Conversion rate
CVRConversion rate tells you what share of visitors completed the desired action: bought, left their details or booked a time. It is calculated by dividing conversions by visitors. Online stores typically convert at 1–3 %, lead sites at 2–10 %.
Good to know
Conversion rate is the lever of the whole marketing machine: doubling it halves the acquisition cost of every channel on the same budget. That is why conversion optimisation usually pays before growing the ad budget. The number is an average that hides differences, though: mobile and desktop, and different traffic sources, convert at different rates.
Alongside the macro conversion, the sale, measure micro conversions: add-to-carts, form starts and pricing page views. They show where visitors fall off the path before sales volumes get around to telling you.
FORMULA
How conversion rate is calculated
Conversion rate is conversions divided by visitors or sessions. Pick one denominator and stick with it.
CVR = conversions ÷ visitors × 100
The same site can compute the rate from sessions or visitors; comparability requires one convention.
EXAMPLE
A little over two visitors in a hundred bought. Normal for an online store, and the improvement usually hides in the checkout path.
PITFALLS
Two ways to misread conversion rate
The average hides devices and sources
Mobile often converts at half of desktop, and a social visitor less often than a searcher. One overall number buries all of it.
Conclusions get drawn from too little data
A week and thirty conversions cannot crown a winner. Give the test time until the difference is statistically real.
The number is compared to strangers’ sites
Another store’s 4 % is not your target: price, brand and traffic differ. Your own last quarter is the only fair benchmark.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion rate?+
In e-commerce 1–3 %, on lead sites 2–10 %. Comparing to others misleads: traffic quality and the offer set the level.
Why did conversion rate drop although the site improved?+
Most likely the traffic mix changed: a new campaign brought colder audiences. Check the rate per traffic source before drawing conclusions.
Where should improvement start?+
Where the biggest drop-off is. Analytics shows whether visitors vanish on the product page, the form or the checkout, and the fix goes there.
How much can conversion rate realistically improve?+
With systematic optimisation, 20–50 % in a year is a realistic range. Doubling in one go usually only happens when the basics were broken.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
