The Conversion Rate Playbook
CRO is a discipline. Not a redesign.
Most of what passes for CRO is redecorating. Only 10-20% of A/B tests win, and 60% are stopped early — producing false positives that quietly make sites worse. This 2026 Edition playbook is the disciplined version: how to research where visitors actually drop, the universal speed-and-friction wins to bank first, the anatomy of a converting page, A/B testing without fooling yourself (significance, sample size, and the sample-size math), a scored backlog that beats big-bang redesigns, and the measurement framework that retires the win rate.
- 01The CRO Mindset: Why Guessing Loses
- 02Find the Leaks: Research Before Testing
- 03Speed and Friction: The Universal Wins
- 04The Anatomy of a Converting Page
- 05A/B Testing Without Fooling Yourself
- 06Prioritisation: Testing the Right Things
- 07Measuring CRO: Beyond the Win Rate
- 08The 90-Day Rollout Plan
- 09Common Mistakes & Quick Reference
Hotseat is a strategy-led digital agency across Cape Town, London and Amsterdam. The team has run campaigns for Under Armour, ASICS, Knight Frank, Hey Dude and more — the guides package the systems they use every day.
