From 2017 to 2019, over 90% of businesses say that their conversion optimization was effective and saw major improvements. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a proven and effective way to increase your percentage of conversions, on both your website and mobile apps.
In that same statistics, over 50% said they saw a decline in 2020. This is because many businesses aren’t hiring a professional conversion rate optimization agency and we’ve seen is an influx of nonprofessional or expert level agencies offering this service.
When talking about a specialized technical skill like this, only a trained professional should be providing these types of services.
Which is why we are here today. We’ve got 7 things to keep in mind when considering hiring a conversion rate optimization agency.
Let’s get started!
1. Look at Their Approach
When looking at a CRO agency, you’ll need to pay attention to their approach. Many agencies will try and sell you on how many tests they’ve done, but what matters is the results. Tests and studies are valuable and something else to look out for in an agency, but only if they provide results along with them.
Look for an agency that focuses on getting measurable results with testing and follow through with it in their approach, not just throwing everything against the wall until something sticks.
2. Ask About Their Success Rate
Specifically, ask them about their success rate in achieving winning tests as well as the percentage of those winning results that saw actual business value from those changes. Generally speaking, 20% is a good benchmark for tests.
If an agency hasn’t been able to show you some numbers within the last couple of years, then they aren’t a strong player and you should look elsewhere. When it comes to successful conversion rate agencies, they’ll have the numbers and results to back it up. Don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Be On the Same Page
Working with an agency partner requires that both of you are always on the same page. Ensure that they have a strong understanding of your user and acquisition strategies. They should be able to give you a clear plan on how they’re going to approach optimizing conversion rate, as well as a timeline for having it reach set goals.
This means being clear on what you are looking for in the end results though. Before meeting with a potential CRO agency, write down everything that you want so that you can talk to them about it and see if they can meet those needs!
4. Data-Driven Agency
CRO is a data-driven technique, so it’s important to know that they have the tools and people needed to accomplish this. Without those, making any accurate assertions or decisions will be incredibly difficult. You should ask them if they have a dedicated team that sits on the marketing side of things as well as one that specializes in CRO/UX testing itself.
If their answer is no, then you may want to consider looking elsewhere for a CRO partner. If it’s yes, then ensure that the people working on it are actually qualified to do so. When choosing a CRO agency, make sure you’re not just hiring an expert but someone who has been successful before, which means using data-driven actions.
5. An Agency That Is Custom for You
The next thing to look out for when hiring an agency to optimize conversions is whether or not they are custom to you. There are several approaches that most agencies take, so ensure that you speak with multiple teams and pick one whose approach meshes well with yours.
You don’t want to work with a team that uses the same blanket strategies and approaches for every company and niche. Each business should have its own unique and custom plan because each business is different and has different goals.
On top of that, personalization will also provide you with additional opportunities to improve and increase your conversions.
6. Moves Quickly and Effectively
You should ensure that your CRO agency is able to move quickly and effectively. After all, you could be losing quite a bit of money if you don’t have a team that can move fast.
The longer an agency takes with conversions, the higher the potential of losing time and money. It’s better to go with a partner who works steadily towards achieving your goals rather than one who drifts away from them over time. Ask for timelines of success rates and see if they can give you a custom one based on your goals.
7. Ask Questions
Last but not least, you want to ask as many questions as possible. The more you know about them the ahead of time, the better. This can save you from making the mistake of going with the wrong agency.
Ask for previous case studies. Ask them about their conversions and how they achieved them. You can even go as far as asking to see some current test cases they’re running and what the results will look like once it’s complete.
You should also ask your agency partner about the steps that you’ll need to take in order for this program to be successful on your end. You don’t want to be stuck doing all of the work while they sit around and do nothing, after all.
Here are some direct questions to use in an interview with the agency:
- Do you have a specialty or a focus?
- Do you have testimonials from clients describing the benefits they’ve received?
- Can you provide some case studies of proven results?
- Do you focus on data-driven marketing or keep it simple?
- What conversion rate optimizer tools and resources do you use?
- Do you use custom plans for each company you work with?
- What is the process your company uses for conversion optimization?
It’s important to choose a conversion rate optimization agency you can trust so that you can get these answers easily and save yourself from future issues with converting visitors into clients. These simple questions will give you some good ideas about whether or not you will want to work with them.
Hiring a Professional Conversion Rate Optimization Agency
When looking to hire a conversion rate optimization agency, it’s important to make sure that you’re selecting the right one or you could potentially lose thousands. Not all CRO agencies are created equal.
On the flip side, with the right CRO agency and an effective CRO strategy you can see some amazing results and have your company take off.
If you’re ready to work with an expert CRO team or have questions about hiring a CRO agency, contact us today!