From SEO to CRO: An Introduction to Conversion Rate Optimisation

Conversion rate optimisation is the art of creating the best environment possible for the user to complete the conversion point.

Here in the Parallax content team we work on driving high value leads to our client’s websites through well planned digital marketing strategies and content production.

However, getting the user to the website is only half the battle, what do they do when they get there? How can you encourage them to complete web actions that are created for your business objectives? How can you encourage them to complete a transaction?

Conversion Rate Optimisation

In today’s conversion driven digital world SEO must start with design. Content and design must work together ensuring a smooth journey from the landing page to checkout. Search marketing is pointless unless your website is optimised to convert visits from organic search.

After all, there is no point in driving rich organic traffic to your website if your visitors aren’t welcomed with an experience to encourage them to complete the desired action.

Digital agencies whose search marketing objectives are purely keyword ranking oriented are going out of business; and if they’re not, they’re on their way. Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) became a buzzword for digital marketers towards the back end of 2013 and this has rumbled into 2014 as the rise of m-commerce has risen at an incredible rate.

There are multiple elements to creating successful a high level conversion rate. These all fall under the UX umbrella but can be broken down into the following elements within that:

• Landing pages
• Design
• Content
• Functionality
• Calls to action

Get these elements right and the valuable leads whether worth twenty pounds or twenty thousand pounds will come, providing you’ve laid a strong marketing strategy to get the user to the target page.

What Are Conversion Points?

These can be unique depending on your business objectives and the industry you are involved in. There are many different types of conversion points, which should be designed and built with the focus on the user’s experience in mind as well as making their journey to conversion as easy as possible.

Example conversion points:

• A user completing an online transaction
• A user registering for an event
• A user signing up for a product trial
• A user submitting a contact form
• A user signing onto a newsletter list

There are multiple conversion points for some websites but nearly all websites will have a common conversion point: lead generation. Contact pages are regularly A/B tested to ensure that users are encouraged (often to the point of their subconsciousness) to complete a form for that all important business lead. This is particularly crucial for lead generation for businesses whose average customer is worth tens of thousands of pounds. CRO for businesses who have high value customers is essential.

Have you seen any outstanding or shocking examples of web design for converting users? Let us know, as we’ll be showcasing some of the best examples of web design for conversion optimisation along with some of the worst next week on our blog.

Keen to improve your website’s conversion rate ? Get in touch for a chat here