What Is Conversion Rate Optimization?

Have you ever wondered why you don’t see the desired results, even though your website and landing pages get tons of visitors and have the necessary wording, captivating imagery, and the necessary call-to-actions? 

The reason could be that your site is not optimized for CRO.

CRO, or Conversion Rate Optimization, is the process of improving your online presence, specifically websites, landing pages, and marketing funnels, to increase your business’s conversion rate. 

(You may have heard the phrase website conversion optimization before; it refers to the same thing as CRO.) 

The word “conversion” in this instance can mean many things – making a one-time purchase or monthly subscription, subscribing to a newsletter, signing up for an introductory webinar, leaving contact information for a callback, or any other action aligned with your business goals. 

So, how do you optimize for CRO?

Let’s define it first. We will then explore some benefits such optimization can bring to your info-product business and discuss the best practices for implementing it. 

Key Elements Of CRO

Conversion Rate Optimization consists of 2 main elements, both of which are in its name: Conversion Rate and Optimization.

The conversion rate is calculated by dividing the total number of conversions by the total amount of site visitors and multiplying the result by 100. 

For example, if your site gets 5000 visitors and 500 converts, your conversion rate is 10%. (500 / 5000) x 100 = 10%

Optimization is the ongoing process of implementing necessary changes, analyzing user behavior, and testing solutions to improve your conversion rate. 

Why Optimize For CRO?

Info product businesses tend to rely heavily on websites and landing pages to attract, engage, and convert visitors into customers, which is why conversion rate optimization is essential for the success of such businesses. 

Let’s take a look at what Conversion Rate Optimization can do for your business…

• Increase Revenue Without Increasing Traffic: If your site or landing page is optimized for CRO, your conversions will increase without a need for additional traffic.
  
  Additional traffic is never a bad thing; however, it takes more time and, sometimes, money to acquire.
  
  When you optimize for conversions, you are simply revising the usability, accessibility, and visibility of your site, streamlining the needed processes for your visitors.
  
  
• Build Trust And Authority: Info product businesses rely on credibility and previous case studies.
  
  CRO can spotlight and emphasize your credentials and positive reviews from existing customers. It can also highlight details of your products or services, ensuring buyers know what to expect.
  
  Conversion rate optimization works closely with automation and your sales funnel, which means it provides the necessary information to the necessary users at the right time and place.
  
  
• Stand Out Against Competition: No matter your niche, you will face competition and saturation.
  
  Your e-book is not the only one out there, just like Nike, which is not the only active clothing brand.
  
  Your e-book, though, might be much better than a hundred others, just like Nike’s clothing is much better than Target or Fila (for some, at least).
  
  However, no matter how good your product is, people might never discover it if your website or landing page isn’t optimized for conversions.
  
  CRO helps you stand out against your competition by streamlining the purchase process, creating a better user experience, and highlighting the main benefits of your product or service.
  
  
• Maximize ROI: Most of your website visitors come from paid ads from Google, Instagram, and Facebook Ads, so ensuring everything is set up for easy conversions in everything that comes after the ad helps you maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS).
  
  Conversion rate optimization ensures that you convert as many visitors as possible.
  
  
• Opportunities For Limited Time Offers: Info product businesses often use urgency tactics to increase interest and boost sales. CRO ensures that special deals, sales, offers, and rewards are presented at the right place and time.  
  
  
• Reduce Abandoned Carts: Many businesses lose revenue from people abandoning their carts. This can happen for various reasons: perhaps the person is unsure of the product’s value, or the checkout process is too long or complicated.
  
  CRO can simplify the checkout process, offer easy upsells and cross-sells, present the necessary value reassurance by showcasing good reviews, and leverage automation to retarget and follow up with visitors and leads. 
  
  

The sum of everything mentioned above efficiently scales your business to the next level. The goal of conversion rate optimization is to improve all of the steps within the customer journey, eliminating many, if not all, objections before and during the transaction. 

Pro Tips For Implementing CRO

It should go without saying that implementing any marketing tactic should begin with understanding your target audience and defining clear goals for your business. Without these two components, your business will just remain an LLC or S-Corp on paper and will not produce any results for you. 

That being said, let’s explore some practical tactics for adapting your online presence for conversion rate optimization. 

• Improve Website Usability And Visibility: Leverage tools like Hotjar to understand user behavior on your website. This will help you improve your website’s usability and visibility.
  
  You can simplify navigation and revise and reduce the steps necessary to complete specific actions.
  
  You can also speed up your site’s loading time by compressing media; you can test it with tools like Google Page Speed Insights.
  
  Make sure your website is user-friendly and offers valuable information.
  
  
• Enhance Value Proposition: Ensure that your visitors can easily find and see information on how your product or service solves their problems or adds value to their lives.
  
  Make the information appealing and captivating. This includes its visual appeal, such as graphics, dynamics, and media (imagery, infographics, or videos).
  
  Remember to include social proof, such as testimonials and reviews. People tend to trust people more than businesses.
  
  
• Strengthen Your CTA’s: Your call-to-actions (CTAs) need to be clear, easy to understand, action-oriented, and be placed strategically.
  
  Use phrases like “Start Free Trial,” “Sign Up For The Webinar,” or “Download Now.”
  
  Ensure your CTAs are visible on all key pages; use contrasting colors, strong fonts, and large buttons. 
  
  
• Leverage A/B Testing: Experiment with different layouts, imagery, and ads. Test one element at a time to make analyzing your results more manageable.
  
  Analyze the results after each change and implementation; adapt your content to the best-performing revision.
  
  
• Leverage Retargeting: Use ads to re-engage visitors who did not convert. Follow up with those who abandoned their carts through email, chat, or text; send reminders and offer discounts or limited-time deals. 
  
  
• Create Urgency: Offer limited-time discounts, bonuses, and rewards. Indicate limited seat availability for courses and webinars, showcase waitlists, and let people know that they need to qualify to be a part of your program (even if you intend to accept them regardless).
  
  The fear of missing out on something unique or limited often pushes the users to take the action you need them to take, whether that is signing up for a webinar, scheduling a “qualification” call, or making a purchase.
  
  
• Streamline Conversions: Simplify your checkout process, offer as many payment types as you possibly can (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Credit Card, checking account, or financing), use autofill to make forms easier to complete, and, if possible, avoid asking to create an account to make a purchase. 
  
  Reassure users that their personal and financial information is safe and secure on your platform and will not be used for any other transaction without their consent.
  
  Ensure they consent to the terms and conditions regarding monthly subscriptions or recurring purchases.
  
  

Closing Remarks

Conversion Rate Optimization is a combination of multiple continuous processes that involve analyzing user behavior, updating and streamlining customer journey processes, upgrading layouts and designs, and taking any other actions that could simplify your website’s functionalities.

The purpose, of course, is to guide users to convert or take the desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or signing up for a recurring subscription. CRO helps you maximize ROI, reduce abandoned carts, and increase revenue without increasing traffic. 

To achieve better and faster results with CRO, follow the steps described above and optimize your website’s or landing page’s usability, visibility, and functionality! 

The Vavoza Team wishes you success in scaling your business, so subscribe to Vavoza Insider and stay tuned for more actionable marketing tips weekly! 

Always Be A VIP! 

– Steph