What separates CRO programs that actually move the needle from ones that just produce interesting data?

According to Emily Isted, Director of CRO at Hype Digital, it comes down to one thing: stop running small iterative tests, start making bold moves.

In this episode, Emily joins Devon Boyd for a wide-ranging conversation on how Hype Digital builds and runs high-impact experimentation programs for clients across e-commerce, iGaming, travel, SaaS, and more.

From a 20% lift in deposit rates to a flight-booking test worth 100,000+ rand, Emily shares the real-world results that come from testing journeys, not just pages.

She also gets into how AI is reshaping the agency's workflows and why AI-referred users need an entirely different conversion strategy.

Want to run experiments that actually move the needle for your business? Schedule a free demo with VWO now → https://vwo.com/

00:00: Episode trailer

01:12: About VWO

02:09: Meet Emily Isted: From ballet dancer to Director of CRO

05:19: Why CRO starts seeping into everyday life (even dating)

08:46: How Hype Digital onboards clients and why they never use a blueprint approach

12:41: The data backlog problem: when insights sit unopened and what to do about it

15:58: How AI is saving Hype Digital 15+ hours a week — and where it's still falling short

20:55: Why big-swing tests beat small iterative ones every time

23:15: The flight booking breadcrumb test that generated 100K+ rand in additional revenue

26:08: You're not optimizing pages. You're optimizing journeys.

30:25: KPIs that matter: from conversion rate to revenue per user to lifetime value

35:03: How Hype Digital uses VWO as a CRO hub — including the MCP workflow

39:20: Zero-click and AI traffic: why your CRO strategy needs to adapt now

43:37: Are Claude users and ChatGPT users behaving differently on your site?

46:39: How running experiments breaks down internal silos and changes company culture

51:34: How behavioral data helped overturn a business decision

54:05: Test to learn, not to win: the mindset shift that changes everything

57:43: Rapid fire round

56:06 One CRO metric you wish people would stop obsessing over

57:20 One thing your non-industry friends don't understand about your job

59:01 One thing AI will take over in the next two years

01:01:08 If not CRO or ballet, what would you be doing?

01:01:48 Advice for anyone starting a career in CRO today

01:06:05: Emily's final message: keep connecting, keep sharing

🎙️ About the VWO Podcast

Recognized as a finalist at the CMA Awards 2025 for Best B2B Podcast. We talk to CRO practitioners, agency leaders, and experimentation experts about what it really takes to understand your users and grow your business through data-driven optimization.