Conversion Rate Optimization Strategies
Season: 2 | Episode: 9
Published: March 17, 2025
By: Byer Co
This podcast episode from Byer Co. provides a comprehensive guide to conversion rate optimization (CRO). It explains what CRO is, how it improves business outcomes by increasing conversions, and details various strategies for optimizing websites. The guide covers topics such as understanding user experience (UX), crafting compelling calls-to-action (CTAs), utilizing analytics tools, A/B testing, personalization, and addressing cart abandonment. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of continuous testing and alignment with overall business goals.
Link: Conversion Rate Optimization Strategies
Keywords: Marketing,ecommerce,online sales,web design,conversion rate optimization
Episode Transcript
00:00:00 - 00:00:05
Welcome back to the all new digital rage. I'm Jeff the producer here at Byer Company.
00:00:05 - 00:00:10
Today we talk about conversion rate optimization strategies. We deep dive into what it takes
00:00:10 - 00:00:14
to get website visitors to take the desired actions and the effort it takes to nurture
00:00:14 - 00:00:22
leads. Let's go. Welcome to our deep dive everybody. Today we're going to unpack this
00:00:22 - 00:00:29
idea, this concept of conversion rate optimization, CRO. We all want to know how to turn those,
00:00:29 - 00:00:35
you know, window shoppers into actual buyers, those browsers into loyal customers. And that's
00:00:35 - 00:00:40
what we're here to dig into today. Something exciting. It is. And we're going to be using an article
00:00:40 - 00:00:46
by Jeff Byer as our guide. It's called effective strategies for boosting conversion rates.
00:00:46 - 00:00:51
Just came out on January 22nd. One of the things that jumped out at me right away is that, you know,
00:00:51 - 00:00:56
a lot of times we think of CRO as like this quick fix, but buyers saying, no, no, this is like an
00:00:56 - 00:01:00
ongoing relationship. It's not a one night stand. Yeah, it's a really interesting comparison. You know,
00:01:00 - 00:01:04
you can't just, you can't just expect people to fall head over heels without putting in the effort.
00:01:04 - 00:01:10
Exactly. Exactly. So, okay, let's back up a second. What exactly is CRO? The article defines it as
00:01:10 - 00:01:15
increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action. Okay, so it's not just about
00:01:15 - 00:01:20
getting people to your website. It's about making sure they actually do what you want them to do
00:01:20 - 00:01:27
once they're there. Right. So, it could be anything from buying a product to signing up for newsletter,
00:01:27 - 00:01:31
to I don't know, downloading a white paper, whatever your goal is. Yeah, whatever that goal is,
00:01:31 - 00:01:36
whatever that kind of key action is. Yeah. So, it's about making your website work harder, not just,
00:01:36 - 00:01:42
sorry, work smarter, not harder. But why? Why is it so important to get those conversions?
00:01:42 - 00:01:46
Well, imagine if you could, I don't know, like double your sales without spending an extra dime
00:01:46 - 00:01:52
on advertising. Okay, I'm listening. That's, that's the potential of CRO, right? Yeah.
00:01:52 - 00:01:57
It's about getting the most out of your existing traffic, squeezing every last drop of value out of
00:01:57 - 00:02:02
those visitors. Okay, so it's not just about those vanity metrics, you know, the number of likes
00:02:02 - 00:02:07
or whatever. It's about turning those visits into actual results. Like dollars and cents.
00:02:07 - 00:02:13
Dollars and cents. All right, so there's a lot of buzz around CRO, but I think sometimes it gets
00:02:13 - 00:02:17
oversimplified, you know, people think, oh, I just got to do A/B testing and I'm done, but buyer really
00:02:17 - 00:02:22
pushes back on that. Yeah, I mean, A/T testing is a great tool, don't get me wrong, but it's just one
00:02:22 - 00:02:28
piece of the puzzle. CRO is a much more holistic approach. It's about really understanding your audience.
00:02:28 - 00:02:34
So it's not a quick fix, it's an ongoing process, more like a, like, tending a garden, I guess. Oh,
00:02:34 - 00:02:39
I like that analogy. Yeah. Can't just plant the seeds and expect, you know, beautiful flowers to
00:02:39 - 00:02:44
bloom overnight. You got a water, you got a weed, you got a nurture them. Exactly. And speaking of
00:02:44 - 00:02:51
nurturing, the article emphasizes this idea of user experience where UX has been really important
00:02:51 - 00:02:54
for driving conversions. I mean, I know I get frustrated when I land on a website and it's just
00:02:54 - 00:03:00
impossible to figure out, you know, like, where's the menu? Where's the thing I'm looking for? Right.
00:03:00 - 00:03:05
Have you ever clicked away from a site just because it was ugly or confusing? Oh, all the time.
00:03:05 - 00:03:11
Totally. And that's what Pat UX is, right? And good UX is the opposite. It's about making the
00:03:11 - 00:03:16
experience smooth and enjoyable for the visitor. So intuitive navigation, engaging content,
00:03:16 - 00:03:20
that kind of thing. Exactly. Exactly. Making it easy for people to find what they're looking for
00:03:20 - 00:03:25
and take action. Okay. So we've got this great user experience, but how do we make sure
00:03:25 - 00:03:32
we're communicating our value proposition and kind of guiding visitors in the right direction?
00:03:32 - 00:03:37
The article talks about value propositions and calls to action. Yeah. So the value proposition is,
00:03:37 - 00:03:42
it's basically like, why should someone choose your product or service? Okay. So what makes you unique?
00:03:42 - 00:03:46
Yeah. What makes you unique? What problem are you solving? What benefits are you offering?
00:03:46 - 00:03:53
And then calls to action or CTAs are those little nudges, you know, those, those buttons or links that
00:03:53 - 00:04:00
tell people what to do next. So like, buy now or learn more. Exactly. Exactly. Okay. So both of those
00:04:00 - 00:04:05
things, the value proposition and the CTAs, those have to be really well crafted, right? It's not just
00:04:05 - 00:04:10
like slapping any old message on there and hoping for the best. Definitely not. You want your value
00:04:10 - 00:04:14
proposition to be clear, concise and persuasive. You want it to resonate with your target audience and
00:04:14 - 00:04:21
tell them exactly why they should choose you. And the CTAs, those have to be really compelling, right?
00:04:21 - 00:04:27
You want people to actually click on them. Absolutely. They should be clear, concise, visually appealing,
00:04:27 - 00:04:33
and use strong action words to really encourage people to take that next step. Okay. So we're grabbing
00:04:33 - 00:04:37
their attention. We're guiding them through the process. But how do we know if it's actually working?
00:04:37 - 00:04:43
I mean, how do we track our progress? That's where conversion optimization tools and analytics come in.
00:04:43 - 00:04:49
These tools are amazing. They give you so much data about how people are interacting with your website.
00:04:49 - 00:04:52
So we can see what they're clicking on, where they're going, where they're dropping off. All of that.
00:04:52 - 00:04:58
Like tools like Google Analytics, they can tell you how much time people are spending on each page,
00:04:58 - 00:05:03
where they're coming from, what kind of device they're using. So it's like having this window
00:05:03 - 00:05:08
into the mind of your visitors. Right. It takes the guesswork out of optimization because you can
00:05:08 - 00:05:13
actually see what's working or what's not. But I imagine it can be a little overwhelming, right?
00:05:13 - 00:05:18
All that data. It can be. Yeah. That's why it's important to focus on the key metrics that are
00:05:18 - 00:05:23
relevant to your goals. What are you trying to achieve? What actions do you want people to take?
00:05:23 - 00:05:26
And then you can track those specific metrics to see how you're doing.
00:05:26 - 00:05:31
Okay. So we've got our analytics setup. We're gathering data. What are some of the design elements
00:05:31 - 00:05:37
we should be focusing on to actually optimize our website for conversions?
00:05:37 - 00:05:42
Well, first and foremost, your website needs to be visually appealing and easy to navigate.
00:05:42 - 00:05:46
I mean, we talked about that with UX, right? Right. No one wants to spend time on a site that's
00:05:46 - 00:05:53
uglier confusing. Exactly. So think about things like a clean, uncluttered layout, clear visual hierarchy
00:05:53 - 00:05:59
using white space effectively. And make sure those CTAs really stand out. Oh, absolutely. Your CTAs
00:05:59 - 00:06:05
need to be prominent, visually appealing, and use strong language to encourage clicks.
00:06:05 - 00:06:09
Okay. What about landing pages? The article mentions those as being important for CRO as well.
00:06:09 - 00:06:15
Yeah. Landing pages are like specialized agents with a very specific mission to convert visitors
00:06:15 - 00:06:20
into leads or customers. They're usually connected to a specific marketing campaign.
00:06:20 - 00:06:25
So unlike your main website, a landing page is really focused on one specific goal, right?
00:06:25 - 00:06:30
Exactly. And because they have such a specific purpose, landing pages need to be even more
00:06:30 - 00:06:36
carefully optimized than other pages on your website. Makes sense. So what are some key things to
00:06:36 - 00:06:41
keep in mind when we're optimizing those landing pages? Well, clarity is key. The message on your
00:06:41 - 00:06:46
landing page needs to be crystal clear and aligned perfectly with the ad or link that brought the
00:06:46 - 00:06:51
visitor there. You don't want any confusion or disconnect, right? And just like with your main
00:06:51 - 00:06:57
website, a clean and uncluttered design is crucial. Right. No one wants to be bombarded with a ton
00:06:57 - 00:07:02
of information all at once. Exactly. And those CTAs, again, they need to be front and center ready
00:07:02 - 00:07:07
to seal the deal. Got it. So we've talked a lot about design. But what about the technical site of
00:07:07 - 00:07:13
things? How does website performance factor into all of this? That's a great question. And in today's
00:07:13 - 00:07:19
mobile first world, it's more important than ever. If your site is slow to load or difficult to navigate
00:07:19 - 00:07:24
on a smartphone, you're going to lose visitors. Oh, yeah. I'm definitely guilty of that. If a page
00:07:24 - 00:07:30
doesn't load in like two seconds, I'm out of there. I hear you. And it's not just about user experience
00:07:30 - 00:07:35
either. Google also considers page speed when they're ranking websites. So a slow website can
00:07:35 - 00:07:41
actually hurt your SEO. Absolutely. It can literally cost you money. Okay. So page speed. That's another
00:07:41 - 00:07:47
thing to add to the list. Any quick tips for improving that. There are a lot of things you can do.
00:07:47 - 00:07:54
Like optimizing images, using a content delivery network, minifying your code. So basically just making
00:07:54 - 00:07:59
your website as lean and mean as possible. Exactly. All right. This has been a fantastic overview.
00:07:59 - 00:08:05
But we're just getting started. We've laid the foundation. But now it's time to dig a little deeper.
00:08:05 - 00:08:08
Stay tuned because in the next part, we're going to explore some more advanced techniques and
00:08:08 - 00:08:14
strategies for maximizing your conversion rates. Welcome back to our deep dive into CRO. Yeah,
00:08:14 - 00:08:19
we've already covered a lot of ground. But you know, as we mentioned before, this isn't a one-time fix.
00:08:19 - 00:08:23
Right. It's not like you just set it and forget it. You know, it's an ongoing process.
00:08:23 - 00:08:28
Like we were saying earlier, it's more like tending a garden. Exactly. You can't just plant the seeds
00:08:28 - 00:08:31
and walk away. Right. You have to water them. You have to prune them. You have to, you know,
00:08:31 - 00:08:36
make sure they're getting enough sunlight. So where does that tending come in with CRO?
00:08:36 - 00:08:41
It comes in with this idea of continuous testing and optimization. Okay. So it's about constantly
00:08:41 - 00:08:47
monitoring your website, figuring out what's working, what's not working, and then making changes
00:08:47 - 00:08:52
based on that data. Exactly. It's about always looking for ways to improve. The article really
00:08:52 - 00:08:57
emphasizes making data-driven decisions. And I think that's such a key point. It's so easy to
00:08:57 - 00:09:02
just go with your gut, you know, but data can really give you a much clearer picture of what's
00:09:02 - 00:09:07
actually happening. Absolutely. Data takes the guesswork out of it. So where do we even start?
00:09:07 - 00:09:12
What kind of data should we be collecting? Well, it depends on your specific goals, of course. But
00:09:12 - 00:09:19
some common metrics to track include things like website traffic, bounce rate, time-on-page,
00:09:19 - 00:09:23
conversion rate. So like how many people are visiting your site? How long they're staying? Whether
00:09:23 - 00:09:28
they're actually taking the actions you want them to take. Exactly. And then we use that data to make
00:09:28 - 00:09:33
decisions about what to change. Right. You're looking for patterns, you're looking for trends.
00:09:33 - 00:09:37
Like for example, if you notice that a lot of people are adding items to their cart, but then
00:09:37 - 00:09:42
abandoning it before they check out. That's a sign that something's wrong with the check out process.
00:09:42 - 00:09:47
Exactly. Maybe it's too complicated. Maybe there are too many steps. Maybe there's an unexpected
00:09:47 - 00:09:52
cost. So then you would go in and try to fix those things. Right. The article talks about
00:09:52 - 00:10:00
AB testing as a way to kind of test different solutions. Can you explain a bit more about how that
00:10:00 - 00:10:05
works? Sure. AB testing is basically when you create two different versions of a web page.
00:10:05 - 00:10:12
Yeah. And then you show those versions to different visitors. So like half the people see version A,
00:10:12 - 00:10:18
half the people see version B. Exactly. And then you track which version performs better? Which one
00:10:18 - 00:10:23
leads to more clicks, more conversions, whatever your goal is. So it's like a scientific experiment
00:10:23 - 00:10:28
for your website. Yeah. Exactly. The really powerful way to optimize your website.
00:10:28 - 00:10:33
The article also mentions multivariate testing. Is that similar? It is. But it's a bit more complex.
00:10:33 - 00:10:38
With multivariate testing, you're testing multiple variables at the same time. Oh wow. Okay.
00:10:38 - 00:10:42
So instead of just testing two different headlines, you might test different headlines,
00:10:42 - 00:10:46
different images, different calls to action, all at the same time. So you can see how different
00:10:46 - 00:10:50
combinations of elements perform. Exactly. It gives you a lot more data to work with.
00:10:50 - 00:10:56
That sounds really powerful, but also kind of overwhelming. It can be. Yeah. But there are tools
00:10:56 - 00:11:02
that can help you manage it. Are there any examples of how this kind of continuous testing has led
00:11:02 - 00:11:08
to real improvements for businesses? Oh yeah. Tons. I mean, the article mentions a few case studies.
00:11:08 - 00:11:13
Like there's one about a retail brand that was able to increase their conversions by 20%
00:11:14 - 00:11:18
just by focusing on their calls to action, their images, and their product descriptions.
00:11:18 - 00:11:24
Wow. 20%. That's huge. Right. And then there's another one about a service provider that was having
00:11:24 - 00:11:29
a lot of people abandon their carts. They did some AB testing on their checkout process.
00:11:29 - 00:11:36
And we're able to reduce cart abandonment by 15%. That's amazing. It really shows how even small changes
00:11:36 - 00:11:42
can make a big difference. Exactly. Okay. So we've talked about the importance of continuous testing
00:11:42 - 00:11:47
that types of data to collect, how to analyze that data. But as we're doing all of this, as we're
00:11:47 - 00:11:52
gathering all this data, I think it's important to keep the ethical considerations in mind. Right?
00:11:52 - 00:11:56
Absolutely. We want to make sure we're not being creaky. We're not violating people's privacy.
00:11:56 - 00:12:02
Transparency is key. Be upfront about how you're collecting data, what you're using it for,
00:12:02 - 00:12:07
and always get consent before you track anything. So where do you see the future of CRO heading?
00:12:08 - 00:12:13
The article mentions some interesting trends like artificial intelligence. AI is going to be
00:12:13 - 00:12:19
huge in CRO. I mean, it already is, to some extent. But as AI gets more sophisticated, it's going to
00:12:19 - 00:12:24
be able to automate a lot of the tasks that we currently do manually. So like AB testing,
00:12:24 - 00:12:29
personalization and that kind of thing. Exactly. Imagine having an AI-powered assistant that can
00:12:29 - 00:12:35
analyze your data, identify patterns, and even suggest optimization strategies. That would be
00:12:35 - 00:12:41
amazing. It would free up so much time and energy for us to focus on the bigger picture. Okay.
00:12:41 - 00:12:47
Any other trends on the horizon? Well, with the rise of voice search and mobile first browsing,
00:12:47 - 00:12:52
we're going to have to pay even more attention to creating seamless and intuitive user experiences.
00:12:52 - 00:12:57
So basically, the future of CRO is all about making things easier and more enjoyable for the user.
00:12:57 - 00:13:03
Exactly. I love that. So as we wrap up this part of the deep dive, I think it's important to
00:13:03 - 00:13:08
remember that CRO is not just about numbers. Right. It's about people. It's about creating a better
00:13:08 - 00:13:13
experience for your users. Exactly. When you focus on that, the conversions will follow. Okay. So
00:13:13 - 00:13:17
we've covered a lot of ground in this part, but we're not done yet. We're going to shift our focus
00:13:17 - 00:13:22
now to a specific challenge that a lot of e-commerce businesses face. In the next part, we're going
00:13:22 - 00:13:27
to talk about card abandonment. Welcome back to our deep dive. We're in the home stretch now. We are.
00:13:27 - 00:13:33
So before we wrap things up, let's talk about something that I know is a pain point for a lot of
00:13:33 - 00:13:38
e-commerce businesses. Card abandonment. Part abandonment. It's like you get people all the way to
00:13:38 - 00:13:44
the checkout and then poof. They disappear. It's the worst, right? All that work for nothing. So what can
00:13:44 - 00:13:49
we do about it? Well, the first step is to understand why it's happening. Like what are the reasons people
00:13:49 - 00:13:55
are abandoning their carts? So it was like detective work. Kind of. Yeah. You have to look for clues. Was
00:13:55 - 00:14:01
it an unexpected cost? Was the checkout process too complicated? Were there security concerns?
00:14:01 - 00:14:06
Okay. So once you figure out the why, then you can start to address it. Exactly. So for example,
00:14:06 - 00:14:11
one of the most common reasons for card abandonment is unexpected costs. Like you get to the checkout
00:14:11 - 00:14:15
and suddenly there's a huge shipping fee. Right. Exactly. Or some other hidden charge. Right.
00:14:15 - 00:14:19
And people feel like they're being tricked. Which is never a good thing. No, definitely not.
00:14:19 - 00:14:26
So the key here is transparency. Be upfront about all costs from the very beginning. So like
00:14:26 - 00:14:32
display the shipping fees right on the product page. Exactly. And in the cart summary as well.
00:14:32 - 00:14:39
No surprises. Okay. That makes sense. What else can we do? Well, another common reason for card abandonment
00:14:39 - 00:14:45
is a complicated checkout process. Oh yeah. I've definitely abandoned carts because of that. Like
00:14:45 - 00:14:51
if it's too many steps or I have to create an account or something. Right. People want things to be
00:14:51 - 00:14:57
easy. So streamline your checkout process as much as possible. Make it simple. Make it intuitive.
00:14:57 - 00:15:03
Exactly. And offer guest checkout options. Oh yeah. That's a good one. Not everyone wants to create an
00:15:03 - 00:15:08
account just to buy something. Right. And it can be a real barrier to conversion. Okay. So we've talked
00:15:08 - 00:15:13
about costs. We've talked about the checkout process. What about security? Security is huge.
00:15:14 - 00:15:18
People need to feel confident that their information is safe. Especially when they're entering their
00:15:18 - 00:15:24
credit card details. Absolutely. So make sure you're displaying trust signals prominently on your website.
00:15:24 - 00:15:30
Like security badges, that kind of thing. Exactly. SSL certificates, customer testimonials,
00:15:30 - 00:15:35
anything that can help build trust. And don't forget about your privacy policy. Oh right. Yeah.
00:15:35 - 00:15:42
Make sure it's clear, concise and easy to find. Okay. So costs, checkout, security, anything else.
00:15:42 - 00:15:47
Well, make sure your website's navigation is easy to use. Especially when it comes to the shopping
00:15:47 - 00:15:53
cart. So people can easily add items, view their cart, edit their cart, all that good stuff. Exactly.
00:15:53 - 00:15:58
And offer multiple payment options. Like PayPal, Apple Pay, that kind of thing. Right. The more
00:15:58 - 00:16:03
options you offer, the more likely people are to find one that works for them. Okay. This has been
00:16:03 - 00:16:08
incredibly helpful. I feel like I have a much better understanding of how to tackle cart abandonment
00:16:08 - 00:16:14
now. I'm glad you hear that. So any final thoughts on CRO before we wrap up? Well, just to reiterate,
00:16:14 - 00:16:19
CRO is an ongoing process. It's not something you do once and then forget about. Right. It's like
00:16:19 - 00:16:25
tending a garden. You have to keep at it. Exactly. Keep learning, keep testing and keep optimizing.
00:16:25 - 00:16:31
Great advice. Well, this has been a fantastic deep dive. I feel like I've learned so much. Me too.
00:16:31 - 00:16:34
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us. It's been my pleasure.
00:16:36 - 00:16:41
Reach out to us at jbuyer.com for comments and questions. Follow us at buyer company on social
00:16:41 - 00:16:47
media. And if you'd be so kind, please rate and review us in your podcast app.