Trends in Conversion Rates Optimization Strategy in 2018

upqode | Jun 28th, 2018

Conversion Rates Optimization was huge a couple of years ago but now it seems that it’s losing its momentum. This is an illusion though, as the field and the science of CRO is stronger than ever. Only the field of CRO is evolving at the speed of light. In this article, we’re going to explore recent trends in conversion rates optimization field and see how they can be applied to your business.

CRO is not only about changing and testing images and headlines. It’s a complex professional domain that may imply a removal of the website elements, reshuffling of the navigation elements, and reinventing the whole sales funnel. Understanding how the field is changing and what innovations can be implemented on your site is an important part of making your website a conversion generating machine.

1. The role of conversion rates optimization is being redefined

As mentioned earlier, the role of conversation rates optimization is changing and evolving. Not only CRO professionals are now responsible for more elements of the site, but they also venture out into the personalization and customer profile building fields. Before any given page can be optimized, CRO person needs to understand who the page is targeted at and then make changes based on the target audience’s preferences.

On a larger scale, conversion rates optimization is no longer about conversions only. Sure, getting that transaction right is an important part of CRO, but without a long-term view on the process, many customers would be left out of CRO’s area of influence. What it means is that conversion rates optimization ceases to be about transactions only, and starts to focus more on other points of engagement across the website.

2. An increased need for data collection

Conversion rate optimization has always been about data. Smart reliance on data helps you take the website from zero transactions to hundreds. But CRO field is currently experiencing an influx of data that can’t be collected and analyzed. As a result, conversion rate optimization can’t reach its full potential.

The problem is not only that the resources aren’t available but that access to certain types of data is restricted. As the borders of CRO as a science broaden, CRO experts expect to get access to offline data as well as data held by other departments, which isn’t always possible due to companies’ policies.

Making use of collected data is another problem. Expectedly, everyone in the CRO field is looking forward to AI – CRO will be one of the first fields to adopt new technology.

3. Understanding where the conversion is coming from

Conversion can come from many different sources. Moreover, the customer’s journey from first becoming aware of the company to the final conversion can be very hard to track. As customers are using multiple devices and access websites on the go, conversion rate optimization field is experiencing problems with defining the exact sources of conversion. When you can’t define the source of a conversion, you can’t optimize your website for the channel where the conversion came from.

For some businesses, this problem is more prominent than for others. B2B marketing often involves real people in their conversion process – for example, sales associates. Even though people performance can be fully optimized, in 2018 conversion optimization professionals will focus on eliminating difficulties associated with human errors.

4. Testing is everything

Testing remains the most critical factor of success in conversion rates optimization field. A/B tests are the founding principle of CRO, yet sometimes the difference between A and B might not be obvious. Another issue to mention is ununified testing practices across the organization. Sometimes conversion rate optimization professionals have to rely on erroneous human judgment to determine how A is better than B. Determining more clear testing practices will become a number one priority for CRO specialists in 2018.

5. An increased focus on neuroscience and psychology

As the phenomenon of FOMO and social proof gain traction, CRO field experts start to incorporate psychology findings into their work. FOMO stands for “fear of missing out” and FOMO plays on our constant desire to achieve something better than what we have now. Essentially, FOMO makes us go for things we don’t usually need or things that we don’t actually want.

Social proof, on the other hand, employs a different tactic. The social proof shows visitors that other people find your offer appealing. For example, testimonials and celebrity endorsement are very powerful marketing tactics that are built on the notion of social proof.

You can play on FOMO and social proof by showing visitors that a certain number of customers already purchased your product or by telling visitors that they won’t get the same chance to buy your product at the offered price again.

6. Conversion through video

Video marketing is exploding and conversion rates optimization strategists take notice. Since you have very limited time to capture visitors’ attention, video can become a powerful tool in persuading visitors to stay on the site.

Videos have an incomparable advantage against other conversion rates optimization tactics. Videos are not only informative and can help you deliver information in a simple and clear manner, but they are also entertaining and have an emotional impact on consumers. Consider incorporating explanation video on your site for complex products, and leverage the power of Youtube as a separate conversion channel.

There is a caveat to videos, however. Since videos take more time to load than images and texts, you might be damaging your SEO rankings and turning visitors away from your site by presenting them with a slow loading site. Make sure your hosting is powerful enough to support videos and encourage visitors to wait for the video to load.

Final Word

Having the knowledge of trends in the conversion rates and SEO optimization can help you bring your website on par with the competitors’ websites and even outperform them. Conversion optimization takes the website from a simple informational page to a money-making machine. Even though selling your product is so much more than simply convincing customers to buy the product with the help of different website elements, conversion optimization is an important step in streamlining the customer journey.

But as every field in the digital world, conversion optimization is changing. The abundance of data, digital tools, and conversion optimization techniques have expanded CRO field beyond the realms of developing different headlines and testing of the performance of the brighter images versus darker images. As you work on optimizing conversions on your site, keep these trends in mind to remain on top of the game and bring your business to success faster.

Filed under: WordPress Marketing

Related posts

Testimonials

What They Say

This is a team that pays great attention to detail and does great work. I had a design done for my website by a separate designer, and Nick implemented the design perfectly for both mobile and desktop. His team uses project management software to track tasks and break up the work for his team into sprints. You aren’t just getting a developer when you hire Nick, you’re also getting great project management and organization. I 100% recommended it.

Erik DiMarco

Manager, NimbleDesk

UPQODE delivers high-quality web work quickly, thanks to their expertise in PHP and WordPress. Regular communication and reasonable prices further smooth the workflow. We've been very pleased with the results. UPQODE responds far more quickly to development changes than our core team would be able to. They are highly knowledgeable about best practices in WordPress, and their ability to rapidly scale up whenever we need a project completed makes them a valuable asset for us in our development needs.

Jim Kreyenhagen

VP Marketing and Consumer Services, doxo

The engagement resulted in an aesthetically pleasing website that satisfied internal stakeholders. They dedicated capable resources that ensured effective collaboration. UPQODE’s attentiveness and flexibility support a successful partnership. They created a beautiful website that we love. The site functions to advertise a certain medical procedure, so I can’t speak to any traffic metrics. UPQODE's responsiveness was their most impressive quality.

Jessica Echevarria

Administrator, University Division

UPQODE delivered a functioning and accessible website. Their adaptable approach to customer service allowed for a smooth development process and set the foundation for possible future collaborations. The delivered website met all of my requirements and explains everything I need it to. UPQODE was very understanding and accommodating of my changing needs throughout the project. The communication was excellent. I plan to work with them again for future needs.

Darren Devost

Owner, Devost's Dynamic Marketing

The vendor succeeded in creating innovative WordPress solutions. Their availability enabled the client to deliver products more quickly. UPQODE's project management was good—their staff met weekly with the client and was always very punctual. UPQODE brought troubleshooting, recommendations, and ideas that our previous partner was unable to provide. They deliver work on-time and within budget. The design they’ve inserted into the product has enabled us to deliver products more quickly. They have always been very helpful in recommending better solutions.

David Bill

President & Founder, Liquid Knowledge Group
Request a Design