Conversion Optimization
The systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take desired actions.
Definition
Conversion optimization, or CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization), applies data analysis, user research, and testing to improve website performance. The goal is getting more visitors to complete target actions—purchases, signups, downloads, or inquiries—without increasing traffic.
CRO methodologies include A/B testing, multivariate testing, heatmap analysis, user session recordings, and surveys. Effective optimization is iterative, continuously testing hypotheses and implementing winners.
Why It Matters
Optimization multiplies the value of existing traffic. Improving conversion rate from 2% to 3% increases revenue by 50% without additional marketing spend.
Systematic optimization also builds organizational learning, developing understanding of customer psychology and preferences that informs broader strategy.
Examples in Practice
Testing headline variations improves landing page conversion rate by 35%, generating an additional 200 leads monthly from existing traffic.
Adding customer testimonials to product pages increases add-to-cart rate by 18%, directly impacting revenue without additional acquisition costs.
Simplifying a registration form from 8 fields to 4 doubles completion rate, dramatically improving marketing campaign ROI.