CRO: Good Tests Require Good Data

A large portion of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) methodology relies on testing which version, or asset, is performing well. This relies on accurate data from across all your marketing channels, which means that investing in the right tools to capture this data – as well as those with capability to use the data to improve CRO – goes a long way to increasing ROI.

Let’s first be frank here: Whatever the ultimate goal of your website efforts (even on behalf of your clients, if you’re a marketing representative), a conversion is the successful completion of that action. As a prime metric in eCommerce, Conversion Rate (CR) reports the percentage of a site’s total traffic completing a certain goal; of course, the higher the conversion rate, the more optimum. Conversion Rate Optimization is the process wherein a site is optimized to increase the likelihood that visitors will complete a particular action.

The summation of data from every available channel is vital when understanding the customer journey, but it is still critical to employ staff who boast the right skills to not only analyze it but create actionable insight. Furthermore, it is important to collect and analyze data from offline sources such as call centers, because combining this with online data is the only way to build a complete and accurate picture of customers…and what their behavior patterns will look like in the future.

Feedback can be collected in a myriad of ways, some more user-friendly than others, but all can be used to improve the customer experience – even if that improvement means putting an end to constant survey pop-ups. It must also be noted that regular testing doesn’t just equate to a possible increase in conversion – it will also lead to a better user experience by way of removing barriers, simplifying forms and clarifying navigation. These elements can all lead to an improved customer journey and make a website a much better place to browse.

The goal of CRO in 2016 is not to manipulate visitors into converting…it’s to ease the journey of a previously interested or engaged visitor through a website until he or she has achieved the outcome desired. Here’s a good example of what we mean: If an online shopper searched for ‘blue sweatpants’ and landed on your particular product page (or that of your client’s), chances are he or she wants to purchase the product; so it’s not trickery to try and make it as simple or even enjoyable as possible.

Believe us when we tell you that this customer will return for future purchases and recommend the site/online store to others.