3 CRO Tests to Maximize Conversions

Abraham Nord August 24, 2018

When testing a website to improve conversion rates there are a multitude of tests and ways to approach the challenge. In this post I’ll share three Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tests that continually perform the best for increasing conversions for our clients, regardless of their industry or offering.

Place Main Call to Action in Site-wide Header

A website will nearly always consist of many pages categorized in different ways with navigation at the top of the page so users can get from section to section and easily find related content. Our heat map data and user testing results show that top navigation is a main point of attention for visitors, yet companies often fail to capitalize on this.

Think about what you want visitors to do on your website – maybe it is simply to “contact us” or perhaps you would like to show them a “demo” of your product, or encourage them to sign-up for a “free trial”. Whatever the case, you can increase conversions immensely by promoting your main Call-to-Action (CTA) in bold in the navigation section of your site

For example, this test of adding a prominent “Request a Demo” button in the navigation increased demo conversion rates by 54%.

Website Tests Increase Conversions - Demo Requests

Place Call-to-Action Buttons in Page Content

Downloadable assets can be another great way to drive form submissions and increase leads. As content becomes an indispensable way to remain relevant and top of mind, companies often have large “resource” sections of their site where all of this content is gathered together in one large pile for the visitor to go and search. However, we have tested and found that adding calls-to-action for visitors to download assets directly within related pages drives significantly more conversions because the assets now have context, relevance and are easy to quickly grab while reading the page.

For example, this test of adding an in-line call-to-action, increased form submissions by 128%.

In-line Call to Actions Increase Website Conversions

Test Form Placement and Style

Testing the form itself can have huge implications for your overall conversion rate as it is the final gateway for obtaining a visitor’s information and gaining that lead. With this testing concept we have not found a single “silver bullet” that works best in all cases, but time and again one of these variations of form testing seems to do the trick.

  • Reducing the visual space that a form takes up makes it less intimidating for visitors. This would include reducing space between fields, reducing the size of fields and ensuring that the entire form can be seen without scrolling.
  • Using a two-part form so you can gain the same amount of information, but the process feels more manageable to the visitor.
  • Testing different form locations on the page. Perhaps a horizontal form at the top of the page or a vertical form either on the right or left side of the page.

For example, testing this horizontal form layout increased form submissions by 29%.

Horizontal Form Layout Increases Website Conversions

Incorporating these tests into your CRO Plan can help jump start your testing program and achieve huge gains quickly. From there we recommend further customizing and personalizing your testing program for your unique audience and offering. Contact us today to see how we can help increase your website’s conversion rate.

Don’t Miss a Beat!

Receive current information, expert advice, helpful tips, and more…

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

* Your privacy is important to us.

Abraham is the head of the Conversion Improvement department. He leads landing page testing strategy, implementation and analysis along with client communication and delivery. Abraham brings 8+ years of experience in conversion improvement, landing page testing and usability with a specific focus towards B2B and business with a complex sale.