The CRO process
- Measure: set up reliable conversion tracking in Google Analytics and your ad platforms.
- Find the problems: see where visitors drop off, using analytics, heatmaps, session recordings, surveys and user tests.
- Form a hypothesis: for example, “a shorter form will bring more enquiries, because people abandon it at the phone field”.
- Test: run an A/B test that shows the old and the new version to different visitors.
- Learn and repeat: keep what works and move on to the next idea.
Common CRO improvements
- Clearer headlines and value propositions
- Stronger, more visible calls to action
- Shorter forms and simpler checkouts
- Reviews, guarantees and other trust signals
- Faster pages, especially on mobile
A/B tests need enough traffic and conversions to give reliable results. Sites with less traffic should focus on fixing the clear problems their research reveals.
CRO example
A company’s enquiry form has eight fields, and recordings show many visitors leaving at the phone number field. The team tests a version with four fields and no phone number. After two weeks and enough visits for a reliable result, the shorter form gets more enquiries, and the sales team reports that the leads are still good. The shorter form stays, and the team picks the next test.
A simple CRO roadmap
- Set the primary goal and make sure it is tracked correctly.
- Find the pages with the most visitors and the biggest drop-off.
- Collect evidence with analytics, heat maps, recordings and customer feedback.
- Write hypotheses and rank them by expected impact and effort.
- Run tests long enough to give a reliable result, and record what you learn.
CRO mistakes
- Testing small details like button colours before fixing big issues such as an unclear offer.
- Stopping tests early when one version looks ahead.
- Running tests on pages with too little traffic to show a difference.
- Copying another company’s results without testing on your own audience.
CRO FAQs
How much traffic do I need for A/B testing?
Enough conversions in each version to tell a real difference from chance, which is often hundreds. On small sites, improve with user feedback and make bigger changes. See A/B tests.
Is CRO part of SEO?
They support each other. SEO brings visitors, CRO turns more of them into customers. See conversion rate.