What is brand-centric CRO? And why now – after years of collectively advocating for a culture of caring customer<\/em> experience? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMany companies want to prioritize \u201cbrand\u201d because they hear from all kinds of sources that products are becoming increasingly commoditized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If two companies have the same features and don\u2019t want to compete on price, one way they can differentiate themselves is through their brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For companies in this situation, for those at risk of stifling sameness, \u201cbrand\u201d has become a sacred part of everything they do. If you truly lack competitive differentiators, appealing to lifestyle aspirations is a compelling alternative. Any tweaks and alterations in favor of \u201cease of use\u201d or \u201cconvention\u201d run the risk of diluting the brand and making it the same as other brands out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the arguments for brand-centric CRO make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a hypothetical example. A company with an attractive, well-branded website hears, anecdotally, about a frustrating friction point in their user journey: users don’t know what to do when they land on a product page. The page is arguably gorgeous, but it’s non-standard. Users don’t know how to bundle, where to click, or even where their products go if they can manage to add them to their cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cue the argument: What\u2019s more important\u2013delivering a seamless journey for users or sticking to the branding guidelines driving this unique approach?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research shows that 90% of customers<\/a> want a consistent experience with a brand across all touchpoints, and 64% say that shared values are one of the main reasons<\/a> they stick with a brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen you consider that consistency in branding relies on memorable touchpoints, emotions, and values, it can be difficult to marry that up with the hard data of CRO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand-first vs user-first CRO <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe issue stems from the fact that the key stakeholders in the experience have different opinions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Executives believe branding is a key differentiator in crowded markets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- UX and UI professionals want to prioritize the user.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Users want an enjoyable, friction-free shopping experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you favor brand-centric CRO too much, you maintain brand integrity but you risk compromising the user experience and leaving money on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To add some color to the idea, one of our favorite sayings is, \u201cyou can\u2019t read the label from inside the jar.\u201d When you work in your business every day, it\u2019s very hard to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. To remove bias and find conversion opportunities, you have to understand your customer<\/a> and build a website experience that helps them solve problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlternatively, if you favor user-centric CRO too much, you end up with a sterile purchasing experience that has no personality and gets lost in a \u201csea of sameness.\u201d This is why any agency that blindly applies best practices and sells you on the value of running hundreds of tests probably isn\u2019t the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After implementing a high volume of best practices, no brand will stand out in the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what is the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A CRO partner that blends together user-first CRO with brand-centricity. The right agency can help you balance all of these elements and prioritize needs for both the user and the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Model](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sea-of-Sameness.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe solution: Blending user-first CRO with brand-centricity <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe good news: There\u2019s a happy middle ground between hitting your KPIs, providing an excellent customer experience, and keeping your brand image intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider CRO as a subset of your brand. Any conversion-focused change to your website should also follow your brand guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s room for both user optimization and maintaining strict branding measures. Keeping both in mind will help you maintain consistency across every webpage while still putting the user experience first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The correct approach is to do the legwork of gaining a deep understanding of both brand identity and user preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, blend the two into a testing program that respects both parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimizations that align both user goals and <\/em>brand goals will have the best outcomes. But most brands don\u2019t have the patience and aren\u2019t willing to put in the work to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you consider that consistency in branding relies on memorable touchpoints, emotions, and values, it can be difficult to marry that up with the hard data of CRO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand-first vs user-first CRO <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe issue stems from the fact that the key stakeholders in the experience have different opinions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Executives believe branding is a key differentiator in crowded markets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- UX and UI professionals want to prioritize the user.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Users want an enjoyable, friction-free shopping experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you favor brand-centric CRO too much, you maintain brand integrity but you risk compromising the user experience and leaving money on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To add some color to the idea, one of our favorite sayings is, \u201cyou can\u2019t read the label from inside the jar.\u201d When you work in your business every day, it\u2019s very hard to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. To remove bias and find conversion opportunities, you have to understand your customer<\/a> and build a website experience that helps them solve problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlternatively, if you favor user-centric CRO too much, you end up with a sterile purchasing experience that has no personality and gets lost in a \u201csea of sameness.\u201d This is why any agency that blindly applies best practices and sells you on the value of running hundreds of tests probably isn\u2019t the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After implementing a high volume of best practices, no brand will stand out in the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what is the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A CRO partner that blends together user-first CRO with brand-centricity. The right agency can help you balance all of these elements and prioritize needs for both the user and the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe solution: Blending user-first CRO with brand-centricity <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe good news: There\u2019s a happy middle ground between hitting your KPIs, providing an excellent customer experience, and keeping your brand image intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider CRO as a subset of your brand. Any conversion-focused change to your website should also follow your brand guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s room for both user optimization and maintaining strict branding measures. Keeping both in mind will help you maintain consistency across every webpage while still putting the user experience first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The correct approach is to do the legwork of gaining a deep understanding of both brand identity and user preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, blend the two into a testing program that respects both parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimizations that align both user goals and <\/em>brand goals will have the best outcomes. But most brands don\u2019t have the patience and aren\u2019t willing to put in the work to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you favor brand-centric CRO too much, you maintain brand integrity but you risk compromising the user experience and leaving money on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To add some color to the idea, one of our favorite sayings is, \u201cyou can\u2019t read the label from inside the jar.\u201d When you work in your business every day, it\u2019s very hard to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. To remove bias and find conversion opportunities, you have to understand your customer<\/a> and build a website experience that helps them solve problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, if you favor user-centric CRO too much, you end up with a sterile purchasing experience that has no personality and gets lost in a \u201csea of sameness.\u201d This is why any agency that blindly applies best practices and sells you on the value of running hundreds of tests probably isn\u2019t the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After implementing a high volume of best practices, no brand will stand out in the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what is the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A CRO partner that blends together user-first CRO with brand-centricity. The right agency can help you balance all of these elements and prioritize needs for both the user and the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news: There\u2019s a happy middle ground between hitting your KPIs, providing an excellent customer experience, and keeping your brand image intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider CRO as a subset of your brand. Any conversion-focused change to your website should also follow your brand guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s room for both user optimization and maintaining strict branding measures. Keeping both in mind will help you maintain consistency across every webpage while still putting the user experience first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The correct approach is to do the legwork of gaining a deep understanding of both brand identity and user preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, blend the two into a testing program that respects both parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Optimizations that align both user goals and <\/em>brand goals will have the best outcomes. But most brands don\u2019t have the patience and aren\u2019t willing to put in the work to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe solution: Blending user-first CRO with brand-centricity <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n