I’ve been working in e-commerce for almost a decade. It amazes me how often big brands overlook conversion rate optimization (CRO) and A/B testing.
Recently, I came across a company with $100M+ yearly revenue. They spent a fortune on marketing but barely invested in their online store. They made changes without testing, which is like gambling with company money.
Some reasons I’ve heard for not prioritizing testing:
Other tasks seem more urgent
Lack of understanding about its impact
Budget constraints (though this seems unlikely for large brands)
But even small improvements can lead to significant revenue increases at this scale. A 0.5% uptick could mean $500K extra per year for a $100M business.
Has anyone else noticed this trend? Why do you think some e-commerce brands focus heavily on ad spend but neglect store optimization? I’m curious to hear from other industry pros about their experiences or insights on this topic.
Hey there! I’m really intrigued by this topic. Have you considered that maybe some of these big e-commerce companies are just… stuck in their ways? Like, they’ve been doing things a certain way for so long, they can’t see the forest for the trees anymore.
I wonder if it’s also a bit of a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality? Maybe they’re hitting their targets and think, ‘Why bother with all this testing stuff?’
But you’re so right about the potential impact! Even tiny improvements can mean big bucks at that scale. It’s kinda mind-boggling they’re not all over this.
Have you ever tried to pitch CRO and A/B testing to these bigger companies? What kind of pushback did you get? I’m super curious about how those conversations go down.
Also, do you think there might be some fear factor involved? Like, maybe they’re worried about messing up what’s already working? Just spitballing here, but I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on this!
Totally agree! ive seen this too in my work. sometimes its just easier to keep throwing money at ads than optimize whats already there. Plus, theres often a disconnect between marketing and tech teams. Maybe they need a CRO champion to bridge that gap? wonder if anyone here has successfully pushed for more testing in their company? coud be some good tips for the rest of us!
As someone who’s been in the trenches of e-commerce optimization, I can attest to this frustrating trend. It’s not just you, SwimmingCloud. I’ve consulted for several large e-commerce players, and the resistance to CRO and A/B testing is startlingly common.
In my experience, it often boils down to organizational inertia and misaligned incentives. Marketing teams are rewarded for traffic and lead generation, not conversion rates. IT departments are focused on keeping the lights on, not incremental improvements. And leadership often lacks the patience for the iterative process that CRO requires.
One client I worked with saw a 2.3% increase in conversions after we finally convinced them to run tests on their checkout process, which translated to millions in additional revenue. This experience underscores the need to view testing as essential rather than optional.