2026-06-01 · en

What is conversion rate and how to improve it on your site

What is conversion rate and how to improve it on your site

Having a beautiful website and receiving visitors is not enough. What truly matters is how many of those visits turn into concrete results: sales, quote requests, sign-ups, or contacts.

The conversion rate is the metric that measures exactly this. And improving it is one of the most efficient ways to increase the return on your digital investment.

What is conversion rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action. The action depends on the goal of each page:

  • On a product page, the conversion is the purchase
  • On a landing page, the conversion is filling the form
  • On a blog page, the conversion may be the newsletter subscription
  • On a contact page, the conversion is sending the message

The formula is simple: (number of conversions / number of visitors) x 100.

Why conversion rate matters

Many businesses focus only on increasing website traffic. More visitors is good, but if the site does not convert well, much of that investment is wasted.

Improving the conversion rate allows you to generate more results without increasing traffic investment. If your site receives 10,000 visits per month and converts at 2 per cent, you have 200 conversions. If you increase the rate to 4 per cent, you get 400 conversions with the same traffic.

This is why conversion rate optimisation is one of the highest-return strategies in digital marketing.

Factors that affect conversion rate

Several elements of your site influence whether a visitor converts or not:

Loading speed. Slow sites drive visitors away. Each additional second of loading time significantly reduces the likelihood of conversion.

Clarity of the value proposition. The visitor must understand in seconds what you offer and why they should choose your company. If the message is not clear, they leave.

Design and usability. A confusing site with complicated navigation or poorly organised content makes conversion difficult.

Trust. Testimonials, case studies, security seals, and visible contact information increase visitor trust.

Effective CTAs. Call-to-action buttons need to be visible, have clear text, and be positioned strategically.

Forms. Long forms or those with too many fields reduce conversion rates. Ask only for necessary information.

Mobile experience. More visitors browse on their phones every day. If the site is not optimised for small screens, it loses conversions.

How to improve conversion rate

Improving conversion rate is a continuous process. Here are the practical steps:

1. Analyse current data. Use tools like Google Analytics to understand where visitors drop off. Identify pages with high exit rates.

2. Identify bottlenecks. The problem may be in the form, checkout process, lack of information, or site slowness.

3. Run A/B tests. Test variations of headlines, CTAs, colours, images, and layout. Change one element at a time to know what works.

4. Optimise speed. Compress images, reduce scripts, and choose fast hosting. Tools like PageSpeed Insights help identify issues.

5. Improve content. Ensure the text is clear, direct, and answers the visitor questions before they need to ask them.

6. Simplify the conversion process. Fewer fields, fewer clicks, fewer distractions. Each additional obstacle reduces the conversion rate.

Common mistakes that hurt conversion

Some mistakes are frequent on business websites:

  • Generic information: the site does not clearly explain what you do or who it is for
  • Weak CTAs: "Click here" instead of "Request a free quote"
  • Too many options: giving too many choices paralyses the decision
  • Lack of social proof: testimonials and real cases increase credibility
  • Long process: forcing the visitor through multiple steps to convert

Continuous monitoring

Conversion rate is not static. Changes in the market, user behaviour, or your site can affect it. Therefore, monitoring must be continuous.

Set clear goals, measure regularly, and adjust based on data. Small improvements in conversion rate have a significant impact on results over time.

At Lanoar, we analyse existing sites to identify conversion barriers and implement data-driven improvements, not guesswork.

FAQ

What is conversion rate?

Conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, filling a form, or requesting a quote. It is calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the total number of visitors and multiplying by 100.

What is a good conversion rate?

It depends on the industry and type of conversion. On average, business websites have rates of 2 to 5 per cent. Well-optimised landing pages can reach 10 or 15 per cent. The important thing is to compare with your own history and direct competitors.

What affects conversion rate?

Many factors: site speed, clarity of the value proposition, design and usability, content quality, CTAs, trust signals, forms, checkout process, and mobile experience.

How do I calculate conversion rate?

Divide the number of conversions by the total number of visitors in a given period and multiply by 100. For example: 50 conversions from 1,000 visitors result in a conversion rate of 5 per cent.

What is CRO?

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) is the systematic process of increasing the percentage of visitors who convert. It involves data analysis, A/B testing, usability improvements, and continuous optimisation.

Does improving conversion rate replace getting more traffic?

No, it complements it. Increasing the conversion rate means generating more results with the same traffic. The ideal approach is to work on both fronts: attract more qualified visitors and convert better those who already arrive at the site.