DE
What is baseline conversion?
The baseline conversion represents the conversion rate of a website or page that is not the result of recent marketing efforts, promotions, or optimization campaigns. For instance, if an ed-tech website has a 2% course enrollment rate from organic channels, that 2% becomes its baseline conversion.
Why is monitoring baseline conversion important?
Monitoring baseline conversion is crucial for several reasons:
- Benchmark for improvement: It provides a clear view of your current digital performance and acts as a standard to measure the success of future optimization campaigns.
- Strategic planning and prioritization: Regularly checking baseline conversion rates helps you plan and prioritize upcoming conversion optimization efforts.
- Precision in experimentation: Baseline conversion is key in A/B testing, as it helps determine the sample size needed.
How do you find out your baseline conversion?
Determining the baseline conversion is quite simple. Here’s how you can do it:
First, select the metric you want to analyze for a baseline conversion. For example, if you’re interested in the add-to-cart rate, use your web or data analytics tool to calculate the percentage of visitors who click the add-to-cart button out of all visitors who view that page. This percentage represents your baseline conversion.
Most analytics platforms allow you to track this rate over time, letting you observe monthly comparisons and trend patterns.
Another approach is to do A/A testing using an A/B testing tool. In this test, traffic is split evenly, with each segment showing identical webpage versions. While A/A testing primarily verifies the statistical reliability of the testing tool, it can also provide a baseline conversion since it measures conversions without any actual changes to the page.
Tips to improve the baseline conversion
Once you’ve calculated your baseline conversion, the next step is comparing it to industry benchmarks. If your rate falls short, here are some strategies to boost it:
a. Experimentation
Run A/B tests to see what works best. Split your traffic to show one group the original version and another group a modified experience.
A/B testing can be done on any platform—web, mobile, or app—and allows you to measure how changes impact conversions. If you see a significant uplift, you can confidently deploy the improved version for all users.
b. Personalization
Personalization is also another effective method. Tailoring your copy, web elements, widgets, and sections based on user segments—such as location, age, or buying habits—enables you to create a more contextual and relevant experience, which can lead to higher conversions.
c. Qualitative research
While quantitative data shows that conversion rates are low, qualitative research explains why it’s low. Tools like heatmaps, session recordings, form analytics, and on-page surveys reveal visitor pain points and frustrations. This insight helps generate targeted ideas for optimizing the user experience and boosting conversions.
By combining these strategies, you can take meaningful steps to improve your baseline conversion effectively.
Improve baseline conversion with VWO
VWO, the digital experience optimization platform, offers multiple tools to help you improve baseline conversion. Here are some powerful capabilities in VWO you can leverage:
a. VWO Insights
With VWO Insights, you can pinpoint areas causing low conversions using heatmaps, session recordings, on-page surveys, and form analytics. These insights provide a clear view of visitor frustrations and help identify solutions that drive better conversions.
b. VWO Testing
VWO Testing lets you run A/B tests across mobile, app, and web devices. This popular experimentation feature allows you to test and validate optimization ideas, enabling safe and effective improvements to your baseline conversion.
c. VWO Web Rollouts
VWO Web Rollouts allow for cosmetic changes that enhance baseline performance. An intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to deploy these tweaks.
d. VWO Personalize
VWO Personalize lets you tailor experiences for specific visitor segments. This feature allows you to use a drag-and-drop editor to deliver personalized nudges that encourage more visitors to convert.
e. VWO Feature Management
If you’re considering more substantial changes, like a new search algorithm. Then VWO Feature Management helps you safely test complex updates that could significantly uplift baseline conversions.
Ready to elevate your baseline conversion? Start a 30-day all-inclusive free trial today and explore VWO’s capabilities firsthand!
Conclusion
Improving your baseline conversion rate is essential for a successful digital marketing strategy. Start by calculating this baseline through your web analytics tool. Once identified, you can enhance it through strategies like A/B testing and personalization. Tools like VWO simplify this process, enabling you to manage all aspects of conversion optimization from a single dashboard.
