Conversion rate optimization testing: Example tests, and quick steps to success

Marketing isn't an exact science, but there are tangible steps that you can take to help maximize your return on investment.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) refers to the process of optimizing the likelihood of a visitor completing a desired action when they engage with digital content on a website, a landing page, an advert, an email, or any other touchpoint. Similarly, that desired action could entail anything — from playing a video or clicking through to a review to making a purchase or filling out a lead generation form. 

As a type of user testing method, the ultimate goal of a conversion rate optimization test is to improve the user experience and, in doing so, increase the likelihood of a conversion.

CRO tests are one of the most effective ways to increase conversions (and crush performance goals). CRO testing is based on hypothesis, data-driven decision-making, and strategic experimentation — all supported by a thorough analysis of relevant metrics such as sales or subscriptions.

By testing different elements of your website or landing page, you’ll be able to determine which changes have the greatest impact on your conversion rate. That insight will, in turn, enable you to make stronger decisions that ultimately lead to better business outcomes. To that end, many brands invest in conversion rate optimization tools to help them implement their CRO tests, and analyze their results.

In this blog post, we'll review some of the most common conversion rate optimization tests, and explore the steps you’ll need to take to get started on your own testing process. 

Let's dive in!

A/B testing for conversion rate optimization

Landing page headline testing

A/B testing landing page headlines is a reliable way to improve the immediate impact of your website and, in turn, your conversion rate.

This example test involves presenting two separate versions of your landing page headline to visitors, and then observing which performs better for your target audience. The results of the test should give you the opportunity to make changes in real time.

A/B testing means that you won’t have to guess which heading resonates most with your viewers. Instead, you’ll be able to review both hard data and results that have been observed in a live setting. The outcome of the test may help you to identify issues with other landing page headings, and optimize accordingly to serve your conversion rate. 

Landing page CTA testing

Understanding the unique preferences of your target audience could also lead to more successful tests, and a higher conversion rate. With that in mind, A/B testing your landing page call to action (CTA) is another useful conversion rate optimization strategy for websites looking to boost visitor interactions. 

In this test example, we’re working to determine how effective a particular CTA button is in comparison to an alternative.

The test suggests that CTAs such as “View plans and pricing” can be replaced with buttons that more accurately reflect the desired action, such as “Start an enterprise trial”.

Before diving into a full-fledged CTA testing process, it's important to have an accurate view of visitor flow and behavior on your website. Understanding which pages experience higher and lower user engagement, for example, will help you select the pages that you use in your A/B testing process. 

Implemented effectively, CTA A/B testing can provide a meaningful advantage for conversion rate optimization efforts.

Blog post in-line lead magnet testing

Implementing in-line lead magnet A/B testing on blog posts is a great way to increase conversion rate and website engagement.

This example test is designed to determine which content option resonates with the audience most, and what kind of incentives are most successful in converting readers into leads. 

As it relates to interest in new products or services, this type of testing allows you to track which message creates the largest impact and leads to higher ROI. In your test, you can create multiple versions of an in-line CTA within a blog post in order to identify which are most effective for your target demographics.

In-line lead magnet A/B testing provides an efficient and practical solution for increasing conversion rate while also generating valuable user data.

Landing page design testing

Landing page design testing involves testing various design elements of your landing page to determine which are most effective in driving your conversion rate higher.

Common design elements that you might want to test include the color and placement of call-to-action buttons, the layout of your page, the use of images and videos, and the overall design aesthetic. 

Let’s focus on the placement of the call-to-action button in this example. Placement in a prominent location, such as above the fold, for example, may make it easier for website visitors to find and interact with the button. Testing the color of your call-to-action button can also impact conversion rates. Using a contrasting color that stands out from the rest of your page may draw visitors' attention and encourage clicks over a more uniform color option.

Landing page design testing can be an important aspect of conversion rate optimization that can help you identify the most effective design elements for your website. 

5 steps to creating a CRO test that drives results

1) Define the problem and goal

The first step in the development of a CRO test should be to define the test’s problem and goal. 

The problem that you are trying to solve should be specific and measurable. For example, if you are trying to increase the number of sign-ups for a newsletter, your problem might be that the current sign-up rate is too low. Your goal should be to increase the sign-up rate by a specific percentage, such as 20%.

Defining the problem and goal is important because it helps you focus your efforts and measure your progress. Without a clear problem and goal, it will be difficult to understand what you’re trying to achieve, and whether your CRO test results will make a difference.

It's important to involve key stakeholders, and gather input from different perspectives, as you work to define the problem and goal. Stakeholder involvement helps to ensure that everyone is aligned on the CRO strategy and the problems you face — and makes it easier to gather insight into potential solutions.

Taking the time to clearly articulate the test’s problem and goal is not only a way to set your CRO test up for success, but increases the likelihood of achieving meaningful results.

2) Develop a hypothesis

The second step in the conversion rate optimization test process is developing a hypothesis.

A hypothesis is an educated guess about which changes to your website or landing page will improve conversion rates. It’s based on data analysis, user feedback, and industry best practices.

When developing a hypothesis, it's important to consider the problem and goal you defined in step one. Your hypothesis should clearly articulate how you plan to address the problem and achieve the goal.

Consider our newsletter problem from earlier, and our goal to increase the sign-up rate by 20%. Here, our hypothesis might be that changing the color of the call-to-action button to green will influence user behavior and increase conversions by the desired amount. This hypothesis is based on the assumption that green is a more visually appealing color to our target audience and will make the call-to-action button more noticeable.

To develop a hypothesis, you should consider all the different variables that could impact conversion rates, such as the design of your landing page, the placement and wording of your call-to-action buttons, and the content of your website. You should also review data and analytics to identify patterns and trends that could inform your hypothesis.

Developing a hypothesis is a priority in any CRO test. Your hypothesis will help you focus your efforts on the problem, and make data-driven decisions that lead to better results.

3) Determine the test variables

Once you have developed a hypothesis, the next step is to determine the test variables. Test variables are the specific elements that you plan to change in order to test your hypothesis.

For example, if your hypothesis is that changing the color of the call-to-action button to green will increase conversions by 20%, your test variables would be the different colors you choose for the call-to-action button.

It's important to carefully select your test variables to ensure that they are both relevant to your hypothesis, and likely to have a significant impact on conversion rates. You should also consider the potential risks and drawbacks associated with each test variable, as well as the resources required to test them.

When selecting your test variables, consider the overall design aesthetic of your website or landing page. Changes that are too drastic or out of line with your brand image can be jarring for visitors, end up negatively affecting user behavior, and actually decrease conversion rates.

Additionally, it's important to ensure that you have a large enough sample size to accurately measure the impact of your test variables. There are a number of CRO tools, including dedicated A/B testing tools, available that can help you determine the appropriate sample size, and ensure that your results are statistically significant.

By carefully selecting your test variables and ensuring that they are relevant to your hypothesis, you’ll increase the likelihood of your CRO test delivering meaningful results — and, ultimately, optimizing your website for conversions.

4) Run the test

Once you have determined your test’s variables, the next step is to run the CRO test. 

You’ll need to decide which type of CRO test you’re going to run. Your options include A/B testing, multivariate testing (involving more than two variables), and split URL tests. Each type of CRO test has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to select the approach that is going to provide the most value.

• A/B tests: A/B testing involves the presentation of two separate versions of a piece of content in order to observe which performs better. You may test different versions of a website or a landing page, but you may also opt to A/B test different pieces of content such as two different colors of CTA button (as in the example we used earlier). A/B testing allows you to directly compare the impact of different variables, and determine which changes are most effective in driving conversions.

• Multi-armed bandit tests: Unlike A/B testing, multi-armed bandit (MAB) tests involve the dynamic allocation of traffic to multiple versions of content. The test algorithm assigns more traffic to the better performing version in order to maximize conversions, but continues to test the other versions, albeit with less traffic, so that they aren’t ruled out as suboptimal too soon.  

• Feature experiments: In a feature experiment, you create different versions of a very specific content feature or design, such as a header font or image size, and then test them to find the better-performing variation.     

When running any kind of CRO test, it's important to ensure that you have a large enough sample size to accurately measure the impact of your test variables. You should note the average conversion rate prior to your test, and consider the length of your test; depending on the amount of traffic to your website, you may need to run your test for several weeks, or even months, to achieve statistically significant results. Remember, you’ll also need to record your test results accurately, and have them available for analysis in the next phase. 

The more robust your CRO testing process, the more likely it is that you’ll achieve meaningful results, and optimize the variable that you’re focusing on.  

5) Analyze the results

Once you’ve run your CRO test, you’ll need to analyze its results. The analysis process will necessarily involve reviewing data and determining which test variables had the greatest impact on conversion rates.

When analyzing your results, it's important to consider both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data includes metrics such as bounce rate, conversion rate, and click-through rate. Qualitative data includes user feedback and observations about how users interacted with your website or landing page.

By reviewing both types of data, you’ll gain a more complete understanding of how your variables impact conversion rates, and be able to make more informed decisions about how to optimize your digital assets.

It's also important to consider the statistical significance of your results. A statistically significant result is one that has a low probability of occurring by chance. Again, it might be worth investing in a dedicated CRO tool to help determine the statistical significance of your results, and ensure that your data is reliable.

Once you have analyzed your results, you’ll be ready to implement the changes that you have identified. The implementation process may involve a variety of different changes, such as adjusting the placement or wording of your call-to-action buttons on your web pages, or optimizing the size of images to improve loading times.

It's important to carefully track the impact of your changes and continue to monitor your metrics over time. Doing so will help you identify additional opportunities for optimization, and ensure that your digital assets continue to drive conversions and achieve your business goals.

The bottom line: Understand the value of CRO testing

Whether you opt for A/B testing, multivariate testing, or split URL testing, conversion rate optimization tests are an essential aspect of website optimization.

By testing different elements of your website or landing page, in conjunction with analysis of metrics such as sales and subscriptions, and data from Google Analytics, you’ll gain valuable insight into what works for your target audience, identify content friction, and be able to optimize your digital assets accordingly.

Whether you're looking to increase sales, generate more leads, or improve engagement, CRO tests can speed up progress toward business goals and take your digital marketing efforts to the next level. If you haven't already developed your own testing plan, it's worth thinking about the types of tests that might be useful to perform on your website, and researching the CRO tools that can help you implement them. 

Taking the time to develop a CRO program (and ultimately test various elements of your website) isn’t just a way to make data-driven decisions, but gain a greater understanding of the way your content works, and the experiences that website visitors get when they interact with it. 

Click here to learn more about experimentation and A/B testing on Contentful. Alternatively, check out more examples of common A/B tests for optimizing conversions. Or reach out for a chat with a member of our team.

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