In connection with last year’s Conversion Jam, Conversionista awarded the Conversion Hero of the Year prize for the first time. The goal is to highlight outstanding individuals who have worked tirelessly to achieve success in their experimentation programs and who actively share their knowledge of CRO.
Many talented professionals competed for the title, all of whom are ambassadors for CRO. To recognize their efforts and inspire you, we will be conducting an interview series with all the nominees throughout the fall of 2024. This interview features Antoaneta Nikolaeva, Head of Customer Journey at Strawberry.
I was thrilled and surprised to have been one of the nominees. The nomination fills me with pride, and I am grateful to all the people I have had the opportunity to work with, who have generously shared their knowledge and passion with me. Having been involved in CRO since 2010, it's inspiring to witness the evolution of the field.
I’ve attended several Conversion Jam events in the past, but it was very inspiring and enjoyable to be back after the pandemic. One change I’ve noticed is that while it was always a quite big event, it has gone from a gathering for conversion nerds and niche discussions into a conference that attracts a much broader audience, not just specialists. Now, you can network with people from a lot of different roles and industries. The field has evolved, the speakers have evolved, and the people that are attending have evolved. I think it’s fantastic that it has become a real cross-functional field and event. Conversion Jam is also quite unique in that it’s a very “humble” event, with John being as passionate as ever.
I don't consider myself more successful than anyone else who attended Conversion JAM. We all share a common drive to learn, connect with like-minded individuals, and return home with fresh ideas. That's what motivates me - the desire for personal growth and continuous learning, rather than staying stagnant in the same field. Although I initially started with digital analytics and conversion optimization in 2010, I wanted to broaden my knowledge and expertise. Today, I work with customer experience and research. CRO has opened my eyes to dig deeper into the behavioural and psychological aspects behind the numbers, helping me to understand why users behave the way they do.
At Strawberry, as the Head of the Customer Journey, my team consists of product designers. However, I also function as a service designer, mapping both the digital and physical customer journey, which differs slightly from my previous role where I worked hands-on with CRO.
My team is amazing, highly skilled, and fun to work with. What sets us apart from other product design teams is our genuine curiosity and strong desire to understand our customers' experiences and needs in order to improve our products. This is something I haven't seen as much in other product design teams I've worked with.
I believe that understanding the company you work with, their business model, and the needs and pain points of the customers are crucial success factors. It's important to be bold in the tests you conduct: it's no longer enough to simply make superficial changes like altering the colour of a CTA. To achieve meaningful results, you must delve deeper into customer pain points and test with purpose.
In addition, I have two general tips: surround yourself with knowledgeable individuals from diverse backgrounds that you can learn from, and make sure to have fun at work. Being passionate about and enjoying the work you do, like I do at Strawberry, makes a significant difference.
To stay updated and relevant, I primarily rely on LinkedIn. I follow experts in the field, read their posts, and engage in discussions with my network. While I used to follow blogs and newsletters, I found that I didn't read them consistently. Although I didn't attend many conferences or seminars last year, I aim to attend more in the future to expand my knowledge and draw inspiration.
Be part of an unforgettable event on October 17th, 2024, in Stockholm, filled with insights, inspiration, and the celebration of the brightest minds in CRO.
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