For every business I know, a high-converting website is the only website worth having. If you’re going to sink time, money, and attention into a website, you might as well have a final result that gets the results you need. Getting to that point requires a good strategy, the proper tooling, and the ability to test each page of your website to get the most out of it. I have some strong recommendations for you if you want to create a high-converting website.
The first step is an important one and it has implications for every subsequent step. What conversion events are important to your website and business?
- 1 1. Define Your Website Conversion Events
- 2 2. Technology Alignment (WordPress Setup for Conversion Tracking)
- 3 3. Setup and Optimize Key Conversion Pages
- 4 4. Create and Analyze Conversion Funnels
- 5 5. Use CRO Tests Based on Event Metrics to Improve Conversions
- 6 Stay Nimble and Optimize Fast with Divi
- 7 Frequently Asked Questions
1. Define Your Website Conversion Events
The foundation of any successful website is a crystal-clear understanding of who you’re trying to reach and what you want them to do. This means:
Define Precise Conversion Goals (Key Events)
There are literally hundreds of goals that you could track across your websites. But, depending on your business and website setup, some make sense more than others. On websites I’ve worked on, these are some very common goals, some of which you could be tracking also:
- Newsletter signups
- Product purchases
- Event registrations
- Demo requests
- Affiliate link clicks
- Donation submissions
- Course milestones
These are high-level events to track that you might mark as a “Key Event” in Google Analytics 4 (GA4). The reason to be clear on these goals is that if you are building a new site or redesigning one, you can create pages optimized for your goals.
You can even target smaller events (or micro-conversions) to track the kind of interactions that could build up into your money-making conversions. Tracking small actions—like PDF downloads or video plays—helps you understand what nudges visitors toward making bigger decisions later.
I use the terms event and goal synonymously throughout this guide but know that a Conversion, Event, and Key Event are three separate concepts in GA4. Conversions are specific to Google Ads conversions that can be tracked in GA4. Events are things that GA4 tracks, with Key Events being the really important ones that you want to monitor for business value.
A website that earns most of its income from affiliate links will want to consider the kind of on-page elements that will likely attract clicks to its affiliates.
Trust is the name of the game for Nerd Wallet’s affiliate strategy. See how these elements add trust or help the reader find exact info.
A website with the primary goal of garnering donations will want to feature prominent CTAs and trust signals (like financial accountability reports, BBB badges, and statements of what donations are used for) to increase trust that preempts any donation event. Knowing your goals allows you to construct a whole page for the benefit of those goals.
Charity Water uses an emotional image, an audacious goal that people can support, and trust signals on its donation form.
Align Stakeholders on Success Metrics
Bring together your marketing, sales, design, and development teams (if you have such roles). Each team has a unique push-and-pull relationship regarding conversions on your website. With everyone in the room, it’s important to establish:
- Acceptable conversion rate targets (and how those equate to dollars)
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) to let you know if you are on the right track
- Measurement methodologies and workflows to make it easy to know where you’re at
Without these, you’ll only be able to express that you want “more conversions” without having anything specific to say about it. Almost everything is trackable on a website, so there is no excuse.
The reason to have all your stakeholders involved is two-fold:
- Stakeholders will have different perspectives on what your goals should be and how they should be measured
- Stakeholders are all accountable in different ways for the conversions that happen on a website
Without the buy-in from all stakeholders, you’ll likely encounter implementation bottlenecks, shifting blame when things don’t work, and stagnation in finding new ways to improve the business and website.
Compare Against Competitors
Emulating what your competitors are doing isn’t the be-all and end-all of marketing. I firmly believe in paving a unique path forward and differentiating my websites from competitors when possible. This is especially true for brand and brand voice.
You shouldn’t even try to emulate the Tilted Chair’s branding, but you can clearly see what types of website events they cherish. Lots of “social proof” helps them secure very large projects.
At the same time, I don’t enjoy duplication of effort and reinventing the wheel. Smart competitive research is helpful at this point. It should be fairly easy to see what your competitors are optimizing for. Note their CTAs, value propositions, and who they are gearing everything toward. Even pricing can be helpful to see how they are structuring their own websites for conversions amongst their ideal customers.
2. Technology Alignment (WordPress Setup for Conversion Tracking)
Though it’s essential, we’ve talked enough about setting up conversion events in your analytics platform. What about actually building or redesigning a website so that it can convert visitors into customers?
If you’re going to build a website that truly supports conversions, you need a top-notch WordPress setup.
Reliable WordPress Conversion Tech Stack
This starts with reliable hosting that can handle traffic spikes without buckling—particularly on those days when your latest landing page gets picked up in organic search or a social post catches fire. Don’t cheap out. A fast, reliable host is the foundation of any high-converting website (especially in eCommerce). A good cloud host or managed host will go a long way.
Next, pick a theme that provides ample flexibility. Divi is a great fit for many sites because it bundles efficiency and design chops in one toolset, allowing you to create eye-catching pages without a computer science degree. If you’re really not a designer, you can treat yourself to Starter Sites to use professional designs for a kick start.
Finally, limit your plugins to the ones that are worth the squeeze. If you load too many, you’ll risk performance slowdowns. On the flip side, lacking essential plugins for security or page speed optimization undermines trust with your visitors. The best approach is finding that sweet spot of well-curated tools that handle each conversion requirement, from forms to SEO to analytics.
I feature a few of my favorite performance-based plugins below if you need reliable recommendations.
3. Setup and Optimize Key Conversion Pages
With your tech environment stable, it’s time to mold your crucial pages—like your homepage, main landing pages, and product or donation pages—into true conversion engines. Far too often, people throw up a default homepage with a couple of slider banners and call it a day.
Smaller websites (especially local websites) get the lion’s share of traffic to their homepage.
The homepage, in particular, sets the tone for new visitors, so it should highlight your core offerings and direct people toward your business goals without burying them in fluff. Also, your homepage will receive a disproportionate amount of organic and direct website traffic compared to other high-value pages—don’t skip optimizing your homepage.
Add Trust Signals
On these key pages, you need at-a-glance proof that you’re credible. Things like security badges, third-party endorsements, customer reviews, or any sign that says, “You can trust us,” can seriously boost conversions. Credibility quiets the internal alarm bells people sometimes get when deciding to do business with you.
If you’re a business with serious accolades, put them on display. If you’re a nonprofit or running a fundraiser, show your track record of using funds responsibly. These small signals of reliability can convince a visitor to act right away.
There are low-effort trust signals (like using a review widget) and high-effort trust signals (like testimonials, third-party audit reports, and case studies). While you should use whatever you can, with time, try to develop strategies for better-quality trust signals that are harder for your competitors to emulate.
Test Mobile Responsiveness Heavily
Don’t assume your site looks perfect on mobile. Fire up different devices (phones, tablets) and see how your homepage’s hero section, form fields, or call-to-action boxes display. Today’s audiences bounce between screens in seconds—if your landing page is off-center or the “Buy Now” button is cut off on an iPhone, it’s game over.
Divi has the best custom breakpoints system in all of WordPress, making it simple to manage breakpoints and account for different spacing on larger and smaller screens.
Optimize Page Loading Speeds
Remember that a slow site is a conversion killer. Use plugins like PerfMatters or Asset Cleanup to minimize script loads, compress images, and reduce any extra CSS that’s bogging down your site.
If you use large product pictures or event graphics, consider swapping standard images for lighter formats or SVGs. Also, enable caching through a reputable plugin (or your host’s built-in option) to shave off precious seconds.
A CDN is another layer of speed insurance by caching your site across global servers, ensuring a quick load no matter where your visitors live.
Invest in Professional Copywriting
For pages like your homepage or a core sales page, punchy copy is often the difference between capturing someone’s interest and losing them to a cat video in another browser tab. Hiring a professional copywriter might feel like one more expense. Still, if it lifts your conversion rate from mediocre to top-notch, that’s a payoff that justifies itself over and over.
Structure your sales pages around a proven formula: highlight a relatable pain point, present your solution, back it up with proof, and close confidently with a compelling CTA.
People often think they can write a good landing page on their own, only to discover it’s tough to balance clarity, brevity, and persuasion. If in doubt, bring in a pro who can help you articulate a concise, emotionally resonant pitch.
4. Create and Analyze Conversion Funnels
Now that you’ve set up or redesigned those key pages, it’s time to see how people get there in the first place (assuming you have established pages with traffic). Are they clicking from search results, your email newsletter, paid social ads, or something else?
Breaking out traffic by source helps you figure out how to prime visitors better. For example, if your homepage sees 75% of traffic from a single referral link, you might want to customize that page’s hero section with a direct message that speaks to those visitors’ known interests. You could even use dynamic content to display unique messages from specific referers or URLs with a particular UTM parameter.
Checking your website’s traffic is super important to understanding where people are coming from and how they navigate your site. There are numerous free and paid ways to check your website traffic, and I cover how you can get started within the hour with a quick blog post. Read about how to check your website traffic here.
It’s all about meeting people where they are—both on your site and psychologically based on their expectations and needs.
Build a Multi-Layered Conversion Funnel
Conversions rarely happen after a single interaction. Usually, it takes multiple touches before visitors feel confident enough to buy, donate, or subscribe. Building additional “layers” or touchpoints into your funnel is crucial.
One of the most effective methods is email marketing. Encourage visitors to join your email list through compelling offers that solve smaller yet immediate problems (like a downloadable guide, checklist, or short course). Once they’re on your list, you can build relationships, provide continuous value, and eventually nudge them toward bigger commitments.
Don’t overlook how well retargeting ads, social media outreach, and personalized follow-ups perform. Visitors who see consistent messaging across multiple touchpoints are more likely to trust your brand and commit. Each touchpoint reinforces the previous one, creating momentum rather than confusion.
Consistent Offerings Across the Funnel
Each stage of your funnel—emails, ads, landing pages—should smoothly transition visitors to the next logical step. Consistent messaging across every touchpoint makes your funnel work as a cohesive whole. If your ads promise a special discount, but your landing page barely mentions it, that will ruin the narrative for your visitors, and they’ll likely leave because of unmet expectations.
This ad example makes many promises. Make sure your website and your way of doing business honor these promises.
Conversely, if you’re building a brand story, each piece of your conversion funnel should reinforce it. The ultimate goal is to make every path to your main CTAs so clear that people don’t feel the friction of switching from an ad or email list to your website.
5. Use CRO Tests Based on Event Metrics to Improve Conversions
Once your pages and traffic channels are in sync, it’s time to refine your work via Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tests. Tools like Microsoft Clarity or Optimizely let you run A/B tests on headlines, button colors, or entire layouts. Given you’ve already set up your Key Events in analytics, you can now see exactly which version of a page helps more visitors sign up, check out, or donate. This is where the small details can yield big gains.
Set and Monitor KPIs
Before each experiment, define your Key Performance Indicators. Are you trying to boost the number of form completions, or do you want more people to add products to their carts? Having a direct KPI lets you know if your test is trending positively or if you’re just seeing normal fluctuations.
| KPI | Description | Contribution to High Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Rate | The percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action (making a purchase, filling out a form, etc.) | Directly measures the effectiveness of your website in turning visitors into customers. A high conversion rate indicates that your website content, user experience, and calls to action are effectively persuading visitors to take desired actions. |
| Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) | The revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising | Helps determine which marketing channels and campaigns are most effective at driving profitable conversions. Higher ROAS indicates that your paid traffic is well-targeted and your landing pages are successfully converting these visitors. |
| Cost Per Conversion | The average cost of acquiring a conversion through marketing efforts | Allows you to optimize marketing spend by focusing on channels that deliver conversions at the lowest cost. Lowering this metric while maintaining quality leads improves overall marketing efficiency and profitability. |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | The percentage of people who click on a specific link or call to action relative to the total number who view it | Indicates the effectiveness of your messaging and call-to-action elements. Higher CTRs suggest that your content is relevant and compelling to your target audience, driving more qualified traffic to conversion-focused pages. |
| Bounce Rate | The percentage of visitors who navigate away from your site after viewing only one page | A lower bounce rate typically indicates that visitors find your content relevant and engaging. Reducing bounce rate means more visitors are exploring your site and increasing their chances of converting. |
| Average Session Duration | The average length of time users spend on your website | Longer sessions typically indicate higher engagement and interest in your content. Engaged visitors are more likely to convert as they spend time learning about your products or services. |
| Pages Per Session | The average number of pages viewed during a single session | More pages viewed suggests deeper engagement with your content. Visitors who explore multiple pages are typically more interested in your offerings and closer to making a conversion decision. |
| Organic Traffic Rate | The percentage of your website traffic that comes from organic search results | Higher organic traffic indicates strong SEO performance and content relevance. Organic visitors often have higher intent and therefore better conversion potential than some other traffic sources. |
| Engagement Rate | The level of interaction with your content (time spent, scrolling, clicking, form interactions, etc.) | Higher engagement indicates that your content resonates with visitors. Engaged users are more likely to trust your brand and complete conversion actions. |
| Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) | The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer throughout their relationship | Helps determine how much you can afford to spend on acquiring customers. Higher LTV justifies higher acquisition costs and indicates that your website is converting quality customers who will provide long-term value. |
| Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) | Leads that have been deemed more likely to become customers based on their engagement with marketing content | Tracks the effectiveness of your website in attracting and nurturing qualified leads. Higher MQL numbers indicate that your content strategy is working to attract the right audience with conversion potential. |
| Return on Investment (ROI) | The ratio of profit to the cost of investment, expressed as a percentage | Provides a holistic view of how well your website and marketing efforts are converting visits into profitable outcomes. Positive ROI confirms that your conversion strategy is financially viable and sustainable. |
| Exit Rate | The percentage of visitors who leave your site from a specific page after viewing multiple pages | Helps identify pages where users commonly end their journey. Reducing exit rates on key conversion pages can significantly improve overall conversion performance. |
| Form Completion Rate | The percentage of visitors who start filling out a form and successfully complete it | Directly measures the effectiveness of your forms in capturing lead information. Higher completion rates indicate that your forms are user-friendly and ask for appropriate information relative to the perceived value. |
| Average Order Value (AOV) | The average amount spent each time a customer places an order | Increasing AOV can dramatically improve profitability without requiring more traffic. A higher AOV indicates effective upselling, cross-selling, and product bundling strategies on your website. |
| Page Load Time | The time it takes for your web pages to fully load | Faster load times reduce abandonment and improve user experience. Every second of improvement in page speed can significantly increase conversion rates, especially on mobile devices. |
| New vs. Returning Visitors | The ratio of first-time visitors to those who have visited your site before | Helps evaluate the effectiveness of your site in building ongoing relationships. A healthy balance indicates both successful acquisition and retention strategies, with returning visitors typically having higher conversion rates. |
Not every test will be a winner, but as long as you’re systematically tweaking elements and learning from the data, you’ll keep inching closer to that winning formula.
Cross-Functional Reviews
Lastly, don’t operate in a bubble. Gather input from marketing, sales, and anyone interacting with customers. These insights could give a fuller picture of the situation or be able to offer interesting fixes.
1) If the sales team notices that lead quality has dropped significantly, it might not matter that conversions are up. This conversation should be had to see if there is a fix.
2) Another common situation is that sales teams often know customers’ exact objections to your product or service. Conversions could skyrocket if marketing can address those objections throughout the sales funnel.
3) A product may have a low conversion rate because it doesn’t have one pivotal feature. A conversation with the development team could lead to a realization that the feature can ship in two weeks and fix the most pressing conversion issue facing the company.
Synergy among teams can unearth brilliant insights and keep your site performing at its best. Otherwise, you’ll face that dreaded regression to the mean, where your initial gains slip away because they never had full support from the rest of your organization.
Stay Nimble and Optimize Fast with Divi
As we’ve seen, multiple fixes can positively affect conversations. Fixing loading speeds, having a more consistent brand, fine-tuning your funnel, and A/B testing page elements all contribute to a more successful website. The one meta-strategy to all this is being nimble in what you are willing and able to test.
The one area where CRO teams seem to get bogged down the most is making website changes. Making impactful changes that align with your goals is often hindered by bloated design systems, page builders with limited features, and a lack of design control.
Divi is the best WordPress page builder and solves all of these issues. It’s the perfect tool for designers building WordPress websites. It has all the power of WordPress but in a finely polished editor that makes it fast to build new pages with all the features you know you need.
If you can align your tech, page content, and people toward gaining more website conversions, you’ll create a website where every optimization turns into dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
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