When to Start Conversion Rate Optimization?

The time to optimize your site is now. Every business should start optimizing its site as early as possible. Conversion rate optimization doesn't have to involve large complex projects or entire site redesigns.

You could start by collecting data on your users and seeing which elements of the site need improvement. And then you could start a simple A/B test testing the title, description, color, buttons, and different CTA text to better match your users' needs.

If you have the resources and can focus on a comprehensive CRO strategy and can dedicate resources to it then even better.

Just like everything in business, there is a right time and a wrong time for everything.

[Add Banner Here]

When it's not the right time to optimize

Although conversion rate optimization will always add value to your business, it does not mean that it's always the right time to be focused on website optimization.

To determine whether or not it's the right time to optimize your website's conversion rate, you must first ask yourself if you're making an ongoing effort to generate website traffic or at least plan to.

If there is no traffic on your website and you have no plan or marketing strategy to generate site visitors, then having the most optimized website is not going to do anything for you.

In order for you to convert website visitors into some desired action (like making a purchase), you're going to need a consistent flow of website visitors. And if you don't currently have that, then it's probably not the best time to start focusing on optimizing your website.

The rule of thumb suggestion would be to focus first on building a marketing plan to generate good quality traffic to your website. Once you have an idea or at least some kind of plan to generate website visits, then it may be a good idea to already start looking at conversion rate optimization.

At this point, you won't have any data to work with (or maybe very little data to work with), but since you'll be investing in marketing, it'd make sense to equally invest into making sure your website is prepared to receive those visitors in the best way possible and in a way where they're much more likely to actually convert.

How do get started with conversion rate optimization

Maybe all you need are to make 10-15 initial optimizations and you'd be good to launch your marketing efforts. Not every conversion rate optimization effort needs to be a full-fledged ongoing project.

Yes, that would be ideal and is ideal for brands that have hundreds of orders every month. But if that's not your case, it does not mean that it is the wrong time to consider your website's conversion rate.

Alternatively, if you do happen to have hundreds of conversions on your website each month, then you may even be a bit late joining the conversion rate optimization bandwagon.

If your website has sustainable means of generating traffic and even a great Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) from your existing efforts without any focus on conversion rate optimization, then you're going to see a far greater return on investment once you optimize your website.

How does optimizing my site improve sales?

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) efforts have a direct impact on sales. To illustrate this, let's use a basic calculation. Let's say that you currently have a conversion rate of 2%. Your average order value (AOV) is $50. You have 50,000 website sessions per month.

The basic revenue calculation would be 50,000 x .02 x $50 = $50,000 per month.

Now if you increase your conversion rate from 2% to 2.5%, let's perform that same calculation again.

50,000 x .025 x $50 = $62,500 per month.

You've now generated an additional $12,500 per month in your business and you literally haven't touched your advertising whatsoever. If you extrapolate that annually, that's $150,000 extra value added to your business.

That's the power of CRO.