You Should Test That!

Your website isn’t just a digital façade; it’s a machine for driving results. Make every click count with focused testing and optimization.

1. Websites Should Convert, Not Just Attract

Many businesses mistakenly prioritize website traffic over conversions, leading to missed opportunities. While garnering high traffic is good, the real value lies in turning visitors into paying customers or subscribers.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) focuses on what percentage of visitors perform desired actions, like purchasing products or signing up for a newsletter. Instead of chasing more visitors, CRO helps maximize outcomes from existing traffic. It's a smarter, cost-effective strategy to boost success.

Failing to optimize your site can lead to the "halo effect." This occurs when a poor online experience translates into negative perceptions of your products, as illustrated by BlackBerry's slow-loading website. Customers wouldn't believe BlackBerry's claim of "unbelievably fast" phones after experiencing laggy page performance.

Examples

• A bakery's website that features easy online order buttons generates more sales than one with just aesthetic pictures of cakes.
• A phone company with a slow webpage may deter trust in its high-speed products.
• BlackBerry struggled with product perception due to their website's inefficiency.

2. Design Without Testing Is Just Guesswork

Businesses frequently invest in beautiful website designs, yet these may not align with their business goals. Relying purely on aesthetics overlooks functionality, which directly impacts outcomes like sales or engagement.

Companies often employ the HiPPO ("Highest Paid Person's Opinion") approach to decision-making, focusing on executives’ preferences instead of customer needs. This creates ineffective websites. True growth comes from the Customer Tested Method—basing decisions on data-driven testing instead of subjective opinions.

By testing different layouts or features, businesses avoid errors caused by relying merely on leadership choices. This creates a site that functions well for users and converts effectively.

Examples

• Testing different button colors on a landing page can reveal which one draws more clicks.
• An executive might prefer large banner images, but testing shows they slow load times and frustrate users.
• A retailer learned that simplified product filters made finding products easier, increasing purchases.

3. CRO and SEO Complement Each Other

Some businesses wrongly think CRO hampers SEO efforts, fearing changes or tests will hurt their search engine rankings. However, good CRO actually aligns with SEO's principles, creating a win-win situation.

CRO emphasizes creating user-friendly pages that keep visitors engaged longer. Google rewards websites with clear content, proper load times, and low bounce rates, which boosts both SEO rankings and conversions. Thus, optimizing for better user experiences enhances site visibility too.

Precautions like using JavaScript Redirects during tests ensure that search engines won't misinterpret or penalize CRO activities. Simple steps can ensure compatibility between both strategies.

Examples

• A travel website improved customer retention by cutting loading times, which also boosted its Google ranking.
• Removing intrusive animations reduced bounce rates and resulted in higher conversions.
• Using the same SEO tags during testing prevented loss of ranking while experimenting with layouts.

4. Success Starts with Defined Goals

Websites need clear, purpose-driven goals to be effective. A vague aim like "increase sales" lacks direction. Instead, goals should be specific, action-oriented, and part of a structured hierarchy.

The "goals waterfall" technique helps prioritize objectives. For example, an overarching goal like boosting revenue informs more specific steps, such as increasing newsletter sign-ups or product downloads. This keeps all optimization efforts focused on tangible results.

With clearly outlined goals, businesses can refine their site designs, prioritizing elements that directly impact targets while minimizing distractions.

Examples

• A clothing company focusing on more clicks to its "New Arrivals" section ultimately increased conversions.
• A tech blog prioritized getting more comments, which later bolstered its brand engagement.
• A toy company focused on increasing e-catalog downloads as a pre-sales strategy.

5. The LIFT Model Shows Opportunities for Growth

The LIFT model provides a roadmap for finding what affects your conversion rates. It evaluates six factors: value proposition, clarity, relevance, urgency, distraction, and anxiety.

The strongest foundation is value proposition—how strongly your site's offerings appeal to visitors. Next come relevance and clarity, which ensure users see the right information in an easily digestible way. Managing anxiety and distractions while incorporating urgency motivates actions like purchases.

Use this approach to fine-tune your pages: if your value proposition is unclear or your site overwhelms visitors, conversions will drop.

Examples

• A subscription box service improved clarity by emphasizing "choose your delivery schedule" on its homepage.
• Eliminating large images improved loading times and reduced user distraction for an art supply retailer.
• A flash sale creating urgency—"Offer ends tonight!"—increased purchase activity.

6. Hypotheses Drive Testing and Improvement

CRO thrives on measurable, actionable hypotheses. By asking, "What change will drive better results?" companies shift from guesswork to deliberate testing. Weak areas, such as unclear messaging or irrelevant headlines, become opportunities for experimentation.

Testable hypotheses follow a specific format: "Changing X will improve Y." For instance, altering a headline font to one more readable could boost engagement. This structured approach ensures tests provide meaningful data.

Testing isn’t about intuition—it’s about learning what works and scaling successes across your entire site.

Examples

• A shoe brand hypothesized that adding video reviews would increase online orders, which testing confirmed.
• An online florist tested headline updates and saw better engagement from emotion-driven phrases like "Make Someone Smile Today."
• Changing a contact form’s layout improved lead captures for a consulting agency.

7. Reduce User Anxiety for Greater Trust

Visitors abandon websites every day because they feel uneasy about providing personal data or struggle to navigate forms. Ease-of-use and demonstrating trust are essential for increasing transactions and reducing drop-offs.

Start by minimizing how much data you request—shorter forms make users more likely to complete them. Add simple explanations about how and why data will be used. Friendly error messages, like WordPress's apology for unavailable usernames, foster goodwill and keep users engaged.

Reducing friction reassures users, pushing them closer to becoming customers.

Examples

• Amazon's simple, single-click checkout reduces anxiety about long processes.
• WordPress keeps form feedback informal and apologetic, avoiding frustration.
• A bank's website added clearer disclaimers for security, boosting application completions.

8. Don’t Overwhelm Visitors

Webpage visitors decide to stay or leave within seconds, based largely on visuals and clarity. Reducing noise—both excessive text and unnecessary options—keeps users focused and prevents them from bouncing away.

Experimentation with clean, minimal layouts or simplified calls-to-action can instantly improve results. Smaller image files, fewer animations, and streamlined choices keep users attentive to what truly matters on each page.

Fewer distractions on landing pages translate into clearer messaging, higher engagement, and better results.

Examples

• A cosmetics retailer presenting curated product suggestions instead of its full range saw a sales jump.
• A blog with less-busy designs enjoyed longer average session times.
• Limiting homepage options led more users toward key actions for a media outlet.

9. Testing: The Backbone of Optimization

Testing isn’t just an occasional activity—it’s the cornerstone of CRO success. Establish clear goals and triggers to track progress, such as thank-you pages for sign-ups or purchases. Gather extensive data across meaningful durations to ensure accuracy.

Your findings may surprise you. New designs often produce unexpected results, both good and bad. Analyzing the data with an open mind allows you to make decisions based on performance, not assumptions.

Remember, optimization is a continuous process. Testing repeatedly reveals insights and keeps your site ahead of shifting user needs.

Examples

• A retail store discovered that bold call-to-action buttons improved holiday-season engagement.
• A campaign manager tested imagery and found real photos worked better than generic stock images.
• Longer A/B testing cycles revealed important trends otherwise missed in shorter spans.

Takeaways

1. Prioritize evaluating and testing your site's functionality over its aesthetic appeal.
2. Use the LIFT model to systematically improve key factors like clarity and relevance.
3. Incorporate CRO testing as an ongoing strategy to adapt to changing user preferences.