a revenue stream.
The idea behind CRO is not necessarily about getting more traffic, but it is making sure that you convert the ones you already have into customers.
8. Beat the Competition
If you have actively invested in conversion rate optimization, you have a better shot at your competitors. In a market as tough and with competition so stiff, at times all you need is to be more efficient than everyone else, and you will bag the results you desire.
You have to think outside the box, go the extra mile for you to beat the competition. This is like race. A number of athletes might make it to the finish line at the same time, but the one who stretches their body earliest and furthest across the finish line will be the winner.
9. Cost of Customer Acquisition
There are different plans that you might have for your business as it is. Most people struggle to raise sufficient money for PPC or their social media marketing campaigns. In this case, by investing in CRO, you should be able to free up more money for some of the other plans you have for your business.
A properly optimized website will allow you access to quality traffic, and all the traffic you are earning from other strategies and campaigns will also increase in the process.
CRO is, therefore, one of the most effective money-making cycles you will come across, and you will certainly appreciate it.
10. Brand Awareness and Perception
In data analysis, one of the things you try to achieve is to give your website authority. An authoritative website is legitimate in the eyes of your visitors. At the moment there are a lot of fake websites and many people have fallen victim to scams. Given the increase in security concerns online, you have to be vigilant about your information online.
Practically, your website should be the first point of contact with your customers, so it is only fair that you make it look good. This inspires trust and confidence and can encourage visitors to buy something. In the process, you will succeed at reducing friction, which eventually helps you establish a truly professional brand.
11. Get Google’s Approval
Building on the concept of an authority website, Google will rank your website better if you can deliver what online searchers are looking for. If you have a very high bounce rate, they will automatically assume there is a good reason why that is happening, and this affects your rankings online.
It would be a good sign if people searched for something, found your website, and ended up completing their search there. This is a good sign that users are satisfied with what they find, and will help you rank higher.
12. Lifetime Customer Value
Marketing is not just about having people clicking on links, it is also about creating a credible rapport with your customers. With CRO, we can funnel visitors for you psychologically and physically, to enable them to complete their purchase.
When done properly, CRO will prop all the other marketing techniques you are already working on, and in the long run, you end up with a lot of customers who consider your website their trusted place for anything they need.
Conversion rate optimization is one element of web analytics that will help you boost your digital marketing experience. This is about making your website as effective and efficient as you can ever imagine. It might sound like a daunting task, but only if you struggle with it on your own.