CXL MiniDegree -Conversion Optimization | Best Practices (Week 1)
What is Conversion Rate optimization
CRO is a process in which you gather and analyze data to understand how changes would impact customer conversion journey. The data can be used to leverage in bringing in desired action and maximum conversions (be it sign up, subscription or sales) by implementing the changes.
If monthly traffic on your ecommerce site is 10,000, and 200 user buy from your site. Conversion Rate would be
10,000/200=2 %
That is 2% have converted to your desired result.
Why Conversion Matters
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted;
the trouble is I don’t know which half.” — Tom Wanamaker,
It saves you from costly website changes (copywriting, design etc) that are prone to fail. Best optimization is backed up by research (not opinions and biasness) and can save your advertising cost, time and efforts!
CRO can result in getting you
- More leads
- More Sales
- Less acquisition cost
Is CRO only about testing?
No!
CRO = Ideas
CRO is not only about testing, it is about Ideas.
You need to come with list of ideas for your optimization and classify them based on their perceived effectiveness (hypothesis). There would be ideas that can have
- High or low impact on user behaviors
- You have more or less confidence on
- Needs less effort to implement
- Are of less or more importance
It’s obvious the ideas you would have most confidence upon are the ones which are tested and are backed-up by data. Those ideas can be solution of your problem and can help you achieve your desired result.
One golden solution that works for all = Crap
There is no such thing as a ‘formula that works for all’. Even if it’s from same industry solution effectiveness differ as per their target market, level of brand product awareness, problems etc. You cannot get someone else’s solution to their problem and expect it to work for you.
Managing and Classifying Ideas
When researching you may have dozens ideas which may further be enhanced when you search on google , and then you may get landslide more from your bosses, colleagues, partner and team members.
To identify the top ones from the list of ideas, look for the ones which are backed up by data (which can be obtained by testing).
Data Sources and Insights
These are the few testing tools and method which can give you useful insights and data
- Google Analytics: Will give you in-depth details about activities and behaviors of visitors on your website.
- User testing:
- A/B testing: Split Testing, running two different version of same website to gauge it’s effectiveness. (Tools: AB Tasty, Adobe Target, Apptimize, Conductrics, Convert to name a few)
- User Testing: Observing user complete a given task or perform actions on a websites, by watching them or by recording their activity on their computer screen, and check if something is confusing them to perform desired task.
- Using ‘Online Focus Groups’ to conduct tests such ‘First Click Test’, ‘Preference Test’ and ‘Question Test’.
- Scroll Test: How many are scrolling way down (beyond Above The Fold/Top Page) or if they are not, what is stopping them
Thing you should keep in mind in order to make your test successful, worthwhile and legitimate you need to have good ideas (sorted), have significant sample size and have qualitative sample.
How to Make your Design Impactful
Avoid Complexity:
As per research we are attracted to people whom we are more familiar with. The more we see/meet a person the more we are attracted to him/her, similarly we should be using layout, designs which are people accustomed to, or find easy to navigate and understand. People generally don’t like change.
Visual Hierarchy:
Define the most important elements of each page and ensure the objects are set/arranged as per their importance. The focus should go first to the most important element on the page, then to second and similarly to third and fourth and so on.
To make the most important element prominent we can play with size, color contrast, placement and negative space.
Keep in Mind our Scanning Habits:
Majority of us on websites don’t read content we scan it. Keeping in mind we should use best practices to keep the copy simple, putting in only relevant information, using a readable font (preferred minimum 16px for paragraphs) and easy to read typography.
Also as per research we scan websites in F patterns (text heavy sites) and Z pattern (visually oriented pages). We should craft pages keeping this in mind. This is the reason why logos are usually placed on top left and right bottom in advertisements.
Keep Negative Space:
Negative Space helps in removing clutter, and define points of focus on page. We need to find perfect mix of messaging and white space to keep our design clean and simple and primary element in focus.
Breaking the Pattern:
As we scan websites rather than reading the content thoroughly , and have short attention-span, to keep our attention refreshed it is better to break the flow of repeating pattern to keep our focus alive. Keep in mind not to overdo as it will backfire and make the platform look unfocused.
Website Best Design Practices
Web Forms
- Be clear and specific! Only ask for information which is important. Don't make optional field mandatory. If you are selling a $ 20 PDF, email is the only thing you would need and this is how your form should be like
- Progressive disclosure: Get information in steps, avoid lengthy forms. Example name and email should appear first then after clicking continue button the page should proceed to getting other information such as address, phone number etc. Autodesk split their long form into two parta, which appeared one after another (as an alternate to their previous long form). It increase their signup rate by 23% at a 99.9% confidence rate.
- If you have a lengthy form break it into sections and put up a progress completion indicator.
- Have auto-fill option in the field which can be pre-defined , or is easy to categorize.
Ecommerce Category Pages
- Highlight products with labels and badges such as top rated or new arrival to help your user know the products.
- Have a sorting tool to help users sort products based price, rating, reviews, top selling etc.
- Use bigger picture. Bigger the product picture better the results would be.
By changing the size of product pictures of a shoe brand it increased their sale by 25%
- Add filters to help users classify and look for the products which suits them.
- Use breadcrumbs. It helps people know where they are.
Button and Call to Action
- Make the button noticeable as per their importance. Your primary button should ideally be Above The Fold and should look like a primary button (colors, size, and shape matters).
- Use right amount of negative space to make the button more prominent.
- The color should be of high contrast to make the button pop out and be visually different from rest of the elements on the page.
Fold and Page Length
- The most important part/content/CTA should be on the top of the page, as that is is the first one to get viewed. The message should be conveyed without feeling necessary to scroll down.
Scroll map of CXL Institute website page. Red being the most read part by visitors (most viewed) followed by yellow, green and viewership dies as we go down.
Ecommerce Signups
- Avoid unnecessary sign up mandatory, and always have an option for guest checkout. It will avoid cart abandonments.
- Better to have sign up option after check out process, so people are not force to sign up, and only register if they are willing to.
- Have option to sign in or register via social platforms primarily being Facebook and Gmail.
Incoming Phone Leads and Tracking
- Phone leads are important as they don’t go cold compared to emails. If your business depends on phone calls ensure to put phone CTA above the page and below the page
- Large font size and underlined phone gets better result due to permanence
- Track phone calls with analytical tools (e.g google analytics). Track sources and layouts leading to most phone calls (for that add unique number to all channels provided by companies).
- If you can’t use call tracking option (due to low budget) have an option click to reveal phone number to track button clicks.
This blog is part 1 of 12 blog series of CXL 3-month mini degree scholarship program, providing brief overview of content learned and covered in my learning journey.
