Start with the decision, not the interface
Conversion friction is anything that makes a valuable action harder, riskier, or less understandable than it needs to be. It can appear as a confusing message, a missing reassurance, an unexpected requirement, a technical failure, or a journey that asks for too much too soon.
Before reviewing screens, define the conversion event, who is expected to complete it, and what business and customer value the event represents.
Build an evidence ladder
No single source explains why people behave as they do. Start with quantitative signals, then add behavioral observation and direct customer evidence.
- Funnel data shows where performance changes.
- Session replays and error logs show what happened in the interface.
- Usability tests and interviews reveal intent, interpretation, and uncertainty.
- Support conversations and search terms expose recurring objections.
Turn findings into testable opportunities
Write each finding as an observable problem, affected audience, supporting evidence, and expected behavior change. Only then propose solutions.
A useful backlog ranks opportunities by evidence strength, customer impact, business relevance, effort, and measurement readiness—not by stakeholder enthusiasm alone.
Measure the whole outcome
A higher click rate is not always a better customer or business result. Define a primary KPI and guardrails such as completion quality, errors, cancellations, or downstream activation.
Good CRO makes the journey easier to understand and the result safer to interpret.
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