ConversionAdvocates

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of technology of an e-commerce site specializing in the supply of heavyweight building products such as flooring, tile, decking, and more. We source building products from around the world and provide an automated supply chain and online and offline experience to our customers who are homeowners and professional contractors in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We had a replatform project with a new vendor, and we wanted a third party to look at our conversation rates and how they were performing. We then engaged ConversionAdvoates to analyze our conversation rates. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ConversaionAdovcates came in and identified the cause of our conversion rate drop, and they helped us find a resolution on our issue. We paid them a retainer to work with our marketing and technology team to look at the different metrics we were capturing through Google Analytics and a few other areas. We didn’t have a set time for the engagement, but they were able to find the information we needed within two months.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Sina (Partner & Business Intelligence Consultant), Bradley (Data Scientist), and two other people.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

We went through an interview with 5–6 other consultants that specialized in conversion rate optimization (CRO). Based on a couple of interviews we had with ConversionAdvocates, they understood what our problem was and what we were trying to solve because they had good exploratory questions. We also chose them because of the work that they had done for their customers.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from July–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Due to ConversionAdvocates’ work, we determined that our slight drop in conversation rates was not related to our technology and our site. The customers who had been buying online were simply reverting to purchasing from brick and mortar stores again.

To explain further, customers were going back to stores after their vaccinations and after the pandemic started to subside. Overall, it was good that we confirmed through actual data that we didn’t have any technical issues.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management and communication standpoint, everything went well. We communicated via Zoom calls and online, and we found the team to be very proactive, especially in setting up meetings with us. The ConversionAdvocates team also took meeting notes and sent us the results.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Out of the 19 vendors we saw in the US and Canada, ConversionAdvocates was available right away. They also had a great Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn page marketing experience. On top of that, they had excellent e-commerce, online, and offline marketing experience, and their work was data-driven.  

Their cost was reasonable and they were very easy to deal with because they had good communication skills. They had some technical background so they could talk to our architects and developers, too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Bradley was a key analyst in our project, but we had a 12-hour time difference. Occasionally, he was in Israel or somewhere in the Middle East. As a result, we had to adjust some of the meetings to catch him because he wasn’t in. It would’ve been better if he was in our time zone so we could easily get answers from him. Other than that, ConversionAdvocates’ services were really top-notch.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get them engaged upfront and get a draft statement of their work (SoW) as soon as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a paint store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We were looking to expand our online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, they assessed what we were trying to achieve and how we could convert traffic on our site to sales. The team manages our Google Ads and ensures our conversion rate is high.

What is the team composition?

I work with three people from their team.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

I worked with another marketing agency before, and I wasn’t happy with their e-commerce plan.

I was referred to ConversionAdvocates by one of my clients. I spoke to one of their owners, and we immediately hit it off.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Everyone on the ConversionAdvocates team is on top of the ball. Everyone on our team is willing to work to better the partnership. We’ve gone from about $4,000 per month in sales to about $70,000 per month in sales.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is a 10/10. We use Asana, so everything is consolidated. They always meet their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their data and how they make decisions about that data is impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the service has been great so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest about your needs. Start the dialogue, and they’ll make sure you come out on top.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Atomic Entertainment Group. We’re the publishers of the podcast and newsletter, Who Smarted?.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We were hoping to grow our subscriber base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they looked at our existing data. Based on their key insights, they ran A/B tests on our site and tracked our conversion rates for different demographics. They also experimented with different Facebook Ads to determine which ones would generate the most traffic.  After a few months, they started tweaking some of our content.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Sina (Partner & Business Intelligence Consultant) and Rafaelle (Co-Founder & Owner). They also have a developer and designer on their team.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

After working with another firm who wasn’t very impressive, I looked on Upwork for a partner who could deliver more specific results. ConversionAdvocates clearly had the best understanding of what we were looking for. They were also very honest about when we would start to see results. They laid out what the process would look like over the first few months, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2020 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

In the first two months, they’ve increased the number of people converting on our site by a factor of 10. Not only have they identified our ideal audience, but they’ve also been able to convert them into subscribers. Additionally, they’ve reduced the cost per acquisition by about 50%.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re constantly in communication with them on Asana. They regularly update us on what they’re working on no matter how granular it is. Whenever we need to talk to them on the phone, they’re available.

They provide an in-depth data analytics report that covers how testing has gone, what they key takeaways are, and how we can apply them in upcoming months. They also set up a custom dashboard where we can see how each ad is performing in real-time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They don’t have a one-size-fits-all process. Instead, they took the time to dig into our company’s needs and assessed where we were in relation to our goals. They’re very knowledgeable and know what strategies are effective. They’re honest about what needs to happen and they don’t sugar coat things. Throughout the project, I’ve felt like we were being guided by real experts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t say that there is. We got more than what we bargained for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be patient throughout the process. Other experts we talked to promised fast results, but they were very superficial. If new clients are patient with ConversionAdvocates, they will see a huge improvement in their conversion rates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re The Paint People. We’re a Benjamin Moore retailer in Mississauga, Ontario.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We needed help with our website and online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team builds web pages to grow our online presence. They run A/B tests on product pages to gather information on how customers respond to the pages. Their team tracks conversions from page visitors too. Their team analyzes the data and then makes adjustments accordingly. They build and design pages based on customer responses. They’re helping us drive traffic to our website through Google Ads and making adjustments to increase conversions.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with a project manager from ConversionAdvocates.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

I worked with another company for about five years. When I wanted to start selling online, I spoke with them but didn’t like their vision. A great customer suggested that I contact ConversionAdvocates. I then spoke with Sina (Partner & Business Intelligence Consultant) and felt that we had the same vision for the website. I liked their direction for the project and felt confident about working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested between $30,000–$50,000 in the engagement so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started around April 2020, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our initial conversion rate was 0.03 and over the last three months, ConversionAdvocates doubled our conversion to 0.06. That’s not a lot, but it’s a step in the right direction. We’re gaining customers and increasing the conversion rate. It’s been a short period of time, so I don’t have much data to share.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines, and their communication’s excellent. If I have a problem, they instantly respond and acknowledge it. They’re on the ball.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ConversionAdvocates has my best interest in mind. They treat us like a partner rather than a customer. Their team understands that we have to be successful together. We think together, which makes them different from our past provider.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there’s anything that they could do better at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want them to accomplish. They need to understand your needs to meet them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders of Kettlebell Kings, an e-commerce website for fitness equipment, specifically kettlebells.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We wanted to convert traffic at a higher level. We get a decent amount of traffic and we wanted to figure out how we could convert it into paying customers, especially with our digital workout plans and certifications.

We've been in business selling fitness equipment for the last seven years, but digital workouts are a newer product for us. The out-of-the-box features on a lot of e-commerce software are not great for selling products like that, so we wanted to improve those pages and ideally convert more traffic. 

We're unique because we have products that have been selling really well given the state of things with the pandemic. 

We didn't feel like we necessarily needed to work on converting more sales on the equipment; we wanted to work specifically on converting people who were visiting our website and getting them to purchase workout plans as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ConversionAdvocates evaluates the high-traffic pages on our website and advises us on what we should consider testing based on that. The team took a look at our workout-related pages that were getting the most traffic and advised us on which pages we should start with. 

They implemented a lot of best practices that we weren’t implementing due to our own limitations from a design standpoint. 

They also provide a lot of benchmarks in terms of how many people have seen each version of the page, by what percentage one is performing better than the other, what real revenue that led to, and what the uptick in conversion is. That's how we recently decided on our first winning page, for example. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Raph (Partner), and she’s managing the project. 

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

We googled best conversion companies, and ConversionAdvocates popped up on a lot of the lists. We spoke to 10 companies about our project, and this team was in our final two. We ended up not going with them at first.

I liked that they had a data-driven approach, but we chose another company. We worked with that company for six months, but they weren’t implementing projects fast enough for our liking. I then suggested that we go back to ConversionAdvocates.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in August 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our digital plan revenue numbers have increased, which was our stated goal. The conversion rate for those has also substantially increased.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent communicators. They use project management software to let us know where they’re at. We’re also quick about getting back to them, so our dialogue is fast. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their implementation time on new projects has been very fast. Additionally, it feels like we’re a priority and that the team is listening to us. It felt like we had to reiterate ourselves several times with our previous provider.

ConversionAdvocates has also taken a lot more ownership over the development process, whereas our previous provider wanted us to lean on our own resources to save them money internally. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at the moment. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Rely on their expertise but remember that you know your business better than they do. Figure out that give-and-take and the project will work out well. In addition, for each industry, there’s a different language that you have to speak, so I would advise bringing ConversionAdvocates up to speed on that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m with Fixer.com. We offer in-home repair services in the city of Chicago and the Chicago-land area. We also offer nationwide video consultations from expert handy people.

We’re a little bit different because we’re a Certified B Corporation, meaning all of our handy people are thoroughly interviewed and vetted. They receive full-time pay year-round as well as benefits, parental leave, paid sick time, and equity in the company. We’re trying to do things a little bit differently, both for our consumers and our employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

At the time, we’d recently launched our video consult product. We did that, in part, as a response to the COVID-19 situation. A lot of people were doing DIY for the first time, and they needed expert advice. 

The video consult product was new to the market, and what we really wanted to do was understand how to increase conversion, not just for the new product but also for our existing in-home services. The traffic we were getting to our website through the press and other marketing initiatives was nationwide, so we wanted to optimize conversions for various segments, such as by geography, device, source, and channel. Those were top priorities at the time that we hired ConversionAdvocates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing that ConversionAdvocates did was a thorough data audit. We gave them access to our analytics and various other forms of both qualitative and quantitative data. They delivered an incredible audit that was really thorough and segmented the data in so many different ways. The audit not only highlighted the actual performance of those various segments, but it also came with insights as to why we might be seeing that type of behavior, such as why somebody coming from Facebook might behave differently than somebody coming from Google or Pinterest. Once they saw our data, they had some high-level recommendations on where to zero in for our first set of tests.

The next deliverable was a much more in-depth conversation about specific opportunities within our product. For us, that meant both in our booking flow and on our homepage. Then, we launched into a wireframing, copywriting, and design stage. Through that process, we came to a new booking flow to implement. I believe they offer implementation services as well, but in our case, it was better suited to our internal development team. While we built that out, we continued to design and prepare our next test, which was on the homepage. That used a different development resource, so we were able to do some of that in parallel.

As those various tests have launched, ConversionAdvocates has continued to watch results come in and advise on whether it’s time to make decisions, if we need more data or time, or if there are additional features or tweaks that should be made to any of the tests. They have repeated that data analysis on the tests to make sure that we’re making decisions with every confidence that we can, tolerating the most risk that we’re willing to as a business, and moving forward quickly. 

What is the team composition?

I work directly with two people: Raphaёlle and Sina (Partners). I sometimes work with a data analyst as well.

There are others in the background who I don’t interact with, but they participate in our campaigns and tests. For example, they have designers, copywriters, and developers who sometimes weigh in, either for advice or for specific outputs, like design.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

I was going through the process of trying to find a product designer, so I was doing a bunch of research in my network, familiar recruiting channels, and Upwork. I discovered them on Upwork. They were not exactly what I was looking for at the time, but I decided that they could be a really great partner given what they do offer.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spends about $4,500 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them three months ago in mid-July 2020. Our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The tests that we’ve launched are still running. We have some conclusive behaviors that are ready to call, but we haven’t permanently implemented any changes from the test.

The thing about A/B testing in general and ConversionAdvocates’ work specifically is that it’s less about finding a winning design and more about learning along the way. Then, we can incorporate those learnings into future designs and tests. We’ve had plenty of those; for example, one of their insights was that our booking flow didn’t provide enough confidence, information, and context to somebody who’s less familiar with our service. We’ve noticed that the designs we’re testing that they designed are performing really well with paid SEM. The insight there is that those are customers who don’t know us as well as direct traffic, Facebook traffic, and those types of channels. Having that additional context in our booking flow has been a critical learning for us that we’ll carry forward in our final design.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

They do all the project management in Asana. They keep Asana super organized and do a really great job of tracking progress in that tool. Asana is a new tool for me personally; I’d heard of it but never used it. It’s easy to pick up, and ConversionAdvocates keeps it up to date, so it’s always available whenever I want to look into their work. In addition, they send weekly updates on the status of each ongoing test.

At some point, I decided that it would be beneficial to have weekly calls. I meet with two of them and loop in the data analyst when necessary. I find it really helpful to have those calls; if we don’t need them, we cancel them, but they allow us to get into more detail about specific initiatives or feedback that we have. I also find it helpful to offer design feedback verbally rather than asynchronously. Managing every piece of the project could be a full-time job if I were their only client, so I don’t know how they do it for me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their data analysis reports are where they shine. They segment things in many different ways so that you can really understand behaviors across channels, sources, devices, etc. The qualitative insights that you can tie to those quantitative insights are also really valuable. 

I think any company could be helpful by just offering a new perspective from outside of one’s own day-to-day operations, but ConversionAdvocates has taken it a step further. They’ve been able to offer insights that we may not have otherwise discovered because of their segmentation and deep analysis of our product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took us a little bit to get into the swing of things and our working pattern, but that’s true of any engagement, contractor, or new employee at a company. I think that adding the weekly meetings with them by video has been a really critical piece of making sure that we can hit our stride.

Earlier in our conversations, they’d suggested starting with a one-month engagement to make sure that it was a good fit all around, but I’m not sure that any company can reasonably expect to see results in the first month. In fact, I’d say it took about 2–3 months for us to really hit our stride in our working relationship and be able to make some change. My recommendation to them would be to have a weekly call sooner rather than later, because since we’ve implemented that, we’ve had a much smoother experience keeping multiple project tracks moving forward.

Any advice for potential customers?

As I mentioned before, one month is not enough, and three months was barely enough to start seeing results. We started with a three-month engagement, and we just renewed our contract. Every business is different, but at least for ours and others in the space, I think three months is the minimum you should expect.

Make sure you keep the lines of communication open. Share a lot about your history, strengths, and where you need help.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of operations. Our company provides digital and printable resources for teachers, tutors, and students. We initially covered math, but we now cover all K–12 subject areas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We needed to increase the number of conversions on our sales pages. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the first two months, ConversionAdvocates took the time to understand my business, which is very different; the clientele I’m selling to are usually older and not technologically-savvy.

Then, we came up with hypotheses that would turn the needle for us on our website’s sales pages. They implement everything; I basically just sit back, they give me their ideas, and they ask me for my approval. Then, they run tests and wait for the results to give me their take. Over time, they’ve been able to get to know my customers, and every test is better. They pay attention to the different devices our site functions on.

What is the team composition?

I work with Raphaëlle (Co-Founder & Lead Optimization Expert), who manages everything, but there is probably a team of six different outlets working on the project. At the start of the week, Raph tells me the results of what we have running and when they think a new test should be implemented. They give me a day to review all of that data and what they think we should do based on their recommendations. They then go ahead and implement it with their designers and let the test run. 

Then, a separate person will analyze the tests and provide me with a report, which Sina (Partner & Business Intelligence Consultant) goes over with me every two months. 

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

I own multiple sites, and in my network, we have a group that talks pretty regularly about the industry. A few friends recommended a bunch of different conversion specialists, one of which was ConversionAdvocates. I got on a call with them, and what made them stick out is that they didn’t give me unrealistic expectations, which has happened to me in the past. They let me know that not everything would be a home run, but they assured me that in the end, I’d be happy. For me, conversion is all about honesty, and that’s why I hired ConversionAdvocates. I haven’t looked back; it’s been a very good experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $24,000 in total so far. Their monthly fee is $3,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in January or February 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since we started working with ConversionAdvocates about seven months ago, I’m close to doubling the number of conversions based on the same amount of traffic due to what they implemented. I’m basically doubling my revenue. If you're running a site where you're converting customers in some way, shape, or form, they're going to help you.

At first, it seems like a big investment, but if I’m thinking long-term, it’s exponential growth. Over a series of tests, they've increased the value of my site by 65–70%. They know what they're doing, and they're going to get wins. They initially went off of tests I'd done in the past. The tests weren’t too successful, but ConversionAdvocates kept looking into the data and plugging away at it. Over time, they were able to basically get a home run for me and double my sales over an extended period of time. I think conversion analytics is a long play, but it's definitely 1,000% worth it, and you're going to come out with more than you started with.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very approachable; I'm somewhat hands-off and try not to be in their way too much, which I've always found to be the best approach, especially with people that know what they're doing. They give me a set schedule, and I follow it. We use Asana to communicate the project. We probably interact for about three hours each week, but you can tell that when they come back to me with their weekly recommendations, they’ve put in a lot more than three hours. They give me 50-page reports every other week. I definitely get what I pay for. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their insights set them apart. No other conversion company has come close to ConversionAdvocates’ ability to understand my customer. Most conversion companies just keep testing but don’t get in the minds of the customers. I think ConversionAdvocates really got to know my customers, which helps them to make better tests, and that increases my revenue over the long haul. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and they had a couple of suggestions that I’d never thought about that were really helpful for the business in general.

I feel like I'm in total control because they don’t tell me what I need to do, which I’ve found some conversion companies tend to do. They’re probably the fourth conversion company I've worked with over the last five years, and the approach that they take is much more refreshing. It makes me feel like I'm in control of my business, rather than someone coming in and telling me what I have to do. They work with me, so I feel like they're an extension of my normal employees.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are a lot of moving parts that they work with. Some days, I’d like them to implement things a little faster, but that is often out of anyone’s control. I’m very happy.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be patient and let them do their thing. I think the biggest problem with online in general is that site owners and publishers aren’t patient. They want a home run every time they give a test, but that’s not how testing works. If you understand the process and give ConversionAdvocates time, they will come through for you. Their goal is to increase your revenue as much as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Adiren. We sell three beauty products that are 100% natural and have no chemicals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We needed some help with marketing and getting sales. We had worked with different companies unsuccessfully.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ConversionAdvocates offered a program to teach us how to do conversion optimization and sales strategy. They also created a new website from scratch for us. We provided the pictures, stories, and descriptions of the products, and they organized them on the site.

The team does Facebook marketing for us, as well. They create the copy for Facebook and change it as needed to keep traffic flowing. They also introduced Hotjar, which shows where customers spend their time on the website, helping ConversionAdvocates to know if certain elements need to be moved around.

What is the team composition?

I have direct contact with Raphaelle (Co-founder & Lead Conversion Expert) and Sina (Co-founder). I’m not sure how many of their team worked on the website.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

While looking online, I saw a video on Facebook and read an article about them. I was pleased with the plan they presented when I spoke to them. I liked that it was different than other companies I’d worked with previously.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $11,300 initially on the program and the website. I now pay $2,500 per month for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together about a year ago, in 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The website that ConversionAdvocates created for us is much better than our old one, which had no conversions. We have received our first sale through Facebook. What they are doing for us is working, and I’m very happy. They have opened our eyes in terms of how to do marketing. 

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

ConversionAdvocates uses Asana to assign tasks for me and to show the tasks they’re working on so we can coordinate. When it’s finished, we mark it as such. They are very organized and provide regular updates, so I can see progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team keeps me informed and in the loop, and I really like their use of Hotjar. They are an awesome company; so much better than others I’ve worked with in the past.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you haven’t been successful with others, I would bet this company can help you. You can really trust them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a toy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We had switched our platform from WooCommerce to Shopify, and our conversions rates were all over the place; some months, they were really good, and other months, they weren’t as great. We tried to get our conversion rate under control by doing different things, like changing themes, but we weren’t sure what would stick. 

We started looking for someone to help us with A/B testing to get our conversion rate more in line with the industry standards. We didn't want to just randomly try things and see what we thought would work but couldn’t necessarily prove. That’s what led us to Sina (Founder & Conversion Optimization Consultant) and the team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to start at the top of the funnel with our landing pages. We do Facebook and Instagram advertising, so we needed to optimize that primary page where we land a lot of our paid traffic. We wanted to see where we could get people to click in further and get them a step deeper into that funnel so that we could get them closer to actually making the purchase.

The first thing we did was test the design of that landing page. ConversionAdvocates had a few things that they had seen work in the past in improving conversions. They added some trust badges to the page, clarified the messaging, and made some of the text a bit larger. They created a couple of variation pages and left our control page as it was, and they tested against that.

We kept our advertising the same because we didn’t want to change any variables on that side of the business. We wanted to make sure that the changes we saw, whether positive or negative, could be attributed to the change on the website, rather than to a change in the advertising budget or strategy.

What is the team composition?

We interface with two people: Sina, who continually checks in on the process to see if I have any questions, and Raphaëlle (Co-Founder & Lead Optimization Expert), who is our account manager. They let us know the progress that they have made, whether that’s on content they’re coming up with for the variation pages, where we are in the test process, or what the data analyst has been able to glean from the data. We don’t have to deal with six different teams in that process; we have Raphaëlle as our primary point of contact. Sina checks in every week just to make sure that everything is working as it should be and answer any other questions we might have.

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

A friend of mine from college runs a conversion rate optimization (CRO) company. He had contacted me on LinkedIn and we talked for a bit, but his agency is large and works with very big companies. Their rates were well outside of what was feasible for us just because they have a different clientele, but that was what got me on the track of trying to find the right CRO company to work with. As I was looking around, I saw a Facebook Ad for ConversionAdvocates.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re on a flat-rate plan with them. For the first 90 days, it’s a fixed fee, and then after that, it becomes a percentage of the sales improvement. To date, we’ve spent a little more than $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the end of February 2020, and we’re still working with them. We are in our third experiment now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We first tested the variations on the landing page where all of our paid traffic goes. Based on that testing, we saw around an 800% improvement over the control. The changes that they came up with and put in place, along with all of the content that went with it on that page, sent 8X as many people into the next step of the funnel than the page that we had been using.

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been really good. I’m usually the guy that has to be reminded 2–3 times to check in on things and provide feedback. A lot of companies I’ve worked with in the past will just let things sit, but they’ve done a good job of moving things along and keeping the communication open. 

Anytime I have a question, I’ve called up Sina directly. They’ve always answered my questions very quickly and professionally. They also use a project management software that I can add comments to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This is the first CRO company we’ve worked with, but my impression is that they know what they’re doing. The improvements that they recommended right out of the gate delivered amazing results; 8X improvement is huge.

For the second test, the initial results we got just a day or two in were crazy; our conversion rate almost doubled. I had commented that the results looked great and asked whether there was enough data to implement the changes then, and they explained that that wasn’t how the process worked. I was obviously eager to book that as a win and move on, but they wanted to make sure what they were doing was actually the right thing. It would’ve been easy for them to call it a win and move on, but they stuck to their process to ensure that the results were really from the changes that they had made. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m eager to maximize the improvement, which really happens when you get to improving the cart-to-checkout ratio. They’re right in making the improvement at the top of the funnel and letting it flow all the way through, because that is the way you should do it, but I would’ve liked to have made a bigger bottom line improvement at the end of the funnel. However, that being said, their way is the right way. I would say they’ve been great to work with, and I really don’t have any complaints. They have to manage my expectations, and they’ve done a good job of steering us in the right direction and not letting us do things out of order, even when I would’ve preferred to have done so.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’ve perceived that they very much know what they’re doing, and I haven’t been proven wrong on that so far. In working with them, be open to what they suggest, even if you’d like to start in a different area. They have a clearly defined process that seems to work pretty well, so let them do their job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a flooring company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ConversionAdvocates?

We needed a new website that would reflect that we have a new showroom in addition to our existing services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I started by providing them with basic ideas and requirements for the site. Then, working with pictures I gave them, they designed, developed, and created content for the platform. Notably, they built out a gallery of our work on the site. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with one of their teammates. 

How did you come to work with ConversionAdvocates?

I’d worked with them in the past to create my original site. I really liked their work in the past and our partnership.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $5,000–$10,000 on their work over the years. 

What is the status of this engagement?

My work with them spans May 2016–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

After their help, my website is clean, clear, and vibrant.  

How did ConversionAdvocates perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great and easy to work with. Their team followed through on everything that I asked for. They used Asana to track to project and communicate their progress with us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re friendly, easy-going, and willing to listen to our needs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wasn’t a huge fan of Asana, but I can’t think of anything major that they should improve upon. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’re as on top of tasks and scheduling as they are. I caused some delays because of that. They’ll complete tasks quickly as long as you’re able to get information to them.