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Website glossary· Measuring results

What is conversion rate?

Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who do what you want them to, such as book, buy or send an enquiry.

Why it matters for a small business site

It shows how well the site turns visits into business. Raising it means more enquiries from the visitors you already have, without paying for more traffic.

How to check yours

  1. Decide what counts as a conversion on each page: a form sent, a call button tapped, a booking made.
  2. Set it up as a key event in your analytics so it’s counted.
  3. Divide conversions by visitors (or sessions) over the same period and multiply by 100. For example, 12 enquiries from 600 visitors is 2%.

What good looks like

A figure you track over time, on the same page with the same definition, that rises when you make the next step clearer. Benchmarks from other businesses rarely compare like with like.

Common mistakes

  • Not counting the phone calls and messages the site sends your way.
  • Changing the page and the ads in the same week, then crediting the page.
  • Comparing with a benchmark from a different kind of business or traffic.
  • Chasing a percentage while the number of real customers falls.
Free site audit

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The free audit doesn’t measure conversions. It checks what on your first screen gets in the way of one: a main button that doesn’t stand out, a vague headline, text that’s hard to read.

One page · the first screen · design, contrast, wording

Printed big on the certificate, with the site's address under it. Plain text — links are removed.

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