Scenario: Conversion rate optimisation
Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is a crucial part of a digital marketing strategy. Whilst
an organisation may be generating a substantial amount of traffic to the website(s) they
may still struggle to meet their objectives if the people visiting the site aren’t undertaking
the action intended. Conversions are often thought of primarily in relation to sales, but
they could be linked to creating an account, downloading content, registering interest,
providing content details or even sharing content.
In your role as an experienced marketer of your own organisation, or a suitable
organisation of your choice, you have been asked to develop a digital marketing strategy
with a specific focus on CRO within the context of a digital marketing plan.
Guidance notes:
The assignment comprises three separate tasks, but they are linked as part of the process
to identify, and then respond, to changes in the organisation’s digital marketing
environment.
Whilst it is helpful to include an introduction and a summary for each task, these should
be brief, with the main focus being on the content outlined in the tasks provided. FIVE
marks will be awarded for the organisation summary, which will form part of the briefing
paper, using the heading provided in the Assignment Guidance Section.
Conversion rate optimisation can relate, but is not restricted, to sales. In many
organisations the ‘profit’ motive may be inappropriate, or less relevant. For example,
public sector, not-for-profit and charitable organisations may not see financial ‘profit’ as
other organisations might. In these instances, candidates can focus on varied goals for
conversion linked to actions other than purchase.
It is good practice to acknowledge all sources/methodologies/applications using the
Harvard referencing system.
Good Practice Guidelines for Assessment Production
The recommended limit for word/page count is intended to assist candidates in producing
a professional document of an appropriate length that can be used in the
workplace. The submission should be written in a professional tone (unless otherwise
instructed) and should only contain relevant material that directly contributes towards
answering the task.
Page 2 of 8
Digital Strategy (2203) – June 2016
TASK 1 – BRIEFING PAPER
Assessment criteria covered in Task 1:
AC1.1, AC1.3, AC2.1, AC2.2, AC2.3
Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details.
Write a briefing paper for the senior management of your chosen organisation. The
briefing paper should provide the reader with an understanding of conversion rate
optimisation (CRO) as a digital marketing concept, as well as providing recommendations
as to how developments in this area can be monitored.
Required:
(a)
Using the organisation summary guidelines, provide a background to
your chosen organisation.
(5 marks)
(b)
Explain the purpose and benefits of CRO.
(5 marks)
(c)
Recommend how future developments in CRO practice can be
monitored and reported throughout the chosen organisation.
(5 marks)
(Total – 15 marks)
(Organisation summary recommended page count limit – 1 page)
(Tasks 1 (b) to (c) recommended page count limit – 2 pages)
Page 3 of 8
Digital Strategy (2203) – June 2016
TASK 2 – REPORT
Assessment criteria covered in Task 2:
AC1.1, AC1.2, AC1.3, AC2.1, AC2.3, AC3.1, AC4.1
Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details.
In order to develop an effective digital marketing plan, inclusive of a digital marketing
strategy, it is imperative that research is undertaken into the digital marketing
environment. Using relevant models and frameworks, you have been asked to undertake
a digital marketing audit.
Required:
(a)
Conduct an analysis of the chosen organisation’s external digital
marketing environment, with a focus on key disruptive factors that
may affect the organisation.
(10 marks)
(b)
Analyse the digital behaviour and identity of a key customer segment
for which there is potential for increasing conversions.
(10 marks)
(c)
Conduct an internal appraisal into the digital marketing activities
which could be used by the chosen organisation to support both
digital acquisition and conversion.
(10 marks)
Based on the key findings from sub-tasks (a) to (c) above undertake
a TOWS analysis that identifies key digital strategic options for the
organisation, with a focus on optimising conversion rates.
(10 marks)
(d)
(Total – 40 marks)
(Tasks 2 (a) to (d) recommended page count limit – 7 pages)
Page 4 of 8
Digital Strategy (2203) – June 2016
TASK 3 – DIGITAL MARKETING PLAN
Assessment criteria covered in Task 3:
AC3.1, AC3.3, AC4.2, AC5.1, AC5.2, AC6.2, AC6.4
Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details.
Following the research conducted focused on conversion rate optimisation, and also the
digital marketing audit, you have been asked to develop a digital marketing strategy as
part of a digital marketing plan. The plan should be aimed at senior managers and be
supported by robust data and information on your chosen organisation, and its digital
marketing environment.
Required:
(a)
Outline TWO key digital marketing objectives focused on improving
CRO for your chosen organisation.
(b)
Recommend a justified digital marketing strategy, focused on CRO, for
your chosen organisation.
(12 marks)
(c)
Outline the key digital marketing activities that could be used to
achieve the digital marketing objectives and subsequent strategy.
(10 marks)
(d)
Explain how the digital marketing activities could be integrated into
the organisation’s wider marketing activities.
(5 marks)
(e)
Recommend the tools, techniques and metrics that could be used to
measure the performance of each digital marketing activity with
reference to the objectives and strategy.
(12 marks)
(6 marks)
(Total – 45 marks)
(Tasks 3 (a) to (e) recommended page count limit – 8 pages)
Page 5 of 8
Digital Strategy (2203) – June 2016
Assignment Guidance Section
TASK 1 – BRIEFING PAPER
Recommended page count limit: 3 pages
In preparing answers to this task it is important that the concept and process
of conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is researched and understood.
Guidance
notes:
Candidates need to demonstrate a clear understanding of what the concept
is and how it works in practice within digital marketing strategy. There are
benefits to having a strategic focus on CRO, these need to be identified and
communicated.
The digital marketing environment can be complex and dynamic, and as such
key concepts, like CRO, can adapt and evolve over time. The monitoring of
the digital marketing environment is important in order for organisations to
stay current and not fall behind with contemporary practice. Therefore,
candidates should identify how future developments in this key area can be
monitored and reported within the organisation.
TASK 2 – REPORT
Recommended page count limit: 7 pages
Producing any strategic marketing plan requires marketers to answer four
fundamental questions: What is the organisation’s current situation? Where
does the organisation want to go from here? How is it going to get there?
And how do they know if they’ve arrived?
The evolution of digital marketing has made the process of developing plans
more complex and added a new range of ideas and concepts for marketers
to come to terms with.
Guidance
notes:
This task requires candidates to address the first of the questions above by
looking at sources of digital disruption and change that present opportunity
and challenge via the external environment. The impact of these changes
needs to be analysed with reference to the organisation and the
customer/user for the chosen organisation, be they existing, lapsed or new
customers/users, or co-creators, beneficiaries, donors or any other significant
stakeholders.
In order to make better-informed digital marketing decisions, relating to
objectives, strategy and tactics, conducting research into the environment
via the collection and analysis of external and internal data is vital.
External data can be gathered from a variety of secondary sources, for
example, market reports, news sites, and competitor sites. The internal data
will be sourced from the candidates chosen organisation and digital
marketing activities.
Page 6 of 8
Digital Strategy (2203) – June 2016
TASK 3 – DIGITAL MARKETING PLAN
Recommended page count limit: 8 pages
For the digital marketing plan, candidates will need to use the information
gathered in Task 1 and 2, and may need further research into the concept,
and process, of conversion rate optimisation.
Significant changes in the macro- and micro-environments can have a
profound effect on the relevance and currency of an organisation’s marketing
activities, so candidates will need to explain how the organisation should
respond in an agile digital manner.
Guidance
notes:
The report is to be produced for senior management, but needs to
specifically focus on the strategic issues that are relevant to the marketing
function.
When producing the digital marketing plan, candidates should adopt a formal
style by writing in the third person. The digital marketing plan needs to be
well-structured, concise and clear. It is important to follow a clear and
relevant digital marketing planning framework, with each section clearly
labelled.
Focus on conversion rate optimisation through relevant strategic
recommendations is vital. All recommendations across objectives, strategy,
tactics and control should be justified and demonstrate synergy with key
findings from the TOWS analysis, as well as each section of the digital
marketing plan.
Page 7 of 8
Digital Strategy (2203) – June 2016
ORGANISATION SUMMARY GUIDELINES
Contents will contribute to the FIVE marks available in Part (a) of Task 1.
The following headings must be included:
Organisation name
Type of organisation, for example, profit or not-for-profit, local, national, global,
and type of legal entity
Size of organisation in terms of turnover and/or number of employees
Range of products and services provided
Customer base, for example, B2B/B2C
Main competitors
Other information relevant to the assessment may be included to assist the examiner in
understanding the organisation within the recommended page count limit.