Conversion - types of conversion and ways to increase the conversion rate

For many people, especially those running an online business, conversion equates to a source of income. This is the case, for example, for online shop owners. However, conversion is not only important for them. It plays a key role wherever creators want to reach the largest possible audience. And although every website is created with specific goals in mind, these goals are not always the same. Therefore, the answer to the question "what is conversion" will not be the same for everyone you ask. But enough of this somewhat enigmatic introduction! It is time to get to know conversion inside out.

Conversion - what exactly is it?

One of the simplest definitions of conversion is that it is the user performing a specific action that increases the success of a particular business. In other words - it is the conversion of passive users into active users. Of course, 'conversion' is a word used not only in the context of internet marketing. It appears in various fields and, according to the PWN dictionary of the Polish language, its general meaning is 'to convert the form of something'. In this article, however, we are interested in the narrower meaning, i.e. the expected (desired) reaction from the recipient to the brand's online activities.

What goals can a conversion have? Learn about types and examples of conversions

As you already know - conversion goals can vary. For example, if someone runs an online shop, their goal will probably be to convert as many visitors as possible into customers ready to carry out a transaction. A different goal might be for someone providing educational content and wanting to build their position as an expert in a particular industry. It may be to get visitors to fill out a form, join a newsletter and thereby grow the community around the creator.

The other most common conversion targets are:

• leaving contact details (so-called sales lead)

• creating an account on the website (registration)

• completion of the form

• clicking on an advertisement on a page (e.g. banner, pop-up)

• file download

• watching the video provided on

• stay on the site as long as possible

Wondering why a conversion target is defined at all? Without clearly defining the goal of a conversion, it cannot be monitored and measured, which in turn is the foundation of the effectiveness of any marketing effort!

Micro conversions and macro conversions

It is worth noting the division of conversions into micro and macro. Micro conversions are actions performed by the user that fulfil minor objectives and add up to the main objective. In other words, these are the steps that bring the user closer to completing the action the company cares most about. An example of a micro conversion is, for example, creating an account on an online shop website - it is not the main goal, but it increases the chance of the user becoming a buying customer.

In turn Macro conversions are those actions performed by users that are the main goal of the company/website. The simplest example of a macro conversion is the purchase of a product on an e-commerce site. Note that micro/macro conversions are not constant and the same for everyone. Think, for example, about creating an account. While for an e-commerce shop this is a micro goal, for a social media site the creation of an account by a new user can be a macro goal.

Conversion rate - how is it calculated?

The conversion rate is used to determine the effectiveness of a website or online shop. It informs you of the percentage of your audience that has met your conversion target. This is the ratio between the number of 'conversions' made and the total number of users.

The conversion rate is therefore calculated as follows:

Conversion rate = (number of users who performed the desired action on the website / number of unique visits to the website) x 100%

Let's take an example like this. Your website was visited by 100 people in a given period. Only 5 of them performed the action you expected, e.g. subscribed to your newsletter. In this case, the conversion rate is: 5/100 x 100% = 5%.

A high conversion rate (rate) is evidence of effective online marketing activities.

An indispensable tool for analysing conversion rates is the Google Analytics.

How to optimise the conversion rate?

You already know what your conversion targets can be and how to calculate your conversion rate. However, what if you want to improve your score? There are certain actions that lead to an increase in the number of transactions, forms sent, or any other action that is the goal of a company. The process for implementing them is optimisation conversion - CRO for short (Conversion Rate Optimisation).

Attention! Remember that conversion optimisation is an ongoing process that is fine-tuned individually to the needs and goals of the business in question. Before any action is taken, analytics should be set up, user behaviour analysed and then A/B tests should be performed to see if the changes being implemented increase conversions.

Effective conversion optimisation - keep this in mind!

In most cases, effective conversion optimisation must cover 3 areas.

The first is the adaptation of the website - not only in terms of appearance, but also in terms of functionality. It must respond to the needs of visitors. When adapting the site, you must take into account, among other things, the user experience (UX), page loading speed and, of course, correct operation.

The second area of conversion optimisation is, in the case of online shops, a refined purchasing process. You must not allow a situation to arise where an offer presented on a page is interesting to a visitor, but he/she abandons the purchase because of difficulties when trying to convert! Above all, make the process as simple as possible.

The final area without which conversion optimisation will not be complete is image and trust-building activities. Web users are more likely to use services / buy products (simply put - they will convert) from those brands that enjoy recognition and authority in the industry. This is why it is so important to prepare and publish high-quality expert content. This type of optimised content not only improves search engine ranking, but also increases brand prestige and trust on the part of the audience.

Conversion - the holy grail of digital marketing

From this article, you learned what conversion rate is, how it is calculated and ways to optimise it. The conversion rate is one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) in the world of digital marketing. It allows you to measure the effectiveness of your actions and thus evaluate the work done, find possible mistakes, learn lessons and adjust your strategy. I think this text has made you realise how important conversion measurement is from the point of view of the entire customer acquisition process.