Conversion rate
In short. Conversion rate is the percentage of people who take a desired action out of everyone who had the chance, such as buying, signing up or making an enquiry. It is calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the number of visitors or leads, then multiplying by 100.
Last checked against its sources on 10 October 2026. How we write these.
If 2,000 people visit a page and 40 make an enquiry, the conversion rate is 2 per cent. The same idea applies at every stage of selling, from visitor to enquiry, enquiry to quote and quote to order.
The measure is useful because it shows where the loss happens. A business might get plenty of visitors but few enquiries, which points to the page or offer, or many enquiries but few orders, which points to follow-up or price.
Define the action clearly before measuring, and measure the same way each time. Compare like with like: traffic from a recommendation will usually convert better than traffic from a cold advertisement, so a blended figure can mislead.
Small changes can have large effects. A clearer headline, fewer form fields, visible reviews or a faster reply to enquiries often lift the rate more than extra advertising. With few visitors, the numbers are small and random swings are large, so be cautious about drawing conclusions from a week of data.
Questions people ask
What is a good conversion rate?
There is no universal figure. It varies by industry, channel and what counts as a conversion, so compare against your own past performance first.
Is conversion rate only for websites?
No. It applies to any step where someone moves forward, such as calls booked from enquiries or quotes accepted.
Sources
- Conversion rate: Definition (Google Ads Help) checked 10 October 2026