What Is CRO Testing and How To Conduct It (2024)

You can treat your website as if it’s a science experiment. You hypothesize that adding high-quality product videos will prompt customers to complete a purchase. To test your hypothesis, you run an A/B test in which half of your visitors see the original product pages, and the other half see the pages with the new videos. By analyzing the conversion rates of each group, you can determine whether the videos have a statistically significant impact on customer behavior.

Conversion rate optimization testing is the term for running these kinds of experiments. By running CRO tests and analyzing the data, you gain valuable insights into user behavior and preferences. This lets you make qualitative, data-driven decisions to optimize your website for better conversions and ultimately achieve your business goals.

What is CRO testing?

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) testing is the process of running experiments on your website to see what tweaks lead to more visitors taking a desired action. By running tests, you can gather data on user behavior and identify which variations lead to a higher conversion rate—the percentage of visitors who take a desired action. For example, imagine a scenario where changing your call-to-action (CTA) button color from blue to green leads to a 10% increase in signups. 

User testing can also reveal hidden roadblocks in your sales funnel so you can make targeted improvements. For example, in the process of testing different parts of your checkout flow, you might discover that long product descriptions pushed the Add to Cart button below the fold, making it less noticeable.

Types of CRO tests

By employing different CRO testing methods, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior and optimize your website for maximum conversions, ultimately boosting your business goals.

Here are a few types of CRO testing methods:

A/B testing

The most common type of CRO test, A/B testing (also known as split testing) involves making two versions of a single element—like a headline or product image—and then showing the versions to different visitor groups to see which one performs better. For example, you might test a close-up shot of your product compared to a wider shot on your product page to see which style drives more purchases. 

A/B testing is helpful for mobile optimization; testing multiple variations of a mobile-friendly layout can significantly impact your conversion rates.

Multivariate testing

This type of test builds on A/B testing by allowing you to experiment with multiple elements simultaneously. It helps identify the most effective combination of multiple variations for different elements working together. You might test different combinations of headlines, product images, and product descriptions on your landing page to see which combination generates the most leads.

Multi-armed bandit testing

Multi-armed bandit testing gets its name from a gambling technique in which you play several slot machines, or “one-armed bandits,” to see which one makes you the most money. Compared to A/B testing, which compares two variations of a single element, this type is like multivariate testing in that it compares multiple variations at once.

It’s also an adaptive approach, so instead of sending the same number of people to variations, machine learning algorithms analyze ongoing test data and continuously adjust traffic allocation. More visitors will see the variations that perform well, while underperforming ones see their exposure decrease. This “exploration-exploitation” approach helps identify the winning variant faster and maximize conversions throughout the testing process.

How to conduct a CRO test

1. Define your goals
2. Identify areas for improvement
3. Develop your hypothesis
4. Choose your CRO test
5. Create test variations
6. Test and track data
7. Make a decision

CRO testing is an ongoing process, and optimizing your website for conversions requires a strategic approach. By systematically testing and analyzing, you can continuously improve your website’s performance and achieve your primary objectives.

Here’s a breakdown of several steps for conducting a successful CRO test:

1. Define your goals

First, choose the specific action you want visitors to take when they arrive on a page on your website. Do you want them to purchase a product, sign up for a newsletter, or download a white paper? Having a clear goal helps you tailor your work to achieve measurable test results.

2. Identify areas for improvement

Pinpoint areas with low conversion rates with website analytics tools such as Hotjar or Shoplift, both of which are available on the Shopify App Store, among many other options for testing software. Look at user behavior data, like form abandonment or scroll depth (this reveals how far down a page users typically scroll).

3. Develop your hypothesis

Based on your identified issue, formulate a hypothesis about what change might lead to an improvement. Low conversions could be due to a confusing product page layout, a complex checkout process, or an unclear call to action button. For example, you might hypothesize that simplifying the checkout process will increase your website’s conversion rate.

4. Choose your CRO test

Select the most suitable CRO test type for your needs. A/B testing is a good starting point for comparing two variations of a single element like a blog headline or product photo. For more complex scenarios, like forms or page layouts, consider multivariate testing or split URL testing, which allows you to split traffic to two completely different versions of a web page.

5. Create test variations

Develop different versions of the website element you want to test. This could involve alternative headlines, button designs, or form layouts. To draw meaningful conclusions, ensure the variations are demonstrably different from each other.

6. Test and track data

After you implement your design test variations, launch the test and closely monitor user behavior through analytics tools that randomly segment your website visitors into groups. Some visitors will see the original page (control group), while others will see your variations (test groups). 

Data will reveal which versions are performing better in terms of conversion rates (as demonstrated by more purchases, sign-ups, etc.). You’ll track metrics like click-through rates, time spent on specific pages, downloads, and other conversion rates for each variation. This data comparison lets you identify the clear winner that resonates most with your target audience.

Run the test as long as you need to to produce results with statistical significance. For example, if on the first day of comparing two product photos you find one variation produces 10 times as many purchases, you have a clear winner. If the first day of data produces closer results, however, continue the test until a clear winner emerges.

7. Make a decision

Once you run CRO tests, analyze user research data to see which variation performed better. Based on the results, iterate and refine your website elements or conduct user research to continuously optimize for more conversions.

CRO test examples

As a business owner, CRO testing empowers you to refine your website and turn visitors into valuable customers. Here are a few CRO test examples to consider:

Form optimization

Complex forms can deter users from signing up or making purchases. Test ways to streamline your forms, like user surveys, to improve the customer experience. For instance, compare a multipage form with a single-page form. Analyze which format leads to higher form completion rates, and identify potential drop-off points within the longer form for further optimization.

Headline optimization

Headlines are crucial for grabbing attention. Craft compelling headlines by testing different variations and identifying what truly connects with your target audience. Compare a benefit-driven headline like “Boost Sales by 20%” with a curiosity-sparking one like “The Secret to Effortless Marketing.” Analyze website traffic and conversion rates to see which headline generates more clicks and leads.

Product image optimization

High-quality product images are essential for ecommerce websites. Test different image formats, backgrounds, and zoom functionalities to see which ones lead to more product page engagement. Consider comparing a single product image with a carousel showcasing multiple product views. Track which format leads to higher product purchases or add-to-cart rates.

Social proof

People trust recommendations from others. Test incorporating social proof elements like customer testimonials, product reviews, or trust badges on your website. For instance, compare a landing page with customer testimonials to one without. Track conversion rates to see if social proof elements increase user trust and lead to more signups or sales.

Call to action variations

Test the effectiveness of your CTA buttons. For example, compare a red Buy Now button with a green one or experiment with stronger action verbs like Get Started versus Learn More on your product page. Track click-through rates to see which CTA drives more user action.