<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa126ef701c5c604f86b59_651d3d661a51aefff99bccc2_6304969d8cdb0f3f5486f88f_Event%252520Headers%252520-%252520August%252520and%252520September%252520(3)%252520(1).png" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>News</span> <h1 class="gn-title">What Makes a Great CRO Strategy? Advice From the Experts</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>9 September 2022</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>8 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <p class="gn-lede gn-reveal">For most marketers, a strong strategy relies on a healthy balance of differing objectives, tactics, and channels.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Digital vs. offline, SEO vs. PPC, or traffic vs. conversion</strong> - the answer is rarely black and white, not least because these channels don't exist in a vacuum.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">So, where does that leave us when it comes to Conversion Rate Optimisation, or CRO?</p> <p class="gn-reveal">From content that resonates to practical mistakes, here's what makes or breaks a CRO strategy, from our UX and CRO experts.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong><em>GO! Marketing+ workshops are free, strategy-focused workshops for marketing leaders looking to invest in or uplift their campaigns and channels. To join an upcoming event, take a look <a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/events" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></strong></p> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">01</span>What is a CRO strategy - and why does it matter?</h2> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>A Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) strategy</strong> is essentially <strong>a plan for optimising the performance of your website and other digital platforms</strong> - specifically in the context of audience conversion.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestabiner/" target="_blank"><strong>James Tabiner</strong></a>, Head of UX at <a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/events" target="_blank"><strong>KOMODO Digital</strong></a>, shares how your CRO strategy is differentiated from your broader lead generation efforts.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Lead generation and CRO are two sides of the same coin in a way. Whilst lead gen is everything that goes into your inbound, your <strong>CRO strategy is the process of optimising that user's journey, and guiding them down that path to convert</strong>. CRO is really about humanising the digital experience, making it feel intuitive, natural and easy."<cite>James Tabiner · Head of UX, KOMODO Digital</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>Why should CRO matter to marketers?</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal">'CRO' and 'UX' can often get grouped into the development side of a business. Whilst this isn't inherently incorrect, this perception <em>can</em> mean that marketing or communications teams run the risk of overlooking them as part of their strategy.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/oshrice/" target="_blank"><strong>Osh Rice</strong></a>, Managing Director at <a href="https://daydot.agency/" target="_blank"><strong>Daydot</strong></a>, explains why CRO should be a key focus for any marketing team below.</p> <aside class="gn-quote gn-reveal"><q>A strong CRO strategy involves really getting under the skin of your audience, reworking that entire experience around your customers' expectations, their motivations.</q><cite>Osh Rice · Managing Director, Daydot</cite></aside> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"<strong>One of the largest benefits of CRO strategy is that it's measurable</strong>. By improving the user experience, working on points of friction, updating your value propositions, those improvements start to drive measurable gains - in conversion rate, in average order value, in engagement, and overall performance. Beyond that, a strong <strong>CRO strategy involves really getting under the skin of your audience</strong>, reworking that entire experience around your customers' expectations, their motivations. If you're really investing in your CRO, it means that you're really prioritising your customers at the centre of your strategy."<cite>Osh Rice · Managing Director, Daydot</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Osh Rice, Managing Director at Daydot discusses what Makes a Great CRO Strategy" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa126df701c5c604f86b42_631b05c372030d59c1646e64_Event%2520Round-up%2520-%2520Qotes%2520(1).png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Osh Rice, Managing Director at Daydot, on the benefits of a measurable CRO strategy.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong><em>Download: </em></strong><a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/resources/how-to-guide-to-writing-a-digital-marketing-brief" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Digital Brief</em></strong></a></p> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">02</span>Making or Breaking your CRO performance - 4 Key Factors from the Experts</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">So, we can already see that CRO performance might incorporate more than just the on-page technical changes to your site. We asked our experts to expand on this to share the <strong>key factors that they see as making or breaking a CRO strategy.</strong></p> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>#1 - Setting CRO objectives that actually mean something</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal">For <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-dwyer-b7842b16/" target="_blank"><strong>Sean Dwyer</strong></a>, Director at <a href="https://door4.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Door4</strong></a>, <strong>choosing real, relevant objectives and KPIs</strong> at the first stage of your CRO strategy is crucial.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"The way we'll always start is by putting in place a format for measuring success that goes right from commercial level, "what's the board expecting this year", all the way through to the micro-metrics of individual pages or conversion points. You might split these smaller metrics by channel, team, search route, landing pages, engagement rates - but it's about choosing what <em>actually</em> matters to you."<cite>Sean Dwyer · Director, Door4</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Sean Dwyer, director at Door 4 discusses what makes a good CRO strategy." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa126df701c5c604f86b39_631add51b053363513dae388_Sean%2520Dwyer_Article%2520Quote.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Sean Dwyer, Director at Door4, on setting meaningful CRO objectives.</figcaption> </figure> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Examples of these metrics include:</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Commercial objectives</strong>: We're expecting to drive XX in revenue from marketing this year</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Team objectives</strong>: We need to drive XX leads / average purchase value up by %</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Channel objectives</strong>: This channel needs to see an uptick of XX visits monthly / a conversion rate of 20%</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Micro-metrics</strong>: This landing page needs to convert % of users to an opportunity</p> <p class="gn-reveal">By keeping to these consistently, you'll have a clearer view of what's actually working than if you measured each piece in isolation.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>#2 - The overlooked aspects of CRO</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Part of these objectives may, for some businesses, also mean expanding what you mean when you think of 'conversion'.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">As <strong>Osh</strong> shares, your CRO strategy - depending on your own priorities - might mean <strong>a focus on improving the conversion of your existing customers to repeat sales</strong>, rather than the standard 'lead generation' perception.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"How many times have you bought into the dream that a business is sharing across their site, you get to checkout, and it's just over? There's none of that feeling that's come along with you, and you might not re-engage. Focusing on your CRO in this context means just joining the dots a little bit more and making that experience fulfilling throughout the entire journey."<cite>Osh Rice · Managing Director, Daydot</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Sean</strong> adds to this with other objectives that might not fit the typical idea of CRO, for example <strong>Revenue Per User.</strong></p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"We work with a client that sells a lower value product, and we've been testing that website continuously for two years. <strong>However, our 'CRO' strategy for them doesn't actually focus on upping the conversion rate.</strong> We're focused on <strong>Revenue Per User</strong>, and we've got their price up, just through these incremental 'transitional' changes over time. For them, the bounce rate doesn't matter, or the conversion %, but these changes have driven an increase in ROI."<cite>Sean Dwyer · Director, Door4</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>#3 - The impact of Storytelling and Content on your UX</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>James</strong> also makes the case for taking a more holistic view to what's impacting your CRO - as it won't always be functional changes.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"When it comes to implementing changes to your UX, something I see a lot is that <strong>there's not really a focus on telling the story.</strong> Your website is your top salesperson - and <strong>when you're selling a product, people need the social proof.</strong> Customers want to see what others think about a product or a service that you're selling, how it's going to impact them, not just the CTA. <strong>Strong storytelling can negate so many of the issues you might be having with your CRO</strong>, and it's going to help them really visualise what you're driving them towards."<cite>James Tabiner · Head of UX, KOMODO Digital</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="James Tabiner, Head of UK at KOMODO discusses what makes a great CRO strategy" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa126df701c5c604f86b34_631adcb3b0533646f6da6084_James%2520Tabiner_Article%2520Quote.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>James Tabiner, Head of UX at KOMODO Digital, on the role of storytelling in CRO.</figcaption> </figure> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>Examples of how content can play a role in your CRO:</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Vague (or no) copy to reassure the user of what to expect from submitting a form</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Product descriptions that don't align to your brand identity</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Newsletters and content-led emails to re-engage existing customers</strong></p> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>#4 - Qualitative Feedback that measures the 'why' of your CRO performance</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Beyond your always-on data and performance metrics, <strong>Osh</strong> emphasises the importance of regularly diving into your UX in more detail to understand the 'why' of your customer's decision-making.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Your analytics tell you <strong><em>what</em></strong> customers are doing, but they don't tell you <strong><em>why.</em></strong> This is why we often bring in different researchers, or approaches - so we can make decisions based on <strong>actual customer problem statements</strong>, rather than points of friction that you may have seen in your analytics."<cite>Osh Rice · Managing Director, Daydot</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>James</strong> backs this up with the risks of not seeking external feedback.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"One of the problems we see quite a lot is stakeholders being too invested in the product, because they're selling themselves. They become very attached to a certain idea, even if the delivery isn't working for them, so you need to <strong>focus on reaching out of your business, listening to users, and doing what works best for them</strong>. Remember, <strong>it's not about what you think and what you want to sell</strong>. It's about <strong>what the users are expecting to see.</strong>"<cite>James Tabiner · Head of UX, KOMODO Digital</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong><em>Read: </em></strong><a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/news/boosting-your-cx-strategy-with-customer-communication-ux-and-research" target="_blank"><strong><em>Boosting your Strategy with Customer Communication, UX, and Research</em></strong></a></p> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">03</span>Next steps to drive a stronger CRO strategy</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">To round off the session, we asked our experts what should be the next steps to drive a stronger CRO strategy, and how external expertise can help squeeze that extra '1%' out of your efforts.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Assessing your metrics</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Build out - or review - your performance matrix for your CRO strategy. There are <a href="https://www.brainlabsdigital.com/blog/13-cro-metrics-you-should-be-monitoring-in-analytics/" target="_blank">plenty of metrics and objectives</a> to choose from, so when evaluating what you decide to track, try asking yourself the following:</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>What 'level' are these objectives suited for - micro-metrics or strategy-wide?</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>What will these metrics demonstrate if they fluctuate?</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>If there's more than one explanation for these metrics shifting, how will you determine the cause?</strong></p> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>Gaining User Feedback</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal">As <strong>James</strong> highlighted, what you might currently lack in insight from your performance metrics will most likely be found in qualitative feedback from your users and customers.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"We all think we know our users, but they change over time. Behaviour and expectations change, the market changes and we need to keep on top of that. There are a few ways to try gathering this feedback, depending on your resource:"<cite>James Tabiner · Head of UX, KOMODO Digital</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Undertaking 'focus group' style feedback sessions, either in-house or with support from an external specialist</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Platforms that track user journeys - James, for example, recommends <a href="https://maze.co/" target="_blank">Maze</a></strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>'Always-on' feedback options like pre/post-form surveys on your site that can continuously gather data on the user experience</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal">For lighter-resource teams, Osh suggests something as simple as sending your site to contacts in your network and asking for feedback (he also clarifies, <strong>'your own team doesn't count!'</strong>)</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal"><strong>Running a UX and CRO Audit</strong></h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Not sure about investing immediately in external support? An easy place to start that takes less investment up front is <a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/our-services" target="_blank">running an initial audit with a specialist</a>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">What does this look like? It depends on your needs.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">For <strong>Sean</strong> and the <strong>Door4</strong> team, 'We'll go through what we call a <strong>Functional, Aesthetic, Content and Structural audit</strong>, to understand the basics of the website.'</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Beyond this, an audit can also help to alleviate any initial concerns about investing further without proof of concept.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>For example, Osh</strong> and the <strong>Daydot</strong> team share that 'an <strong>audit will point you in the right direction as a starting point</strong>, giving you one or two tests to really prove the concept of what you're working with. Actioning what you get from this should show you how your CRO is driving incremental growth in revenue and sales. This helps to then start to build a business case for investments.'</p> <p class="gn-reveal">As <strong>James</strong> explains, "Even the best performance sites can squeeze that extra 1% out. <strong>No matter where you are within your process, or as a company, there are always going to be room for that extra improvement.</strong>"</p> <aside class="gn-callout gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-callout__label">What this means for you</div> <h4>Next steps to drive a stronger CRO strategy</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Assess your metrics.</strong> Build out or review your performance matrix, choosing objectives that span from commercial level all the way through to the micro-metrics of individual pages or conversion points.</li> <li><strong>Gain user feedback.</strong> What you might currently lack in insight from your performance metrics will most likely be found in qualitative feedback from your users and customers.</li> <li><strong>Run a UX and CRO audit.</strong> An audit will point you in the right direction as a starting point, giving you one or two tests to really prove the concept of what you're working with.</li> </ul> </aside> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong><em>GO! Marketing+ workshops are free, strategy-focused workshops for marketing leaders looking to invest in or uplift their campaigns and channels. To join an upcoming event, take a look here.</em></strong></p> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/how-to-improve-your-customer-decision-journey-for-better-conversion" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Growth</span> <span class="gn-related__title">How to Improve Your Customer Journeys For Better Conversion</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Agency experts break down MQL handoffs, retention strategy, and the frameworks that turn clients into returning advocates.</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/creative-vs-digital-briefs---where-to-start-with-your-agency-search" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Growth</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Creative vs. Digital Briefs - Where to start with your agency search</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">A strong brief shapes every agency search outcome. 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