Table 1:
Key themes and elements for CRO from the literature
| CRO | CONTENT | Artificial Intelligence Copywriting Images Language Omnichannel strategy Personalisation Testimonials and reviews Trust symbols Video Virtual or augmented reality Visual aesthetics | Al Khaldy, 2024; Purnomo, 2023; Bag et al., 2022; Tang et al., 2022; Loh & Hamid, 2021; Zumstein & Kotowski, 2020; Rano & Sungkur, 2019; Saleem et al., 2019; Di Fatta et al., 2018; Niu et al., 2017; McDowell et al., 2016; Ludwig et al., 2013 |
| CONTACT POINTS | Consumer support Influencer marketing Forms Online chat Registration and accounts Social network | Al Khaldy, 2024; Purnomo, 2023; Zumstein & Kotowski, 2020; Sharma et al., 2020; Rano & Sungkur, 2019; Niu et al., 2017 | |
| TESTING | A/B tests Multivariate Tests | Purnomo, 2023; Rano & Sungkur, 2019; Saleem et al., 2019 | |
| UX | Design & Layout Loading speed Navigation experience Optimisation for mobile devices | Dašić et al., 2023; Purnomo, 2023; Huang & Wang, 2022; Loh & Hamid, 2021; Rano & Sungkur, 2019; Saleem et al., 2019; Di Fatta et al., 2018; McDowell et al., 2016 | |
| DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES | Email marketing campaigns Greeting visitors Loyalty or membership programs Newsletter Pay-per-click advertising Re-targeting adverts SEO | Purnomo, 2023; Zumstein & Kotowski, 2020; Saleem et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2019; McDowell et al., 2016 | |
| RESEARCH | Competitor evaluation Conversion funnel optimisation Data analytics Eye tracking Heat mapping User tests and surveys | Purnomo, 2023; Lee et al., 2021; Zumstein & Kotowski, 2020; Rano & Sungkur, 2019; Saleem et al., 2019 | |
| BUYING PROCESS | Checkout process Filter technology Free shipping Payment methods Prices and special offers Product diversification Product pages Product recommendation Security and privacy Shipping information Shopping cart | Al Khaldy, 2024; Purnomo, 2023; Tang et al., 2021; Sharma et al., 2020; Zumstein & Kotowski, 2020; Rano & Sungkur, 2019; Saleem et al., 2019; Niu et al., 2017; McDowell et al., 2016 |
Table 2:
Themes
| Themes | Occurrence in articles | Number of tactics | Number of categories | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Frequency (%) | Count | Count | |
| Content | 49 | 98 | 129 | 7 |
| Contact Points | 49 | 98 | 98 | 8 |
| Testing | 44 | 88 | 28 | 2 |
| UX | 43 | 86 | 80 | 4 |
| Digital Marketing Strategies | 41 | 82 | 74 | 7 |
| Research | 39 | 78 | 74 | 5 |
| Buying Process | 38 | 76 | 102 | 8 |
| Total | - | - | 585 | 41 |
Table 3:
Second level of categories by theme
| Themes | Categories | Occurrence in articles | Number of tactics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Frequency (%) | Count | ||
| Content | Social proof | 43 | 86 | 30 |
| Message goals | 42 | 84 | 19 | |
| Message style | 32 | 64 | 21 | |
| Multimedia | 30 | 60 | 22 | |
| Text organisation/Visuals formatting | 25 | 50 | 27 | |
| Distribution | 20 | 40 | 5 | |
| Personalisation | 19 | 38 | 5 | |
| Contact Points | CTAs | 38 | 76 | 21 |
| Forms | 33 | 66 | 18 | |
| Customer Support | 30 | 60 | 12 | |
| Accounts | 27 | 54 | 5 | |
| Social Media and Influencer Marketing | 14 | 28 | 12 | |
| Contact Information | 14 | 28 | 11 | |
| Blog | 7 | 14 | 13 | |
| Team | 5 | 10 | 6 | |
| Testing | Elements | 43 | 86 | 11 |
| Strategy | 20 | 40 | 17 | |
| UX | Navigation | 37 | 74 | 27 |
| Mobile Responsiveness | 28 | 56 | 15 | |
| Design & Layout | 26 | 52 | 17 | |
| Loading Speed | 25 | 50 | 20 | |
| Digital Marketing Strategies | Magnets & Pop ups | 21 | 42 | 19 |
| Email marketing | 20 | 40 | 10 | |
| Advertising | 17 | 34 | 12 | |
| Campaigns | 17 | 34 | 6 | |
| Segmentation | 12 | 24 | 6 | |
| Affiliate & Loyalty programs | 10 | 20 | 11 | |
| CRM | 7 | 14 | 11 | |
| Research | Metrics | 31 | 62 | 35 |
| Market Studies & Methods | 26 | 52 | 22 | |
| Conversion Funnel | 22 | 44 | 7 | |
| Analytics | 12 | 24 | 4 | |
| CRO | 8 | 16 | 6 | |
| Buying Process | Pricing & Special offers | 25 | 50 | 25 |
| Checkout & Shopping Carts | 22 | 44 | 23 | |
| Payment | 19 | 38 | 7 | |
| Return Policies | 18 | 36 | 4 | |
| Product | 17 | 34 | 17 | |
| Search | 14 | 28 | 15 | |
| Privacy & Security | 13 | 26 | 5 | |
| Delivery | 12 | 24 | 6 | |
| Total | - | - | 585 | |
Figure 1:
Reference framework for CRO: Themes and categories
| Theme > Category > Tactic | Occurrence (%) |
|---|---|
| 1. CONTENT | |
| 1.1 Social Proof | |
| Include testimonials, reviews or expert endorsements | 74 |
| Add trust seals | 46 |
| Include user-generated content | 28 |
| Strategically display testimonials on specific pages | 14 |
| Encourage satisfied customers to leave testimonials | 12 |
| Ask for recommendations from friends & family | 8 |
| Facilitate referral programmes | 8 |
| Give additional offers to ask reviews | 6 |
| Consider video testimonials | 4 |
| Update testimonials regularly | 4 |
| Present short quotes | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=19) | |
| 1.2 Message goals | |
| Emphasise the value proposition across the site | 54 |
| Incorporate scarcity and urgency | 46 |
| Focus on benefits rather than listing features | 28 |
| Show how the product solves a specific problem | 14 |
| Enable cross-selling and up-selling (“You may also like”) | 12 |
| Write a compelling about us page | 8 |
| Provide detailed descriptions | 6 |
| Proactively address objections such as high price | 6 |
| Address common concerns to show transparency | 4 |
| Break content down using “why”, “when”, “who” and “how” | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=9) | |
| 1.3 Message style | |
| Clear and concise messages texts | 34 |
| Compelling copy | 28 |
| Use persuasive copywriting techniques | 22 |
| Engaging storytelling | 16 |
| Avoid jargon and technical terms | 10 |
| Write valuable and functional content | 8 |
| Use descriptive and engaging language to evoke emotions | 6 |
| Follow the trends | 4 |
| Use action-oriented language | 4 |
| Spell-check | 4 |
| Sync headline and body content | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=10) | |
| 1.4 Multimedia | |
| Use professional photos and videos | 32 |
| Use video content | 24 |
| Incorporate multiple multimedia | 18 |
| Use infographics about products | 8 |
| Show products in everyday use | 6 |
| Include a 360-degree view, demonstration video, or 3D model | 6 |
| Show products from different angles | 4 |
| Optimise multimedia file sizes | 4 |
| Create interactive experiences | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=13) | |
| 1.5 Text organisation/Visuals formatting | |
| Use attention-grabbing headlines | 24 |
| Use colour wisely | 14 |
| Smart use of white space | 12 |
| Use bullet points/subheadings | 10 |
| Use compelling visuals | 6 |
| Use necessary and memorable subheadings | 4 |
| Make pages scannable and easy to read | 4 |
| Split content into relevant paragraphs | 4 |
| Use meta-descriptions | 4 |
| Make sure headline is short | 4 |
| Keep headlines to the point | 4 |
| Use action verbs in headlines | 4 |
| Use powerful words/buzzwords in headlines | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=14) | |
| 1.6 Distribution | |
| Align message and design across channels | 22 |
| Regularly update and improve content | 12 |
| Create different types of content across channels | 8 |
| Create relevant and valuable content across channels | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=1) | |
| 1.7 Personalisation | |
| Use user data to personalise content | 24 |
| Implement dynamic content to adapt to individual visitors | 14 |
| Match the content to the individual’s conversion stage | 6 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=2) | |
| 2. CONTACT POINTS | |
| 2.1 CTAs | |
| Include clear, strong, compelling CTA using action verbs | 60 |
| Clearly communicate the value of taking the next step | 44 |
| Ensure CTAs are strategically displayed | 34 |
| Contrast/combine colours | 30 |
| Consider size & shape | 8 |
| Personalise CTAs | 4 |
| Keep CTAs animation to a minimum | 4 |
| The sooner a CTA can appear on a page, the better | 4 |
| Try out new hues/size/text/design | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=12) | |
| 2.2 Forms | |
| Simplify forms to collect essential information | 56 |
| Use autofill features to save time | 16 |
| Provide clear and concise error messages | 6 |
| First ask for email address | 6 |
| Use optimised forms (avoiding distractions) | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=13) | |
| 2.3 Customer Support | |
| Use live chat | 42 |
| Add FAQs | 22 |
| Use chatbot | 20 |
| Provide customer support | 10 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=8) | |
| 2.4 Accounts | |
| Disable mandatory registration | 50 |
| Allow accounts | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=3) | |
| 2.5 Social Media and Influencer Marketing | |
| Be an active presence and interact | 10 |
| Use influencers | 8 |
| Use social media ads | 6 |
| Share engaging contents | 6 |
| Allow reviews on social networks and specialised review sites | 4 |
| Use social media to understand customers | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=6) | |
| 2.6 Contact Information | |
| Add contact information | 18 |
| Add social media links/icons | 10 |
| Add contact form | 8 |
| Add map or directions | 4 |
| Add CTAs | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=6) | |
| 2.7 Blog | |
| Write about products | 6 |
| Add a CTA to send insider knowledge | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=11) | |
| 2.8 Team | |
| Include team bios | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=5) | |
| 3. TESTING | |
| 3.1 Elements | |
| Different elements such as design, content, headlines, video, etc. | 72 |
| Different offers | 10 |
| CTAs placement | 8 |
| Ecommerce checkout process | 6 |
| Email marketing campaigns | 6 |
| Navigation | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=5) | |
| 3.2 Strategy | |
| Regularly conduct A/B testing | 32 |
| Learn from results | 8 |
| Set clear goals | 6 |
| Ensure enough website traffic to run tests | 4 |
| Only test one thing at a time | 4 |
| Collect data from tests | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=11) | |
| 4. USER EXPERIENCE | |
| 4.1 Navigation | |
| Make intuitive site navigation/structure | 60 |
| Remove distractions when possible | 28 |
| Divide products into categories and subcategories | 12 |
| Regularly check for broken links | 8 |
| Organise pages | 6 |
| Implement breadcrumbs | 4 |
| Use sidebar navigation | 4 |
| Reduce the number of clicks to take certain actions | 4 |
| Don’t use navigation bars | 4 |
| Stick a clear menu to the top of the page | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=17) | |
| 4.2 Mobile Responsiveness | |
| Optimise for mobile devices | 54 |
| Use mobile-friendly themes/visuals/texts | 14 |
| Optimise for the thumb zone | 14 |
| Check how easy it is to navigate on a phone | 10 |
| Make sure annoying pop-ups are hidden | 10 |
| Make changes to the mobile version | 8 |
| Ensure CTAs and forms are easily visible | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=8) | |
| 4.3 Design & Layout | |
| Streamline the design and layout | 22 |
| De-clutter/improve the web pages that poorly perform | 16 |
| Create a user-friendly & informative design | 12 |
| Make sure of appealing Visuals | 12 |
| Remove friction with seamless design | 8 |
| Clean and minimal design | 8 |
| Create powerful landing pages | 6 |
| Present Headings, CTAs, features and benefits, reviews and images | 6 |
| Use visual hierarchy to design pages | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=8) | |
| 4.4 Loading Speed | |
| Ensure website loads fast on all platforms (under 2 seconds) | 40 |
| Regularly test the speed | 14 |
| Use a light theme | 8 |
| Use CDN | 6 |
| Improve traffic quality | 6 |
| Minimise HTTP requests | 4 |
| Reduce the number of elements | 4 |
| Enable browser caching | 4 |
| Reduce redirects while building internal links | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=11) | |
| 5. DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES | |
| 5.1 Magnets & Pop ups | |
| Use lead magnets/pop-ups | 24 |
| Use Exit Pop-Ups to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate | 8 |
| Offer users a discount/incentive to finalise orders | 8 |
| Ensure pop-ups provide value and are not distracting | 6 |
| Incorporate an auto-close timer for pop-ups | 4 |
| Ensure the pop-up appear only once per user | 4 |
| Present a pop-up to over discounts for first-time customers | 4 |
| Set up exit-intent pop-ups | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=11) | |
| 5.2 Email marketing | |
| Send email to remind an abandoned cart | 30 |
| Send regular emails with personalised offers/recommendations | 14 |
| Capture emails through a pop-up (offer coupon codes) | 4 |
| Add an opt-in for audience email address | 4 |
| Set up email marketing campaigns to ask for testimonials | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=5) | |
| 5.3 Advertising | |
| Implement SEO strategies | 24 |
| Align the website/landing page experience to local search intent | 8 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=10) | |
| 5.4 Campaigns | |
| Implement retargeting/remarketing Campaign | 20 |
| Use strong lead generation campaign | 8 |
| Implement a browse abandonment campaign | 6 |
| Build a strong abandonment strategy | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=2) | |
| 5.5 Segmentation | |
| Use buyer personas to understand customers | 10 |
| Segment audience based on their behavior, interests, demographics | 10 |
| Define the target market | 4 |
| Optimise segments with different language (Geographic Location) | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=2) | |
| 5.6 Affiliate&Loyalty programs | |
| Create a loyalty/affiliate programs | 8 |
| Consider exclusive access to community resources | 4 |
| Create customer milestone offers | 4 |
| Show gamification features | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=7) | |
| 5.7 CRM | |
| Generate quality leads | 8 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=10) | |
| 6. RESEARCH | |
| 6.1 Metrics | |
| User behavior | 36 |
| Bounce rates | 28 |
| Traffic sources | 22 |
| Click-through rate | 16 |
| Conversion rate | 14 |
| Average session duration | 14 |
| Exit pages | 12 |
| Bottlenecks/drop-off points | 12 |
| User demographics and psychographics | 10 |
| Pages per session/average page depth | 8 |
| Webpage views | 8 |
| Device type | 8 |
| Website traffic | 6 |
| Exit rate | 6 |
| Website interaction per customer visit | 4 |
| Conversion per unique visitor | 4 |
| New visitor conversion rate | 4 |
| Return visitor conversion rate | 4 |
| Form analytics | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=16) | |
| 6.2 Market studies & methods | |
| Conduct research to identify pain points, preferences/motivations | 30 |
| Conduct qualitative research | 16 |
| Conduct competitor analysis to check what can be improved | 16 |
| Gather and monitor feedback to improve offering | 16 |
| Conduct a usability audit once a year | 8 |
| Ask visitors if the site is convenient | 4 |
| Understand keywords driving traffic | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=15) | |
| 6.3 Conversion Funnel | |
| Build a conversion funnel | 14 |
| Regularly track & analyse funnel analytics | 14 |
| Set goals | 12 |
| Remove unnecessary steps from the conversion funnel | 6 |
| Analyse the funnel | 6 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=2) | |
| 6.4 Analytics | |
| Set and monitor metrics | 20 |
| Run regular analysis and optimisation | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=2) | |
| 6.5 CRO | |
| Use SMART goals for CRO | 10 |
| Develop hypotheses to test | 6 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=4) | |
| 7. BUYING PROCESS | |
| 7.1 Pricing and special offers | |
| Offer monetary incentives | 16 |
| Set transparent pricing policies and inform all costs | 14 |
| Display up-to-date prices | 10 |
| Use Price Anchoring | 6 |
| Add an interactive product demo | 6 |
| Create limited-time promotions | 4 |
| Offer coupon codes | 4 |
| Try different Pricing | 4 |
| Ensure prices are competitive | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=16) | |
| 7.2 Checkout & Shopping Carts | |
| Ensure 1-Click Checkout or a single-page checkout | 38 |
| Clear and concise cart page | 10 |
| Remove checkout distractions | 8 |
| Display a progress indicator to inform users | 6 |
| Use/display convenient shopping carts and checkout | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=18) | |
| 7.3 Payment | |
| Provide a variety of payment options | 32 |
| Show payment options icons as a visual of trust | 6 |
| Allow customers to save payment information for future | 4 |
| Offer secure payment options 1-occurrence tactics (=3) | 4 |
| 7.4 Return Policies | |
| Specify the conditions for returning goods or guarantees | 26 |
| Provide a money-back guarantee | 8 |
| Offer free return shipping | 6 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=1) | |
| 7.5 Product | |
| Optimise product pages and information | 8 |
| Provide detailed descriptions | 8 |
| Optimise the offer with relevant information | 6 |
| Do not give users too many options (Hick’s Law) | 6 |
| Provide product recommendations based on user preferences | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=12) | |
| 7.6 Search | |
| Implement a convenient/intuitive search function | 14 |
| Implement smart/semantic search | 8 |
| Display search function prominently on homepage | 6 |
| Add Easy Filter Options | 4 |
| Add filters to category pages | 4 |
| Autocorrect & auto-suggest | 4 |
| Display results based on behavior, purchase history, etc | 4 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=8) | |
| 7.7 Privacy & Security | |
| Include security policy, certifications and badges | 18 |
| Add Privacy Policy | 12 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=3) | |
| 7.8 Delivery | |
| Offer free shipping | 14 |
| Clarify shipping information | 10 |
| 1-occurrence tactics (=4) | |