CRO Methodology

Scientific, customer-centric approach to conversion rate optimization based on the CRE Methodology™.

Core Philosophy

Don’t guess—discover. The methodology rejects “best practices” and “magic buttons” in favor of evidence-based optimization. Extraordinary improvements come from understanding WHY visitors don’t convert, not from copying competitors or applying generic tips.

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. When reviewing or creating landing pages, funnels, or conversion flows, rate them 0-10 based on adherence to the principles below. A 10/10 means full alignment with all guidelines; lower scores indicate gaps to address. Always provide the current score and specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.

The 9-Step CRE Process

1. Define Success Metrics

Align goals with business KPIs. Don’t jump to testing—first understand what success looks like. Identify which metrics actually matter (revenue, not just clicks).

2. Map the Conversion Funnel

Visualize every step from first impression to thank-you page. Identify:

• Blocked arteries: High-traffic paths with underperformance
• Missing links: Gaps in the funnel (no referral program, no email sequence, no upsells)

3. Understand Visitors (The Critical Step)

Answer: “Why aren’t visitors converting?” Research in three areas:

a) Visitor types & intentions

• New vs. repeat visitors
• Traffic source behavior
• Buyer journey stage
• Intent signals

b) UX problems (willing but unable)

• Browser compatibility
• Page speed
• Navigation clarity
• Form usability
• Error messages

c) Objections (able but unwilling) Use surveys, chat logs, support tickets to capture the “voice of the customer.” See OBJECTIONS.md for O/CO framework.

4. Gather Market Intelligence

• Analyze competitors
• Monitor social media, reviews
• Transfer winning strategies from other industries
• Identify positioning opportunities

5. Find Hidden Persuasion Assets

Every company has overlooked proof elements:

• Testimonials not displayed
• Awards not mentioned
• Statistics not highlighted
• Guarantees not prominent
• Team credentials hidden

Create a “wish list” of assets to acquire.

6. Create Experimental Strategy

Prioritize ideas using the ICE framework:

1. Impact: Could this double conversion rate? (1-10)
2. Confidence: How sure are we this will work? (1-10)
3. Ease: How easy to implement? (1-10)

Critical: Make BOLD changes, not “meek tweaks.” Small changes rarely reach statistical significance and waste resources.

See testing-methodology.md for detailed ICE scoring and prioritization.

7. Design Challengers

Create wireframes based on research insights (not guesswork). Focus on:

• Headlines
• Introductory paragraphs
• Calls-to-action
• Objection handling

See COPYWRITING.md for persuasion techniques.

8. Run Experiments

Use A/B testing platforms (Optimizely, VWO, etc.). For each test:

• Document hypothesis: “If we [change X], then [metric Y] will improve because [reason]”
• Define primary and guardrail metrics
• Calculate required sample size BEFORE starting
• Wait for statistical significance (95% confidence minimum)
• Run for at least one full business cycle (1-2 weeks)
• Promote winners to new control

See testing-methodology.md for statistical rigor and A/B vs. multivariate guidance.

9. Scale Wins

Apply insights across:

• Other landing pages
• Ad copy
• Email sequences
• Offline materials
• Affiliate programs

Quick-Start Checklist

When optimizing any page:

1. What is the ONE action visitors should take?
2. Who are the visitors? What stage of buying journey?
3. What are their top 3-5 objections? (Don’t guess—research)
4. What proof/counter-objections address each?
5. Is the value proposition crystal clear in 5 seconds?
6. Are there UX blockers? (speed, mobile, forms)
7. What persuasion assets are missing or hidden?

Key Frameworks

• O/CO Table: Objection/Counter-Objection mapping. See OBJECTIONS.md
• Persuasion Assets: Proof elements inventory. See PERSUASION.md
• Funnel Analysis: Blocked arteries & missing links. See funnel-analysis.md
• Bold vs. Meek: Test big changes, not button colors. See testing-methodology.md
• ICE Prioritization: Score ideas by Impact, Confidence, Ease

Anti-Patterns (What NOT to Do)

• Copy competitors blindly
• Test button colors before understanding objections
• Assume you know why visitors leave
• Use “best practices” without validation
• Make changes based on HiPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion)
• Optimize individual pages without funnel context
• Give up after one failed test

Reference Files

• OBJECTIONS.md: O/CO framework, research methods, counter-objection techniques
• COPYWRITING.md: Headlines, proof elements, persuasive writing
• PERSUASION.md: Persuasion assets checklist, psychological triggers
• RESEARCH.md: Tools, survey questions, data analysis
• testing-methodology.md: A/B testing, statistical significance, ICE prioritization, multivariate testing
• funnel-analysis.md: Blocked arteries, missing links, industry funnels, cross-sell mapping

Further Reading

This skill is based on the CRE Methodology™ developed by Conversion Rate Experts. For the complete methodology, detailed case studies, and advanced techniques, read the original book:

• “Making Websites Win: Apply the Customer-Centric Methodology That Has Doubled the Sales of Many Leading Websites” by Dr. Karl Blanks and Ben Jesson