CRO Playbook

Overview

Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is the discipline of turning more of your existing traffic into customers, leads, or subscribers. Unlike paid media, CRO compounds: every improvement stays in place for every future visitor. This playbook covers the full CRO process, from research and hypothesis building through testing and implementation. It is built for teams that want to move beyond guesswork and build a systematic, evidence-based optimisation programme.

Step-by-Step Framework

1. 1

   Quantitative Analysis — Find Where You Lose

   Set up funnel visualisations in your analytics tool to identify the biggest drop-off points. Segment by device, traffic source, and user type. A 60% drop between product page and checkout is a different problem than a 60% drop between landing page and sign-up form.

2. 2

   Qualitative Research — Understand Why

   Use heatmaps, session recordings, and on-page surveys to understand why users drop off. Look for confusion, friction, and unmet expectations. Run five to eight user interviews per quarter to hear directly from your audience. Numbers tell you where; research tells you why.

3. 3

   Hypothesis and Prioritisation

   Write each optimisation idea as a structured hypothesis: "If we [change], then [metric] will [improve] because [evidence]." Score hypotheses using an ICE framework (Impact, Confidence, Ease) and rank them. Work on the highest-scoring ideas first.

4. 4

   Test Design and Execution

   Design A/B or multivariate tests with a clear primary metric, sample size calculation, and runtime estimate. Avoid running tests with insufficient traffic — a minimum detectable effect of 5% typically requires at least 10,000 sessions per variant. Document every test in a shared repository.

5. 5

   Analyse Results with Statistical Rigour

   Wait until your test reaches statistical significance before declaring a winner. Use a 95% confidence level as your standard. Review secondary metrics and segments — a test that wins overall but loses on mobile warrants further investigation rather than full deployment.

6. 6

   Implement Winners and Build Institutional Knowledge

   Deploy winning variations to 100% of traffic within one business day of reaching significance. Document the hypothesis, test design, results, and learnings in your test repository. Over time, this repository becomes your most valuable CRO asset — a library of what works for your specific audience.

Key Metrics to Track

Common Mistakes

Next Steps

Begin with a conversion audit of your highest-traffic pages. Install heatmap and session recording tools if you have not already. Write your first five hypotheses based on quantitative and qualitative data, score them, and launch your first A/B test within two weeks.