Answer · Conversion Engineering
What’s Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?
The short answer
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the discipline of measuring how visitors interact with a site, identifying friction points, and shipping changes that move a specific outcome metric (form submissions, calls, trial signups) higher. Done right, it’s engineering; done wrong, it’s color-changing theater.
№ 01The longer answer
CRO covers everything from form-field reduction to pricing-page restructuring to GA4 event tracking. The common thread: every change is tied to a measurable outcome, and the math has to support the claim before the change ships.
The discipline split: there’s “CRO theater” (monthly retainers, color tests on 200-visitor pages, pretty heatmap decks) and there’s “conversion engineering” (instrumented systems, sample-size math, shipped changes with documented results). Most agencies sell theater. We sell the engineering version.
What CRO is NOT: design taste arguments, brand-vibe alignment, monthly “strategy” calls. Those are creative-agency activities. CRO is engineering — specific hypotheses, falsifiable tests, documented lifts.
Typical mid-market mid-CRO project: a $500 audit identifies 5-10 high-leverage changes, a $3,500 14-day sprint ships the top 5, GA4 instrumentation captures the lift, and the next sprint happens 6-12 months later when accumulated traffic supports the next round. No monthly retainer required.
№ 02Is CRO the same thing as A/B testing?
No. A/B testing is one tool inside CRO. Most mid-market sites don’t have the traffic to run classical A/B tests, so the discipline relies more on instrumentation, pre/post analysis, and microconversion tracking. A/B testing is the icing, not the cake.
№ 03How much does CRO cost?
Our Conversion Audit is $500 (refundable against build), the CRO Sprint is $3,500 for 14 days. Retainer-based CRO agencies charge $2,500-$8,000/month. We don’t sell monthly retainers for most mid-market clients — the math doesn’t support it.
№ 04How long until I see results?
Sprint changes ship in 14 days. Statistically-meaningful lift on macroconversions usually shows up in 30-60 days post-sprint, depending on traffic volume. Microconversion movement is visible inside 1-2 weeks.
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