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Public Relations · Published August 5, 2019

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Creating Conversion Funnels to Boost Sales

conversion funnel diagram showing customer journey stages
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A conversion funnel is the path your visitors take from arriving at your store through to finalizing their purchases. Conversion Funnel's is also a leaky bucket, and you need to keep an eye on it if you have even modest sales goals. With every step in a conversion funnel, there is an opportunity for water (visitors) to escape the bucket (funnel) thanks to those pesky, pesky holes. Still, do you start running from the well in a bid to save more water, or should you take the time to repair the leaky bucket once and for all? There are a host of methods to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research on your bucket, so we’ve named a few below. At the end of the day, no one knows your bucket like you do, so experiment with what works best for your store.

Heatmaps

Heatmaps are visual representations of data, where values are represented by color. When used to assess conversion rate optimization, they can be very revealing. For example, Clickmaps identify places on your site that visitors think are links. If they are non-linked elements, consider turning them into links to deliver a better user experience. Similarly, Scrollmaps help you prioritize your messaging- especially on category and product pages. If your Scrollmap shows that users are abruptly leaving a site without scrolling down, you might want to consider adding an arrow, or some other guide, to keep them on the page.

Analytics

Tools like Google Analytics can be incredibly useful to the business owner who knows what they are doing. Once you’re sure that things are tracking correctly, the data world is your oyster. Analyze your low volume, high conversion pages, fix broken links, and dive into the goldmine that is your internal search engine.

On-site surveys

Chances are, if you’ve ever shopped online, you’re likely already familiar with on-site surveys. They are sure to pop as you browse different websites, and invite users to give feedback. You might consider asking them some pointed questions, like “what was the purpose of your visit to our site,” “were you able to complete your task?” or “is there anything holding you back?” If you ask a yes/no question, be sure to provide an avenue for explanation or elaborate after they have answered it.

Session replays

Session replays are similar to user testing, but you end up dealing with real people with real money who have a real intent to buy your products. Observe them as they navigate your site: what do you they have trouble finding? Where do they frequently pause? Where do they get frustrated? Where do they give up, and leave? It’s important to recognize that your bucket will also have holes; sometimes, it may feel as if you have plugged one only to discover two more. But the more effectively you plug them each time, the more optimized each trip to the well will be.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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