The Importance of Testing in Conversion Rate Optimization | (un)Common Logic

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. By optimizing your website and user experience, you can significantly increase the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form. When done effectively, CRO can help businesses drive more revenue, lower acquisition costs, and, quite simply, make your website easier to use. However, to achieve meaningful improvements, rigorous testing is crucial. This blog explores why testing is so important in CRO, when to test new ideas, and how long you should test to gain reliable results.

Why Testing is Crucial in CRO

Testing is the backbone of CRO. Without testing, any changes you make to your website are based on guesses, which can often lead to disappointing results. Testing allows you to make data-driven decisions by providing concrete evidence of what works and what doesn’t (so that you don’t move full steam ahead with a tactic or strategy that could negatively impact the bottom line). Here are some of the reasons why we recommend testing:

1. Eliminates Guesswork: By testing, you can avoid relying on hunches or intuition. Instead, you make changes based on real user behavior and preferences.
2. Identifies What Truly Matters: Testing helps you pinpoint the elements of your website that have the most significant impact on conversion rates.
3. Enhances User Experience: By continuously testing and refining your site, you ensure a smoother, more enjoyable user experience, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

When to Test New Ideas

Determining the right time to test new ideas is crucial for effective CRO. Here are some key moments to consider:

1. 1. Before Major Campaigns: Test your landing pages, calls to action, and other critical elements before launching major marketing campaigns. This ensures you’re putting your best foot forward and maximizing the potential of your campaign.
   2. After Gathering Enough Data: Make sure you have enough data to make informed decisions. If your site has low traffic, you might need to wait longer to gather sufficient data for reliable testing results.
   3. When Implementing Significant Changes: Anytime you’re making substantial changes to your site’s layout, design, or functionality, it’s essential to test to understand the impact of these changes on user behavior.
   4. Whenever something just seems to stop working: Okay, so this is a little vague but here’s what we mean. There are times when your site needs to evolve and that might become apparent when your KPIs (think CVR or Bounce Rate) become stagnant or even decline. After a thorough investigation using tools such as HotJar, CrazyEgg, VWO, or GA4, you might be able to identify areas of friction. Take this opportunity to develop a new set of hypotheses and test ideas to move the needle forward.

Below is an example of our very own homepage with HotJar’s scroll heat map. Our team utilizes this tool to gain insight into how users are engaging with our site and what content they are consuming.

How Long to Test For

The duration of your test is another crucial factor in achieving reliable results. Here are some guidelines to help you determine the appropriate testing period:

1. Statistical Significance: Aim for your test to reach statistical significance, meaning the results are unlikely to have occurred by chance. This typically requires a large enough sample size and can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on your site’s traffic.
2. Consistency Over Time: Ensure that your test runs through various days of the week and different times of the month to account for variations in user behavior. This provides a more accurate representation of your audience.
3. Avoiding Seasonality Bias: Be mindful of seasonal fluctuations in traffic and behavior. For example, running a test during a holiday season might not give you results that are applicable year-round.

Best Practices for Effective Testing

To ensure your testing efforts yield meaningful insights, follow these best practices:

1. Test One Element at a Time: Focus on one element per test, such as a headline, button color, or image. This helps you clearly identify which change led to the observed impact.
2. Use A/B Testing: A/B testing is one of the most effective methods. It involves comparing two versions of a page or element to see which performs better.
3. Document Your Findings: Keep detailed records of your tests, including hypotheses, methodologies, results, and conclusions. This helps you learn from past tests and refine future ones. For instance, our CRO experts create a living and breathing testing pipeline that continues to grow with every test and analysis. Hypotheses and testing ideas are ranked by priority depending on what goals we’re trying to achieve and by impactfulness.

Remember that testing is iterative, so plan phases of tests that allow you to continuously optimize your website and keep the insights flowing.

In conclusion, testing is an integral part of Conversion Rate Optimization. It eliminates guesswork, helps you understand what truly affects your conversions, and ensures a better user experience. By knowing when to test and how long to test for, you can make informed decisions that lead to sustained improvements in your conversion rates.

For expert assistance with your CRO strategy, visit our Contact Us page. Our team at (un)Common Logic is here to help you optimize your website for maximum conversions!