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<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025-2026 Marcus Quinn -->

# Chapter 2: CRO Fundamentals and Core Concepts

This chapter covers the foundational principles of Conversion Rate Optimization, from basic formulas and benchmarks to the psychological drivers of user behavior and the data foundations required for effective testing.

## Chapters

- [Conversion Rate Formulas](cro-chapter-02/01-conversion-rate-formulas.md) — Standard and unique user formulas, segmentation strategies, and industry benchmarks.
- [Psychology of Conversion](cro-chapter-02/02-psychology-of-conversion.md) — Cognitive biases (social proof, scarcity, anchoring) and the balance between emotional and rational drivers.
- [The Conversion Funnel](cro-chapter-02/03-conversion-funnel.md) — Standard e-commerce funnel stages, drop-off analysis, and micro vs. macro conversions.
- [Attribution Models](cro-chapter-02/04-attribution-models.md) — Comparing last-click, first-click, linear, and data-driven attribution strategies.
- [Website Elements That Impact Conversions](cro-chapter-02/05-website-elements.md) — High, medium, and supporting impact elements from value propositions to trust badges.
- [Conversion Friction](cro-chapter-02/06-conversion-friction.md) — Identifying sources of friction and optimizing the value-to-friction ratio.
- [Data Foundation](cro-chapter-02/07-data-foundation.md) — Quantitative and qualitative data sources and how to combine them for targeted hypotheses.
