Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) Tips
Is your website failing to turn visitors into leads or customers? You’re not alone – and the good news is that this can be turned around.
In this webinar, we uncover the most common reasons websites underperform and, more importantly, what you can do to improve your conversion rate. Packed with practical advice and actionable tips, this session is ideal for anyone responsible for their organisation’s website or digital strategy.
Whether you missed the live webinar or want to watch it again, you can catch up below.
Prefer to read a summary of the webinar?
If you’d prefer to read a summary of the webinar, please find this below. It covers all the key points from “Why your website isn’t converting – and how to fix it”, giving you a structured and actionable overview of what was covered.
The Foundations
Why CRO Matters More Than Ever
Driving traffic to your website is only half the battle. If your site doesn’t convert, you’re leaking potential leads, sales, and revenue. Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is about making your existing traffic work harder – improving performance without always increasing spend. In a world of rising ad costs and short attention spans, optimising your site for conversions is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s essential.
Understanding User Intent and Behaviour
Visitors don’t arrive on your site by accident, they come with a purpose. Whether they’re browsing, researching, comparing, or ready to buy, your site needs to recognise and respond to those different types of intent. Understanding where users are in their journey allows you to meet their needs more effectively and nudge them towards conversion with the right message, at the right time.
The Psychology of Conversion
Conversion isn’t just about tech, it’s about trust, emotion, and persuasion. We make decisions based on how we feel, not just what we see. Your website should use psychological cues like social proof, authority, urgency, and simplicity to guide users confidently toward action. Even subtle changes in layout, wording, or imagery can influence user behaviour.
Measuring What Actually Matters
Vanity metrics (like page views or bounce rate) can distract you from what really matters. Focus instead on metrics tied to conversion goals: key funnels completed, form submissions, purchases, enquiry completions, or time to conversion. Tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar help uncover the why behind the numbers, so you can take action based on real user data.
10 Reasons Why Your Website Isn’t Converting
Unclear Messaging and Value Proposition
If users can’t tell what you do and why it matters within a few seconds, they’ll leave. Your messaging needs to be benefit-led, not feature-focused. What problems do you solve? What makes you different? Make your value proposition clear, concise, and obvious.
Designed for You, Not Them
A common trap is designing a site based on internal preferences, not user needs. Your site should be tailored to your audience – their pain points, language, devices, and decision-making journey. Prioritise usability, not internal politics.
Weak or Missing CTAs
If your calls to action aren’t clear, frequent, or persuasive, you’ll lose conversions. Every key page should guide users toward the next step with standout buttons, consistent wording, and minimal friction. Don’t leave users wondering what to do next.
Overly Complex Forms
Long or confusing forms are one of the biggest conversion killers. Ask only for the information you need, not what’s nice to have. Use smart features like progress bars, autofill, and optional fields to make the process smoother.
Poor Mobile UX
Mobile traffic now dominates, yet many websites still feel clunky on smaller screens. Think mobile-first: buttons need to be tappable, forms need to be easy to complete, and content needs to be digestible on the go. It’s not enough to simply “shrink” your desktop design.
Confusing Navigation or Structure
If users can’t find what they’re looking for within a few clicks, they’ll bounce. Create a clear hierarchy, group content logically, and use helpful menus, breadcrumbs, and filters. And for service businesses, make it solution-focused, not just a list of services.
Poor Quality Traffic
Sometimes, it’s not your site, it’s the traffic. If you’re attracting the wrong audience, your conversion rate will naturally be low. Look at your paid campaigns, SEO targeting, and referral sources to ensure you’re bringing in visitors who match your ideal customer profile.
Slow Load Speed
Speed matters. Even a one-second delay can significantly impact conversion rates. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to diagnose what’s slowing things down, and take action by compressing images, streamlining code, and leveraging caching where possible.
Intrusive Pop-Ups
Pop-ups can help or hurt depending on how they’re used. If they’re badly timed, irrelevant, or hard to close, they’ll frustrate users and damage trust. Instead, use smart, behaviour-based triggers and make it easy to exit if a user isn’t ready to convert.
Rigid Technology
A clunky CMS or outdated tech stack can limit your flexibility, slow down performance, and make testing or editing painful. Make sure your platform can evolve with your business and allow your marketing team to make changes without constant developer support.
Next Steps
Testing with Purpose
Conversion optimisation isn’t about random experiments, it’s about focused, informed testing. Use data to identify friction points, then make small, strategic changes and track results. Funnels, user recordings, and heatmaps are your friends here.
Your CRO Action Plan
Ready to take action? Start by auditing your current user journey, identifying friction points, and setting clear goals. Prioritise the quick wins first, then map out longer-term improvements. Remember, CRO is an ongoing process and not a one-off project.
Resources
Looking for support or more in-depth guidance? Here are a few useful links:
- Need a conversion audit? We can analyse your website using our Conversion Insights service
- Explore our latest guides and insights – Visit our Documents page
- Join our upcoming webinars – Follow us on Eventbrite to be the first to hear about our upcoming sessions