{"id":4040,"date":"2019-07-16T13:25:10","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T12:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/?p=4040"},"modified":"2026-01-08T13:02:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T13:02:42","slug":"conversion-rate-optimisation-web-developers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/conversion-rate-optimisation-web-developers\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Conversion Rate Optimisation Principles That Web Developers Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most websites are built based on what the client wants. But the truth is that what the client wants isn\u2019t always going to be what converts. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where conversion rate optimisation (CRO) comes into play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a useful skill for any web developer or designer to have in their toolbox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only do you make yourself more valuable to the client, but you can also offer conversion rate optimisation as an extra service. This can be as a one-off service, and\/or an ongoing service where you run split tests to further improve conversions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a lot to learn about CRO, but there are several basic principles that you need to know. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I\u2019ll share a bunch of these CRO principles and how you can use them to grow your revenue faster.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get started: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Put customers at the heart of every website build <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A website is only as good as the results it delivers for a client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And delivering results requires that you understand everything about the people the website will serve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means you\u2019ll need to request buyer personas<\/strong> from your client, or ask your client some pointed questions so you can develop one for the website build. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is a buyer persona exactly? A buyer persona is simply a profile of your ideal customer. It should factor in demographics such as age, gender, education, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will also include goals, challenges, values, possible objections to your client’s service\/product, etc. Along with their online activities such as how often they use the internet, what social networks they prefer, what forums\/communities they frequent, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WiredImpact.com<\/a> has a good article that explains the types of questions to be asking your client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next? You\u2019ll need to consider this information in the build process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if your client has a target audience that consists of the over 65, you may need to reconsider elements such as font size, or elements they may be unfamiliar with such as the hamburger menu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if your client\u2019s audience is more active on Pinterest, you\u2019ll want to display Pinterest share buttons on blog posts, and possibly on media elements to encourage social sharing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Go beyond UX basics and consider website flow <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Improving user experience is all about removing friction and possible conversion roadblocks<\/strong> across the entire site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And most importantly, balancing business goals with the expectations of the user. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It helps to visualise a website in terms of a sales funnel. Here\u2019s a great visual from TD Insights  that illustrates which types of content best serve the different stages of the funnel: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On a typical website, the job of each page will be to direct the visitor to the next stage in the funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, a big part of this comes back to the use of buyer personas. With that information, you can make every page address their concerns, objections, and needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Fewer choices will lead to quicker decisions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever sat down in a restaurant and opened a menu only to struggle to decide what to order? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because of a concept known as Hick\u2019s Law<\/a>. In a nutshell, this means that the time it takes for a person to make a simple decision increases logarithmically with the number of choices they are given. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To improve conversion rates, Hick\u2019s Law is something we need to consider. Ultimately, this means simply giving people fewer options and removing possible distractions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When dealing with calls to action (CTAs) that are a simple button, this is easier to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about something more complicated like a form that requires many fields? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, you can simply break the form down over multiple pages. We can see this type of thinking in action all over the web. One example is Google\u2019s sign in page: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Google's<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. Don\u2019t reinvent the wheel – use proven page layouts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When building a website, it\u2019s completely understandable to want to create something that\u2019s unlike anything else out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge with this approach is that consumers get used to certain types of pages looking & behaving in a certain way \u2013 people prefer websites that feel familiar<\/a> (or what\u2019s often referred to as websites with high prototypicality<\/em> in the UX world). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When websites deviate from that norm, it can cause confusion. And as a result, conversions can decrease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the flip side, when you align page layouts, website structure & behaviour with consumer expectations, you\u2019ll typically see an improvement in conversions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Use genuine trust markers & social proof to improve conversion rates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In order to turn a regular website into a conversion-focused lead generation machine, you need to establish trust & build credibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be done with the use of genuine trust markers<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are trust markers exactly? Here are some common types you\u2019ll likely have seen before: <\/p>\n\n\n\n