Glossary · 3 chapters
Conversion Rate explained simply.
Quick definition
The conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as a purchase or an enquiry. Calculate it by dividing the number of conversions by the number of visitors and multiplying the result by 100. It is one of the most important metrics in online marketing.
Overview
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Section 01
How to calculate the conversion rate
The formula is simple: conversions divided by visitors, multiplied by 100. That is all there is to it.
For example, your website receives 2,000 visitors in a month. 40 of them complete your contact form. The calculation is therefore 40 divided by 2,000, multiplied by 100, giving a conversion rate of 2 per cent.
You decide what counts as a conversion: a purchase, an enquiry, a phone call or a newsletter subscription. What matters is that the action represents a genuine business objective. Likes do not count.
Section 02
What is a good conversion rate?
The honest answer is that it depends. Sector, price, traffic source and conversion type all make a substantial difference. A shop selling 20-euro products converts more easily than a law firm seeking new client matters.
General percentage figures without a dataset, time period and comparable context do not provide a reliable target.
Do not blindly compare your performance with someone else's figures. Use your own baseline and segment the data by offer, device, landing page and traffic source.
- Always compare the same conversion definition over the same period
- Analyse traffic sources and search intent separately
- Do not combine devices, landing pages and offers into one average
- Test changes with sufficient data without promising a fixed uplift
Section 03
How to improve your conversion rate
There are two levers: more relevant visitors and a better page. Even the most attractive website will not convert if your campaigns attract the wrong people. Precise targeting with Google Ads and purchase-intent search terms in SEO are therefore the first step.
The second area to examine is the page itself: a message visitors understand early, a visible call to action, only the necessary form fields rather than an arbitrary number, appropriate loading times and only verifiable, approved trust signals. Test changes in your own web design to see which one affects conversion.
Our guide to conversion rate optimisation explains how to approach this systematically instead of changing button colours at random. If you would prefer to discuss your figures directly, book a strategy session.
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