What this calculator does
Conversion rate is the share of visitors, or clicks from an ad, who go on to complete whatever counts as success: a purchase, a sign-up, a form submission or any other defined goal. It is the bridge between traffic and actual results.
The same traffic volume can produce wildly different outcomes depending on conversion rate, which is why it is tracked separately from clicks or visits. Doubling traffic without improving conversion rate doubles results; improving conversion rate without any extra traffic can achieve the same thing for free.
The formula
Divide the number of conversions by the number of visitors or clicks that had the opportunity to convert, then express that as a percentage.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Conversion rate | The percentage of visitors who converted: (conversions ÷ visitors) × 100. |
| Conversions | The number of visitors who completed the goal action. |
| Visitors | The total number of visitors or clicks measured, whether or not they converted. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Conversions | The number of conversions (completed goal actions) recorded. |
| Visitors or clicks | The total number of visitors or clicks over the same period, converted or not. |
When to use it
Testing a landing page change
Comparing conversion rate before and after a page redesign, with a similar traffic mix, isolates whether the change actually helped visitors convert.
Diagnosing where a funnel leaks
Conversion rate calculated at each stage of a multi-step funnel shows exactly where visitors are dropping off before the final goal.
Forecasting sales from expected traffic
A known conversion rate applied to a traffic forecast estimates how many sales or sign-ups that traffic should produce.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How conversion rate changes with conversions at a fixed traffic volume
A fixed 2,000 visitors, against a range of conversion counts.
| Conversions | Conversion rate | Visitors needed for 1 conversion, on average |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.500% | 200 |
| 20 | 1.00% | 100 |
| 40 | 2.00% | 50 |
| 60 | 3.00% | 33 |
| 100 | 5.00% | 20 |
| 160 | 8.00% | 13 |
How conversion rate changes with traffic at a fixed number of conversions
A fixed 40 conversions, against a range of traffic volumes.
| Visitors | Conversion rate | Visitors needed for 1 conversion, on average |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 8.00% | 13 |
| 1,000 | 4.00% | 25 |
| 2,000 | 2.00% | 50 |
| 4,000 | 1.00% | 100 |
| 8,000 | 0.500% | 200 |
| 16,000 | 0.250% | 400 |
Questions
What is a good conversion rate?
It varies enormously by industry, traffic source and the goal being measured, so there is no single figure worth quoting as a target. Track your own conversion rate over time and against specific tests, rather than an external average.
Should conversion rate be measured against all visitors or against clicks from a specific ad?
Either is valid as long as it is applied consistently. Measuring against ad clicks isolates that channel’s performance; measuring against all site visitors gives an overall site figure across every traffic source.
Why did my conversion rate drop even though sales stayed flat?
A falling conversion rate alongside flat sales usually means traffic grew from a source that converts less well, diluting the overall rate even as absolute conversions held steady.
How does conversion rate relate to CPA?
CPA is spend divided by conversions; conversion rate is conversions divided by visitors or clicks. A higher conversion rate at the same CPC directly lowers CPA, since more of the same clicks are turning into paying customers.
To turn a conversion rate into a cost figure, see the CPA calculator. To see what share of impressions produced the clicks feeding this funnel, use the CTR calculator.