Conversion rate optimization consultant vs in house team which is right for you

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) boosts the percentage of visitors who take action on your site, like signing up or purchasing. Choosing between a CRO consultant and an in-house team depends on your budget, expertise needs, and business goals. Here's a quick breakdown:

• CRO Consultants: Offer expertise across industries, faster results (within 30 days), and flexible pricing ($800–$10,000/month). Ideal for startups or short-term projects.


• In-House Teams: Provide deep company knowledge, better cross-department collaboration, but require high upfront costs ($250K+ annually). Best for long-term goals or enterprise-level businesses.

Quick Comparison

Aspect




CRO Consultants




In-House Teams

Cost




$36K–$120K/year




$500K+/year

Expertise




Broad industry experience




Deep product knowledge

Speed




Productive in 30 days




Takes 6–12 months to build

Tool Access




Included in service




Fully customizable

Project Fit




Short-term or specialized projects




Long-term, integrated strategies

For startups, consultants are budget-friendly and deliver quick wins. For enterprises, in-house teams offer long-term integration. A hybrid model combines the benefits of both.

Why In-House CRO Teams Are Burning €250K+ Per Year (And What To Do Instead)




Working with CRO Consultants: Pros and Cons




Expert Knowledge and Skills




CRO consultants bring a wealth of experience from various industries to identify strategies that deliver results. Their ability to analyze data and provide actionable insights is evident in success stories like Adobe Document Cloud. Aditya Lakshminarayan, Product Marketing Manager at Adobe Document Cloud, shared:

"The Good's research expertise and fresh insight have made them a valuable partner. Their recommendations have helped us move the needle on customer engagement and drive product growth."

This level of expertise is a major advantage when deciding between hiring a consultant or building an in-house team.

Project-Based Work Options




CRO consultants offer flexible options for businesses. Typically, they work on a project basis, requiring a minimum of two working days per month. This translates to about $2,000 per month or $24,000 annually . This setup allows businesses to scale their CRO efforts without committing to long-term contracts.

Project Type




Typical Duration




Average Monthly Cost

Quick Wins Assessment




1–2 months




$800–$2,000

Comprehensive Optimization




3–6 months




$2,000–$5,000

Enterprise-Level Programs




6+ months




$6,000–$10,000

Pricing and Investment




The cost of CRO consulting includes both consulting fees and essential tools:

• Daily consulting rate: $1,000


• A/B testing software: $10,000 annually for websites with 50,000 monthly visitors


• Minimum annual cost: $34,000

This pricing often makes consultants more affordable than hiring a full in-house team. David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices, explains:

"If your in-house team can't improve conversion rates over time or you've been facing a years-long plateau, it's time to look to an outside source. This doesn't necessarily mean your team is uneducated, but they may need a fresh perspective to break through."

Limited Team Integration




While consultants offer valuable expertise, their external role can sometimes create challenges. Issues like managing timelines, slower response times, communication gaps, and learning company-specific processes can arise.

To minimize these issues, businesses often set up clear communication plans that define roles, responsibilities, and governance structures . Regular updates and transparent reporting help maintain alignment between consultants and internal teams.

The Economist provides an example of effective collaboration. Marketing Director David Humber highlighted:

"Through their work, we were able to increase conversions to paid subscriptions by 5% without compromising our ad revenue, which was a significant return on investment and a huge win for our organization."

These insights help frame the broader considerations for shaping your CRO strategy.

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Building an In-House CRO Team: Benefits and Drawbacks




Product and Company Knowledge




An in-house CRO team gains a strong understanding of your company’s products, processes, and overall culture. This insight enables them to create optimization strategies tailored specifically to your business. Krystal Decoux from Amazon Web Services highlights this advantage:

"This structure allows the optimization team to be aware of the performance of the entire website and the business, rather than only what their functional role covers. Finally, this allows a strategic approach to optimization that includes the entire funnel."

In 2018, 26% of companies formed dedicated optimization teams to leverage this advantage . This internal understanding also supports effective collaboration across departments.

Cross-Department Collaboration




Internal CRO teams are well-positioned to break down silos and encourage collaboration between departments. This integration helps streamline decision-making and ensures optimization strategies are more comprehensive.

Collaboration Benefit




Impact on CRO

Knowledge Sharing




Insights are shared across marketing, product, and development teams

Decision Speed




Faster approvals through direct communication

Resource Alignment




Improved coordination between technical and creative teams

Strategic Integration




Aligns CRO initiatives with company-wide goals

Frédéric de Todaro, Head of Consulting at Kameleoon, explains:

"Having an in-house CRO team guarantees autonomy in your projects. With the right methodology, you can involve the entire company in the optimization process and acquire skills through the accumulated experience."

Setup and Maintenance Costs




Creating an in-house CRO team requires a substantial financial commitment, particularly for salaries and essential tools. While this investment brings deep expertise, it also comes with notable expenses.

Personnel Costs (Annual US Salaries):

• CRO Manager: $100,000 - $130,000


• Data Analyst: $70,000 - $90,000


• UX/UI Designer: $80,000 - $110,000


• Front-End Developer: $90,000 - $120,000


• Copywriter: $60,000 - $80,000

Essential Tools and Software (Annual):

• A/B Testing Tools: $20,000 - $50,000


• Analytics Software: $12,000 - $150,000


• Heatmaps and Session Recording: $2,000 - $10,000


• User Feedback Tools: $3,000 - $15,000

Annual costs can range from $438K to $758K for salaries and tools combined . This typically accounts for about 30% of the marketing budget for companies managing CRO in-house .

David Vismans, Chief Product Officer at Booking.com, emphasizes the need for cultural commitment:

"If I have any advice for CEOs, it's this: Large-scale testing is not a technical thing; it's a cultural thing that you need to fully embrace. You need to ask yourself two big questions: How willing are you to be confronted every day by how wrong you are? And how much autonomy are you willing to give to the people who work for you?"

In addition to these costs, companies must plan for ongoing training and the potential loss of team members. The average cost per test ranges from $12,000 to $27,000 . Ensuring these investments deliver a strong ROI is crucial for long-term success.

How to Choose Between Consultants and In-House Teams




Available Budget




Budget plays a huge role in deciding between consultants and in-house teams. While building an in-house team requires a hefty upfront investment, hiring a CRO consultant often comes with more flexible pricing options.

Cost Category




In-House Team (Annual)




CRO Agency/Consultant

Base Cost




$250,000+ (salaries & benefits)




$36,000 – $108,000

Tools & Software




$24,000 average




Included

Total Investment




$500,000+




$120,000 average

Beyond just the cost, your company’s size and stage will also influence the best approach for your needs.

Business Size and Stage




The size and growth stage of your business are equally important when deciding between hiring a consultant or building an in-house team. Interestingly, only 26% of brands have established dedicated optimization teams in the past three years , highlighting the importance of making the right choice.

Business Stage




Recommended Approach




Rationale

Startup/Early




CRO Consultant




Lower upfront costs and immediate expertise

Growth




Mixed Approach




Leverage a consultant for strategy while developing internal capabilities

Enterprise




In-House Team




Long-term investment allows for deeper integration

Project Scope




The scale and complexity of your CRO needs will also guide your decision. Here’s how the scope of your project can influence the choice:

Scope Factor




Consultant Advantage




In-House Advantage

Specialized Skills




Instant access to expertise




Builds long-term capabilities

Tool Access




Tools included in service




Fully customizable toolset

Implementation




Faster execution




Seamless integration

Cross-team Support




Helps connect departments




Direct collaboration

Timeline and Goals




Once you’ve assessed the costs, think about your project’s timeline and goals. These can significantly impact your decision:

• Short-term projects (3–6 months): Consultants are ideal for quick results without long-term commitments.


• Medium-term initiatives (6–12 months): Combine a consultant’s strategic input with internal team execution.


• Long-term programs (12+ months): Focus on building an in-house team for consistent optimization efforts.

Alan from Clickthrough Marketing emphasizes:

"CRO is not cheap, but if you do it well, it pays more dividends than you can hope for. You need to be open-minded and think long-term."

With nearly half (49%) of companies planning to increase their CRO budgets , choosing the right approach is more important than ever.

Making Your CRO Team Decision




4-Step Decision Process

Calculate Your Lead Value

Start by determining how much each lead is worth to your business. For instance, if a 5% increase in conversions could add $20,000 to your $1M monthly revenue, it may make sense to invest 10–50% of that potential gain .

Assess Internal Capabilities

Evaluate what your team can handle right now. Johann Van Tonder, CEO of AWA Digital, explains:

"There's a lot of methodology out there that helps with measuring the ROI of experimentation. In-house, we've got our methodology, and it's based on a lot of data."

Compare Investment Options

Weigh the costs and timelines of different approaches:

• CRO agencies typically charge $7,000–$30,000 per month, delivering results in 30–60 days with a team of 3–5 specialists.


• Building an in-house team can exceed $250,000 annually and may take 6–12 months to fully develop.


• A hybrid model usually costs around $120,000 annually, combining external expertise with internal resources.

Define Success Metrics

Pin down the KPIs and tracking methods you'll use. Brian Massey, CEO of Conversion Sciences, highlights:

"When you first start a CRO campaign, inevitably, the measure of success would be are you finding more revenue for your efforts?"

This structured process helps align your budget, expertise, and project goals.

Mixed Approach Options




A hybrid model - blending in-house efforts with external consultants - can offer the best of both worlds. Matt Scaysbrook points out:

"The hybrid model of agency & in-house is by far the most prevalent in the market at present, and will likely continue to be so, despite some of the cons mentioned above."

This approach is popular because it balances quick results with sustained growth. To choose the right path, consider your budget, timeline, team bandwidth, and project complexity. Consultants can provide focused, short-term expertise with minimal upfront costs, while an in-house team delivers deeper, long-term insights.

As Jon MacDonald, CEO of TheGood, puts it:

"The reality is that CRO does cost time and money. Granted, it's a small amount compared to the revenue it generates, but until you can demonstrate that revenue, executives will only be aware of the costs."

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