25 CRO Specialist Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our CRO Specialist interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
1. How would you optimize a social commerce post?
How to Answer
This question is simply asking about how to test organic traffic channels. You can respond the same way you would to questions about testing blog posts. Set a key performance indicator and measure it.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"The key performance indicators for social posts are reach, engagement, and purchase. I'd test and optimize each independently."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
2. Do you have any questions for me?
How to Answer
CRO specialists always slot into a larger organizations and often are replacing an outgoing optimizer. This is a good chance for you to get an idea about what kind of optimization work has already been done at the organization. Ask questions to get a better feel for how your role will affect the larger organization.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"Which are your best-performing landing pages or advertisements? What do you like about them?"
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
3. What is your statistical background?
How to Answer
At its core, conversion rate optimization is a statistical discipline. While a number of software suites or platforms will abstract away the statistics for end-users, they might do so erroneously, leading to errors in judgment. A strong background in statistics will help you to understand what the deluge of data actually means.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I took statistics in college and have worked with SPSS to perform statistical analysis on data."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
4. Do you have a background in eCommerce/Amazon/eBay/etc?
How to Answer
Traditionally, CRO has been more concerned with lead generation than eCommerce. More and more, CRO specialists are being tasked with managing eCommerce listings. Many of the same principles apply, so if you've worked with any of retail eCommerce, aggregators like Amazon, or social commerce, be sure to mention the platforms during your interview.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I've managed Amazon listings and worked in traditional eCommerce for a brand with over 400 SKUs."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
5. Do you have a background in HTML/CSS?
How to Answer
Light HTML/CSS is expected from a CRO specialist, since it would be far too expensive/time consuming to bring in a developer to do things like moving a block of text around on the page. If you don't have an HTML/CSS experience, you can hopefully lean on your experience working with landing page design software.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"Yes, I've worked with light HTML/CSS throughout my career. While I'm not a developer, I can make changes to an existing template."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
6. Do you have a background in copywriting/editing?
How to Answer
It's not uncommon for a conversion rate optimization specialist to rewrite headlines or body copy during tests. If you have experience writing headlines, particularly as a copywriter, definitely lean on that during the interview. If you have results from headlines you've rewritten, those are a nice share, too.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I used to work in PPC marketing, where I wrote the headline and subhead for all our ads. In just days after I joined the team, the variation I wrote on our most popular ad increased their results by 10%."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
7. How would you structure a conversion rate audit of our entire marketing department?
How to Answer
This is a big question. It's likely intended to qualify you for a senior or director-level position. It'd be impossible to dive into the details in an interview, so keep your answer focused on the process of doing an audit.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I can assure you that my process of conversion rate auditing is sufficient to audit an entire marketing department. I'd start by researching and building an inventory of your marketing assets. Then, I'd identify KPIs for each of the assets and ensure that the KPI is being tracked. Then, I'd use industry benchmarks to determine which, if any of the assets are obviously underperforming. I'd start testing with the most obvious candidates and use what we learn to inform our tests going forward."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
8. Describe some microconversions that you might use inside a shopping cart.
How to Answer
This question is intended to tease out your deeper understanding of conversion rate optimization. Microconversions are actions-which-lead-to-conversion. For example, if your customer receives an email with a link in it to a purchase page, clicking the link and making a purchase would be conversions. In this case, a microconversion might be scrolling the page (e.g. not immediately bouncing) or submitting payment information.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"Some common microconversions for shopping cart optimization would be things like setting product quantity, adding shipping or billing information, or adding a payment method. These actions directly indicate that the user is closer to purchase than they were before, so they're microconversions."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
9. What is your technical background?
How to Answer
As with any digital marketing specialty, CRO practitioners are often doing some advanced computing to gather the data they need. This most often includes installing or troubleshooting javascript tracking snippets. You might also need to perform more unique tasks like logging in remotely to a specialized data processing computer.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I'm proficient in basic Javascript and have experience with dozens of different software platforms."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
10. How do you stay organized?
How to Answer
A conversion rate optimization job requires a high level of organization and attention to detail. It's not uncommon for a CRO specialist to be running twenty or thirty tests at any given time, so keeping track of these tests is paramount. Not to mention, all the tests you've run have data and analysis to support them, and these results should inform your future decisions. Explain your strategy for keeping on top of so much data.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"Excel is my number one tool for managing ongoing tests. After assigning every test a number, I log the duration, results, and relevant links into Excel."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
11. Describe the pros and cons of using shorter call-to-action forms vs. longer CTA forms.
How to Answer
The interviewer asks questions like this to test your strategic knowledge within your role. Different employees may have different needs within the organization. Being able to explain the pros and cons of a change can help you to find compromises that keep everyone happy.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"Typically, shorter CTA forms see higher completion, but longer CTA forms offer more information that we can use to qualify leads early."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
12. Describe the elements of a perfect landing page.
How to Answer
If you can't describe all the elements of a landing page, how will you know how to break up your tests? Typically, you won't see any conversion lift from changing two or three words in a single feature or benefit on the page, but you might very-well see a conversion list by reorganizing your entire features and benefits section. It's common practice to test each of these elements independently.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"The elements of a perfect landing page are a strong headline, unique selling proposition, features/benefits that answer a consumer's pain points, a video showing use, social proof, a closing argument, and a call to action."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
13. How would you report the results of a conversion test?
How to Answer
In Conversion Rate Optimization jobs, it's your responsibility to prove your value. Becoming an expert at organizing and reporting results from tests is the key to keeping the corporate beancounters happy. Give a description here about how you'd report individual test results as well as collate tests into a digestible dashboard.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I usually track the results of day-to-day tests in an Excel document and prepare a monthly report of all tests and their conversion lifts."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
14. What sort of results can we expect from Conversion Rate Optimization?
How to Answer
Conversion Rate Optimization tends to be a revenue-generating function. Business leaders weigh the cost of your employment against the projected increase in conversion rate. If the increase in conversion rate you can bring is higher than your cost of employment, you'll be hired. If not, you won't.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"For a company of your size with no previous conversion rate optimization, we would expect to see a conversion rate lift across the board, from email opens to landing page conversions to shopping cart value. This usually results in a 20% to 40% compounded annual growth rate."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
15. How would you test a page intended to qualify leads?
How to Answer
This question asks about marketing-qualified leads, or MQLs. This is typically the final stage in marketing before a sales team actively takes the reins on managing the lead. After the sales team gets the lead, they'll either agree that the lead is qualified (it becomes a SQL) or they'll disagree. A strong and accurate qualification page ensures a high MQL:SQL ratio.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"On a page with the goal of qualifying leads, there are a few key metrics to look at. Obviously, the number of people who complete the page is important. Beyond that, the accuracy of the qualification process would be the second thing I would test: how many marketing-qualified leads became sales-qualified?"
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
16. How would you test the earliest stages of a marketing funnel?
How to Answer
This question tests your understanding of marketing funnels. The first question being asked is, 'what's the earliest stage of a marketing funnel?' The second question is, 'what would you test for there?'
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"What's most important in the earliest stages of the marketing funnel, which are generally responsible for collecting warm, unqualified leads, is the quality of leads. I'd test the earliest stages of the marketing funnel using a performance indicator like the percentage of new leads that became qualified leads."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
17. What are some types of ROI that wouldn't commonly show up in your data?
How to Answer
This question aims to understand your strategic chops. Marketing often bends the metrics we aren't watching. Explain your understanding of these other benefits to conversion optimization.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"There are dozens of hidden metrics that we can't easily test. For example, a longer landing page might lead to more brand identification or understanding. In cases like this, if going to a shorter page doesn't show hard data of a significantly increased ROI, we can use our intuition to select between two otherwise-equal pages."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
18. Have you done any design work?
How to Answer
This question is intended to inform the interviewer about your understanding of UI/UX for landing pages. While Conversion Rate Optimizers rarely, if ever, do the design for landing pages, it's critical that you can communicate changes with a designer. You may be expected to do light design, particularly image selection and editing.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I've worked with designers my whole career, but I don't design landing pages. I can work with and edit templates and completed designs."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
19. Have you tested PPC ads?
How to Answer
In almost every case, conversion rate optimization includes optimizing pay-per-click and other traffic-generating channels. If you've got a process for testing Google Ads, that's a bonus. If you have worked with other ad networks and tested ad creative across several types of media, you're a home run candidate.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"In addition to Google Ads Search and Display, I've tested and optimized Sponsored Amazon Listings."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
20. What research tools do you use to determine what to test?
How to Answer
Conversion Rate Optimization often requires a lot of software. Questions like these help the interviewer determine what additional expenses might be associated with your hire and whether or not you have experience in the tools they already use. Explaining how you'd use these tools to enhance your performance is crucial.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I use CrazyEgg, Zarget, HotJar and similar tools to monitor heatmaps and interaction prior to and during A/B tests. It's very important to qualitatively analyze pages prior to testing so that we're not analyzing parts of the page that seem to be performing adequately."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
21. How do you pre-test conversion rate on pages not yet receiving traffic?
How to Answer
The interviewer wants to see what your process for concept and creative testing is. Since it's expensive and time consuming to approve a public landing page in a large organization, as much testing as possible happens before the page ever goes public. If you've done concept and creative testing before, now's the time to shine.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"When pretesting concepts for landing pages, I like to do one-on-one interviews and focus groups on the above-the-fold content. Getting feedback about copy and graphics prior to launching can save a lot of time and effort."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
22. How many tests do you run on a landing page to ensure its optimized?
How to Answer
This question dives into the methodology behind your conversion rate optimization. Being able to answer this question sufficiently doesn't necessarily mean giving the correct number of tests, but, instead, showing that you have a plan. Knowing your own process for conversion rate optimization, and explaining it here, will ensure that you don't 'float' between projects that are showing increasingly diminishing returns.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"As long as tests are still producing results, we'll continue running them. Typically, there are seven major elements on a landing page that need to be tested. I typically recommend seven tests as a minimum and an average between 15 and 20. It's not worth continuing if you can't achieve better than 5 or 10% lift from your previous conversion rate in two consecutive tests."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
23. Do you use a swipe file?
How to Answer
A swipe file is copy industry jargon for 'headlines that work.' Copywriters and marketers tend to assemble a swipe file over the course of a career, and you'll see these same headlines over and over. For example, 'New Year, New You' is a common headline that marketers will use around the turn of the year in a variety of industries. The interviewer wants to know if you've been creating a swipe file over the course of your career.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I have a swipe file for email headlines and landing page headlines that have shown a consistently high open rate and conversion rate throughout my career."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
24. What software do you use to perform A/B tests?
How to Answer
This question usually gets one of two specific groups of answers. In the first group, you have what I'd call the 'enterprise' platforms: Adobe Target, FullStory, Optimize, etc. In the second group, you have the 'startup' platforms: ClickFunnels, Google Experiments, Unbounce, and other freemium platforms. The interviewing is trying to understand if your background in CRO software matches what they have or can afford.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"In the past, I've worked exclusively with startups and SMBs on conversion rate optimization, so the software I recommend includes a combination of Google Experiments and Unbounce, along with the A/B testing platform provided by your email service provider. That should let us test the key components of your marketing strategy without breaking the bank."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
25. Where do you typically look for low hanging fruit to optimize?
How to Answer
CRO tends to be the sort of role where your value increases with time. It's likely your employer will be taking a loss on your costs initially that they hope to recoup in the future as their advertising budgets increase. Offering some immediate benefits that can start earning them money with little or no spin-up will help soften the blow of your cost.
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"I took a look at several of your landing pages, and I noticed a lot of non-critical information being captured on your forms. For instance, your sign-up form asks for the user's age and gender. Unless your profitability depends heavily on these two factors, you could collect this information later, when the user is more engaged."
Written by Ryan Brown on January 3rd, 2021