CRO is becoming a buzzword that gets misused, mishandled and as a consequence – setting wrong expectations. Being an optimizer myself, I do not like the term CRO too much, but it’s the easiest term to explain what I do without going into a long explanation, which I’m about to do.

CRO stands for Conversion Rate Optimization, and on the surface, it’s usually optimizing the website conversion rates, just like the term suggests.

Suppose your website is getting 100,000 users a month and usually, you end up with 2,000 sales a month. That would give you a 2,000/100,000 = 2% conversion rate from a visitor to a customer. Now, you feel like it’s not ideal and it could be better, but you’re not sure where to start.

You could try to guess, listen to your gut (which I’m sure has seldom failed you) or mimic what your competitors are doing. And that might or might not get you results you’re looking for. Spoiler: it usually doesn’t.

You could go another way – start with the research. As the saying goes, you shouldn’t fix something if it ain’t broken, and more often than not, that saying is a wise one to follow.

You don’t want to guess what to change – it’s a 50/50 chance and you might as well throw a wrench at the gearbox to make it work better.

Your gut might be good at making business decisions (that’s why you have a business with 2,000 sales a month) but it might not be as good at recognizing issues in user experience, copywriting, persuasion and visual design – not unless you’ve done it extensively earlier.

Mimicking what your competitors are doing rarely produces results, too. What works for them might not necessarily work as good for you – it could, but it could backfire as well.

You want to identify the issues first, and only then decide how to fix them. An experienced optimizer could probably point out some of the issues on the websites just from looking at it and browsing around, but without data, even the best optimizer is just another person with an opinion. And you know how it goes with opinions – everybody has one.

You have to go look at the data – where are your users coming from, where do they drop off, and how they interact with your website. 80% of our visitors might be stopping in their tracks when they reach the product page because they don’t see the “Add to cart” button. Or, worse, they could be getting all the way to the payment stage and be confused because you only let them know about the shipping costs then. Without the data (or an experienced eye at least) you wouldn’t know which areas of your website are making it hard for your visitors to want to pay you money. That’s quantitative research right there – anything you can count (visits, events, bounce and conversion rates, device and browser breakdowns etc.) falls into that bucket. If you’re not sure if you have the analytics set up properly, read this article I’ve written on what to track so your CRO program is not running on guesses.

Now, apart from quantitative research, there’s qualitative research, too. That’s the kind of research that doesn’t fall into ‘countable’ category easily. A good example would be customer surveys – you pick a segment of your customers that have something in common (e.g. they’ve purchased from you more than once) and ask them (via a survey, a phone call or a personal interview) a set of questions to figure out what they are – what motivates them, what discourages them, which aspects of your product they care the most about, and why did they pick you over the competitors. You go over that feedback and that you’ve gathered (depending on the research method, could be anywhere from a dozen to a thousand responses), and figure out what the trends are, what customer segments and personas are there, and how can you accommodate those types of people better so that they are more willing to pay you money. There’s a whole bunch of qualitative research methods – user testing, interviews, heatmap reviews, even eye tracking. They range in their impact/effort ratios so you have to be mindful of what you invest your time and money in first.

After you did your research, you should have a pretty clear understanding of:

1. What the chokepoints of your website funnel(s) are.
2. Who your customers are and what do they care about.

Now you start optimizing. For example, let’s suppose you’ve discovered that your visitors care about being able to talk to a live person – which you do offer through a trained customer support you’ve invested money in – but they don’t know where should they go and what button to click to actually do so on your website.

That’s a problem – a big one. You uncovered that the thing that your visitors care about is not visible to them. Worse, your investment in the customer support training also suffers because you actually do have what the customer wants, but it’s not generating you the ROI because you’re failing to showcase it.

How do you solve that problem? Your first instinct would probably be to put the support hotline in big bold font all over your website or to show a pop-up to all of your visitors, or something like that to alleviate that issue that’s apparently there. The catch is, you don’t know which solution to the problem is going to work best – and by what measure. You cannot guarantee that the big bold font wouldn’t distract people from the actual content of your website or that the pop-up isn’t going to irritate those few who actually have noticed that they can talk to a live person.

That is why you split-test. You come up with a solution to the problem you’ve found (that’s called a treatment), design it, and run it side-by-side with an existing version of the website (called control) and see which of the versions ends up with a better result. You normally want to look at the conversion rate (we’re doing CRO, aren’t we?), but here’s a small problem with looking at conversion rate only.

Imagine you’ve run the test for two weeks (which is the recommended minimum) and you see that the treatment you’ve come up with is getting you more orders – say, it converts at 3%. It’s awesome, right? You’ve just improved the conversion rate by the insane 50% with your first test! But when you check your finance report, you see that the revenue has actually dropped by 20% – for whatever reason, your customers did start buying more often, but the products they are buying are cheaper now. In most cases, that’s not what you want your CRO campaign to produce. And that makes your treatment sub-optimal because you rarely want to sacrifice your revenue to get more customers.

The test you’ve run is likely going to be deemed a losing test, but you shouldn’t frown too much. The fact that you’ve moved the needle – albeit not how you intended – is a sign that you’ve touched something that your visitors do care about. Now you go into the test results and try to find exactly what it was and how to flesh out the positive effect without having to deal with the full extent of the negative one.

Should you have looked at the CR alone, you’d have implemented the winner and saw a decline in revenue.

To make sure you don’t suffer from implementing a false winner, you have to look far beyond the conversion rate alone. When analyzing a split-test, be sure to look at the CR, revenue, all the intermittent next-step conversion rates (product page to cart, cart to checkout etc.) and possibly some other behavioral flags if applicable to your business and website.

Once you’ve conducted your first split-test, you could probably say that you’ve started doing CRO. Now you have to make it a habit to test your ideas, supplement your opinions with the data, and make it your organization’s job to make decisions that benefit the business instead of guessing.

Hope this helps.

P.S.: here’s a great resource by the CRO industry leaders – the beginner’s guide to CRO.

My company, Instapage, published a incredibly comprehensive guide on this subject: What is CRO? - Instapage Guide

Here is the intro:

What is CRO?

When you increase the size of your landing page call-to-action button to generate more conversions or set up specific conversion goals in your Google Analytics dashboard — you’re practicing conversion rate optimization to improve your marketing funnel.

Regardless of expertise level, a majority of marketers use some form of conversion rate optimization to improve their marketing campaigns as shown by this Econsultancy graph:

So, what is conversion rate optimization, (CRO)?

Let’s explain the concept by defining the two terms that make up conversion rate optimization, i.e. conversion rate and optimization.

What is a conversion rate?

Conversion rate can be defined as the percentage of people who visit a web page and click the call-to-action button and convert for that offer. A conversion can mean different things depending on the page goal such as a blog subscription, an ebook download, webinar registration, free trial sign-up, etc. For example, when a visitor registers for your webinar by clicking the call-to-action button on your webinar post-click landing page, your conversion rate increases.

What is optimization?

Optimization is the process of improving your marketing-funnel (or a specific part of your campaign such as your post-click landing page or a website page) so that visitors can easily understand the purpose of the campaign and convert on your offer.

All experienced marketers know the importance of creating an effective marketing funnel because the funnel helps engage, educate, and inform prospects about your product. If all the funnel stages have been tailored for prospects, transitioning them into dedicated customers becomes simpler.

This is what conversion rate optimization helps you achieve.

Conversion rate optimization is the continuous process of ensuring that the marketing funnel works successfully, in that it converts leads into customers with the help of different optimization processes. These processes include A/B testing, improving on-page experiences, usability tests, etc.

This guide will provide a detailed account of what conversion rate optimization is, the importance it holds in your marketing campaigns, and how you can enhance each component of your CRO strategy to yield the best results. At the end of the guide, you’ll also get a list of trending CRO techniques.

The importance of conversion rate optimization for….. Read Full Guide Here

The answer to this question is really dependent on where you're at in your business in terms of size and current digital strategy.

The primary way that we recommend people begin is by talking to their customers.

When people think about conversion rate optimization or when you hear split testing or start investigating how to get a conversion rate uplift, the first thing that generally comes to mind is campaign or keyword optimisation or split testing. Split testing is usually where everyone wants to jump in: “Let’s change the color of that button”.

However, the core of CRO is understanding your customers better. That's really the engine that drives forward your research and your testing over the longer term. So look for ways in which you can begin to uncover two things:

1. Why people buy from you and;
2. Why people don't buy from you.

That is the beginning of optimizing your conversion rate, because if you understand these blockers or these motivators in the minds of your customer, then you are naturally going to get better at serving those users when they're on your site and improve conversion rates as a result.

Practically, to get to know your customers better: If you're really small scale boutique business or agency, call your customers and speak to them on the phone.

As you get larger and you have an email database for example you can begin surveying your customers, running polls on your site, perform heat mapping, do post purchase surveys and other activities to understand why your customers chose to buy from you as opposed to a competitor, or what nearly stopped them from buying from you.

There are so many different ways that we can get to know our customers more closely. That’s where I would start. From there, you'll see the opportunities and ideas of what you can do with that information will flow from a deeper understanding of your users and your customers.

To understand why you need CRO, I’ll give you a quick summary of human psychology and decision making.

Humans have two aspects of the brain that operate when we’re making decisions.

There’s the rational side that looks at all the facts and figures. Good price, nice presentation, expected results, etc. This is commonly referred to as the rational brain.

There’s also another part of our brain that looks at colors, how we feel about something, and our biases. This is known as the irrational brain.

You can’t make a decision without both parts of the brain. We decide based on emotions and then we we justify with the facts. If the emotions aren’t there then we don’t buy initially. If the facts aren’t there then we have buyers remorse after the fact.

The thing with sales pages, opt-in forms, checkout processes etc. is that we have no way of knowing what will appeal to our buyers until we test it out (or ask).

That’s what CRO does for us.

It makes it possible to test out different messages that appeal to the parts of our brain involved in the decision making process.

If you do it long enough, you’ll be able to find the messages that appeal to your target audience and close more sales as a result.

Let’s use an example, Acme Inc. and Good Life Inc. are both selling supplements that help customers lose weight and gain muscle.

Acme Inc. starts off with a 2% conversion rate, is happy, and focuses on driving more traffic to its landing pages.

Good Life Inc. also starts off with a 2% conversion rate but isn’t happy so it focuses on testing different things to improve it.

It adds countdown timers, soft closes, tells stories, more testimonials, upsells, etc.

In the end, it’s able to increase it’s conversion rate to 5.5%. For every 200 visitors that get sent to Acme Inc.’s pages, 4 turn into customers. For every 200 visitors that get sent to Good Life Inc.’s pages, 11 turn into customers.

With all things being equal (traffic, price points, refund rate, etc.) Good Life Inc. is growing at almost three times the rate of Acme Inc.

That’s because they focused on CRO to get their conversions as high as possible.

My co-founder locked himself up on a remote island in the Mediterranean Sea called Gozo. The purpose was to write a manual for his Conversion Optimisation framework, that he had refining over the years and even taught at universities.

(Some curiosa: Gozo is where Odyssey was kept hostage by Calypso in Homer's Odyssey, not sure how that is relevant but I’m sure it played a part).

This CRO manual grew and it turned into a book called the Dexter Method. In fact, Joris, my co-founder, was writing this book over the period of 3 months, basically doing nothing else. Thanks Joris for leaving us with the fun administration stuff while you were locked away in your ancient Greek epic poem sanctuary!

The Dexter Method:

• Kill Your Conversion Killers with The Dexter Method™: A Pragmatic Approach to Conversion Optimization for E-Commerce

This book won’t make you into a full CRO expert but it’s the type of book that I would have wanted when I started my first E-commerce store. It will teach you the 80% of the things you need to know to produce results. It has a very concise framework that you can apply directly to your website.

Full disclosure I’m a partner at Dexter.Agency.

It’s hard for me to say that it’s the best book about CRO, especially with my bias. However, it’s easy to say that it’s the best book that I have read that provides a concise, step by step framework for applying CRO.

I wish it was this simple to answer this question but I will try anyway!

Having worked and trained students in Digital Marketing for more than a decade, I can say it confidently that it is all a game of CONVERSION.

Converting a user into lead and then converting the lead into customer.

Similarly, CRO or Conversion Rate Optimization are strategies to increase the number of traffic to your website/app so that your chances of converting them to leads increases.

So, if you are keen on starting a career in Conversion Rate Optimisation, these are the skills you need-

• A/B Testing- Create different landing pages for one webpage and testing it with the audience is an important part of CRO strategies. Hence, you should know how to conduct it.
• Content Optimization- You must know how to optimize your highest performing content to rank the highest on Google SERP for a better conversion rate.
• Conversion Rate- Of course, you need to know how to calculate the Conversion Rate as it forms the core of CRO.

CR= Total Attributed Conversions/Total Number of Clicks*100

• Specialization- If you are looking to find job opportunities specifically in CRO, then your knowledge and technical skills should be perfect. Hence, companies look for those candidates who have either done a course from a reputable digital marketing institute such as IIDE or have work experience in CRO.

Talking about IIDE, since I have co-curated the 4-hour online course on CRO, I can totally recommend you all to try it out.

Wishing all the future CRO experts all the best and a higher CRO wherever they go!

If you're looking for a top-tier conversion rate optimisation (CRO) expert, here are the best places to find them:

1. Freelance Platforms (Flexible & Cost-Effective)

• Upwork: large pool of vetted CRO specialists with reviews and ratings.
• Toptal: Only the top 3% of freelancers get accepted, ensuring high quality.
• Fiverr is a budget-friendly marketplace with CRO experts offering various pricing tiers.
• PeoplePerHour: Ideal for hiring CRO experts on an hourly basis.

2. CRO Agencies (Best for Data-Driven Strategies)

• CXL Agency: One of the most well-respected CRO agencies with proven case studies.
• Conversion Rate Experts: Works with big brands and guarantees performance improvements.
• Growth Rock specialises in eCommerce and SaaS CRO.

3. Job Boards & Marketplaces

• LinkedIn: Post a job or search for CRO experts with experience in your industry.
• We Work Remotely—Great for hiring remote CRO specialists.

4. Facebook & Slack Communities

• CRO Growth Hacks (Facebook): A community of experts discussing real-world CRO strategies.
• Conversion Optimization Slack Groups: Join communities like "GrowthHackers" and "CRO Cafe" to network with professionals.

If you want top-tier CRO experts, go for Toptal or CXL Agency. For affordable freelancers, try Upwork, Fiverr, or PeoplePerHour.

CRO or Conversion Rate Optimisation is the process of increasing the conversion rate for your website.

To be able to perform better than before, you must know the current Conversion Rate.

The formula for the same is-

This is the process of CRO and how it can help you gain better conversion-

Before I tell you about the most resourceful course that can help you with CRO, let’s see what job roles need to learn about CRO-

• Experience Digital Marketers
• SEO Managers/Associates
• Paid Media Specialists
• Social Media Marketers
• Performance Marketers

Now let’s talk about IIDE’s highly rated online certification course in CRO.

Here are the key highlights-

And what’s best is that they guarantee outcome-

The 6-hour course on CRO is taught by my friend, colleague and founder of IIDE, Karan Shah and myself, Meherzad Karanjia (CLO at IIDE).

IIDE’s course is enriching and shows results once you complete the course.

More than 2000 professionals have benefited from this CRO online course and so will you!

Hi! I use these tools for boosting conversion rate optimization. Conversion rate optimization tools.

1. Analysis of the site, i.e. how much it is convenient for the user, detecting the problems he faces. The tools include Hotjar, lucky orange, crazy egg, UserTesting, loop11, google forms
2. Analytics audit: we check the accuracy of collecting data on the visitors and whether your partner collects it at all. The tool: Google Analytics
3. Tracking users who come from different communication/sales channels. Tool: FB Pixel, KISSmetrics.
4. Analysis and search for competitors. The tool: Similar Web.
5. Audit of advertising campaigns: I analyze whether a client is wasting his budget for nothing. The tools: Google Ads, Facebook Ads / Instagram.
6. Collection and mailing of offers, remarketing, user’s reminder of his abandoned shopping cart. The tools: MailChimp, Klaviyo.
7. Work with heat maps and screen recordings: I check how the users interact with your site in real time and build our hypotheses. The tools: Hotjar / Crazy Egg / Lucky Orange.
8. Testing i.e. we determine if it is convenient and pleasant for your clients to do shopping conversion in your online store. I test or disprove hypotheses using A / B testing pages, and then choose the option that brings more conversions. The tools: Google Optimize, VWO / Optimizely

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), businesses and marketers focus on increasing organic traffic. However, getting visitors to a website is only half the battle. The real success lies in converting that traffic into leads, subscribers, or paying customers. This is where conversion rate optimization (CRO) plays a pivotal role in enhancing SEO strategies. By optimizing user experiences and improving engagement metrics, CRO directly influences rankings, user satisfaction, and business growth.

Understanding the Connection Between CRO and SEO

Many assume that SEO and CRO are separate entities. While SEO focuses on driving traffic, CRO ensures that the traffic converts into valuable actions. A well-optimized website not only attracts visitors but also encourages them to stay, engage, and complete desired actions. Google’s algorithms reward websites that provide value and a seamless experience, making CRO an essential component of SEO success.

Key Ways CRO Impacts SEO

1. Lower Bounce Rates and Improved User Engagement

One of the critical ranking factors in Google’s algorithm is user engagement. If visitors land on a page but leave without interacting (high bounce rate), search engines may interpret this as a sign that the content is not relevant. CRO improves:

• User experience (UX) by making navigation intuitive and content engaging.
• Content relevance by aligning with search intent.
• Call-to-action (CTA) effectiveness, encouraging users to explore further.

A well-optimized site with high engagement sends positive signals to Google, boosting rankings and organic traffic.

2. Enhanced Dwell Time and Session Duration

Google evaluates dwell time, which refers to how long a visitor stays on a page before returning to search results. CRO tactics, such as compelling content, internal linking, and interactive elements, keep users engaged for longer periods.

Ways to Improve Dwell Time:

• Engaging multimedia (videos, images, infographics)
• Clear and scannable content formatting
• Interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and calculators

3. Optimized Landing Pages Improve Conversions

Landing pages are crucial for both SEO and CRO. A well-optimized landing page:

• Matches user intent based on search queries.
• Provides clear CTAs to drive conversions.
• Loads quickly, reducing bounce rates.
• Uses A/B testing to determine the best elements for conversion.

When landing pages are fine-tuned for conversions, they also perform better in search rankings, attracting more qualified leads.

4. Page Speed and Mobile Optimization

Google prioritizes page speed and mobile-friendliness as key ranking factors. A slow website negatively impacts both SEO and CRO by frustrating users and reducing engagement.

CRO Strategies for Faster Pages:

• Compress images and optimize files
• Minimize HTTP requests and use caching
• Utilize a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• Optimize code and scripts

A fast-loading site enhances user experience, increasing conversions and organic rankings simultaneously.

5. A/B Testing to Improve Performance

A/B testing, a fundamental CRO technique, allows businesses to experiment with different versions of a webpage to determine which elements lead to higher conversions. Testing aspects such as headlines, CTA placements, and colors helps refine content for better engagement.

Benefits of A/B Testing in SEO:

• Improves user engagement metrics
• Reduces bounce rates
• Enhances click-through rates (CTR) on search results

6. Improved Click-Through Rates (CTR) from SERPs

A higher click-through rate (CTR) on search engine results pages (SERPs) indicates that users find a result relevant. Google factors CTR into its ranking algorithm, making it a crucial SEO metric. CRO improves CTR by:

• Crafting compelling meta titles and descriptions
• Using structured data (rich snippets) to enhance search appearance
• Including power words and emotional triggers

7. Trust and Credibility Lead to Higher Rankings

Trust signals, such as secure website connections (HTTPS), positive reviews, and authoritative content, contribute to both SEO and CRO success. Websites that establish credibility tend to rank higher and convert better.

How to Build Trust for SEO and CRO:

• Use social proof and testimonials
• Display trust badges and certifications
• Ensure transparency in pricing and policies
• Provide high-quality, authoritative content

8. Internal Linking for Better Navigation and Conversions

Internal linking is an effective SEO and CRO strategy. It helps users navigate a website efficiently, discover relevant content, and take desired actions.

Benefits of Internal Linking:

• Distributes link equity across pages
• Encourages visitors to explore more content
• Improves crawlability and indexing for search engines

Strategic internal linking enhances user experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions and improving SEO rankings.

Best Practices for Integrating CRO with SEO

To maximize the benefits of CRO and SEO, follow these best practices:

1. Understand User Intent and Behavior

Use analytics tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Crazy Egg to study visitor behavior, pain points, and engagement patterns.

2. Optimize for Core Web Vitals

Google’s Core Web Vitals focus on loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. Ensuring optimal scores improves both SEO rankings and conversion rates.

3. Create High-Quality, Intent-Based Content

Content should align with search intent and provide actionable insights. Use:

• Long-form, comprehensive blog posts
• Engaging videos and interactive content
• Clear CTAs guiding users towards conversions

4. Leverage Schema Markup for Rich Snippets

Schema markup enhances search visibility by displaying rich snippets, such as FAQs, star ratings, and product details, which increase CTR and conversions.

5. Ensure a Seamless User Experience

From intuitive navigation to fast-loading pages, a frictionless user journey boosts both SEO performance and conversion rates.

Conclusion

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a crucial element of SEO success. By enhancing user engagement, reducing bounce rates, and improving site performance, CRO directly contributes to higher rankings and better conversions. Websites that focus on both SEO and CRO strategies achieve sustainable growth, increased revenue, and improved online visibility.

If you're looking to boost your website's performance, increasing your conversion rates can make a significant difference. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the process of enhancing your site to increase the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form. One of the best ways to achieve professional-grade CRO is by hiring experts on platforms like Fiverr.

Fiverr is a popular online marketplace where you can find a variety of freelancers offering services across different fields, including CRO. These professionals can provide a range of services such as A/B testing, user experience (UX) improvements, landing page optimization, and analytics interpretation. Here’s how you can get started with finding the right CRO expert on Fiverr:

1. **Search for CRO Services**: Simply type "Conversion Rate Optimization" in the Fiverr search bar. You'll get a list of freelancers who specialize in this area.

2. **Review Profiles and Gigs**: Look through the profiles and gig descriptions of various freelancers. Pay attention to their experience, the services they offer, and their client reviews and ratings. Many professionals include case studies or examples of their past work, which can help you gauge their expertise.

3. **Check Packages and Pricing**: Fiverr freelancers offer different packages that cater to various budgets and needs. Compare these packages to find one that best suits your requirements and budget.

4. **Contact the Freelancer**: Most CRO experts on Fiverr are open to discussing your specific needs before you place an order. Use Fiverr's messaging system to communicate with them, clarify your goals, and see how they plan to approach your project.

5. **Place Your Order**: Once you’ve found the right freelancer and agreed on the terms, you can place your order. Fiverr’s platform is secure, ensuring that your payment is held in escrow until you’re satisfied with the delivered work.

Investing in professional CRO services can lead to significant improvements in your website’s performance, resulting in higher revenue and better user engagement. If you’re ready to take your website to the next level, consider consulting a CRO expert on Fiverr.

To start your consultation, simply tap on this [link](https://www.fiverr.com) and connect with a top-rated CRO professional today!

It requires a combination of skills:

• Branding
• Copywriting
• Marketing
• Sales
• Psychology and neuroscience
• Graphic design
• Business development
• Usability
• Mathematics and statistical analysis
• Web development including some programming
• SEO and content marketing
• And then specific skills in Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or other tools that track results

Hopefully I didn’t miss anything.

I’ve been studying conversion optimization for the last 4 years with Optimization & Growth by CXL but have been developing that list of skills since 1995. Do you need it all? Because seeing the big picture and having the ability to pull all the pieces together is what’s most effective, I’d say yes. But taking the conversion mini course at Conversion XL is a good start. It covers most everything in that list except SEO and actual web development because those two can be outsourced.

Question Context Below:

I am currently in a SaaS company that has its own Conversion Optimization Product. The platform is definitely reputed and used across the world. I am in the Services team of the product company and I am CRO consultant where I help our clients create CRO strategy, plan & run experiments. I also analyze quantitative & qualitative data, create hypothesis, mock designs, collaborate with the dev team to develop the campaigns and also interact with the clients on a regular basis.

Before this I have worked in the Web Analytics field in an agency serving fortune 1000 clients. Now I am thinking on switching into Digital Product Management. I believe I have skill sets like web analytics, data analysis, User behavior, usability testing, UX design, experimentation, A/B Testing and Agile product roadmap.

Can someone please help out what else should I focus now? How should I pitch myself? Also, one big concern I have is that I do not have any fancy MBA degree and most of the PM roles ask for MBA from Tier-1 b-schools. I have a bachelor's in Computer Science which I am not really strong in and have around 6 years of total work ex.

I'll start applying soon into Product Management roles.

Thank you in Advance.

Every sales presentation has multiple conversion points. And a website is really a salesperson in print.

Most businesses don’t understand all the different conversion factors, don’t understand how people buy, don’t understand sales flow, and most other factors.

CRO takes the sales system and optimizes it by breaking down all the different conversion that are needed for the sale.

From my unscientific surveys, almost 90% of websites do not sell. They may show, but most are like a garage sale or swap meet with all the junk sitting there for you to sort through. If you buy, fine. If you leave without buying, fine.

Most website have a high abandoned cart rate. CRO is one tool that can be implemented to find out why and move a percentage of those to become buyers. Almost like free customers since they are already at your site!

Most people do y have the skills to do CRO, so some people specialize in it.

Hope that helps.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the process of improving your website to encourage visitors to take specific actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, filling out a form, or any other goal you’ve set. In simple terms, it’s about getting the most value out of the traffic you already have by increasing the percentage of users who “convert.”

CRO focuses on analyzing user behavior and identifying barriers preventing them from completing actions. This process involves tools like heatmaps, A/B testing, user feedback, and website analytics to understand how users interact with your site. The ultimate goal is to make your website more user-friendly, intuitive, and effective in guiding visitors toward conversions.

Why Is CRO Important?

• Maximizing ROI: By increasing conversions, CRO allows you to generate more revenue without increasing your marketing budget. It ensures every dollar spent on driving traffic is more effective.
• Improving User Experience: A CRO-optimized website is smoother to navigate, with clear calls-to-action (CTAs) and fewer obstacles, leaving users satisfied with their journey.
• Boosting Business Growth: Whether you’re an e-commerce store or a service provider, higher conversions mean more leads, sales, or sign-ups, directly impacting your bottom line.
• Data-Driven Decisions: CRO relies on real user behavior data, which helps you make informed improvements rather than guessing what might work.
• Competitive Edge: In today’s digital space, a well-optimized website can outperform competitors who rely solely on traffic generation without refining their conversion paths.

In short, CRO is crucial for businesses looking to grow sustainably and improve the performance of their website. Instead of just chasing more traffic, focus on converting the visitors you already have into loyal customers. A well-executed CRO strategy benefits both your business and your customers, creating a win-win scenario.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and SEO work together to maximize website performance. Here’s how:

1. Improves User Experience – CRO enhances site usability, reducing bounce rates.
2. Boosts Engagement – Optimized CTAs and layouts encourage interactions.
3. Reduces Bounce Rate – A well-structured site keeps users longer, benefiting SEO.
4. Enhances Page Relevance – CRO aligns content with user intent, improving rankings.
5. Increases Organic Conversions – SEO brings traffic, CRO turns it into leads/sales.
6. Mobile Optimization – Faster, mobile-friendly sites rank better.
7. Improves Dwell Time – Engaged users signal quality to Google.
8. A/B Testing Benefits SEO – Data-driven improvements enhance rankings.

Want CRO strategies for your website? 🚀

Look for specialized platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal, and Guru to find freelance conversion optimization experts.
3. Check freelancer websites: Search for experts in your niche and explore their websites to learn more about their experience and expertise.
4. Attend industry events and conferences: Network with experienced professionals at these events to connect with experienced professionals.
5. Ask for recommendations: Reach out to colleagues, business partners, or industry peers for recommendations.
6. Review portfolios and case studies: Ask for portfolios and case studies to assess their strategies and results.

There are plenty of forums available from where you can hire a conversion optimization consultant .

Online Platforms: Websites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr often have freelance consultants who specialize in conversion optimization .Specialized Agencies: There are agencies that specifically focus on digital marketing and conversion optimization. You can find them through a simple Google search or by browsing directories like Clutch or Agency Spotter. Networking: Attend industry conferences, workshops, and seminars related to digital marketing and e-commerce. You can meet conversion optimization experts and consultants through networking at these events. LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to search for professionals who specialize in conversion optimization. You can also join relevant LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions to connect with potential consultants Consultant Directories: Some websites and directories specifically list conversion optimization consultants. Examples include CXL Institute and Conversion XL.

I run a firm I started called CROmetrics. We are a top partner of Optimizely, and we won 3 awards from them for our work with their clients last year.

Here is my assessment of the landscape for conversion rate optimization (March 2016):

Tools
At the higher end, you have tools like Adobe Test & Target and others that require professional services as part of the package, so you have to sign up for both as part of the deal, so that's a big commitment since even if you love the software, if you don't like the people you are in trouble.

We use Optimizely only because it's the best product in the market. No surprise - it was founded by Google product managers and has backing and training by top VC firms, including Andreesen Horowitz. I have been really impressed by watching Dan Siroker's transformation from early stage startup founder to CEO of a really fast growing company.

There are also a number of smaller companies executing "innovator's dilemma" style attacks on Optimizely's position, eg Visual Website Optimizer, Convert. I haven't tried them for a year or two, but previous to discontinuing using them, so maybe they have gotten better, but prior to that, the main reason for discontinuing was it took us a lot longer to implement tests, and the platforms were less reliable, so the lower cost ended up being a penny wise, pound foolish decision and we standardized on Optimizely.

Services/Marketers

Obviously you can use the services that come with more expensive packages like Adobe.

For the others, you have a few options:

1. Hire a freelancer. In order to run a successful testing program, you need to have good ideas and the engineering capability to implement them, so look for someone with good front end skills in addition to good ideas for what to test. These people tend to get a lot of job offers, so expect to pay up, and hope they don't quit consulting.
2. Hire a conversion rate optimization firm. We tend to focus on high test throughput since really this discipline is a function of # tests run * % that are successful * average % lift for successful tests. # of tests is where the needle can really be moved (within reason - makes no sense to tests things like various shades of color on a button to squeeze out .00001% lift unless you're Google)
3. Hire a full time person. Per #1 above, this person either needs to be an engineer or have access to engineering resources, so it's a fairly big commitment since you'll have at least 1 FTE to hire.

As for who is the actual best person, there are a bunch of lists of top people around the internet, but having run lots of tests for lots of clients, our experience is that what works is having good ideas to test and making sure you keep momentum up. This is consistent with what Sean Ellis is finding in his work on GrowthHackers - Premier Growth Community - GrowthHackers as well - he's been speaking about his canvas app which is in private beta, so he has access to the world's top growth teams as well.

Conversion rate optimization is the process of increasing the total number of conversions or sales by improving the percentage of visitors that complete a desired action. Conversion rate optimization is a marketing technique that aims to increase the conversion rate of a company's website. It is often regarded as an art rather than a science, which makes it difficult to measure and optimize.

CRO is not just about marketing, but about understanding your customers and their journey. A lot of companies are getting more involved in CRO because they know that the customer experience has become the most important aspect for any business today.

While there are several books on CRO, one of the best books about CRO is Neil Patel's "The Implementation Checklist." In this book, you will learn the most important aspects of conversion optimization. You will not only read about how to improve your conversion rates, but you'll also get a checklist to help you with these improvements.

Neil is a successful entrepreneur who has been in the business for many years now. He is a digital marketer and he has worked with some of the world's biggest brands - including GE, Microsoft and Disney.

He started his career as a freelancer and then he built an agency with over 50 employees. In this book, he shares his knowledge from the past 20 years of experience in digital marketing and design so that others can also build their businesses using these techniques.

Everything you need to know about Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a systematized procedure that optimizes your landing page or website. The main aim is to increase the conversion rate of your page. It might include increasing the views or any other action.

When reading about conversion, it is important to understand the two conversion types. The first one is macro-conversion, and the other one is micro-conversion. Macro conversion depends on satisfying the target of your website. The target depends purely on the type of your site. It might be purchasing if your site is a shopping page. A micro conversion is nothing but the other simple procedures that must be done. A user might subscribe to your newsletters, and your queries might get filled in by them, etc.

With the increased use of the internet and the media, many online stores may have risen to prominence in a fleeting period. The best results could be achieved by attracting a larger audience with your appealing site representation. Conversion Rate Optimization campaigns work effectively for your website's consistent progress.

Adopting a good understanding of conversion rate optimization will easily assist you in identifying and implementing new strategies that you can use to achieve your success goals. The more you work on gathering a higher understanding, the higher the conversion rate you will enjoy for your page.

You could calculate your conversion rate by dividing the number of conversions by the number of visitors. Then multiplying the value by a hundred will get you your conversion rate for your page. Your conversion rate does not stop with your customer's purchases. It also includes micro-conversion, like those who have subscribed to your brand's newsletters on mailing lists.

In TBA, we use a checklist to increase and regulate any page's conversion rate. It includes the following:

• Building an easily movable site structure
• Creating an appealing design
• Improve products and services.
• Innovate the page with insights regularly.
• Provide referrals with discount coupons.
• Managing bugs and increasing loading speed with the landing page
• copywriting and influencing content writing.
• Adding connecting phone numbers or email addresses
• AI chatbot
• Increase your efforts in SEO (search engine optimization).

Satisfying and clearing this checklist will assist your website in maintaining a consistent progression. Along with these checklists, try to experiment with changing and improving your site's presence. It also includes your ideas, products, offers, and others. When you experimented with different ideas for your site, your reach would sometimes be at its peak.

Following simple steps to maintain the quality of your page would bring more than the expected number of engagements for your page. The TBA team is set and ready for anything that we must work out. You could contact us for any clarifications or if you want to collaborate with us on our services for your site. We are open 24/7 for any assistance.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a process of improving the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. It involves analyzing user behavior, identifying areas of improvement, and implementing changes to increase conversions.

To improve CRO in digital marketing, here are some strategies you can consider:

1. Conduct thorough data analysis: Gather and analyze data related to user behavior, conversion funnels, and website performance. Identify areas of the website that have high bounce rates or where users drop off before converting.

2. Perform A/B testing: Create multiple variations of landing pages, forms, or call-to-action buttons and test them simultaneously. Compare their performance to determine which version yields the highest conversion rates.

3. Optimize website design and usability: Ensure that your website has a clean and intuitive design, making it easy for visitors to navigate and find what they need. Streamline the checkout process and minimize distractions that could deter users from completing their desired actions.

4. Implement persuasive copywriting: Craft compelling and persuasive content that effectively communicates the value proposition of your products or services. Use persuasive language, highlight benefits, and address potential concerns or objections.

5. Enhance website speed: Improve website loading times to reduce bounce rates and improve user experience. Optimize images, minify code, and leverage caching techniques to ensure fast and seamless page loading.

6. Utilize social proof: Incorporate social proof elements, such as customer testimonials, reviews, and case studies, to build trust and credibility. Positive feedback from satisfied customers can influence others to take action.

7. Personalize user experience: Utilize data and segmentation to deliver personalized experiences to website visitors. Tailor content, offers, and recommendations based on user preferences and behaviors, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

8. Leverage effective call-to-action (CTA): Craft clear, compelling, and action-oriented CTAs that guide users towards the desired conversion. Use persuasive language and place CTAs strategically on your website to catch users' attention.

Remember, conversion rate optimization is an iterative process. Continuously monitor, analyze, and refine your strategies based on data and user feedback to maximize your conversion rates and drive business

What Role Does Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Play in SEO?

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are closely connected, even though they serve different primary purposes.

1. Improves User Experience (UX) → Boosts SEO Rankings

Google prioritizes websites that provide a great user experience. CRO focuses on optimizing page elements (e.g., CTAs, layouts, and load speed) to increase conversions, which also improves engagement metrics like:

• Lower bounce rates
• Higher time on page
• Better click-through rates (CTR)

These positive engagement signals can help improve your SEO rankings.

2. Higher Conversions = Better ROI from Organic Traffic

SEO brings traffic to your website, but if visitors don’t convert, that traffic is wasted. CRO ensures that the organic traffic you worked hard to earn through SEO efforts turns into actual leads, sales, or sign-ups.

3. A/B Testing Benefits Both SEO & CRO

A/B testing is a key part of CRO, where you test different versions of a page to see which performs better. When done correctly, these optimizations improve SEO by:

• Enhancing user interaction signals
• Reducing pogo-sticking (users quickly leaving and returning to search results)
• Improving mobile-friendliness and site usability

4. CRO Helps with Voice Search & Featured Snippets

CRO-driven improvements like clearer content structuring, FAQs, and concise answers can help you appear in featured snippets and voice search results—both of which enhance your organic visibility.

Conclusion

SEO drives traffic, while CRO ensures that traffic leads to conversions. By integrating CRO into your SEO strategy, you not only improve search rankings but also maximize your revenue from organic traffic. The two should work together for the best results!

I actually went the opposite direction, from Product Manager to UX and CRO consultant. The two fields are pretty different unless you’re the type of Product Manager who has to wear the UX and design hats as well. PM is often more about the management bit that the product planning and roadmap.

I’d recommend learning a product management framework. I started with Lean and Kanban then moved to Scrum (which is my favorite, but it’s hard to learn on your own and implement correctly). A friend of mine was able to transition by getting a PMP certification then becoming Scrum Certified and a Certified Product Owner.

To find conversion optimization consultants, you can explore various platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr. These platforms have a pool of experienced professionals who specialize in optimizing conversions for websites and businesses. Look for consultants with positive reviews, relevant skills, and a successful track record in conversion optimization.

If you're still searching for the right consultant, there is a person I know on Fiverr who's a conversion optimization expert with over a decade of experience. If you're looking to hire him or just consult him, feel free to tap this link.