Conversion
💡 We apply this in: conversion analysis →A conversion is the desired action a user completes in a digital environment, such as making a purchase, submitting a form or requesting a quote.
beginner 💡 We apply this in: conversion analysis →In digital marketing, a conversion occurs when a visitor completes the target action you have defined for your website or campaign. It might be a purchase, a booking, the submission of a contact form, a phone call or the download of a document. The conversion rate — the percentage of visitors who convert — is the metric that directly connects web traffic to business results.
Conversion types and their hierarchy
Not all conversions carry the same weight. A well-structured approach distinguishes:
- Macro-conversions: the primary business action. In hospitality: a completed booking. In real estate: a viewing request. In e-commerce: a sale.
- Micro-conversions: intermediate actions that signal interest — newsletter sign-ups, adding to cart, viewing the pricing page, clicking "how to get here".
- Assisted conversions: interactions that contribute to the final conversion even if they are not the last click. A blog article that educates the user before they book is an assisted conversion.
Conversion rate optimisation (CRO)
CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) is the discipline focused on maximising the percentage of visitors who convert. Benchmarks vary by sector:
- E-commerce: 1.5–3% is acceptable, 3–5% is good.
- Professional services: contact form rates of 3–8%.
- Tourism and holiday rentals: booking requests between 2–5% of qualified traffic.
The most effective techniques include: simplifying forms, improving load speed, using social proof (reviews, testimonials), creating legitimate urgency and ensuring the value proposition is visible above the fold.
Conversion and integrated SEO strategy
Generating traffic without conversion is like filling a shop with people who never buy. A complete digital strategy optimises simultaneously for positioning (attracting qualified visitors) and conversion (turning them into customers). With more than 10 years of experience analysing websites in sectors such as tourism, maritime and health, we have found that the biggest conversion gains come not from cosmetic changes, but from aligning content with the user's real search intent and removing the technical friction that a 60-module audit identifies with precision.