Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Specialist

The Role: Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Specialist

Employment: Start Freelance with possibility to go FT

Location: Must be eligible to work in the USA and located in one of the following states: TN, GA, AL, FL, NC, SC, NV, NH, TX, MN, VA, IL

The Facts

Johnson Group helps brands slay the giants that stand in the way of their success by blending fresh ideas with proprietary direct response tools to forge deeper brand connections and more profitable conversions. We provide full-funnel marketing and advertising from brand positioning, research, data science and full-stack development to video/photo content, strategy and creative.

The Gist

If you are looking for a team instead of a holding company and you dream about the perfect blend of collaboration and autonomy, keep reading.

Johnson Group is a place where every person is truly a part of building what the future of the agency looks like. Everyone is empowered to Dig for Big. This means we are looking for big skills, big outside-the-box thinking and big passion for mastering the details that drive client success.

The Summary

We are looking for a highly analytical, curious and results-driven Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Specialist to turn user behavior and performance data into measurable improvements in our clients’ digital experiences.

This role owns the conversion optimization and experimentation discipline, from identifying opportunities and developing hypotheses through launching experiments, analyzing results and recommending permanent improvements.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of dedicated CRO experience and a strong understanding of customer journeys, behavioral analytics, UX principles, experimentation methodology and digital performance.

Hands-on expertise with Google Analytics 4 and enterprise experimentation platforms such as VWO, Optimizely or Convert is required. Experience with heatmaps, session recordings, user research and Figma is also important.

This role will partner closely with Johnson Group’s Digital Measurement & Tagging Specialist to ensure the behaviors, funnel steps and conversion outcomes needed for CRO analysis are measured accurately. The CRO Specialist determines what needs to be measured and why; the Measurement Specialist owns the technical implementation of the underlying measurement infrastructure.

The successful candidate should be equally comfortable analyzing a funnel, reviewing hundreds of session recordings, challenging a landing-page hierarchy, developing an evidence-based hypothesis, working with a designer on a new experience and explaining experiment results in terms of revenue and business impact.

The Responsibilities

CRO Strategy & Opportunity Identification

Own conversion optimization strategy across assigned client websites, landing pages and digital experiences.

Responsibilities include:

• Analyze digital experiences to identify conversion barriers and growth opportunities.
• Evaluate user journeys from acquisition through conversion.
• Identify high-impact pages, funnel stages and user segments for optimization.
• Develop and maintain prioritized CRO roadmaps.
• Translate quantitative and qualitative findings into testable hypotheses.
• Prioritize opportunities based on potential impact, evidence, effort and strategic value.
• Distinguish genuine conversion problems from traffic-quality, measurement or acquisition issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve both primary conversions and meaningful micro-conversions.
• Develop recommendations that balance user needs, business objectives and brand strategy.

Experimentation & A/B Testing

Design, launch, manage and analyze rigorous experimentation programs across client websites and landing pages.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop evidence-based experiment hypotheses.
• Design A/B and multivariate experiments.
• Define experiment success metrics and guardrail metrics.
• Determine appropriate test audiences and segmentation.
• Build and deploy experiments using platforms such as VWO, Optimizely or Convert.
• Coordinate design and development resources for more complex test variations.
• Manage the full experiment lifecycle from ideation through post-test documentation.
• Monitor experiments for implementation issues and unexpected behavior.
• Evaluate test duration, traffic requirements and statistical validity.
• Analyze experiment results and determine appropriate next actions.
• Document wins, losses and inconclusive tests so learnings compound over time.
• Avoid “testing for testing’s sake” by ensuring experiments answer meaningful business questions.

The goal is not simply to generate winning tests. The goal is to build a body of evidence that continuously improves our understanding of what drives customer behavior.

Quantitative Analysis

Use Google Analytics 4 and other analytics platforms to understand customer behavior and identify optimization opportunities.

Responsibilities include:

• Conduct funnel and path analysis.
• Identify conversion drop-off points.
• Analyze landing-page and page-level performance.
• Segment behavior by traffic source, device, geography, audience and other meaningful dimensions.
• Compare new versus returning users and other behavioral segments.
• Evaluate conversion performance over time.
• Investigate unexpected changes in conversion behavior.
• Analyze micro-conversions leading to primary business outcomes.
• Develop explorations and reporting views that support CRO decision-making.
• Connect behavioral patterns to revenue, leads, appointments, purchases or other client business outcomes.

The CRO Specialist is responsible for using and interpreting measurement data, not architecting the technical tagging infrastructure that produces it.

Measurement Requirements & Collaboration

Partner with the Digital Measurement & Tagging Specialist when new behavioral or conversion data is required.

Responsibilities include:

• Define which user behaviors need to be measured.
• Define meaningful funnel stages and conversion events.
• Specify business requirements for new events and parameters.
• Identify segmentation requirements for experiments and analysis.
• Validate that implemented tracking provides the information required for CRO analysis.
• Identify apparent tracking problems or suspicious data and escalate them for technical investigation.
• Coordinate measurement requirements before experiments launch.
• Confirm experiment success metrics are accurately measurable.

The CRO Specialist should understand how GA4 and GTM work conceptually but is not responsible for owning GTM architecture, server-side GTM, Consent Mode, Tag Gateway, advertising conversion APIs or other measurement infrastructure.

Qualitative Behavioral Analysis

Go beyond analytics reports to understand why users behave the way they do.

Use tools such as:

• Microsoft Clarity
• Hotjar
• FullStory
• UserTesting or similar platforms
• Surveys and voice-of-customer research
• Customer reviews
• Search queries
• Form feedback
• Call and lead-quality insights where available

Responsibilities include:

• Analyze heatmaps and scroll behavior.
• Review session recordings.
• Identify repeated patterns of hesitation, confusion and abandonment.
• Identify rage clicks, dead clicks and usability issues.
• Analyze form behavior.
• Identify differences between mobile and desktop experiences.
• Combine qualitative findings with quantitative evidence.
• Develop hypotheses rather than relying on isolated anecdotes.

UX & Conversion Experience

Conduct systematic evaluations of websites, landing pages and conversion flows.

Evaluate areas including:

• Information hierarchy
• Messaging clarity
• Calls to action
• Forms
• Navigation
• Mobile usability
• Page layout
• Cognitive load
• Trust signals
• Social proof
• Pricing presentation
• Value propositions
• Friction
• Distraction
• Accessibility considerations
• Page speed and perceived performance
• Checkout or lead-generation flows

Apply established UX, behavioral science and conversion principles while avoiding unsupported “CRO best practice” recommendations that are not grounded in the specific audience and business context.

Figma & Design Collaboration

Work closely with UI/UX designers to turn optimization hypotheses into improved digital experiences.

Responsibilities include:

• Review and annotate wireframes and designs in Figma.
• Develop clear requirements for experiment variations.
• Collaborate on page hierarchy and information architecture.
• Provide conversion-focused feedback without attempting to replace the design discipline.
• Ensure proposed test variations preserve the underlying hypothesis.
• Review final implementations for fidelity to the intended experience.

The CRO Specialist does not need to be a full-time designer but should have a strong eye for digital UX and understand how design decisions influence behavior.

Front-End Experimentation

Maintain enough knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript to work effectively with experimentation platforms and development teams.

The Specialist should be comfortable:

• Inspecting front-end elements using browser developer tools.
• Making straightforward HTML/CSS test variations.
• Understanding basic JavaScript used by experimentation platforms.
• Troubleshooting basic experiment implementation problems.
• Reviewing DOM structure and selectors.
• Communicating technical requirements to developers.

Complex production development and advanced measurement JavaScript are not primary responsibilities of this position.

Landing Page Optimization

Work with Paid Media, SEO/GEO, Creative, UX and Development teams to improve landing-page performance.

Responsibilities include:

• Evaluate message match between acquisition source and landing experience.
• Improve clarity of value propositions and calls to action.
• Identify unnecessary friction.
• Develop landing-page hypotheses for specific audiences or campaigns.
• Recommend structural and content improvements.
• Evaluate landing-page performance by audience and acquisition channel.
• Test new page experiences and content approaches.

The CRO Specialist should understand that conversion performance begins before the user reaches the website and should consider acquisition intent when analyzing on-site behavior.

Performance Reporting & Business Impact

Translate experimentation and behavioral data into meaningful business outcomes.

Responsibilities include:

• Report experiment performance and learnings.
• Track conversion trends.
• Quantify the impact of successful optimizations where possible.
• Connect conversion improvements to leads, revenue, appointments, transactions or other business outcomes.
• Clearly distinguish correlation from causation.
• Develop case studies demonstrating CRO impact.
• Present findings to Account Directors, internal teams and client stakeholders.
• Explain complex experiment results in understandable business language.
• Recommend clear next actions rather than simply presenting data.

CRO Knowledge Base & Program Development

Build institutional knowledge from experimentation rather than allowing individual tests to disappear into reports.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain experiment documentation.
• Record hypotheses, outcomes and learnings.
• Identify recurring behavioral patterns across clients.
• Develop internal CRO frameworks and processes.
• Establish quality standards for experimentation.
• Help improve Johnson Group’s CRO methodology over time.
• Contribute to CRO case studies and thought leadership.

AI, Personalization & Emerging Optimization Technologies

Stay current with changes affecting digital experience optimization.

Develop a working understanding of:

• AI-assisted behavioral analysis
• AI-generated experiment ideation
• Predictive analytics
• Audience segmentation
• Dynamic experiences
• Personalization
• AI-powered research synthesis
• Automated experimentation
• Customer journey analytics
• Emerging behavioral analytics platforms

AI should be used to accelerate analysis and exploration, not replace sound experimentation methodology or evidence-based decision-making.

Platform & Tool Expertise

Google Analytics 4 — Required

Strong proficiency using GA4 for:

• Funnel analysis
• Exploration reports
• Segmentation
• Path analysis
• Conversion analysis
• Audience analysis
• Acquisition analysis
• Behavioral analysis

The candidate does not need to be responsible for advanced GA4/GTM implementation architecture.

Experimentation Platforms — Required

Hands-on experience with at least one enterprise experimentation platform such as:

• VWO
• Optimizely
• Convert

Candidates must be able to independently design, configure, launch and evaluate experiments.

Behavioral Analytics — Required

Hands-on experience with at least one platform such as:

• Microsoft Clarity
• Hotjar
• FullStory

Figma — Required

Ability to review, annotate and collaborate on wireframes, prototypes and digital experiences.

HTML/CSS — Required

Working proficiency sufficient to understand and implement straightforward experiment variations.

JavaScript — Working Knowledge

Enough knowledge to understand experimentation scripts, troubleshoot basic implementation issues and communicate effectively with developers.

Advanced tagging or analytics engineering JavaScript is not required.

Google Tag Manager — Working Knowledge

Candidates should understand:

• Events
• Triggers
• Variables
• dataLayer concepts
• Debugging basics

Advanced GTM implementation, server-side tagging and measurement architecture are owned by the Digital Measurement & Tagging Specialist.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of dedicated experience in Conversion Rate Optimization, experimentation or digital experience optimization.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing successful A/B testing programs.
• Strong hands-on proficiency with Google Analytics 4 for behavioral and funnel analysis.
• Demonstrated proficiency with at least one enterprise experimentation platform such as VWO, Optimizely or Convert.
• Experience using behavioral analytics tools such as Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar or FullStory.
• Strong understanding of experiment design, statistical significance, sample size and test validity.
• Strong understanding of user behavior, UX principles and customer journeys.
• Ability to combine quantitative and qualitative evidence into actionable hypotheses.
• Proficiency collaborating in Figma.
• Working knowledge of HTML and CSS.
• Working knowledge of JavaScript sufficient for experimentation and debugging.
• Working knowledge of Google Tag Manager and web measurement concepts.
• Ability to translate data into clear recommendations and business impact.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent experiments and client initiatives.
• Agency or multi-client experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience with lead-generation and ecommerce conversion funnels is preferred.
• A college degree in Marketing, Analytics, UX, Psychology, Business or a related field is preferred, but demonstrated CRO experience and results matter more than degree pedigree.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means Johnson Group’s clients are continuously learning more about their users and turning those learnings into measurable business improvement.

You will know you are succeeding when:

• CRO roadmaps are driven by evidence rather than opinions.
• Experiment hypotheses are clear and defensible.
• High-value funnel problems are identified quickly.
• Experiments are launched consistently and correctly.
• Results are statistically and strategically interpreted.
• Winning tests are translated into permanent improvements.
• Losing tests still produce useful organizational learning.
• Client conversion rates and business outcomes improve over time.
• CRO recommendations account for user behavior, acquisition intent, UX and business objectives.
• Measurement questions are clearly defined for the Measurement team before implementation.
• Designers and developers receive actionable, well-reasoned optimization requirements.
• Clients understand not just what happened, but why it matters and what we should do next.

The Benefits

• Flexibility to work from home with optional hybrid work environment for locals in our beautifully renovated downtown office, with paid parking
• 100% employer-paid health, dental and vision insurance for employee AND two family members
• 401(k) with company match
• PTO, sick days and paid holidays
• Wellness stipend
• Professional development opportunities
• Company-wide social events like an annual lake day, team-specific retreats and more
• Summer Fridays