Ralph Burns and Lauren Petrullo tackle some of the biggest misconceptions about Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) with industry expert Raphael Paulin-Daigle. They dig into why obsessing over conversion rates alone can backfire and why metrics like lifetime value (LTV) and average order value (AOV) matter more in the long run. The discussion also hits on how platforms like TikTok are shaking up the CRO space and what that means for modern businesses. Raphael shares his story of turning a passion for marketing as a teenager into a thriving career working with top DTC brands. Packed with examples and no-nonsense advice, this conversation pushes back on outdated thinking and offers actionable strategies for improving website performance and driving real business growth.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 – Meet Raphael: The Myth-Buster of CRO
• 00:00:21 – CRO Myths: Why Doubling Your Conversion Rate Isn’t That Simple
• 00:01:43 – From Fictional Marketing Plans to Real DTC Success
• 00:02:26 – Raphael’s Origin Story: Creativity Meets Data
• 00:08:01 – No Portfolio? No Problem: Landing Clients the Hard Way
• 00:13:53 – From Metrics to Mastery: The Real Evolution of CRO
• 00:20:57 – Wants vs. Needs: When Clients Get It Wrong
• 00:22:45 – The Conversion Rate Illusion: Why Numbers Lie
• 00:26:00 – Case Study: Turning Subscriptions Into Gold
• 00:29:33 – Breaking It Down: How to Communicate Results Without Confusion
• 00:35:35 – CRO in the TikTok Era: Quick Wins vs. Real Strategies
• 00:44:59 – Stay Connected: Raphael’s Tips for Long-Term Growth

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

• Raphael Paulin-Daigle on LinkedIn
• Raphael Paulin-Daigle on X
• SplitBase
• Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions
• Tier 11 Jobs
• Perpetual Traffic on YouTube
• Tiereleven.com
• Mongoose Media
• Perpetual Traffic Survey
• Perpetual Traffic Website
• Follow Perpetual Traffic on Twitter
• Connect with Lauren on Instagram and Connect with Ralph on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Perpetual Traffic? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!

Mentioned in this episode:

AppSumo - 13% off with code traffic13