Say it like this
- We need to boost our conversion rate before the holiday season.
- Our conversion rate is higher on mobile than desktop.
- Improving conversion rate is our top priority this quarter.
Use it at work
Reporting
- Our conversion rate went up from 2% to 3%.
- The new pricing page improved the conversion rate.
Asking questions
- What's the conversion rate from trial to paid?
- Is that conversion rate for mobile or desktop?
Experiments
- Let's A/B test the button and see if conversion rate changes.
- Conversion dropped after the release. Let's check the funnel.
Don't say this
Without saying 'rate,' it is unclear if you mean absolute numbers or the percentage. Always specify 'conversion rate' or 'number of conversions.'
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your boss asks about your website performance. Which sounds most professional?
2. After we fixed the mobile checkout, our _______ increased from 2% to 3.5%.
3. Which sentence uses conversion rate incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this using 'conversion rate': 'Out of 1,000 people who came to our website, 25 bought something, and we want to know how good this number is.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We need to boost our conversion rate before the holiday season."
We don't save your recording. The word check uses your browser's speech recognition.
More about conversion rate
Real examples(3)
- in a standup
"I finished the checkout flow redesign. Early testing shows a 15% improvement in conversion rate."
- in a code review
"This optimization should reduce page load time, which typically correlates with a higher conversion rate."
- in a team meeting
"Our conversion rate dropped after we changed the sign-up flow. We should revert and test more gradually."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not confuse conversion rate with conversion itself. Conversion rate is the percentage or ratio, not the single event of a user converting.
- ✕The conversion rate of users is very good.✓Our conversion rate is very good.
Conversion rate already refers to users. Saying 'conversion rate of users' is redundant.
- ✕We should conversion rate this feature.✓We should improve the conversion rate of this feature.
Conversion rate is a noun, not a verb. You cannot 'conversion rate' something; you 'improve' or 'optimize' the conversion rate.
Other forms(3)
- conversion rate noun
"The conversion rate for our email campaign is 3.5%."
- conversion rates noun (plural)
"We compared conversion rates across different user segments."
- conversion-rate optimization noun (adjective modifier)
"We hired a specialist in conversion-rate optimization."
Often used with(6)
- improve conversion rate · Used to say you want to make the percentage of converts higher.
- boost conversion rate · Similar to 'improve,' often used in a more enthusiastic or marketing context.
- track conversion rate · To monitor or measure the conversion rate over time.
- high conversion rate · When a good percentage of users complete the desired action.
- drop in conversion rate · When the percentage decreases, usually indicating a problem.
- conversion-rate optimization (CRO) · The practice and discipline of improving conversion rates through testing and design changes.
Similar words(3)
- conversion metric · More general; conversion rate is one specific type of metric.
- funnel efficiency · Broader term referring to how well users move through multiple steps; conversion rate is one measure.
- success rate · Sometimes used interchangeably depending on context, but less specific to e-commerce and user actions.
Opposites(3)
- bounce rate
- churn rate
- drop-off rate
Questions(5)
- What does conversion rate mean in tech?
- Conversion rate is the percentage of users or visitors who complete a desired action. For example, on an e-commerce site, it is the percentage of visitors who make a purchase. In SaaS, it could be the percentage of free-trial users who become paying customers. It is calculated as (number of conversions / total number of visitors) × 100.
- How do you use conversion rate in a work conversation?
- You might say: 'Our conversion rate is 5%' (stating the current metric), 'We want to improve our conversion rate' (expressing a goal), or 'The conversion rate dropped after the redesign' (reporting a change). It is commonly discussed in product meetings, analytics reviews, and performance discussions.
- Is conversion rate formal or informal?
- Conversion rate is neutral and professional. It is used in both formal business reports and casual team conversations. It is standard terminology across all tech industries, so there is no risk of it sounding too casual or too formal.
- What is the difference between conversion rate and conversion?
- A 'conversion' is a single instance of a user completing an action (one person buys one item). 'Conversion rate' is the percentage or ratio of all conversions relative to all opportunities. If 100 people visit and 10 buy, there are 10 conversions and a 10% conversion rate.
- Why is conversion rate important in tech companies?
- Conversion rate directly impacts revenue and business growth. Even a 1% improvement in conversion rate can mean thousands of additional customers or dollars in revenue. This is why product teams, engineers, and marketers all focus heavily on optimizing it.
