Growth

The Conversion Stack

Stop optimising traffic. Start optimising what happens when it lands.

Low integration depth No-Code setup Days to value AI-assisted

What's in the stack.

Unbounce logo
Unbounce

Build and A/B-test landing pages that convert — with AI-assisted copy and layout.

from $74/mo (Build) — check pricing

Tool profile Visit Unbounce → Documentation-verified
VWO logo
VWO

A/B testing and conversion optimisation platform — test any element on any page, no code required.

from $0/mo (Free) — check pricing

Tool profile Visit VWO → Documentation-verified
Proof logo
Proof

Real-time social proof notifications — recent signups, live visitor counts, and conversion events.

from $29/mo (Basic) — check pricing

Tool profile Visit Proof → Documentation-verified
Hello Bar logo
Hello Bar

Exit-intent pop-ups, sticky bars, and countdown timers that capture leads before visitors bounce.

from $29/mo (Pro) — check pricing

Tool profile Visit Hello Bar → Documentation-verified

The rationale.

Most teams spend on campaigns while conversion rate goes untouched. This stack attacks that gap directly. Unbounce lets you build and deploy landing pages without engineering — pages purpose-built to convert, not repurposed blog posts. VWO runs controlled A/B experiments on any page of your existing site — headlines, CTAs, layouts — without rebuilding anything. Proof layers real-time social signals (recent signups, live visitor counts) directly onto your pages, adding trust and urgency at exactly the moment visitors are deciding. Hello Bar captures email from visitors before they leave with exit-intent pop-ups and sticky bars, turning would-be bounces into a nurture list. Together they close the gap between traffic cost and lead yield.

The handoffs.

Unbounce VWO

Install the VWO SmartCode snippet in Unbounce's page-level Custom JavaScript field. VWO's visual editor can then A/B test any Unbounce-hosted page — modify headlines, swap CTAs, and run split traffic without rebuilding the page. Once a winner is found, rebuild that variant as the Unbounce default.

Script tag
VWO Unbounce

When VWO reports a winning variant (target confidence ≥95%), rebuild the winning element set directly in Unbounce as the live default. This is a manual, documented handoff — VWO produces the insight; Unbounce is where the change ships.

Manual (report-to-build)
Proof Unbounce

Install the Proof pixel inside Unbounce's Custom JavaScript field. Proof reads conversion events from the page automatically and begins displaying recent signup notifications within minutes of the pixel firing — no additional configuration required.

Pixel (script tag)
Hello Bar

Connect Hello Bar to your email platform (ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, or Mailchimp) from Hello Bar's Integrations tab. Captured email addresses sync directly to your list in real time — no Zapier required for major ESPs.

Native integration

Where tools overlap.

Minor overlap — Unbounce includes native A/B testing for its own pages; VWO also A/B tests pages — including Unbounce pages. This is intentional parallel coverage: Unbounce handles structural page variants (entirely different layouts or offers); VWO handles on-page element testing (individual headline, CTA, or colour changes) without requiring a full page rebuild. Minor overlap in function, complementary in practice.

Where AI speeds this up.

Use AI to scale your testing velocity. Generate 8–10 headline and CTA variants per page with Claude or GPT-4, briefed with your ICP and page objective — then run them as a multi-variant VWO test rather than one-change-per-month. Proof's notification copy ('Sarah from Austin just signed up') can be templated and refreshed by AI using real customer data from your CRM, keeping social proof fresh and specific rather than generic.

What to watch for.

  • Unbounce includes its own A/B testing natively. VWO's incremental value is testing existing site pages outside Unbounce — your homepage, product pages, pricing page. If all your campaigns land on Unbounce pages, VWO adds less than it might appear.
  • Proof's social signals require meaningful traffic to display convincing numbers. On pages with fewer than 30–50 daily visitors, the live counts can look sparse and reduce rather than build trust. Delay rollout until traffic justifies it.
  • Hello Bar's free tier caps monthly lead collection at a low threshold — enough to test the mechanic, but not to run a meaningful list-building programme. Budget for the Pro plan ($29/mo) before the cap starts throttling growth.
  • VWO's free tier covers up to 50,000 monthly tracked sessions — sufficient for most SMBs. Exceeding that threshold triggers the paid Growth plan ($199/mo), which is a significant jump. Monitor your tracked session count as traffic scales.

How we scored this stack.

Integration depth
Low
Integration method
Script Tag
Setup skill required
No-Code
Time to value
Days
Overlap
Minor
AI layer
Assisted
Lock-in risk
Low
Team fit
Smb, Solo, Agency

You get the deal, we get a referral — it funds the research. Same tool, often a better price. Full detail on how we make money.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-12

Evidence basis: Documentation Verified