Conversion Sciences

05/19/2026

Your traffic costs more than ever and you're probably converting less of it.

CPCs are at all-time highs. Google, Meta, LinkedIn. Pick your poison. They're all more expensive than last year. They'll be more expensive next year.

Organic reach? Shrinking. SEO? Harder than ever thanks to AI overviews eating your clicks.

Every visitor to your website costs more than it used to. Every single one.

And yet most companies still spend 95% of their marketing budget getting traffic and less than 5% converting it.

Here's a number worth remembering. If you increase your conversion rate by just 20%, that's the equivalent of 20% more traffic for free. No additional ad spend. No new campaigns. No new headcount.

CRO doesn't add to your marketing budget. It multiplies it.

Every dollar you spend on ads, content, SEO, social. All of it becomes more valuable when more of that traffic converts.

The companies seeing real growth in 2026 aren't spending more on traffic. They're getting more from the traffic they already have.

05/01/2026

09/10/2024

Awkward moments in Podcasting.

We get a bit of a chip on our shoulders when UX Designers think they're doing the work we do.

Conversion optimization is, in fact, web design but with an extreme focus on the user's experience.

To us, a UX Designer should do deep customer research, measure the effects of their design on business goals, and adjust accordingly.

The "U" in "UX" stands for user.

Yet business-as-usual these days is to create a web design, push it out, and move on to the next thing.

We can't hide our dissatisfaction in this little clip from Two Guys on Your Website episode 1. It's part of the Intended Consequences Podcast.

08/29/2024

Marketing Metrics Explained…

IMPRESSIONS = People who probably didn't see your ad
👉 You can lead them to water, but you can’t make them drink.

CLICKS = People whose left mouse button works
👉 They can click, but can they give you their attention?

VISITS = Everyone!
👉 Hooray! They found us!

BOUNCES = The wrong people
👉 The digital trampoline of disappointment.

ABANDONS = The wrong user experience
👉 A clear sign something is off.

CONVERSIONS = The right people and the right user experience
👉 Everyone wins!

This may sound skeptical, but this is what we are up against.

You need BOTH the right traffic and the right landing experience.

08/27/2024

Expectation: Visitors will read every word on our beautifully crafted landing page.

Reality: Visitors only read what's relevant or interesting! They scan your page like a picture book.

Focus messaging on what is unique, and use design to make it stand out.

08/27/2024

If you are going to be a successful digital marketer, you are going to be an experimenter.

Your ability to use the tools and data of the trade will determine your future in a data-driven marketing economy.

What’s your comfort level with experimenting?

A: None. I like to know the outcome before I implement a change.
B: Some. I do the odd experiment, but I know I could do better.
C: Very comfortable. I love testing new ideas, and I see failure as an opportunity.

08/22/2024

The things that fundamentally improve your SEO are also the things that fundamentally help you to improve your conversion rate.

SEO drives traffic. CRO helps you do something with that traffic.

Together, they can make a huge impact on your website’s performance.

What are you doing to optimize the traffic you’re driving to your website?

08/21/2024

Contrary to popular belief, A/B testing isn’t just for website elements.

It can be applied across various channels:

- Email campaigns: Test subject lines, content, and CTAs.
- Ad campaigns: Experiment with visuals and copy.
- Products: Test new features, positioning, and pricing.
- Offers: Can you use bundles, discounts, free shipping, or payment plans to increase sales?

Almost any question you might ask a prospect in person can be presented on your website as an experiment.

08/19/2024

You don’t need to be a mathematician to run effective AB tests, but you do need a solid understanding of the statistics behind split testing.

An AB test is an example of statistical hypothesis testing:

1. A hypothesis is made about the relationship between two data sets.
2. Those data sets are then compared against each other to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship or not.

To put this in more practical terms, a prediction is made that Page Variation B will perform better than Page Variation A. Then we try to prove our prediction wrong.

The data sets from both pages are observed and compared to determine if Page Variation B is a statistically significant improvement over Page Variation A.

The statistics answer the question, If we performed this test again, would we expect Page Variation B to win again?

That seems fairly straightforward, so where does it get complicated?

The complexities arrive in all the ways a given “sample” can inaccurately represent the overall “population.” That’s why you need to ensure the sample can accurately represent the population.

BTW, this is why you need a Conversion Scientist® running your AB tests. We live for data.

08/15/2024

Think A/B testing is just for big companies with lots of traffic?

Even small and mid-sized businesses can benefit from A/B testing.

With affordable tools and a structured approach, any business can run effective A/B tests to optimize their conversion rates. The key is to

- Start small
- Focus on high-impact areas
- Build from there

Improving even small aspects of your site can lead to significant revenue gains over time.

08/13/2024

Next week, I’m honored to be presenting a live SMX masterclass: Designing Landing
Pages That Convert.

It’s not too late to register if you’re looking for actionable tactics to improve your search marketing game.

- August 21-22
- 2-day virtual training
- 12 expert instructors
- Certificate of completion with a nifty digital badge

Link below.