{"id":40405,"date":"2017-11-13T12:39:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T07:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/?p=40405"},"modified":"2026-04-14T18:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T13:00:43","slug":"learning-conversion-optimization-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/learning-conversion-optimization-football\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Strategies Conversion Rate Optimization Can Adopt From Football"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The ball is round, the game lasts ninety minutes, and everything else is just theory.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Sepp Herberger<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Portuguese, football is known as o Jogo bonito<\/em>, which translates to \u2018the beautiful game\u2019. At VWO, we believe that like football, conversion rate optimization<\/a> (CRO) can be done beautifully. That said, CRO is a complex topic. There is a lot of information to be processed and many potential tests and courses of action, which can get quite overwhelming even for seasoned digital marketers. To help simplify this, we\u2019ve discussed five key strategies from world-leading football teams in this article that you can adapt to create and run a high-performing CRO program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download Free: Conversion Rate Optimization Guide<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n

Setting goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Goals are the way you win\u2014both short and long term. It\u2019s not just about scoring goals in one match, it\u2019s also about the goals or objectives that the team sets up for the entire season. This is the vision that they work toward achieving, giving them motivation and structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N\u2019golo Kante, a midfielder from the English football club Chelsea, said this<\/a> about goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a club like Chelsea, we want to win everything, we\u2019re going to try and win everything. It\u2019s a new challenge for everyone.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All football clubs set up their respective goals at the beginning of the season, whether these include winning the trophy, a particular league, or just some number of matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key takeaways for CRO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before starting with CRO, it\u2019s important to set up goals that can be tracked and measured<\/a> during the process.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goals created in an A\/B test<\/a> should align with your business objectives. The primary goal selected will be used then to decide the outcome of the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results of the minor goals that accompany the primary goal can influence the final decision made just after the test has just concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n

Research and analysis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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\"CRO
Image source: Reddit<\/a>
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Football leagues get more competitive every year. The stakes are higher, teams are better, and the pressure to win intensifies. With the help of research and analysis by using modern technology, teams are able to plan and prepare better for a football season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A manager can now watch heatmaps<\/a> of players\u2019 movements on-field. Players can watch recordings of their own gameplay and more. The Guardian refers to this revolution as \u201cdatafication\u201d of football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their spare time, football players practice on PlayStation to improve their decision-making skills and to become better at their game. Former Italian footballer Andrea Pirlo was even quoted saying this: \u201cAfter the wheel, the best invention is the PlayStation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key takeaways for CRO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After your baseline goals are decided, it\u2019s important to research and analyze to inform the strategy for how you will achieve your desired goals.Research and analysis can include reviewing data, looking at competitors, viewing heatmaps<\/a>, watching visitor recordings, or even conducting on-page surveys that ask your visitors for relevant feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blog<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the help of research and analysis, you can get answers to the following 3 questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n