Definition
Conversion rate (CVR) is the number of conversions divided by the number of visitors, expressed as a percentage. If 2 out of 100 visitors buy, CVR is 2%.
Also called: Conversion rate, CVR, Conversion Rate, CRFrom visit to purchase.
Change the inputs to see how numerator and denominator affect the result.
Why CVR is a lever on the whole account
CVR is unique because it improves the economics of all your traffic at once. Raise CVR from 2% to 2.4% (+20%) and you get 20% more orders out of the same ad budget. Your effective CPA falls, your ROAS and POAS rise, and campaigns that were marginal become profitable. Without a single extra ad euro.
That's why conversion rate optimization (CRO) is often the cheapest growth initiative there is. Site speed, clear USPs, social proof, a frictionless checkout and mobile optimization are among the heaviest levers.
Read CVR step by step
A single overall CVR hides where things go wrong. Break the funnel apart: visit → product view → add to cart → checkout started → purchase. A big drop-off between cart and checkout points to shipping, payment options or unexpected costs; drop-off before cart points to the product page, price or relevance.
CVR also has to be read alongside traffic source and quality: a cheap channel with low CVR can be more expensive per order than an expensive channel with high CVR. Conversion rate alone is never the whole story. It has to be seen against what the traffic cost.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion rate for e-commerce?
It varies enormously with category, price point and traffic source, but many online stores land somewhere around 1-3%. More important than the benchmark is whether your CVR is moving in the right direction — and what each step of the funnel is losing.
How do I raise conversion rate?
Start with the heaviest levers: site speed, mobile optimization, a frictionless checkout, clear USPs and social proof, and removing surprises like hidden shipping. Test the changes so you know what actually moved the number.
From insight to action
See how it applies in practice.
The buying experience as part of marketing
Fotproffsen brings together advertising, email, profit measurement and conversion optimisation. Product-page previews in the case are illustrative design concepts.
Read the caseConversion and web
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About the author
Nicklas Segatz Mortensen
Growth hacker and fractional CMO with 10+ years' experience and hundreds of millions in managed ad spend behind him. Background from larger Danish and international scale-ups, and from the agency world.
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