CRO “experts” messing up your website?
There are two types of website optimization experts:
Type A: Focused on isolated parts of the website design, apps, tricks and all that.
Type B: Focused on the overall feel of the design, its flow and UX.
Type A is usually a very analytical mind driven by numbers primarily, but may be lacking in being able to see the website through a customer’s eyes, plus they do not always think about the coherence of the experience. Type B, on the contrary, can build a pretty decent-looking (and converting!) funnel though they won’t be as concerned with looking into HotJar and GA to find this extra 0.1% conversion bump.
Ideally, you want to find a type C expert that has his left and right side of the brain balanced, who can focus on both the detail and the big picture. I haven’t mentioned that type since it is super rare to find this kind of person. The point is different:
Whether it is you optimizing your own store, or hiring someone to do this for you, NEVER let one approach take over completely. I’ve seen countless times when type A experts implemented 29 different “conversion boosting” apps only to screw the CV rate completely. They also tend to focus on the wrong things at times. For example, they may think about colors of the IC CTAs but they won’t think about adding more payment options, etc. Conversely, often Type B eCom store owners are so strongly attached to their vision for the brand that they sabotage split tests that could increase their conversion rates in a longer time span.
Balance is the key.
Have a good understanding about what kind of brand you want to build first and make sure you send a clear and coherent message to the customer. And only then, think about which small conversion improvements fall within the parameters of the brand. This is the only proper process for optimizing the stores. Don’t do it the other way around, because you will risk messing up the funnel completely!
