What is a conversion framework?

Whichever industry you are in, conversion optimisation is crucial for turning website visitors into paying customers, whether through instant sales in e-commerce or generating leads in other sectors.

To achieve this, marketers may use an approach called a conversion framework. This article will delve into the nitty-gritty of conversion frameworks, highlighting their importance, strengths, weaknesses, and introducing a robust model we have designed at Ratio Partners.

A conversion framework is a structured method used to evaluate website performance and identify opportunities for improvement. By dissecting various elements of a user’s experience, these frameworks help marketers understand why users may or may not be converting. The ultimate goal is to optimise the website to enhance user engagement and increase conversion rates.

Why use a conversion framework?

1. Structured assessment: Conversion frameworks provide a set of objective criteria to evaluate website elements, making it easier to pinpoint areas that need improvement.
2. User-centric approach: These frameworks encourage marketers to think from the user’s perspective, ensuring that optimisations are aligned with user needs and behaviours.
3. Ideation tool: By highlighting specific factors that impact conversion, frameworks serve as a valuable tool for generating test ideas and hypotheses.

When to use a conversion framework?

Typically, conversion frameworks are employed after initial quantitative analysis. This means you should have already identified problematic areas in your website journey through metrics like bounce rate and dropout rate. Understanding the characteristics of users who are dropping off (e.g., device type, marketing channel) provides a head start in tailoring your optimisation efforts.

The LIFT model: a popular conversion framework

One of the most well-known conversion frameworks is the LIFT model, developed by Widerfunnel. The model uses a metaphor of an airplane to illustrate its principles:

• Value proposition: The core offering that drives the conversion.
• Relevance: How relevant the content is to the user’s needs.
• Clarity: Clear and concise communication of the value proposition.
• Urgency: Motivating users to act now.
• Anxiety: Reducing user concerns that may hinder conversion.
• Distraction: Minimising elements that divert user attention away from the main goal.

While the LIFT model is useful, in our opinion, it has its limitations:

• Lack of depth: It doesn’t delve deeply into the factors behind each element.
• Equal weighting: It assumes all factors are equally important, which may not always be true.
• Single page focus: It is most effective for analysing single pages rather than entire user journeys.

Introducing Ratio Partner’s ANCHOR framework

To address the limitations of existing models, we’ve developed the ANCHOR framework. The ANCHOR framework focuses on six key factors:

1. Attention: Are we capturing and holding the user’s attention? This involves optimising visual hierarchy, reducing page clutter, and ensuring key information is above the fold.
2. Navigation: Is the website easy to navigate? Clear menu structures, intuitive labels, and contextual navigation (like progress indicators in checkouts) are crucial. A great mobile responsive experience is also essential.
3. Credibility: Does the website inspire trust? Genuine customer testimonials, reviews, badges, awards, and security seals play a significant role in building credibility, especially for lesser-known brands.
4. Hesitation: What might cause users to hesitate? Identifying potential doubts and addressing them through FAQs, flexible returns, and risk-free trials can significantly reduce anxiety and boost conversions.
5. Offer: How compelling is the value proposition? Communicating key benefits and unique selling points effectively is vital. This involves emphasising benefits over features and ensuring the offer resonates with the target audience.
6. Retention: How are we encouraging repeat business? Retention strategies, such as loyalty programmes and marketing consent, can drive long-term engagement and repeat purchases.

As you can see, while traditional models like LIFT provide a solid foundation, the ANCHOR framework offers a more comprehensive and nuanced approach, tailored to the specific needs of the industry.

In our next article, we will apply the ANCHOR framework to analyse the digital experiences of two well-known hotel brands, Hilton and Travelodge. Stay tuned as we deconstruct their websites and uncover actionable insights for optimising user engagement and conversion.