{"id":15297,"date":"2026-01-10T19:52:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T19:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/?p=15297"},"modified":"2026-01-26T15:44:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:44:58","slug":"ecommerce-cro-audit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/ecommerce-cro-audit\/","title":{"rendered":"Conducting an Ecommerce CRO Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 17<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common misconception is that you only have to perform a conversion audit when something seems wrong on your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But when you think about it, a CRO audit is very similar to a health check-up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular medical check-ups can help you stay on top of your health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/cro\/#:~:text=What%20is%20Conversion%20Rate%20Optimization%3F,who%20complete%20a%20website's%20goal.\">conversion rate optimization<\/a> audits can help your website perform better in terms of conversions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like you don\u2019t have to see a doctor when sick, you also don\u2019t need to perform conversion audits only when your cart abandonment rate is high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also conduct CRO audits when you want to uncover revenue opportunities, improve the visitor\u2019s online experience, and when you want to keep your CRO strategy up to date.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Take this as a friendly reminder:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you are not regularly performing conversion audits, you\u2019re leaving money on the table.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, we are going to take a deep dive into:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What a conversion audit is,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where should you perform it,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What you need to perform it,\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And when you should perform it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s get into it\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is a CRO Audit?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A <strong data-start=\"168\" data-end=\"212\">Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) audit<\/strong> is like a health check-up for your online store. Instead of measuring blood pressure or cholesterol, it examines the key parts of your site that influence conversions\u2014things like your <strong data-start=\"399\" data-end=\"477\">product pages, checkout flow, navigation, page speed, and analytics setup.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"481\" data-end=\"611\">These are the areas that determine whether visitors move smoothly from browsing to buying, or abandon the process along the way.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step-by-Step CRO Audit Framework<\/span><\/h1>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 1: Gather Quantitative Data<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you dive into fixing pages, you need hard numbers. A CRO audit should start with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quantitative data<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the \u201cwhat\u201d of user behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numbers won\u2019t tell <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people drop off, but they\u2019ll tell <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how much revenue<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you\u2019re losing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get that clarity, you\u2019ll want to start with the following three essentials:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Analytics setup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Making sure tools like GA4 record what shoppers do: which pages they visit, when they add to cart, and if they buy. Without this, you\u2019re guessing where people drop off.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conversion goals and benchmarks: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These metrics tell how well your site is performing compared to your past numbers and industry standards. For example, if 2 out of every 100 visitors buy something from you (a 2% conversion rate), but the industry average is closer to 3%, you know you\u2019re leaving sales on the table.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Page performance metrics (Core Web Vitals &amp; speed): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This measures how fast your site loads and how smooth it feels when people interact with it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Analytics Setup (GA4 events)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first step in your CRO audit is to see how people move through your store. That\u2019s what analytics setup is all about: configuring your tools so you can track every stage of the shopping journey, from browsing a product to completing a purchase. Without this, you\u2019re just guessing where drop-offs happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common tool for this is Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Out of the box, GA4 tracks page views and some engagement, but for ecommerce, you need to go further by capturing shopping-specific actions (called events).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At a minimum, these four shopping-specific actions or events should be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>view_item:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fires when a visitor lands on a product detail page.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>add_to_cart:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fires when they click \u201cAdd to Cart.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>begin_checkout:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fires when the checkout process starts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>purchase:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fires when payment is completed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These events tell how many people progress from one step to the next and where they drop off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if 10,000 people view a product, 3,000 add it to cart, 1,200 begin checkout, and 600 complete purchase, you instantly know:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your product pages are strong (30% add-to-cart rate).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But your checkout process is leaky (only 50% of users who begin checkout complete it).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That insight tells you where to focus your audit efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But how do you set up these events?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>There are two common ways to get GA4 ecommerce events working:<\/b><\/p>\n<h4><b>1. Directly in your platform (easiest):\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re on Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce, GA4 integrations are usually built in. Setup is simple:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Get your Measurement ID. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GA4 will generate an ID that looks like G-XXXXXXXXXX.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"376\" class=\"wp-image-100302 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/GA4-measurement-ID.png\" alt=\"GA4 measurement ID\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/GA4-measurement-ID.png 800w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/GA4-measurement-ID-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/GA4-measurement-ID-768x361.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GA4 Web Stream details page showing Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXX) (<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/12270356?hl=en\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Add it to your platform.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For example, if using Shopify, go to Settings \u2192 Customer Events \u2192 Google Analytics and paste in the ID. WooCommerce and BigCommerce have similar fields.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Enable Enhanced Ecommerce. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This makes sure product views, add-to-cart actions, and purchases are tracked automatically.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Note: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can follow these steps for a detailed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/help.shopify.com\/en\/manual\/reports-and-analytics\/google-analytics\/google-analytics-setup\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">step-by-step GA4 setup<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h4><b>2. Use Google Tag Manager (GTM) for custom setups:<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your platform doesn\u2019t have built-in support, or you want to track additional \u201cmicro-conversions\u201d (like clicks on size guides or coupon use), you\u2019ll need Google Tag Manager (GTM). GTM is a free tool that sits between your site and GA4, letting you control exactly what gets tracked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s a simplified setup flow:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Install GTM on your site.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Add the GTM container snippet to your site\u2019s &lt;head&gt; and &lt;body&gt;.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Create a GA4 Event Tag.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In GTM, go to Tags \u2192 New \u2192 GA4 Event. Give it a name like add_to_cart and enter your GA4 Measurement ID.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" class=\"wp-image-100303 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Setting-up-GA4-Event-tag.png\" alt=\"Setting-up-GA4-Event\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Setting-up-GA4-Event-tag.png 800w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Setting-up-GA4-Event-tag-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Setting-up-GA4-Event-tag-768x515.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Example of a GA4 Event setup in GTM (here for <\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">view_item_list<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). You\u2019d do the same for <\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">add_to_cart<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> begin_checkout<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and purchase (<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optimizesmart.com\/how-to-set-up-ecommerce-tracking-in-ga4-google-analytics-4\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Set a Trigger. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A trigger tells GTM <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to fire the event. In the screenshot example, the event is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">view_item_list<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which fires whenever a shopper views a product list (like a category page).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Repeat for Other Events:\u00a0 <\/b>For example: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">view_item \u2192 trigger when a product page loads. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">begin_checkout \u2192 trigger when the checkout page loads. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">purchase \u2192 trigger when the order confirmation page loads<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Test in Preview Mode.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> GTM lets you simulate actions to make sure each event fires properly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Publish the Container.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Once tested, publish it, so your events now flow into GA4.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Note:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For a full walkthrough, check out this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optimizesmart.com\/how-to-set-up-ecommerce-tracking-in-ga4-google-analytics-4\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GA4 Ecommerce Tracking Guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversion goals and benchmarks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once your tracking is in place, the next step is knowing what \u201cgood\u201d looks like. Conversion goals and benchmarks help determine whether your site is underperforming or overperforming compared to both your historical performance and industry standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s how you can set up your conversion goals and benchmarks:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Calculate your current conversion rate. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Divide the number of purchases by the total number of visitors, and then multiply the result by 100. For example: 200 purchases \u00f7 10,000 visitors = 2% conversion rate.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Compare with industry benchmarks.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Cart Abandonment Rate: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Baymard Institute, the average global cart abandonment rate is 70.19% (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/baymard.com\/research\/checkout-usability\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Baymard<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Ecommerce Conversion Rate:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Across industries, typical conversion rates fall around 2% (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tidio.com\/blog\/ecommerce-conversion-rate\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tidio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"571\" height=\"900\" class=\"wp-image-100328 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/4-conversion-rate-across-industry-sectors.png\" alt=\"Ecommerce average conversion rates\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/4-conversion-rate-across-industry-sectors.png 571w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/4-conversion-rate-across-industry-sectors-190x300.png 190w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 571px) 100vw, 571px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Average conversion rates vary dramatically by industry\u2014from just 0.6% in home furniture to 4.6% in food &amp; beverage (<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tidio.com\/blog\/ecommerce-conversion-rate\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Set realistic goals.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you\u2019re at 2% today, aim for 2.5% in the next quarter instead of shooting for 5% overnight.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pro tip:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Don\u2019t just track the final purchase. Also set goals for micro-conversions, such as add-to-cart clicks, email sign-ups, or checkout starts. You can capture these the same way you set up purchase events earlier (through your platform\u2019s GA4 integration or GTM). Tracking them provides early signals of progress and reveals exactly where shoppers drop off.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Page performance metrics (Core web vitals and speed)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The third piece of your quantitative audit is site performance. Even if your offers are strong, a slow or unstable site will deter shoppers. Google refers to the key measures of performance as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/appearance\/core-web-vitals\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Core Web Vitals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and they\u2019re now both a ranking factor and a conversion driver.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When you audit performance, focus on three Core Web Vitals:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how quickly the main product or hero image or headline loads. Target: &lt; 2.5s.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Interaction to Next Paint (INP): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how fast the site responds to clicks, taps, and input across the page. Target: under 200ms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how stable the page is as it loads (no buttons shifting mid-click). Target: &lt; 0.1.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"230\" class=\"wp-image-100330 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Google-Core-Web-Vitals.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Google-Core-Web-Vitals.png 800w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Google-Core-Web-Vitals-300x86.png 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Google-Core-Web-Vitals-768x221.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s core web vitals (<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/web.dev\/articles\/vitals#core-web-vitals\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can check these using free tools like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pagespeed.web.dev\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PageSpeed Insights<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/webmasters\/answer\/9205520?hl=en\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Search Console\u2019s Core Web Vitals report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Always test mobile first, since that\u2019s where most users drop off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These tools show you exactly how fast your site loads (LCP), how responsive it feels (INP), and whether the layout shifts while loading (CLS).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These numbers will make the problem concrete. For example, PageSpeed Insights might indicate that your product pages have an LCP of 3.8 seconds on mobile, which is well above the 2.5-second target. That\u2019s a clear signal that those pages are costing you sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you know which metric is failing, you can act: compress images if LCP is too high, remove heavy scripts if INP is slow, or fix shifting elements if CLS is poor. Then rerun the test to confirm improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 2: Collect Qualitative Insights<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 1 provided you with the data: how many people add items to their cart, start checkout, complete their purchase, and whether slow site speed is hindering them along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But numbers alone can\u2019t tell you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people abandon a product, leave the cart, or bounce from checkout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s where qualitative insights come in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qualitative insight tools show you the human side of the story, including what visitors see, think, and feel as they interact with your store. Combined with quantitative data, they provide a comprehensive picture of conversion barriers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the core methods to focus on to collect qualitative insights:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heatmaps, session replays, and scroll tracking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Heatmaps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are one of the most useful tools in a CRO audit<\/span><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">, as they show you\u00a0<em>how visitors actually interact with your site&#8217;s<\/em><\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0elements<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. While analytics (Step 1) told you how many people dropped off between product views and purchases, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.figpii.com\/blog\/guides\/heatmaps\/how-to-create\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">setting up heatmaps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> helps you uncover <\/span><b>why<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that happens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heatmaps visualize visitor behavior using color codes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Red \/ Orange = <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">high engagement (lots of clicks, taps, or attention)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Yellow \/ Green =<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> moderate engagement<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Blue =<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> little or no engagement<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This helps you instantly see what captures attention and what gets ignored.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three main types of heatmaps you\u2019ll use in a CRO audit: <\/span><b>click heat maps, scroll heat maps, and movement heat maps.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><b>Click heat maps:<\/b><b><\/b><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click heat maps show you where people click or tap on a page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, in the click map below, you can see strong red clusters on the brand logo and form fields, while the body copy stays blue. This indicates that visitors are paying more attention to the form than the messaging\u2014a sign that your copy may need to be shorter or placed closer to the CTA.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"880\" height=\"415\" class=\"wp-image-100339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Click-heatmap-example.jpeg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Click-heatmap-example.jpeg 880w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Click-heatmap-example-300x141.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Click-heatmap-example-768x362.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><strong>Scroll maps:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scroll-based heatmaps reveal how far down the page people scroll.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take this scroll map below, for example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"359\" class=\"wp-image-100340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/scroll-heatmap_example.jpeg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/scroll-heatmap_example.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/scroll-heatmap_example-300x135.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/scroll-heatmap_example-768x345.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bright red at the top means everyone sees the hero, but the fade to yellow and green further down shows most users never reach the reviews section. If your social proof is buried here, you\u2019ll want to bring it higher.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><strong>Movement heatmaps:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Movement heatmaps track where users hover their mouse (on desktop).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not perfect, but it often indicates where people are paying attention.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the move map below, clusters around the headlines and form are expected, but the scattered red hot spots on plain text signal confusion, which means people tried clicking on text that wasn\u2019t clickable. Turning that into links or clarifying the design can remove friction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"437\" class=\"wp-image-100341 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Movement-heatmap-example.jpeg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Movement-heatmap-example.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Movement-heatmap-example-300x146.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Movement-heatmap-example-768x373.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, if heatmaps are the snapshot, session replays are the movie. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.figpii.com\/blog\/session-replay-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Setting up session replays<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lets you watch real visitor journeys in real-time, showing where someone hovered, clicked repeatedly, or gave up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, a replay might show a shopper rage-clicking a broken \u201cApply Coupon\u201d button, or zooming in and out on mobile because the text is too small. These are frustrations you\u2019d never spot from numbers alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, the question is: <\/span><b>how do you set up heatmaps and session replays?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, setting up heatmaps and session replays is straightforward. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/cro\/tools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All-in-one CRO tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.figpii.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FigPii<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, make it easy to track clicks, scrolls, and movements, and also record session replays, allowing you to watch real user journeys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The setup typically involves adding a small tracking script to your site, after which data collection begins automatically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t need to configure every detail yourself. Most platforms, like FigPii, offer step-by-step guides that walk you through the process of installing heatmaps, enabling scroll tracking, and turning on replays.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once set up, you\u2019ll start seeing exactly how users interact with your store, and those insights become the foundation for spotting usability issues and testing ideas in your CRO audit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer surveys &amp; exit polls<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heatmaps and replays show you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what people do on the page<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But they can\u2019t tell you what\u2019s going on in the shopper\u2019s head, including the doubts, questions, or reasons they didn\u2019t complete a purchase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s where surveys and exit polls come in.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/website-polls-surveys\/\"><b>On-page surveys<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> help you capture feedback while users are still browsing. For example, you can ask: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat\u2019s missing on this page?\u201d or \u201cWhat information would help you make a decision?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exit polls<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> trigger when someone is about to leave (like moving the mouse toward the browser&#8217;s close button). A simple question like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat stopped you from completing your order today?\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can surface issues you\u2019d never see in analytics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u200b\u200bThe key is to keep surveys and polls short and respectful of the user\u2019s time. Instead of a 10-question form, ask one or two questions that get straight to the point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>On a product page:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWhat\u2019s stopping you from adding this product to your cart?\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>On a checkout page: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat nearly stopped you from completing your order today?\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Post-purchase: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat almost kept you from buying, and what made you decide to go ahead?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These single-line questions are quick for shoppers to answer, but they provide highly actionable insights. If 20% of respondents say \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure about the sizing,\u201d you instantly know your size guide needs to be more visible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A great example comes from our own <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/cro-case-studies\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invesp CRO case study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Faced with a high abandonment rate, the team combined customer interviews and expert reviews to identify areas of friction in the checkout flow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This qualitative research revealed that users required additional reassurance to complete their purchases. Based on these insights, our team added urgency elements (such as \u201cfree shipping\u201d and \u201conly a few items left\u201d prompts) and conducted an A\/B test.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"559\" class=\"wp-image-100347 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/CRO-audit-case-study.jpeg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/CRO-audit-case-study.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/CRO-audit-case-study-300x210.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/CRO-audit-case-study-768x537.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>This image shows a checkout variation shaped by <strong data-start=\"48\" data-end=\"67\">user interviews<\/strong>, where urgency cues (\u201cOnly 3 left\u201d) boosted conversions by 17% (Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/cro-case-studies\/\">Invesp CRO case study<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><b>The results were striking:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversion rate improved by 17%<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Average order value rose by 4%<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engagement with key elements (gift wrapping, quantity, CTA) increased significantly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This demonstrates how a couple of well-placed questions or interviews can uncover blockers that heatmaps alone would miss, directly leading to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/conversion-optimization-strategy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improved conversion rates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pro tip: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leverage tools like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.figpii.com\/polling\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FigPii<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/qualaroo.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qualaroo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to run polls and surveys. They make the setup simple: you choose the page, set the timing or exit intent, and start collecting responses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User testing and interviews<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While surveys and exit polls capture quick, in-the-moment reactions, user testing and interviews go deeper. Instead of asking a single question at checkout, you\u2019re watching or talking to customers as they interact with your site in real time. This provides context that you can\u2019t get from a pop-up survey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s how they work in a CRO audit:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In user testing, you recruit real shoppers (or people who fit your audience) and ask them to complete tasks like \u201cfind a product under $50 and check out\u201d\u2014and observe where they struggle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even a handful of tests can reveal patterns: Nielsen Norman Group found that testing with just <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">five users often uncovers 85% of usability issues<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making it a high-impact method that requires a modest budget.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"460\" class=\"wp-image-100351 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/why-you-only-need-to-test-5-users-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sample size for user testing\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/why-you-only-need-to-test-5-users-1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/why-you-only-need-to-test-5-users-1-300x197.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools like <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/usertesting.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UserTesting.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/maze.co\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maze<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.useberry.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Useberry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> make this simple to run remotely.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Customer interviews <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go further by uncovering the thoughts behind the clicks. These are one-on-one conversations where you ask open-ended questions such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat almost stopped you from buying from us?\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHow do you usually decide between two similar products?\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat information would make you feel more confident ordering?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike surveys, interviews capture tone, hesitation, and context. For example, a shopper might say, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was ready to buy but wasn\u2019t sure I could<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">return it if it didn\u2019t fit,\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which directly highlights the need for a clearer returns policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, the key is to talk to the right people. Prioritize the following when recruiting people to interview:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Recent customers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ask why they chose you and what nearly stopped them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cart abandoners<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: If you can reach them via email or remarketing, ask what held them back.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Target audience lookalikes: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use tools like <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/userinterviews.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UserInterviews.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or social groups and ask what they\u2019d need to see to make a purchase.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recruitment can be as simple as emailing recent buyers with a $20 gift card offer for a 20-minute call, or letting a testing platform handle it. Either way, ensure that participants resemble your actual customers, as insights from the wrong audience won\u2019t help you optimize.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 3: Prioritize High-Impact Pages<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By now, you\u2019ve got two powerful layers of insight:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Step 1 (the numbers): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where people drop off and how many make it through to purchase.<\/span><b><br \/><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Step 2 (the reasons): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what trips them up, from missing info to confusing layouts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step is focus. You can\u2019t fix everything at once, so you need to prioritize the pages and flows that will make the most significant difference to revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Run a CRO Audit on Product Pages\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product page is the stage in the customer journey where visitors make the decision to purchase or not. This means whatever you do on product pages can make or break conversions. This is something to consider when conducting conversion audits on product pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/the-mighty-product-page-rethinking-product-descriptions\/\">product pages<\/a>, there are four elements that you should focus on in order to make them convert more visitors into customers:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The brand\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Page design and user experience\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product page copy\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>The product <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the main center of attraction and the reason why people visited your website. It should be presented in a that alleviates fears and concerns that visitors might have. Using high-quality images and featured videos that show how to use the product may help answer questions that your potential customers have before they purchase your product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The brand<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is fundamental and it shouldn\u2019t be an afterthought, even on product pages. Not everyone who purchases from you will go through your homepage, so its important to use your product pages to show your customers who you are and what you stand for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The page design and user experience<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can also impact conversions on your product pages. Visitors expect product pages to have a certain layout and features \u2013 if you arrange things in a different way, this might cause trust issues, and this will ultimately affect conversions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The product page copy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is important because it is always the power of words that compel people to make a purchase. The more complex the product you\u2019re selling, the more you need to have a product page copy that alleviates the fears and doubts that visitors might have.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how do you assess your product page to make sure that these four elements are helping you convert more visits into sales? Here\u2019s what you should look at\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Product Images\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many product images do you have per product page?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One or two images are not enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are your product photos giving customers enough visual information about the product? Are they showing the product from different angles?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-98390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Screenshot-2024-05-07-at-7.17.49\u202fPM-e1715098717522.png\" alt=\"Product Photos \" width=\"746\" height=\"420\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another thing to look at when it comes to product images is linking the photos to product variants. This applies when the product has multiple variants (different colors, scents, etc).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Founder of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iceesocial.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ICEE Social<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Mark Perini,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy experience as a web designer has taught me that when it comes to ecommerce, people DO judge a book by its cover, so invest in solid product photography.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3><b>Product Descriptions\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product descriptions are probably one of the most underutilized or overlooked elements on product pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over and over again, we\u2019ve seen plenty of eCommerce sites that copy the product descriptions from their suppliers. This is a mistake you should avoid at all costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/good-product-description-for-ecommerce-websites\/\">product description<\/a> is an opportunity for you to show your potential customers how the product benefits them. So, we often recommend that you connect your product features to your benefits as this will influence a customer to buy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example of how Apple connects iPod features to the iPod benefits:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15302\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Ipod-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"362\" data-wp-pid=\"15302\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many ways you can make your product descriptions compelling. Another way of going about it is storytelling \u2013 you can talk about the history of your product in a captivating way that shows how unique your product is. Great product descriptions that incorporate storytelling anticipate the customer questions and they provide as many details as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What materials is the product made from?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the care instructions?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where was the product made?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the weight of the product?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 weave the answers to these questions to make your product descriptions more useful. Even if you\u2019re telling a story about your product, you should always be thinking about the customer and not the product.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Clear Call-to-action (CTA)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/your-complete-guide-to-call-to-action-button-plus-a-bonus-with-free-200-effective-cta-buttons\/\">CTA button<\/a> prominently displayed and working on different screen sizes and browsers? This is something you should always check before you publish your CTAs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The general rule of thumb is to place the CTA button above the fold, right under the product description.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a visitor lands on your product page, and your CTA button is not one of the first things they notice, then there\u2019s a problem. Although your CTA button goes under your product descriptions, it shouldn\u2019t be pushed to below the fold area. Another thing to remember is to avoid surrounding it with lots of distracting elements, and also use contrasting colors to make it stand out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u200b\u200bDon&#8217;t try to be wordy or clever with CTAs. Keep your text short and sweet and straight to the point. The goal of your product pages is to get customers to press buy, short texts like &#8216;Add to Cart or Submit Order&#8217; will do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a visitor clicks on your CTA, where does it take them? Check that all links are working properly and they are taking your visitor to the cart page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Social Proof\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When people can\u2019t physically engage with your product, they will more likely have pre-existing fears and doubts about your product. Fortunately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/four-ways-to-boost-ecommerce-conversion-rates\/\">social proof<\/a> can help you overcome customer objections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Featuring social proof on your product pages can help move potential customers from inspiration to consideration and from consideration purchase. In fact, customers are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adweek.com\/brand-marketing\/retailers-are-increasingly-using-real-people-s-social-pics-152445\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">six times more likely<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to buy a product if the page has social media pictures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are different ways you can inject social proof into product pages:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indicate how many people have already purchased the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Display customer testimonials, reviews, and ratings.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Display user-generated visuals of your product.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highlight product awards and expert reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is also important to think of where you will place these social proof elements. You want them to position in areas where customers can view them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We recommend that you place elements like ratings and the number of reviews above the fold. Customer testimonials and reviews can be positioned right under product descriptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Run a CRO Audit on Cart Pages\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ultimate goal of a cart page is to make customers complete a purchase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But from what we have seen over the years, customers also use cart pages as a tool for price comparisons, a wishlist, and also a place to refine selections of a product.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how do you maximize the number of conversions on this page? First of all, you start by ensuring that your cart page has these 3 elements:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simple\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Clear<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means that there are no other distracting elements on your cart page that may deflate the focus of your customers. Every piece of information or element you add on this page should be clear enough to propel visitors into making a purchase. Be clear about your shipping and return policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Simplicity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> often leads to success in eCommerce. Why? Because a confused user won\u2019t make a purchase. Great cart pages have a simplified copy and design so there\u2019s no room for confusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Fast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cart pages translate to a better user experience. And slow cart pages kill conversions. Stats show that<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/loading-time\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40%<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of customers will abandon a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that said, here are some of the questions you should seek to answer when auditing the cart page:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you offer one mode of payment, a high <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/e-commerce-abandonment-rates\/\">cart abandonment rate<\/a> is inevitable. So, how many different payment options have you made available to your users?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If anything, customers hate hidden shipping costs. So, is the information regarding shipping costs and return policy clear enough for customers to understand?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, online customers have pre-existing concerns about the product. Do you have a live chat feature that will provide answers right away when a potential customer is on the cart page?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many users than before are now using their mobile devices to browse and shop on eCommerce sites. So, have you checked to see if your website is responsive on mobile? How does your text appear on mobile devices? Are your product images clear on mobile devices?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How easy is it to checkout? How long does it take for users to complete the checkout process? The longer it takes, the higher the abandonment rate will be.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another unnecessary barrier common in cart pages is asking customers to sign up before they complete their purchase. Do you do the same or do you have a guest login option on your cart checkout process?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since you\u2019re asking users about their card details, is there anything on your cart pages that will make them trust you?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s suppose you want to improve your conversion rate, user experience, reduce your cart abandonment rate, or explore revenue opportunities on your eCommerce website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In that case, you will significantly find value in conducting a conversion audit, no matter when you do it. But if you want the long-term success of your eCommerce website, you will have to perform a CRO audit regularly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of a CRO audit as a health check of your website. It can be done anytime to identify current problem areas, conversion leaks, and revenue opportunities on your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 17<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>A common misconception is that you only have to perform a conversion audit when something seems wrong on your website.\u00a0 But when you think about it, a CRO audit is very similar to a health check-up.\u00a0 Regular medical check-ups can help you stay on top of your health.\u00a0 Likewise, regular conversion rate optimization audits can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":15300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15297"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100357,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15297\/revisions\/100357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}