7 effective conversion rate optimisation strategies

Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is the systematic process of increasing the share of visitors who take the action you want, such as requesting a demo, signing up or buying. The most effective strategies are to show social proof, test your landing pages, answer questions in real time, explain your offer with video, write calls to action that match what visitors need, add text links to your offers and bring back visitors who left.

CRO makes better use of the traffic you already have. Instead of paying for more visitors, you get more results from the ones who arrive.

What is a conversion rate?

Your conversion rate is the number of conversions divided by the number of visitors. If 200 people visit a page in a day and 30 sign up for your newsletter, the conversion rate for that day is 15%.

A conversion is whatever action matters for that page: a form submission, a free trial, a purchase or a download. A low rate usually points to a problem you can fix, such as a slow page, a broken or long form, an unclear offer or copy that does not match what the visitor expected.

Why does CRO matter?

Improving conversion rates can:

• Increase leads and sales from the same traffic
• Lower the cost of acquiring each customer
• Improve the experience for visitors, because you remove friction
• Teach you what your audience actually responds to

Page speed is part of this. Google's Core Web Vitals measure loading, responsiveness and visual stability. Google considers a page good when Largest Contentful Paint is within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint is under 200 milliseconds and Cumulative Layout Shift is under 0.1.

Where should you apply CRO on your website?

Landing pages

Landing pages are built for one action, which makes them the natural place to start. Add case studies and customer quotes, keep the form short and show a preview of what visitors get, for example the first pages of a guide.

Homepage

The homepage is often the first point of contact. Make it easy to understand what you do and for whom, and give clear paths to product pages, pricing and a sign-up or demo form.

Blog

Blog posts attract visitors who are researching. Turn some of them into leads with a relevant offer in the article, such as a checklist or template related to the topic, and an email sign-up for readers who want more. Our guide to increasing conversions on your About page covers another often-overlooked page.

How do you build a CRO strategy?

A CRO strategy is a structured, continuous process:

1. Measure. Set up analytics so you know your current conversion rates by page and traffic source.
2. Research. Find where visitors drop off. Look at analytics, form data, heatmaps and session recordings, and ask customers and sales what holds buyers back.
3. Hypothesise. Write down what you will change, why and what you expect to happen.
4. Test. Run the change as an A/B test where you have enough traffic.
5. Learn. Keep what works, record what you learned and form the next hypothesis.

7 CRO strategies to test

1. Use social proof

Social proof, also called informational social influence, is the tendency to copy what others do when we are unsure how to act. On your website, that means customer testimonials, case studies with real results, review ratings, customer logos and certifications. Place them close to the point where visitors decide, such as next to a form or on the pricing page.

2. Run landing page tests

A/B testing compares two versions of a page to see which performs better. Test one meaningful change at a time: the headline, the offer, the form fields, the images or the page layout. Let tests run long enough to reach a reliable result.

Google Optimize, once a popular free option, was discontinued on 30 September 2023. Google now points users to third-party A/B testing tools that integrate with Google Analytics.

3. Use live chat

Live chat lets you answer questions while visitors are deciding. Add it to high-intent pages, such as pricing and product pages. You can also trigger a message after someone has spent time on a page, offering help with a specific question. Make sure someone, or a well-configured chatbot, can actually answer.

4. Use explainer videos

A short video can explain a product or a complex idea faster than text. Put it near the top of a landing or product page, keep it focused on the problem and the outcome, and end with a clear next step. Add captions so people can follow along without sound.

5. Write CTAs that anticipate user needs

Give each page one primary call to action that matches what the visitor wants at that moment. Someone reading a beginner's guide may want a checklist. Someone on the pricing page may want a demo. Use clear, specific wording, such as "Get the pricing guide" rather than "Submit". If you are unsure what visitors expect, look at what the pages ranking for the same search offer.

6. Add text-based CTAs

Many visitors skip anything that looks like a banner, and many do not read to the end of an article. A text link inside the content that leads to a relevant offer can perform well. Use action words in the anchor text, such as "download the template", so readers know what they get.

7. Retarget visitors who left

Most visitors leave without converting. Retargeting shows ads to people who have visited your site as they browse elsewhere. Make the ads specific to the page they saw, with a clear offer and strong creative.

In the EU, cookies used for behavioural advertising generally need the visitor's consent before they are placed. Check that your cookie banner and retargeting setup respect those choices.

Where to go next

Start with your highest-traffic page that has a clear conversion goal, find the biggest point of friction and test one change. For more ideas, read our posts on advanced techniques to boost conversion rates and personalising your website.