Ectesso Blog

Conversion Rate Optimization - Ectesso

Mastering Conversion Rate Optimization: Unleashing the Power of Customer Psychology

Calender Icon Nov 10 2023

In the bustling digital landscape, where countless websites compete for attention, driving traffic to your online platform is only the first step. Developing consumer loyalty is the true obstacle that must be mastered. This is where Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) comes into play – a powerful strategy that can make all the difference between an average website and a highly successful one.

This comprehensive guide, delves into the fundamental principles of Conversion Rate Optimization, arming you with the knowledge to unlock the true potential of your online business. No matter how experienced you are as a salesman, an owner of a small business, or a curious entrepreneur, understanding CRO basics is crucial to boosting your website’s performance and achieving remarkable growth.

So, let’s dive into the world of Conversion Rate Optimization and uncover the secrets to transforming visitors into devoted customers. 

Conversion Rate: What Is It?

Conversion Rate - Ectesso

This is the percentage of visitors to the website who become customers and who perform a predetermined action. For instance, in an e-commerce site, this is the percentage of website visitors who purchase from their online store. In an informational website, a conversion may also represent the download of a PDF file or the registration for an event. In general, the conversion rate is the efficiency metric used to determine how many website visitors perform a specified action. This can be used to determine how much minimum traffic is required to generate a certain amount of revenue.

How Do You Measure The Conversion Rate?

Typically, conversions are measured with a web analytics application. The scope of web analytics tools is pervasive. There are expensive and highly effective tools, as well as free tools such as Google Analytics. 

The calculation is as follows: 

Conversion Rate = No. of conversions/No. of total interactions * 100

Consider the following example:

  • An online shop receives 100,000 unique visitors per month.
  • 4,000 visitors placed at least one item in the purchasing cart.
  • 2,000 orders are sent.

In this instance, the conversion rate is 2%.

The entire inbound traffic (in this case 100,000 users) is always set in connection to the specified action (order: 2,000) to determine the conversion rate. This is frequently misrepresented. For instance, in some cases, the conversion rate is only shown concerning the relationship between the shopping cart and the order. This is untrue and frequently creates the impression that your own store is invincible. A 50% conversion rate would be an inaccurate assumption in this case. It is referred to as the macro conversion rate.

Conversion Optimization Pays Off

Conversion optimization encompasses all techniques that increase the value of Internet portals, primarily online stores. Thus, conversion optimization increases both revenue and Return on Investment(ROI). Here is a comparison of a website before and after optimization.

Unique visits per month 30,000 30,000
Conversion rate 3% 4%
Orders 900 1,200
Shopping cart value 100 dollars 100 dollars
Sales 90,000 dollars 120,000 dollars
Margin 20% 20%
Income 18,000 dollars 24,000 dollars

Just a 1% improvement in conversion rates yields a $6,000 monthly boost in revenue. That works out to $72,000 a year!

Just a 1% increase in conversion rate through optimization is very feasible. Our skilled CRO professionals have helped several online stores in India achieve substantially greater conversion rates.

Let Us See How Conversion Optimization Works

The basic building blocks of conversion optimization are the following:

Analysis

  • What is the business objective for optimization?
  • What are your website users’ motives and expectations?
  • What is the action’s worth or advantage to the user? Which elements, pages and content are involved?
  • What are the bounce rates within the process?

Conversion Optimization Cornerstones

  • Development of ideas for conversion optimization
  • Persuasive copywriting
  • Conversion design
  • Implementation (frontend, HTML, technology)
  • Optimizing content and forms used
  • Optimization of the layout, designs and images
  • Optimization of navigation and usability
  • Optimization of technology, backend, page loading times etc.

Testing Conception of The Test Scenarios

  • Implementation of the tests
  • Carrying out the tests
  • Interpretation of the results

Roll-out

  • Roll out the variants with the best test results
  • Documentation of the learnings
  • Deriving measures for the subsequent optimization

The 5 Communication Models You Need to Boost Conversions

Optimization of conversion rates is not a one-and-done task. Conversion optimization should be viewed as an ongoing, purposeful process of progress. It’s crucial to regularly monitor, test, and execute conversion optimization tactics on your website to prevent the loss of hard-won gains. 

Communication models evolved from psychological studies can guide you in this. The field of communication and consumer psychology is a treasure trove. It is loaded with models that explain why conversion optimization still holds great promise for B2B and B2C businesses. Here are the top five models, or “secret weapons” of conversion optimization, as we call them:

1. Shannon & Weaver Communication Model

“What you say may not be the same as what your customer understands”

Among the most popular models of communication is this one from 1948. The simple principle implies that there is a loss between effectively transmitting and receiving communication content. It is a crucial principle for effective brand and communication strategies that are frequently overlooked on the Internet.

The transmission of messages, values, and emotions must be done without any ambiguity or loss for communication to be effective. Your website’s content should effectively communicate with users and provide the solutions they seek intuitively.

2. Johari Window

“I don’t know how I affect others”

The Johari window distinguishes between known and unknown information; it enables you to comprehend the relationship between your brand and what it means to your customers. Just as you don’t know how you affect others (subjective perception), most online shop or website owners don’t know how viewers perceive and evaluate their offer.

E-commerce managers and website operators must overcome their “blind spot” in the Johari window by becoming more aware of how their offer impacts the user to maximize the influence on the viewer.

3. Rubicon model of the Action Phases

“How do I make decisions? What influences my actions? “

Heinz Heckhausen’s motivational paradigm shows what influences behaviour. The model name says it all: Similar to placing an order in an online store, crossing the Rubicon depicts a situation where an action is irrevocable. Before taking this step, various considerations are weighed against one another. The action is carried out only if the aggregate result is favourable.

“Awareness” is the purpose of traditional advertising. In transaction-oriented internet marketing, influencing user behaviour to convert is crucial. Thus, the Heckhausen model is the fundamental optimization principle for conversions.

4. Iceberg model

“We don’t know what we don’t know.”

Sigmund Freud claimed 100 years ago that subconscious emotions, thoughts, and actions drive our conscious actions. Freud was accurate over 100 years later, thanks to study and analytics. Digital marketers today know that feelings influence B2B and B2C purchases.

Good salespeople recognize that emotions influence buying decisions. Internet customers value “trust” and “control” in real-life buying circumstances. Smart online stores create scarcity or urgency. Consumers may trust a firm with a landline number more than one with simply a cell phone since it may provide better customer care. 

Conversion optimization triggers the proper emotions, which is why buyers choose between offers “A” and “B” based on their sensations.

5. Basic Motives According to Reiss

“What actually drives me?”

Steven Reiss, a behavioural scientist, on the basis of his research, has identified 16 fundamental motives for life that move and drive us, humans. Amongst the 16, a few can be considered as the motives behind consumer psychology. They are as follows:

  1. Acceptance – the desire to be appreciated
  2. Curiosity, the desire to gain knowledge
  3. Family, the desire to take care of one’s children
  4. Independence, the desire to be distinct and self-reliant
  5. Order, the desire for prepared, established, and conventional environments
  6. Power, the desire for control of the will
  7. Saving is the desire to accumulate something
  8. Social status, the desire for social significance
  9. Tranquillity is the desire to be secure and protected

Most of the time, conversion rates are higher for offers that are clearly placed and try to meet one of the above needs. Focusing on fundamental human motivations is therefore an effective conversion optimization technique. A page that is well-designed and focuses on the essential desires of the customer can accomplish a stronger emotional connection. In this case, “clarity” refers to both design and content.

Final Thoughts

We have embarked on an enlightening journey into the world of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and discovered how to harness the power of customer psychology to propel our websites toward unprecedented success. With a well-crafted CRO strategy based on these communication models, we can effectively capture attention, evoke interest, ignite desire, and ultimately inspire decisive action from our visitors. By utilizing persuasive language, compelling visuals, and an intuitive user experience, we create an environment where conversions thrive naturally.

As you implement the basics of CRO and integrate the principles of customer psychology into your website, you will witness a transformation in your business’s online presence. Conversions will rise, customer satisfaction will soar, and brand loyalty will blossom.