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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryBrand & Performance MarketingConversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Brand & Performance Marketing

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Improving pages and funnels so more visitors convert.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the systematic process of increasing the share of visitors who complete a desired action on a website or app. It combines analytics, user research and A/B testing to improve pages, forms, checkout and messaging. CRO raises returns from existing traffic, lowering acquisition costs without increasing media spend.