6 Minutes
At its core, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is about increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action - in this case, booking a room.
The formula:
Conversion Rate = (Total Website Bookings / Total Website Visitors) x 100
The Method: Volume negates luck
Remember school experiments? You changed one thing, measured the result, and wrote down what happened. CRO is the same - only the lab is your website, and the result is revenue.
Our CRO loop:
Review: Where are guests dropping off in the booking journey?
Analyze: What can you improve? Think unclear copy, weak imagery, hidden fees, slow pages.
Test: Change one thing at a time (A/B testing is your new best friend 🤩)
Check results: Did the new version perform better?
Implement or learn: If it did, implement it. If it didn’t, document why and try the next best idea.
The key here is volume. You may miss on test 1, 2, or 3 - but consistent testing is what will give you results.
A boutique hotel we work with saw a pattern: traffic was healthy, but most users dropped off on the room page.
What we did:
Hypothesis: “Improving image quality will reduce hesitation.”
Design: A version with high-quality, fast-loading images.
A/B test: Split traffic evenly, show both versions to users.
Result: More completed bookings on the new version.
Action: Keep the winner, move on to the next friction point.
No huge redesign. Just one small, focused change, that made more guests book.
What to Test First
You can't test everything at once.
Your first audit should surface at least 20 test ideas (check out our 50 CRO Test Ideas document for inspiration).
Prioritize ones that:
Could drive a big impact - for guests and revenue.
Are easy to implement
Fit your hotel’s goals
If you’re new to CRO, this might feel like a lot - but you’re already one step ahead. With the right tools, you’ll see what’s working and what’s not.
What we use:
Web Analytics
Tools: Google Analytics.
Why: Shows who’s visiting and what they’re doing, tracks conversion rate.
Pros: Free & powerful, easy to set up.
If you don’t have it, ask your IT team to implement it or message us - we’ll set it up for free.
Heatmaps and Recordings
Tools: Hotjar, Crazy Egg
Why: Shows where people click and scroll, lets you watch real user sessions, helps spot usability issues.
Pros: Easily understand guest behavior.
A/B Testing Tools
Tools: Optimizely, A/B Tasty.
Why: Lets you compare two alternatives of the same, shows you clear winners.
Pros: Helps make data-driven decisions
User Feedback
Tools: Qualaroo, Usabilla
Why: Collect real-time feedback, ask targeted questions
Pros: Gather insights you’d miss in analytics
Speed Testing
Tool: Google PageSpeed Insights.
Why: Shows how fast your site loads, gives tips to speed things up.
Pros: A slow site can kill the efforts of your marketing and website teams - this helps you beat the 3-second load time rule.
All-in-One Suites
Tool: ContentSquare
Why: Combine multiple tools into a single view, saves time and streamlines your process.
Pros: Complete picture of your site's performance - great for teams with bigger budgets.
Do I need all these tools?
Start with the basics: analytics and A/B testing. Add others as you grow.
Are free tools good enough?
For many hotels, yes. Google Analytics is free, and that’s the gold standard. Hotjar’s free plan is more than enough if you’re just starting.
Paid tools offer more features but aren't always necessary.
How do I choose between similar tools?
Look for ease of use, customer support, and integration with your PMS/booking engine and CRM.
How long should a test run?
It depends on traffic. Aim for at least two weeks, or until you reach statistical significance.
What if the test doesn't show clear winners?
That’s still a win - you discarded a hypothesis. Log it and test the next idea.
Can small hotels do CRO too?
Yes - however, if you have fewer than ~1,000 monthly unique visitors, focus first on growing traffic to your direct channel. Then optimize.
