What is a conversion?

Different marketing activities and different marketing channels such as SEO, SEA or social media are aimed at driving as many visitors as possible to a website. The sum of all these visitors who arrive at a particular website is called traffic. Some of these visitors become customers, guests or registered users - they convert.

In the context of online marketing, the term conversion refers to exactly this process, namely the goal fulfillment of visitors to a website. The definition of conversion depends on the online marketing strategy or the market itself. For example, the request for tourist services, the purchase of a voucher, the contact with the site operator or the subscription to a newsletter can be defined as a conversion.

What is conversion rate?

The conversion rate is the relationship between the number of visitors and the number of conversions. The conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take a specific action, such as a purchase, inquiry or booking. This value is an important benchmark for evaluating an online marketing campaign or individual online marketing activities; the higher the conversion rate, the more successful the measure used. The goal is therefore to optimize the conversion rate.

<div class="article_quote"><div class="article_quote_contain"><div class="article_quote_quote">"More traffic does not necessarily mean a higher conversion rate. Marketing activities can significantly increase the number of visitors, but due to various events on the target pages, the desired action does not materialize."</div><div class="article_quote_name u-text-style-main"></div></div></div>

At the same time, more traffic does not necessarily mean a higher conversion rate. Marketing efforts can significantly increase the number of visitors, but due to various circumstances on the target pages, the desired action does not occur. The reasons for a bounce can be many:

• Insufficient call to action
• Unstructured structure of the target page
• Technical shortcomings
• Landing pages that are not mobile optimized, or
• Missing information

On average, only a small percentage of visitors convert, while the rest leave the site and drop off at various points in the conversion funnel, such as the inquiry, booking, or purchase process. Optimizing the conversion rate is one way to to counteract this.

Conversion Rate Optimization Methods

To increase the conversion rate, there are several methods to choose from.

CONTENT OPTIMIZATION

Content optimization is one way to improve conversion rates. For example, poorly designed or even incorrect product text in online stores or incomplete price lists on hotel pages can quickly lead to a user leaving the site. Missing call-to-action elements that prompt the visitor to take action can also be responsible for missing conversions.

LAYOUT OPTIMIZATION

Layout adjustments can also increase conversion rates. Neuromarketing research shows that subconscious conditions, such as the color scheme of a website, can have a positive impact on a user's buying or booking behavior.

USABILITY OPTIMIZATION

Usability optimization focuses on the user experience on a website. The potential for optimizing the usability of a website can be identified through usability testing. The user should reach the desired goal as intuitively as possible and without stumbling blocks. Optimizations in web design or structural adjustments can lead to an improvement in usability. An important part of usability optimization is mobile optimization. Due to the increasing number of mobile visits, websites should be made as mobile friendly as possible to ensure the best possible experience on all mobile devices.

CHECKOUT OPTIMIZATION

The effective purchase, booking or inquiry process is the most sensitive point where conversions are abandoned. The reason for an abandonment can be that the user finds the process too complicated or too uncertain and deviates from his intention. Increasing the number of payment options or simplifying the checkout process can counteract this.

Basically, any part of the page structure that influences users' buying or booking behavior can be optimized. The decision for or against a particular measure should be based on representative tests in order to achieve the most effective results. The first step in conversion rate optimization is a meticulous analysis phase to identify all the components of a website that can be improved. This analysis phase is followed by the formulation of hypotheses. Variations of the existing site are created, including suggestions for optimization. The variations are tested and evaluated. The entire optimization process can be carried out in five steps, which are repeated in a cycle after completion.