Re-defining CRO: Beyond Buttons and Colors | E42
Ruta Sudmantaite
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When it comes to marketing, everyone’s obsessed with driving traffic. But what if I told you that there’s a hidden gem that can turn those visitors into valuable leads without constantly chasing new eyeballs? Welcome to the world of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).
Meet Greg Landon: CRO Enthusiast Extraordinaire
In a recent episode of the “Blame It on Marketing” podcast, hosts Emma and Ruta welcomed Greg Landon, a seasoned marketer from Lidu, a conversion platform company. Greg’s background spans over a decade in various digital marketing agencies, giving him a wealth of experience in boosting website performance and conversions.
"What we do is we help businesses all over the world increase conversion rates on their own websites."
CRO: The Unsung Hero of Marketing
Despite its importance, CRO often takes a backseat to more glamorous tactics like SEO and PPC. Greg points out, "there’s actually comparatively very few people that talk publicly or their USP is around CRO or conversions more generally." This is surprising because the ultimate goal of marketing should be driving positive commercial outcomes, not just amassing traffic.
What Is CRO in 2024?
Forget the old-school notion that CRO is just about tweaking button colors or changing call-to-action (CTA) texts. Today’s CRO is much more sophisticated and revolves around three core elements:
- Personalization: Tailoring the user experience to meet individual needs and stages in the buying journey.
- Simplicity: Ensuring your website is easy to navigate, fast, and user-friendly.
- Interactivity: Engaging users with interactive tools that guide them through their journey.
"If your website isn't personalized, easy to use, or interactive, you probably aren't doing everything you could be doing from a CRO point of view."
Why Isn’t CRO a Priority?
Greg and the hosts dive into why CRO often falls down the priority list:
- Limited Time and Resources: With countless tasks on their plates, marketers might not have dedicated resources for CRO.
- Tech Stack Limitations: Some Content Management Systems (CMS) make it difficult to implement and test CRO strategies effectively.
- Misaligned Goals: Without clear goals that emphasize conversions, CRO initiatives can get sidelined.
Beyond Buttons: Real CRO Success Stories
One of the standout moments in the conversation is Greg’s example of how meaningful changes can lead to significant results. He shares a story from Lidu’s client, a luxury travel brand:
"They didn’t have a single booking from organic traffic landing on that page. But after implementing an interactive tool that personalized the user experience, they made four sales within a few months."
This example underscores that effective CRO isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about creating a tailored experience that speaks directly to your audience’s needs.
Data-Driven CRO: Making Smart Decisions
When resources are tight, how do you decide where to focus your CRO efforts? Greg recommends:
- Analyze High-Traffic Pages: Identify pages that receive the most visitors but have low conversion rates.
- Customer Insights: Talk to your customers to understand what they want and need from your website.
- Run A/B Tests: Test different versions of your pages to see what resonates best with your audience.
"The best data that you can have for this stuff is from talking to customers and people who are buying your product or your service."
Aligning CRO with Marketing Goals
Emma and Ruta highlight the importance of integrating CRO into the broader marketing strategy. It’s not enough to treat CRO as a separate task; it should be woven into every aspect of your marketing efforts, from design to content creation.
"It's about what happens when someone is on the page, do they convert, what's their user experience like?"
Convincing Stakeholders: The People Side of CRO
Implementing CRO often involves changing elements that stakeholders are attached to. Greg advises:
- Evidence-Based Changes: Base your CRO strategies on data and customer feedback rather than personal opinions.
- Communicate Clearly: Explain the rationale behind changes to stakeholders to gain their buy-in.
- Showcase Success: Use case studies and data to demonstrate the effectiveness of CRO initiatives.
"Don’t just make changes based on a hypothesis. Evidence your decisions."
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
Greg shares some eye-opening stats that highlight the impact of effective CRO:
- The average conversion rate across the internet is just 2%.
- A modest increase to 5% can turn 50,000 sessions into 1,530 leads.
"If you could increase your conversion rate by 70%, your new conversion rate would be 5.1%, and you would still come out with more leads."
These numbers emphasize that even small improvements in CRO can lead to substantial gains in leads and revenue.
Final Thoughts: Embrace CRO for Better Marketing
Greg’s insights make it clear that CRO is not just a nice-to-have but a critical component of any effective marketing strategy. By focusing on personalization, simplicity, and interactivity, marketers can create a website experience that not only attracts visitors but also converts them into loyal customers.
So next time you’re tempted to pour more resources into driving traffic, remember that optimizing your existing traffic can yield even better results. After all, it’s not just about how many people visit your site, but how many of them take the actions that matter.
Ready to take your CRO game to the next level? Start small, use data-driven strategies, and watch your conversions soar.
