Convert Every Click: Make More Money Online with Holistic Conversion Rate Optimization

Chapter Two

Designing Your Funnel

One of the most common questions I hear from people interested in conversion is “Where do I start?” Theoretically, I could tell them to just make random changes and test the results, and that would be better than nothing. But they need to know where to find the ideas for those changes. Where do you look? How do you decide what should change?

In the Holistic CRO model, I tell people to start with the funnel. Get a clear understanding of the big picture—the company’s entire marketing process, as well as some of the individual smaller pieces. What does it look like for someone to come into the process and then turn into a customer? What does that experience look like? Larger companies and legacy websites often have more complicated funnels and systems that are difficult to see clearly. This does not make the value of understanding the funnel any less valid, just more challenging. I’ve often challenged people in those situations to perhaps consider simplifying the funnel. In my experience, doing so has almost always led to better results. Once they can see the funnel clearly, it’s easier to find the areas that can be improved.

As we learned in the last chapter, funnel design is one of the three pieces of the Holistic Conversion Pyramid, and it’s usually where I start with clients. It’s important to understand what your funnel looks like in order to decide on any changes that might lead to higher conversion rates.

What Is a Funnel?

A funnel is a theoretical ...