Dave @ Review.casa

By Dave Carr @Review.Casa

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To test or not to test?

That is the question that most small businesses don’t even know is an option! If you read most stuff on conversion rate optimization you will be put off from testing all together as they bang on about having a large enough sample to make a reliable decision!

As a CRO I know the difference testing can make in a small business and have seen 10x revenue growth from some really simple changes to a website.

It’s important for everyone who owns a website to test.

What is conversion optimization?

Conversion optimization is the process of increasing the percentage of visitors to a website who take the desired action, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter.

There are many factors that can affect conversion rates, such as the design of the website, the quality of the products or services offered, and the effectiveness of the sales copy.

Conversion optimization is an ongoing process that should be constantly monitored and tweaked in order to achieve the best results.

The most successful businesses (see the Amazon case study below) treat conversion optimization as a key part of their growth strategy.

There are a number of tools and techniques that can be used to improve conversion rates, such as A/B testing, heat mapping, and user testing.

A/B testing is a process of comparing two versions of a web page to see which one performs better in terms of conversion rate.

Heat mapping is a process of tracking where users click on a web page, which can help to identify areas that need to be improved.

User testing is a process of testing a web page with real users to see how they interact with it and what issues they have.

Conversion optimization is a complex and ongoing process, but it is essential for any business that wants to succeed online.

By constantly testing and tweaking their website, businesses can ensure that they are providing the best possible experience for their users and driving the most sales.

Why is conversion optimization important?

There are many reasons why conversion optimization is important. One of the most important is that it can help you increase revenue. If you can increase the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, you will likely see an increase in revenue.

Another reason why conversion optimization is important is that it can help you improve the overall effectiveness of your website.

By making changes that result in more visitors taking the desired action, you can improve the overall performance of your website. This can help you attract more visitors and improve your chances of achieving your business goals.

Conversion optimization can also help you improve the quality of your website traffic.

Finally, conversion optimization is important because it can help you reduce your website’s bounce rate.

The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page.

A high bounce rate can indicate that your website is not effective at converting visitors into customers or leads.

In conclusion, conversion optimization is important because it can help you increase revenue, improve the overall effectiveness of your website, attract more targeted visitors, reduce your website’s bounce rate, and improve the quality of your website traffic.

How can you optimize conversions?

There are a number of ways to optimize conversions, and the approach that is best depends on the products or services being offered, the target market, and the goals of the business.

However, some general tips that can be useful for optimizing conversions include:

1. Make sure that your website is designed for conversion. This means having a clear and easy-to-use layout, with strong calls to action and a smooth checkout process.

2. Use attractive and relevant visuals. People are more likely to convert if they can see what they’re getting, so make sure to use high-quality images and videos on your website and in your marketing materials.

3. Use targeted marketing. By segmenting your target market and tailoring your marketing messages to them, you’ll be more likely to get them to convert.

4. Offer incentives. People are more likely to convert if they feel like they’re getting a good deal, so consider offering coupons, discounts, or free shipping to encourage conversions.

5. Test, test, test. Try different versions of your website, your offers, and your marketing messages to see what works best. Then, keep track of your results so you can continue to optimize your conversions over time.

Here are 19 Tools that have conversion optimization features.

Divi Theme from Elegant themes

Divi has conversion optimisation features built-in but I’ve never used them!

I played with these features in Divi and they do work but they heavily depend on PHP if you use any method of caching (essential for any page builder) then PHP is not available.

The power of Divi comes from its ability to create landing pages and clone them to another page quickly.

You can then use a service like Google Optimize to set up your redirects and tests.

Full Divi Theme review

Thrive optimize

Thrive Optimize is an add-on for Thrive Architect that allows you to A/B test 2 pages against each other.

You know you should always be testing right!

Thrive Optimize let’s you set up tests really easily it’s just a shame it doesn’t work with other themes because it’s a very good plugin.

Full Thrive Optimize Review

Thrive Quiz Builder

Thrive Quiz Builder has split testing built-in so that you can increase the effectiveness of your quizzes.

If you are looking to grow your business you will at some point need to ask your visitors what they want!

When you start asking your visitors questions you will better understand their needs, likes and wants and can serve them better.

Full Thrive quiz builder review

Thrivecart

Thrivecart is one of the best shopping cart and product delivery platforms out there. It has everything you need including the ability to test 2 products against each other (split test) and an LMS.

I’ve personally used it since 2020 and highly recommend it to anyone looking to sell anything online.

If you are looking for a SAAS based shopping cart with advanced features like 1 click upsells, downsells, affiliate software and product delivery then Thrivecart could be the perfect solution for you.

Full Thrivecart review

Click funnels

Click funnels is probably the most well-known funnel builder and marketing platform out there.

Who hasn’t seen one of Russell Brunson’s ads!

If you’re looking for an easy to use funnel building platform then Click funnels is probably for you.

Full Clickfunnels Review

Unbounce

Unbounce is a landing page builder and conversion optimization platform that offers hello bars, A/B testing and popups to name a few.

They use artificial intelligence and machine learning to give you insights into what will convert best for you.

That’s right what converts for one website might not work for a different website because the visitors are different.

If you are looking to build landing pages then Unbounce could be the platform you are looking for.

Full Unbounce review

System.io

Systeme.io is one of the newer e-commerce funnel building and product delivery platforms out there today.

It comes with a surprising array of features which include 1 click upsells, downsells, affiliate software, A/B testing, email marketing and course delivery.

Systeme.io has reasonable pricing with its top plan being the same price as some competitors’ starter plans.

If you are looking for an all in one platform to run your business and are looking for an economical solution then Systeme.io could be the right platform for you.

Full Systeme.io review

Samcart

Samcart is a SAAS based online shopping cart provider that allows you to sell physical and digital products and services.

At its lowest subscription level, it’s basic!

Advanced features like dunning, affiliate software and cart abandonment are only available on their top tier subscription.

If you are looking for a way to sell online then Samcart could be the solution you are looking for.

Full Samcart review

Kartra

Kartra is an all in one marketing platform that has all the tools to run a business online including split testing.

The company behind Kartra is the same company behind WebinarJam so you know they are very capable at building software.

If you are looking to build pages, funnels, membership sites, book appointments with clients, use surveys and quizzes and a whole lot more then Kartra could be for you.

Full Kartra review

Cartflows

Cartflows is the oldest WooCommerce 1 click upsell plugin that offers conversion optimization features, high converting templates and a funnel building solution right in your WordPress dashboard.

If you use WordPress, don’t want high monthly fees and are looking to increase the conversions of your WooCommerce store then Cartflows could be the solution for you.

Builderall

Builderall is an all in one online marketing platform that has A/B testing on all its plans. Its cheapest plan comes with a lot of features that you would normally only see in software five times as expensive!

It’s a relatively new player in the funnel builder and marketing platform arena but boy it’s got an extensive set of features.

If you are looking for an all in one marketing solution to run your business then Builderall could be the solution for you.

Full Builderall review

Lead pages

Lead pages allow you to create websites, landing pages, pop-ups, hello bars and integrations to the marketing tools you probably use already.

Split testing is available on their Pro plan.

If you are looking for an easy to use tool to get leads for your business then Leadpages could be what you are looking for.

Full Lead pages review

Woofunnels

Woofunnels is another 1 click upsell plugin for WooCommerce that allows you to do split testing as well.

If you have a WooCommerce store and want to add funnels and advanced features like upsells and downsells then Woofunnels could be the plugin you’re looking for.

Keap

Keap was Infusionsoft until they rebranded, the platform has been going for over 20 years and is still used by top marketers today.

This all in one marketing platform delivers CRM, eCommerce, landing pages with split testing, lead scoring and so much more.

If you are looking for a cutting edge marketing platform for your business then Keap could be the solution for you.

Full Keap review

GetResponse

Get response has been around for many years. It started as an email service provider and leads company back in the day and has evolved into an all in one marketing platform.

Now they offer everything you could possibly imagine on one platform.

If you are looking for the Swiss army knife of marketing platforms then GetResponse could be just what you’re looking for.

Full GetResponse review

Sendinblue

Sendinblue is another platform that started off as an email service provider and evolved into an all in one marketing platform.

Features include CRM, split testing, landing pages, chat, Facebook ads, SMS marketing and much more.

If you are looking to run your business from one platform then Sendinblue could be the solution for you.

Full Sendinblue review

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign has a lot of features, it’s an all in one platform that probably has everything you need and might want in the future to run an online business.

From marketing automation and landing pages to email marketing with split testing, you are sure to find all the features you could ever need.

The company has been around for 20 years so if you are looking for an all in one platform to boost sales in your business then ActiveCampaign could be the solution you’re looking for.

Full Active Campaign review

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is the granddaddy of email marketing platforms. Started as a side project by a web design company and was recently acquired by intuit.

Today they offer so much more than just email marketing.

Features include landing pages, website builder, eCommerce, email marketing, social media ads, social media posting and so much more.

They have a free tier for up to 2000 contacts which is actually really generous.

If you are looking for a marketing platform then Mailchimp could be for you.

Full Mailchimp review

Omnisend

Omnisend is an eCommerce automation platform that includes split testing of email campaigns.

Features include marketing automation, email marketing, SMS, web push notifications, popups & forms, reports, segmentation and much more.

If you are looking for a marketing automation platform then Omnisend could be the platform you are looking for.

Full Omnisend review

Case study: Conversion optimization at Amazon.com

This case study looks at how Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, has used conversion optimization to increase sales and profits.

Amazon.com has been able to increase its conversion rate from 1% to over 12% through a combination of A/B testing, personalization, and other optimization techniques.

In addition, Amazon.com has used conversion optimization to increase the average order value and decrease customer churn.

Today Amazon.com is the world’s largest online retailer, with net sales increasing 7% to $116.4bn in Q1 2022.

Amazon.com has over 310 million active customers, and its website received over 2.7 billion unique visitors in January 2022.

Founded in 1994

But the earliest snapshot i can get from the Wayback Machine is from 1999.

Amazon-com-1998

In the early days of Amazon.com, the company’s focus was on selling books online. Amazon.com was able to grow quickly by offering a wide selection of books, low prices, and fast shipping.

However, Amazon.com soon realized that it could also be any type of product.

In 1998, Amazon.com launched its now-famous A/B testing program, which tests different versions of web pages to see which one performs better.

Amazon.com has used A/B testing to test everything from the colour of buttons to the layout of the website.

Amazon has also used A/B testing to personalize the user experience, for example, by showing different products to different users based on their previous purchases.

A/B testing has been a key part of Amazon’s success.

Amazon.com has also used conversion optimization to improve the usability of its website.

In 2004

Amazon-com-2004

In 2004, Amazon.com conducted a study of its website and found that users were having difficulty finding the products they were looking for.

Amazon.com made a number of changes to its website based on the findings of this study, including adding a search bar and changing the layout of the website.

As a result of these changes, Amazon.com’s conversion rate increased from 6% to 12%.

In 2005

Amazon-com-2005

In addition to A/B testing and website usability, Amazon.com has also used conversion optimization to increase the average order value. Amazon.com has done this by upselling and cross-selling products to customers.

For example, when a customer adds a book to their shopping cart, Amazon.com may suggest other books that the customer might be interested in.

Conclusion

I hope you see from this article that conversion optimization should be a major concern from the very beginning of your website not just an afterthought when you start to get traffic.

Test, test and test some more if you want success online.