cro-methodology

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---
name: cro-methodology
description: 'Audit websites and landing pages for conversion issues and design evidence-based A/B tests. Use when the user mentions "landing page isnt converting", "conversion rate", "A/B test", "why visitors leave", "objection handling", "bounce rate", "conversion funnel", "increase signups", or "people add to cart but dont buy". Also trigger when diagnosing why signups are low, designing experiment hypotheses, or auditing checkout flows for friction points. Covers funnel mapping, persuasion assets, and objection/counter-objection frameworks. For overall marketing strategy, see one-page-marketing. For usability issues, see ux-heuristics.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.5.0"
---

# CRO Methodology

Scientific, customer-centric approach to conversion rate optimization based on the CRE Methodology(TM). Extraordinary improvements come from understanding WHY visitors don't convert, not from copying competitors or applying generic tips.

## Core Principle

**Don't guess -- discover.** Every visitor who doesn't convert has a reason. Discover those reasons through research, then systematically eliminate them with evidence and proof. This evidence-based approach consistently outperforms "best practices", intuition, competitor copying, and expert opinion.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score any landing page, funnel, or conversion flow against the seven Quick Diagnostic rows below: award ~1.4 points per row answered "yes" (7 rows = 9.8, capped at 10). Bands: **9-10** = single clear action, research-grounded O/CO table, value prop legible in 5 seconds, proof at every friction point, funnel mapped, path free of UX blockers; **5-6** = guessed objections, generic best-practices copy, proof buried in FAQs; **<=3** = competing CTAs, no funnel map, claims with no proof. Report the current score and the specific diagnostic rows failing.

## The CRO Frameworks

### 1. The CRO Process

**Core concept:** A systematic 9-step process moving from defining success metrics through research and experimentation to scaling wins across the business.

**Why it works:** Random optimization skips research. The process forces you to understand visitors before changing anything, so every change rests on evidence, not opinion.

**Key insights:**
- Define success metrics aligned with business KPIs before touching any page
- Map the entire funnel to find "blocked arteries" (high-traffic underperforming paths) and "missing links" (absent funnel stages)
- Research visitors in three dimensions: who they are, what blocks them (UX problems), what stops them (objections)
- Gather market intelligence from competitors, reviews, and other industries
- Prioritize ideas with ICE scoring; design bold experiments, not "meek tweaks"
- Run experiments with statistical rigor (95% confidence minimum, full business cycles), then scale wins across the business

**Product applications:**

| Context | CRO Process Step | Example |
|---------|-----------------|---------|
| **Landing page audit** | Define goals, map funnel, research visitors | 70% bounce because value prop is unclear |
| **Checkout optimization** | Map funnel for blocked arteries | Shipping cost shock causes 40% cart abandonment |
| **Email sequence** | Scale wins | Winning objection-handling copy reused in drip emails |

**Copy patterns:**
- "What's preventing you from [action] today?" (exit survey to discover objections)
- "Here's what [X] customers found..." (counter-objection with social proof)

See [funnel-analysis.md](references/funnel-analysis.md) when mapping the funnel -- step-by-step mapping, blocked-artery/missing-link diagnosis, industry funnel benchmarks, and impact-based prioritization.

### 2. Customer Research & Objections

**Core concept:** Visitors fail to convert for specific, discoverable reasons. Exit surveys, chat logs, support tickets, sales calls, and reviews reveal the "voice of the customer" and their real objections.

**Why it works:** Teams'