Q&A with a CRO Expert: Get Answers to Your Burning CRO Questions

Got questions about conversion rate optimization (CRO)? Get answers to common CRO questions with one of WebFX’s CRO experts, Nikki, below!

Q: Why is CRO important?

A: Working with a CRO team on a website can be very important to your business and website. Your website could have the prettiest design or highly complex development features, but if it doesn’t work well for the standard website user, it will not be successful. When I say successful, I’m referring to conversions, as that is what most businesses would deem as successful. 

Providing new variants to users or changing the website content over time can also help to draw new users in as they see the website is up-to-date. Another benefit of CRO is that you can find hidden issues, such as broken links and website features, as you will have more eyes on the website to catch and find improvements. 

Overall, CRO is a beneficial way to continue positive growth with a website or to start positive growth if the website is not performing well. You may find that specific elements you thought were converting well have room to grow, or vice versa. 

The ability to continue adapting until the website performs at its best is a solid way to continually strive to have a 1% better website. 

Q: What are the different types of user tests you can run?

A: CRO focuses on user testing, and it comes in many forms. Tests can include: 

• Heatmap testing
• Preference testing
• Video testing
• A/B testing
• And more

User testing allows us to understand which page elements provide the best conversion rate, and then we can implement the winning variant/design. 

Q: How do I figure out which tests to run?

A: Websites are built to be ever-changing, so they can continue to adapt and grow over time. While your initial CRO report provides a ton of great information and recommendations, I also think spending time testing the website from a general user perspective is valuable. 

To do this, all you need is a blank document and devices. It’s important to test using various devices and/or a device simulator to catch issues that your users may be experiencing. One device simulator testing tool you can use is Responsively App. 

Go through your website and click various links, resize your browser, and look for anything that is blatantly broken or confusing from a user perspective. If there is something blatantly broken, then it will not necessarily need testing — you’ll just need to fix it. Fixing broken elements on a website can help increase conversion rates on its own, since the website will become more user-friendly and easy to understand and engage with. 

Once you, or your project manager or website tester, have completed the list of potential fixes to the website, you can start working on prioritizing these items and implementing fixes. 

Here are a few examples of commonly broken website elements to watch out for: 

• A button or clickable element does not have a hover effect
• A button or clickable element blends in with the background and has no contrast
• Areas or website features that you would expect to be clickable are not [this can lead to rage clicks] 
• Mobile touchpoints that are not configured accurately, which leads to clicking into unintentional pages 
• Popups and search bar — checking that these are easy to close with a clear X indicator 
• Website navigation — is it easy to navigate the website / are there indicators of where you came from to navigate to the current page you are visiting? 
• Elements that don’t carry through to responsive (mobile/tablet) devices 

Q: How long should I run CRO tests?

A: Tests run for various amounts of time, which can be a key factor when deciding which test is appropriate. A/B tests, for example, typically take 30+ days to complete and are dependent on the amount of website traffic received. 

There are faster testing options, such as preference or heatmap tests, but it is important to know before getting started if you are looking for a faster turnaround or if you need to set realistic turnaround expectations.  

Q: What CRO elements should I focus on in 2024?

A: When it comes to CRO elements to focus on in 2024, I’ve become most aware of rage clicks and the need for a unique call to action color. 

Rage clicks occur when a website user thinks that a certain element is clickable, but it is a broken link or a non-interactive feature. You should avoid rage clicks because they can generate user frustration and increase bounce rates. 

Having a unique call to action (CTA) color is also important because you need the main action to draw the user’s eye and get them to click. For example, if you have an orange call to action button, you should only use that orange color for the specific call to action, vs. using it for every button. 

Q: How are project managers involved in the CRO process?

A: One example of CRO overlap with the project management role is custom projects where businesses need specific tests, such as A/B tests. A project manager may oversee the project and write the specifications, and provide extra quality assurance testing. Project managers are also able to recommend specific testing when working with clients if they think it would be beneficial. 

In the future, project managers may be even more involved with certain types of projects, while CRO experts take a more behind-the-scenes role. This will align more closely with the project managers taking on the client-facing roles and providing communication between design and development teams. 

Q: How do CRO projects work at WebFX?

A: A standard CRO project starts out with a deep analysis of the website, which provides an initial report. This report shares all of the improvement ideas, broken down by priority level, that our subject-matter experts (SMEs) find most critical. Our team then works to assign tasks each month based on the priority level, with the goal of improving website conversions over time. 

Once a test is complete, our CRO team works to review the data and provide a report based on the winning variant [if applicable]. If the variant has a high enough confidence rate, our CRO team will recommend fully implementing the variant over the existing website feature. If the variant does not perform well, we’ll recommend keeping the website feature as-is or performing another user test with a new variation. 

Q: How are project managers involved in the WebFX CRO process?

A: Project managers can be involved with the CRO process at WebFX in a few different ways. The most common example is during a website redesign. When you need a redesign, you can make sure you put your best foot forward with a CRO analysis before the website redesign process. In this case, project managers will work with our design team to ensure the list of CRO recommendations is addressed during the initial prototyping stage.

25 Free Tips to

Double Your Leads

without having to double your traffic. Learn how to increase your website conversion rate today!

Get My Free Guide

Launch your personalized CRO strategy with WebFX

At WebFX, our team of CRO specialists make conversion rate optimization a hassle-free strategy for your business.

We’ll help you develop a custom CRO strategy to ensure your site turns your traffic into loyal customers for your business.

Want to learn more about our CRO services? Ready to get started? Contact us online or call us 888-601-5359 to chat with one of our strategists!