Conversion rate is the share of visitors who do what you want, usually buy. To calculate it, divide the number of orders by the number of visitors and multiply by 100. If 500 people visit your store this week and 10 buy, your conversion rate is 10 ÷ 500 × 100 = 2%. Improving it is often cheaper than paying for more traffic, because you earn more from the visitors you already have.
1. The formula
Conversion rate = (Conversions ÷ Visitors) × 100
A "conversion" can be:
- A purchase (most common for stores)
- A lead: someone filling a form or joining your list
- A booking
- A click to the next step of a funnel
Measure the one that matters for that page.
2. Worked example
Your product page had:
- 1,200 visitors this month
- 30 orders
Conversion rate = 30 ÷ 1,200 × 100 = 2.5%.
If you improve it to 3.5% with the same traffic, you get 42 orders: 12 more sales without spending more on ads.
3. What's a good conversion rate?
It depends on what you sell, the price and where visitors come from.
- Online stores: a few percent is common; returning visitors and WhatsApp traffic often convert much higher.
- Lead forms and free guides: often much higher than purchases, because nothing is paid.
- Expensive products and services: lower, because people think longer.
- Traffic from cold ads: usually lower than traffic from people who already know you.
Don't compare yourself with global averages too much. Compare yourself with your own numbers last month, and improve.
4. Where to find your numbers
Your Paylead dashboard shows revenue, orders, customers, average order and conversion. For funnels, the funnel page shows each step and where buyers come from, so you can see where people drop off. See how to read your online store numbers and how to see who visits your online store.
5. Ten ways to improve your conversion rate
- Better photos and a short video. Buyers can't touch the product. See how to take product photos with your phone.
- A clear headline that says what it is and why it matters. See sales headline examples.
- Show the price and the delivery fee up front.
- Write benefits, not just features. See features vs benefits.
- Add reviews and customer photos near the buy button.
- Answer doubts with an FAQ. See how to write an FAQ section that sells.
- Make checkout fast: MoMo and card, few fields, no surprises.
- Offer pay on delivery for first-time buyers of physical products.
- A clear call to action. See how to write a call to action.
- Follow up with people who leave. Paylead texts cart reminders after an hour and again after a day. See how to recover abandoned carts.
6. Test one change at a time
Change one thing (the headline, the main photo, the price display), wait for enough visitors, then compare. If you change five things at once, you won't know what worked. Paylead funnels can split visitors between two headlines and show which converts better. See A/B testing 101.
7. Conversion rate isn't everything
A page can convert well but bring small orders. Watch:
- Average order value: use bundles and order bumps to raise it.
- Profit per order: see how to calculate profit margin.
- Repeat buyers: see customer lifetime value explained.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my conversion rate low?
Common causes: visitors who aren't the right audience, unclear photos or descriptions, hidden prices or delivery fees, no reviews, slow replies or a complicated checkout. See why your online store is not making sales.
Does more traffic fix a low conversion rate?
No. More traffic to a page that doesn't convert mostly costs more money. Fix the page first, then add traffic.
How many visitors do I need before judging?
A few hundred visitors per version gives you a rough idea; more is better for small differences.
Read next: landing page conversion checklist, what is a sales funnel? and why your Facebook ads get clicks but no sales.
