Many Australian small and medium enterprises drive traffic to their websites or landing pages, but struggle to turn those visitors into paying customers. This is where conversion rate optimisation – or CRO – comes in. Simply put, CRO is the process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, like making a purchase, filling out a form, or requesting a quote. Improving your conversion rate directly impacts your return on investment (ROI) because you’re getting more value from the traffic you already have, without needing to spend more on advertising.
We often see SMEs overlooking low-hanging fruit when it comes to CRO. Here are a few key areas to focus on:
- Understand Your Customer Journey: Before making changes, we need to map out how customers currently interact with your website. Where are they dropping off? What questions are they asking? Tools like heatmaps and session recordings can provide valuable insights into user behaviour.
- Simplify Your Forms: Long, complicated forms are conversion killers. Only ask for essential information. Consider using progressive profiling – asking for more details over time, rather than all at once.
- Clear Calls to Action: Every page should have a clear and compelling call to action (CTA). Use action-oriented language (“Get a Quote Now”, “Download Your Free Guide”) and make your CTAs visually prominent. A/B testing different CTA wording and button colours can reveal surprising improvements.
- Mobile Optimisation is Critical: With more Australians browsing on mobile devices, a responsive website is no longer optional – it’s essential. Ensure your site loads quickly and is easy to navigate on all screen sizes.
CRO isn’t a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing process. We recommend starting with small, data-driven changes and continuously testing and refining your approach. Don’t rely on gut feeling – let the data guide your decisions. By focusing on improving the experience for your existing website visitors, you can unlock significant gains in ROI and set your business up for continued success. The businesses that prioritise understanding and responding to their customers’ needs will be best positioned for growth in 2026 and beyond.
To get started, we suggest conducting a basic website audit to identify areas for immediate improvement. A simple review of your key landing pages, focusing on clarity, CTAs, and mobile responsiveness, can often yield quick wins.
