Laura

No BS. Straight shooter on UX research, conversion optimization and e-com strategies to accelerate growth. Co-founder @surefootme.

[Laura @STLStude]

I had an experience last year that made it clear why men have gotten ahead.

I was mountain biking in Bentonville at the top of a feature section that included berms, jumps and tabletops.

It was the kind of place with bright orange "skull and crossbones" signs warning you to ride at your own risk.

A gnarly concussion a few years ago put an abrupt end to my riding those kinds of trails, but I parked my bike at the top to observe.

Groups of guys kept rolling up, from wide-eyed kids and pimply teens to middle-aged dads.

Some intentionally made their way there.

Others rode by and saw it, shouting “that looks fun, let’s do it!” as they skidded to a stop and U-turned back towards it.

Only one expressed some apprehension, asking his friend “are you sure?” as he gestured towards the easier B-line off to the side.

“Yeah, it looks fun! We have to at least try it!”

Off they went, slowly hitting each feature and getting about enough air to clear a small ant.

It was funny: on my worst day pre-concussion, I could have out ridden and out-jumped these dudes and almost every single one that followed.

Most were slow and inexperienced.

But they didn’t care. They were trying it anyway.

As I stood at the top, I saw a troubling pattern:

More boys and men kept appearing. Zero young girls or women did.

I couldn’t help but wonder...

How many of those boys heard the words “try it!” on a regular basis as kids?

And how many girls heard things like “be careful!” or “don’t do that, you might get hurt!”

The fact is, many women have to undo years of receiving messages (verbal and nonverbal) that discourage us from taking risks.

Sometimes those risks are in our business or personal lives. Sometimes they’re in mountain biking.

If you want to help “level the playing field”, support women in taking big risks.

Support comes in many forms:

- voting for legislation that gives us autonomy over our bodies
- entertaining the kids a few nights a week so your partner can work on her startup
- towing your female friend into a jump line on a mountain bike

This type of support matters. And it’s needed now more than ever.

If you’re someone who identifies as a woman and you feel afraid, uncertain, or doubtful...try it!

You might fail, but you might just fly.

[Laura @STLStude]

@heyitsalexP @philwinkle Thank you! I’ve visited MTD on your recco and you’re right filtering sucks but content is gold. TY for the other links!

[Laura @STLStude]

@heyitsalexP hi! Long time reader and fan / connected via @philwinkle. Do you have any go to articles or people you follow for retention strategy?

Been thinking almost every day since you posted about converting 1 time buyers to 2nd as opposed to loyalty programs and want to read up more on analysis, strategies, etc.

TIA, keep kickin’ ass!

[Laura @STLStude]

Can you share more about where they’ve fallen short? Is it in their lack of experience in your vertical or something else?

CRO agency cofounder here - have worked for 3 in my career. A lot of the differentiators are nuanced. Most try to sell the same stuff at different price points. A lot of “fly by nights” cropping up these days so would steer clear of money back guarantees or really cheap fees.

Here are some things that may help in your ongoing search:

1) Their team - how long have they been at the company? Are they senior level? Can you meet the team you’ll be working with?

2) Their quality of work. How many clients are with them 2, 3, 4+ years? Check references, ask for one they no longer work with!

3) Their focus on customer pain points. A lot of CRO agencies throw spaghetti at the wall and call it strategy. Or copy what they see on X from some “thought leader” and charge you $$$ for their toilet doomscrolling time. Ask if they conduct user research, what kind and who is doing it. Ask for examples of that research or the tests that have resulted from it.

Happy to help or answer more questions, whether we’re a fit or not!

[Laura @STLStude]

How about you? Got any wild startup stories to share?👇

[Laura @STLStude]

My first ever venture was the laughingstock of national TV - and Gilbert Gottfried.

I created a product called the "Loop n' Poop" that went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Let's rewind:
Picture young me on a family vacation at a dude ranch.

[Laura @STLStude]

My mom and a director from Techstars Boulder were among the elite customers. Hunters seemed interested, but I never really leaned into that audience.
In the end, I felt it was time to move on.
The "Loop n' Poop" might not have taken the world by storm, but the journey? Priceless.

[Laura @STLStude]

We value empathy and celebrate differences and want employees who do, too.

[Laura @STLStude]

My biggest red flag in potential new hires 🚩:

Playground bully behavior.

We learned the hard way with someone who initially seemed like a great fit, but as time went on, something felt off.

[Laura @STLStude]

And since “I can be a bully” isn’t something people usually offer up as a weakness in job interviews, we worked to update our screening questions to include how they’ve responded to workplace gossip or scenarios that required empathy in the past.

[Laura @STLStude]

@thejustinwelsh Every time an underpowered test is reported as a huge win, a CRO consultant gets their wings 😭🪽🪽

[Laura @STLStude]

- More accurate # of accounts created
- The repurchase rate of their products
- An increase in product reviews

I go more in-depth on this topic in a recent podcast with @iamBradRedding from @getelevar. Take a listen and let me know your thoughts: https://t.co/37lVww3P2D

[Laura @STLStude]

📣 USE EXISTING DATA SETS

Don't let an entire month go by “strategizing” instead of getting live tests in place.

Here's how we recently put this into practice for a beauty brand:

What was implemented:

[Laura @STLStude]

A personalized landing experience for logged-in visitors (data they already had) that prompted customers to repurchase previously bought products or leave reviews in exchange for loyalty points.

The data wins they got in month ONE ⬇️