CRO Audit: Increase Your Conversions in 12 Simple Steps

If you’re getting traffic but conversions feel stubborn, you don’t need “more ideas.” You need clarity. A CRO audit is the fastest way I know to turn vague frustration (“people bounce, who knows why”) into a short list of specific issues you can fix, test, and measure.

This guide is for marketers, product teams, eCommerce managers, and SaaS growth folks who want a practical conversion rate optimization audit that doesn’t read like a lab manual. We’ll go step by step through a full website conversion audit flow: from defining what “conversion” really means in your business, to aligning analytics, diagnosing drop-offs, spotting UX friction, and ending with a grounded experimentation plan that won’t waste weeks.

You’ll also get a copy/paste CRO audit checklist near the end, plus FAQs targeting the long-tail queries people actually search when they’re trying to figure out how to do a CRO audit.

Quick note from the trenches: Most “CRO problems” aren’t one big thing. They’re a stack of small frictions: one confusing headline, one slow image, one form field that feels unnecessary, one mobile button that’s annoying to tap. A CRO audit is how you find the stack.

1) Start With Real Conversion Goals And Micro-Conversions

What To Check

Before you touch UX, copy, or tests, define what success looks like. Not in a dreamy “more revenue” way, but in an operational way:

• Primary conversion: purchase, request demo, start trial, book call, submit lead form.
• Micro-conversions: add to cart, view pricing, click “compare plans,” reach key scroll depth, start checkout, use site search, watch onboarding video, open live chat.
• Lead quality signals (when relevant): company size selection, use-case selection, “work email,” plan chosen.

Also check if your current reporting mixes goals. I often see teams measuring “conversion rate” as “any form submit,” while sales is only counting qualified leads, and product is optimizing trial signups. Three different “wins” means three different audits.

Why It Matters

A conversion rate optimization audit needs a target. If your goal is “checkout completed,” your audit should zoom in on cart, checkout, shipping, payment, and friction points. If your goal is “request demo,” the audit should focus on value prop, trust, form design, and qualification. Without a defined conversion goal, you’ll end up with a CRO checklist that’s technically correct and practically useless.

How To Fix It

Write a short “conversion definition” for the team. One paragraph is enough:

• eCommerce example: “Primary conversion = completed purchase. Micro-conversions = add to cart, start checkout, apply coupon, select shipping, payment success. Audit priority = product pages, cart, checkout, mobile speed.”
• SaaS example: “Primary conversion = request demo from ICP. Micro-conversions = pricing page visit, case study view, feature comparison clicks, form start, form submit. Audit priority = homepage, pricing, product pages, demo form flow.”

Then make sure micro-conversions aren’t random. Pick 5–10 that reflect real intent. If you track “newsletter signup” but your sales cycle depends on demos, don’t let the newsletter become the star of the show.

Internal resource placeholder: Read about defining micro-conversions for CRO

2) Make Analytics Tell The Truth (GA4, Events, Attribution)

What I Look For

This part is less glamorous, but it’s where many CRO audits either become powerful or become fiction. Check:

• Is GA4 installed once (not twice)? Are there duplicate page_view or event fires?
• Are key events configured correctly (purchase, generate_lead, sign_up, begin_checkout)?
• Do events have consistent naming and parameters across pages?
• Do you have basic attribution sanity checks (UTMs, cross-domain, payment redirects)?
• Are conversions inflated by internal traffic, staging, QA, or bot activity?

Also: make sure you can connect “what happened” to “where it happened.” If you can’t tie conversions to landing pages and key steps, you’ll struggle to prioritize fixes.

Why This Moves Conversions

A website conversion audit is only as good as the measurement behind it. If “add_to_cart” fires when someone clicks an image, you’ll chase the wrong problem. If cross-domain tracking breaks at payment, checkout drop-off will look terrifying even when customers are buying. And if attribution is a mess, you’ll optimize for the wrong channel and wonder why nothing sticks.

Practical Fixes

• Build a short event map: list your key funnel events and the pages they should fire on. Keep it simple.
• Validate with real sessions: do 5–10 test journeys (desktop + mobile). Confirm events fire once, in the right order.
• Sanity-check conversion counts: compare GA4 purchases vs. your backend orders for a couple of days. They won’t match perfectly, but wild gaps are a red flag.

eCommerce example: If “purchase” counts are far above orders, you may be firing purchase on the “thank you” page load even when people refresh or return via email. Fix with server-side confirmation or a purchase ID check.

SaaS example: If “generate_lead” fires on form submit, but half the leads are spam, add lightweight validation events (e.g., form_started, form_completed, qualified_lead) and segment them in reporting.

For GA4 basics and event guidance, Google’s documentation is still the most reliable starting point: GA4 developer guides.

3) Segment The Audit By Device, Channel, And Intent

What To Check

A CRO audit done “in aggregate” can hide the truth. Segment early:

• Device: desktop vs mobile vs tablet (mobile issues are often the real leak).
• Channel: paid search, paid social, organic, email, referral, direct.
• Landing page intent: blog vs category vs product vs pricing vs comparison pages.
• New vs returning users: returning users behave differently (and are less forgiving when things change).

Why It Matters

Different segments have different jobs-to-be-done. A paid social visitor might need fast clarity and trust. An organic visitor on a “best X” page might need detail, comparison, and proof. If you blend them, you’ll average your way into bad decisions.

How To Fix It

Pick 3–5 segments that represent your highest-impact traffic. Then run the same audit steps for each segment, but with different expectations.

• eCommerce example: Paid social to product pages on mobile: watch load speed, image weight, sticky add-to-cart, and trust cues near price.
• SaaS example: Organic to pricing page on desktop: watch plan clarity, comparison friction, and “can I trust this?” questions (security, integrations, onboarding).

If you’re using Plerdy, this is where segmentation becomes practical: filter heatmaps and session recordings by URL, device, and traffic source to avoid “one-size-fits-all” conclusions. See Plerdy heatmaps and Read about session recordings can help you do it without stitching ten tools together.

4) Map Funnels And Find The Exact Drop-Off Points

What To Check

Funnels are your audit’s skeleton. Don’t just look at “homepage to purchase.” Break it down into meaningful steps:

• Landing page view
• Product view / pricing view
• Add to cart / start trial / demo form start
• Begin checkout / account creation
• Shipping / payment / confirmation (for eCommerce)
• Form completion / calendar booking (for SaaS)

Then identify where drop-off is disproportionately high. You’re not hunting for “any drop-off.” You’re hunting for “why is this step worse than it should be?”

Why It Matters

A conversion rate optimization audit should reduce uncertainty. Funnels turn “people aren’t converting” into “people quit when we ask for phone number” or “people bail at shipping costs” or “people hesitate at plan selection.” That’s where you can actually work.

How To Fix It

Start with one or two funnels that represent real money. Then:

• Compare drop-off by segment: mobile vs desktop, paid vs organic.
• Look for step-specific explanations: a single form field, a shipping surprise, unclear error messages, forced account creation, missing payment method.
• Confirm with qualitative signals: session recordings, support tickets, chat logs, on-site search queries.

eCommerce example: If drop-off spikes at shipping selection, don’t guess. Check whether shipping costs appear late, whether delivery dates are unclear, or whether a “free shipping threshold” is missing. Often, a simple message near the cart (“Free shipping over $X”) changes behavior because it changes the math in the customer’s head.

SaaS example: If demo form starts are high but submissions are low, review form length, field clarity, and error handling. I’ve seen “work email” validation quietly reject people without explaining why. That’s not a lead-quality strategy; it’s a leak.

For deep funnel thinking and UX patterns, Baymard’s research is a strong reference point for checkout behavior: Baymard Institute research.

5) Remove UX Friction That Quietly Kills Momentum

What To Check

UX friction is rarely “one terrible thing.” It’s a pile of small effort taxes. In audits, I typically check:

• Navigation: can users find what they came for in under 10 seconds?
• Information scent: do links and buttons match what they actually do?
• Forms: field count, field labels, error messaging, autofill friendliness.
• Cognitive load: too many options, too much text, unclear hierarchy.
• Interruptions: popups that appear too early or block key actions.

Why This Moves Conversions

Conversion is a fragile state. People arrive with partial attention. If you make them work too hard—searching, scrolling, decoding, re-reading—they don’t “decide not to buy.” They just drift. UX friction doesn’t always show up as rage. It shows up as silence.

How To Fix It

Fixing UX friction is usually about reducing choices, simplifying sequences, and making actions obvious.

• eCommerce example: If product filters are confusing, simplify labels and show selected filters clearly. If size selection is required, make it unmissable and show fit guidance without forcing a modal.
• SaaS example: If navigation makes users bounce between “Features” and “Solutions” pages, merge overlapping content and create a clearer path to pricing, proof, and the primary CTA.

If you use popups, treat them like timing instruments, not megaphones. A well-timed popup (exit intent on a blog post, or after a pricing scroll) can help. An instant popup on page load often adds friction without earning attention. If you want to run this part with more confidence, Learn about Plerdy popups can help you control triggers without turning your site into a carnival.

For UX research principles and common friction patterns, Nielsen Norman Group is a reliable source: Nielsen Norman Group.

6) Check Speed And Core Web Vitals With Conversion In Mind

What To Check

Speed audits can become performance theater (“we improved Lighthouse by 4 points!”) while conversions stay flat. Keep it grounded:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): is the main content visible quickly on key landing pages?
• INP (Interaction to Next Paint): do taps/clicks feel responsive (especially on mobile)?
• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): does the layout jump when ads, fonts, or images load?
• Real user performance: field data matters more than perfect lab scores.

Why It Matters

Speed affects trust and momentum. A slow site makes people second-guess: “Is this legit?” Layout shifts cause misclicks and frustration. Input delay makes forms feel broken. And on paid traffic, speed issues are literally paid leaks.

How To Fix It

• Prioritize above-the-fold assets: compress hero images, load critical CSS efficiently (without hacks), avoid heavy sliders.
• Fix layout shift sources: reserve space for images and banners; be careful with late-loading fonts.
• Audit third-party scripts: chat widgets, trackers, review badges, and A/B tools can add real weight.

eCommerce example: A category page with 60 product thumbnails doesn’t need to load every image at full size immediately. Lazy-load below the fold and use proper image sizing. Customers aren’t asking for cinema-quality thumbnails; they’re asking for responsiveness.

SaaS example: If a landing page relies on a giant video background, consider a static hero image with a click-to-play video. People rarely convert because your background video autoplayed smoothly. They convert because they understood the offer and trusted it.

For official guidance on site performance in the context of search and user experience, Google Search Central is the right reference: Page experience documentation.

7) Fix Above-The-Fold Messaging And Value Prop Clarity

What To Check

Above the fold is where confusion either gets resolved or gets rewarded with a bounce. Check:

• Is the headline specific, or is it abstract?
• Can a new visitor answer: “What is this?” “Who is it for?” “Why should I care?”
• Is the primary CTA aligned with intent (buy, start trial, request demo) or is it vague?
• Do visuals support the message, or distract from it?

Why This Moves Conversions

People don’t read websites; they interrogate them. Above-the-fold messaging is basically your first answer. If your first answer is unclear, you don’t get a second question.

How To Fix It

Rewrite for clarity, not cleverness. A simple structure usually works:

• Promise: what outcome do you help people achieve?
• Mechanism: how do you do it (in plain language)?
• Proof cue: one sentence or visual that suggests legitimacy.
• CTA: one primary action that matches the visitor’s readiness.

eCommerce example: If your hero says “Premium Quality For Everyday Life,” that’s not a value proposition. That’s wallpaper. Swap it for something concrete: “Lightweight travel backpack with a laptop sleeve and 2-day shipping.” Not poetic, but people can decide.

SaaS example: If your homepage headline lists features (“Automations, dashboards, insights”), convert it to outcomes (“Spot friction, prioritize fixes, and test improvements without guessing”). Then support it with a short product UI screenshot, not a stock photo that could belong to any website.

When I’m auditing, I often test messaging changes with a quick “5-second test” internally: show the hero for five seconds, hide it, then ask what the product is and who it’s for. If people guess wrong, your visitors are guessing wrong too.

8) Audit Trust Signals, Proof, And Risk Reversal

What To Check

Trust is not one badge in the footer. It’s a set of questions your page answers (or avoids). Check:

• Social proof: reviews, testimonials, case studies, customer logos (relevant ones).
• Policies: shipping, returns, warranty, cancellation, privacy.
• Security cues: payment methods, SSL indicators, compliance mentions (only if true).
• Guarantees: any risk reversal that reduces hesitation.
• Contactability: support options that feel real (email, chat, help center).

Why It Matters

Conversions happen when motivation beats doubt. Doubt is often invisible in analytics, but it shows up in behavior: repeated scrolling, hovering, switching tabs, reading return policies, re-checking pricing. Trust signals aren’t decoration; they are friction reducers.

How To Fix It

Put trust where the doubt happens.

• eCommerce example: If customers hesitate near “Add to cart,” add delivery and returns clarity near the button: “Free returns in 30 days” or “Ships in 24h” (only if accurate). Don’t hide it in a policy page nobody reads.
• SaaS example: On the pricing page, add a short security note and link to detailed documentation: “SOC2 in progress” or “GDPR-ready” (only if true). Add “Cancel anytime” near the plan selection if that’s your policy.

Also consider “negative proof”: remove anything that undermines trust, like broken links, outdated copyright, mismatched pricing, or a chat bubble that says “Typically replies in 2 minutes” when nobody replies for two days.

9) Do A Mobile-First UX Pass (Not A Desktop Copy)

What To Check

Mobile UX issues are rarely subtle. They’re just easy to miss if you audit on desktop. Check:

• Thumb reach: are key actions reachable without finger gymnastics?
• Tap targets: are buttons and links easy to tap without misclicks?
• Sticky elements: do sticky bars help, or do they cover content and irritate?
• Form input: correct keyboard type (email/number), autofill, field spacing, error visibility.
• Content density: do long paragraphs become walls on mobile?

Why This Moves Conversions

Mobile visitors often arrive from high-distraction contexts. They’re less patient and more sensitive to micro-friction. If your mobile experience is even mildly annoying, you’ll see it as “low-quality traffic,” when it’s actually “low-quality UX.”

How To Fix It

• Simplify the first screen: clear headline, primary CTA, one proof cue, minimal clutter.
• Use sticky CTAs carefully: they can boost conversions on product pages, but they can also hide critical info and increase accidental clicks.
• Optimize forms for thumbs: fewer fields, better labels, visible errors, and obvious progress.

eCommerce example: A mobile product page with a tiny size selector causes “dead clicks.” People tap the image or the size label expecting it to open. Make the selector large, obvious, and near the add-to-cart area. If you use a sticky add-to-cart, ensure size selection is accessible from that sticky state.

SaaS example: A mobile pricing page with a wide comparison table forces horizontal scrolling. Consider an accordion comparison or a “key differences” section designed for vertical reading. Mobile users don’t mind scrolling; they hate sideways puzzles.

10) Use Behavior Data: Heatmaps And Session Recordings

What To Check

Analytics tells you what happened. Behavior tools help you see why it happened. During a CRO audit, I look for patterns like:

• Rage clicks: repeated clicks on non-clickable elements.
• Dead zones: important content that nobody sees or interacts with.
• Scroll drop-offs: where attention fades on long pages.
• Form hesitation: long pauses, back-and-forth, repeated errors.
• Navigation loops: users bouncing between the same two pages looking for an answer.

Why It Matters

Behavior data is where the audit becomes human. You watch how real people misunderstand your layout, ignore your “important” message, or get stuck. It’s not always flattering. It is always useful.

How To Fix It

Pick a few high-traffic pages and review behavior with intent in mind. Tools like Plerdy can help you combine heatmaps, session recordings, and basic funnel analysis so you can connect “they clicked here” with “they dropped off here.”

• eCommerce example: Heatmaps show heavy clicks on a product image that doesn’t open a gallery. That’s an easy fix: make the image clickable, open a gallery, and add zoom. It won’t solve every conversion issue, but it removes a sharp edge.
• SaaS example: Recordings show users scrolling past the pricing CTA to look for integrations, then leaving. That’s not “pricing resistance.” That’s “missing decision info.” Add integrations and compatibility proof on the pricing page, not buried in docs.

Internal resource placeholder: Explore event tracking and funnels in Plerdy

11) Prioritize With A Scoring Model (Quick Wins Vs. Big Bets)

What To Check

At this point in the CRO audit, you’ll likely have 20–60 findings. If you try to fix them all, you’ll fix none. You need prioritization that respects reality: limited dev time, competing roadmap, and the fact that some “fixes” are actually redesigns.

I usually use a simple variant of ICE or PIE:

• Impact: if this works, how much could it move conversions?
• Confidence: do we have evidence (data + behavior + context) that it’s a real issue?
• Effort: how hard is it to implement and QA?

Why It Matters

Prioritization turns a conversion rate optimization audit into action. Without it, the audit becomes a document that feels productive and behaves like a paperweight.

How To Fix It

Score each idea 1–5 for Impact, Confidence, and Effort. Then create a quick prioritization view. Since we’re keeping this WordPress-friendly, here’s a lightweight “table” using lists:

Lightweight Prioritization View (Example)

• Quick Wins (High confidence, low effort)
  • Product page: Make image gallery clickable + add zoom (Impact 3 / Confidence 5 / Effort 2)
  • Checkout: Show shipping costs earlier + add free shipping threshold message (Impact 4 / Confidence 4 / Effort 2)
  • SaaS pricing: Add integrations block + security link near CTA (Impact 3 / Confidence 4 / Effort 2)
• Medium Bets (Good upside, moderate effort)
  • Landing page: Rewrite above-the-fold messaging + restructure proof section (Impact 4 / Confidence 3 / Effort 3)
  • Forms: Reduce fields + improve error handling + better mobile spacing (Impact 3 / Confidence 4 / Effort 3)
• Big Bets (High effort, needs validation)
  • Navigation overhaul: Simplify information architecture to reduce loops (Impact 5 / Confidence 2 / Effort 5)
  • Checkout redesign: One-page checkout or alternate payment flow (Impact 5 / Confidence 3 / Effort 5)

The point isn’t perfect math. The point is to make trade-offs visible. If someone argues for a big redesign, ask: “What evidence do we have? What’s the smallest test that could validate this?” That question alone saves weeks.

12) Build An Experimentation And Validation Plan

What To Check

Ideas are cheap. Tests are expensive. Your plan should include:

• Hypothesis: what change, for which users, and why it should improve conversions.
• Primary metric: the conversion goal you defined in Step 1.
• Guardrails: bounce rate, engagement, refund rate, lead quality, support tickets—whatever “bad wins” look like for you.
• QA plan: devices, browsers, and edge cases (especially checkout and forms).
• Sample size caution: don’t call winners after 200 visits because you’re impatient.

Why This Moves Conversions

This is where the audit becomes a system, not a one-time project. You’re not trying to “guess better.” You’re trying to learn faster without breaking things. A good experimentation plan protects your business from false positives, broken experiences, and endless debates.

How To Fix It

Create a simple test pipeline:

1. Start with quick wins: implement obvious fixes (bug-level issues) without A/B testing if the risk is low. Not everything needs an experiment.
2. Test meaningful changes: messaging shifts, layout changes, CTA changes, pricing presentation—things that can have both positive and negative effects.
3. Use guardrails: ensure “more conversions” doesn’t mean “worse customers” or “more refunds.”
4. Run tests long enough: include weekday/weekend variation, and avoid stopping early because a graph looks exciting.

eCommerce example: Testing a free-shipping threshold message is often safer than testing a checkout redesign. Start with messaging and transparency changes, then move into bigger structural changes if the data supports it.

SaaS example: If you test a shorter demo form, track both form submissions and lead quality (e.g., qualification fields, meeting show-up rate). Otherwise you’ll celebrate volume and regret it later.

For deeper guidance on running trustworthy experiments and avoiding common pitfalls, Google’s materials on testing and measurement can be useful, but keep your expectations realistic and always validate with your own context: A/B testing concepts.

Mini-Case: What A CRO Audit Often Uncovers

Here’s a pattern I’ve seen more times than I can count, across both eCommerce and SaaS. The team is convinced the problem is “traffic quality.” Paid spend is high, conversion rate is low, and everyone wants a new campaign or a new landing page.

Then the CRO audit happens.

Before: Funnels show decent product page views, decent add-to-cart, and then a sharp drop at checkout. Session recordings show people hitting checkout, pausing, scrolling, and leaving. Heatmaps show clicks on “shipping info” that’s buried in the footer. On mobile, the checkout form is cramped, and the coupon field is screaming for attention like it’s the main event.

What we changed (a realistic “audit fix set”):

• Moved shipping costs and delivery estimates earlier (cart, not just checkout).
• Made returns policy visible near the purchase decision, not hidden behind links.
• Simplified checkout form layout on mobile (spacing, labels, error clarity).
• De-emphasized coupon field visually (still there, less distracting).
• Added one trust cue near payment (secure checkout + accepted payment methods).

After: The funnel doesn’t magically become perfect. But the biggest leak becomes smaller. The team stops arguing about “traffic quality” because they can see behavior evidence. And now the next tests become obvious: alternative shipping threshold messaging, payment method ordering, and better product page decision support.

The point of the mini-case isn’t the exact fixes. It’s the process: funnel drop-off + behavior evidence + targeted changes + careful validation. That’s what a real CRO audit looks like when it’s working.

CRO Audit Checklist (Copy/Paste)

• Define primary conversion goal and 5–10 micro-conversions
• Validate GA4 setup: no duplicate tags, key events firing correctly
• Sanity-check attribution: UTMs, cross-domain, payment redirects
• Segment audit by device, channel, and landing page intent
• Build 1–2 core funnels and identify biggest drop-off points
• Review UX friction: navigation, forms, cognitive load, interruptions
• Check speed and Core Web Vitals on key pages (especially mobile)
• Audit above-the-fold messaging for clarity and intent match
• Verify trust signals: proof, policies, security cues, risk reversal
• Do a mobile-specific UX pass: tap targets, thumb reach, sticky elements
• Review heatmaps/session recordings for rage clicks, dead zones, scroll drop-offs
• Prioritize fixes with Impact/Confidence/Effort (quick wins vs big bets)
• Create an experimentation plan: hypotheses, metrics, guardrails, QA, sample size caution

FAQ

Conclusion

A CRO audit isn’t a one-time document. It’s a method for turning messy reality into a clean plan: define conversions, confirm tracking, segment, map funnels, remove friction, improve speed and clarity, strengthen trust, and then prioritize and test with discipline.

If you want a practical next step, do this: pick one high-traffic landing page and one core funnel, then run the 12 steps above in a tight loop. You’ll learn more from that focused pass than from skimming your whole site at once.

And if you want to speed up the “why” part of the audit, using tools like Plerdy for heatmaps, session recordings, funnels, and on-site popups can help you connect user behavior to drop-offs faster—without turning your workflow into a spreadsheet marathon.

Next step: Choose your primary conversion goal, set up your funnel steps, and run the first audit pass this week. Then pick two quick wins and one testable hypothesis. That’s a CRO audit you can actually ship.