If you’re running an online store, especially on Shopify Plus, and you're not focusing on conversion rate optimization (CRO), you are leaving money on the table. However, tweaking conversion rates across your assets - which is the core of CRO - can be tricky.
I spoke with Dave, a Shopify CRO expert from Syntra, who’s helped over 50 Shopify Plus brands. He agreed to let me share his 5-step checklist to quickly audit your store’s CRO issues without needing heatmaps, surveys, or weeks of analysis. All you need is your Shopify data and a sharp filter for what boosts profit per visitor.
Before diving into the exact checklist, let’s quickly cover what CRO is and the common mistakes to avoid.
What is CRO?
CRO stands for Conversion Rate Optimization. While it covers a lot of ground, the main goal is straightforward: to make small but meaningful improvements to the key performance indicators (KPIs) that boost your business, including:
- Conversion rates (CVR)
- Revenue per visitor (RPV)
- Average order value (AOV)
- Customer lifetime value (LTV)
In a nutshell, CRO is about anything that helps increase the conversion rate of your Shopify store.
Common CRO mistakes
While working with clients, including a $2M brand, Dave noticed they were all making the same mistake that hurt their conversion rates. Many agencies focus too much on big changes to offers and overlook simple optimizations.
Brands often waste their first 30 days testing the wrong things - like huge homepage redesigns, flashy new offers, or chasing CVR - with no clue why their conversion rates are low.
That's why Dave created a 5-step audit to cut through all that.
5-Step CRO Audit checklist
Dave created a step-by-step checklist to help you audit your Shopify store’s CRO quickly, avoiding months on bloated redesigns. The checklist includes:
- The conversion math that shows where the funnel breaks
- What a non-converting PDP really looks like (and how to fix it)
- How to spot if you have an offer problem or a UX problem
- The trust leaks that kill first-time buyers
- And the starter A/B tests Dave deploys across 100+ brands
1. Funnel Drop-Off Breakdown
Why: Pinpoints where users are leaving = highest leverage
How: Pull from Shopify Analytics
- Sessions
- Add to Cart
- Checkout Started
- Purchase
What we calculate:
- ATC Rate = ATC / Sessions
- Checkout Start Rate = Checkout Started / ATC
- Purchase Rate = Purchase / Sessions
- Cart → Checkout Drop-off
- Checkout → Purchase Drop-off
What we look for:
- <6% ATC? = PDP or offer isn’t converting
- Big drop ATC → Checkout? = Cart is broken, pricing friction, shipping surprise
- Big drop Checkout → Purchase? = Checkout UX, trust, payment barriers
Action Steps:
- Go to Shopify > Analytics > Conversion rate breakdown
- Export last 30 days of data: Sessions, ATC, Checkout Started, Purchases
- Plug into a funnel calculator (or spreadsheet):
- ATC Rate = ATC / Sessions
- Checkout Start Rate = Checkout Started / ATC
- Purchase Rate = Purchases / Sessions
- Highlight the biggest % drop, this is your CRO starting point
2. PDP Value Communication
Why: This is the sales page. If it’s unclear, nothing else matters.
We check:
- Is the value prop obvious above the fold?
- Is the price justified before the price is revealed?
- Are there clear benefits, not just features?
- Are reviews, trust badges, and objections handled?
- Mobile layout. Is it scroll-friendly or bloated?
Action Steps:
- Open your top-selling PDP on mobile
- Set a 5-second timer. Ask: “Would I buy this or even scroll?”
- Rewrite the headline to focus on benefit, not product type
- → Bad: “Premium Collagen Powder”
- → Better: “Visible Skin Results in 21 Days. Backed by 3,000+ Reviews”
- Move reviews, guarantee, and key benefits higher up the page
- Compress long-winded descriptions into a faq like structure
3. Offer & AOV Strategy
Why: Bad offer = low CVR + low AOV = profit death
We check:
- Are bundles or quantity breaks used smartly?
- Is there a clear reason to buy more now?
- Are cross-sells/post-purchase upsells used?
- Are shipping thresholds being leveraged?
Action Steps:
- Go to your top 3 product pages
- Check if you’re offering:
- Bundles (starter, best value, family pack)
- Quantity breaks (Buy 2, save 10%)
- Upsells (complementary products before/after checkout)
- Add a free shipping threshold that’s a bit more than the current AOV to increase cart size
- Run an A/B test on offer structure: single item vs bundles
4. Cart & Checkout Friction
Why: This is where money dies silently
We check:
- Are there surprise costs (shipping, tax)?
- Is the cart persistent and editable?
- Is there urgency, trust, or reassurance (guarantees, secure checkout)?
- Is Shop Pay or express checkout enabled?
- Mobile experience. How many taps to finish?
Action Steps
- Add to cart on mobile. How many clicks to checkout?
- Check if cart has:
- Edit quantity/remove option
- Estimated shipping/tax clearly shown
- Trust badges (secure checkout, guarantee)
- Remove unnecessary fields in checkout (less friction = more conversions)
5. First-Time Buyer Trust Signals
Why: New traffic doesn’t know you, they need convincing
We check:
- Are reviews prominently displayed on PDP and Checkout?
- Is there a visible return policy / money-back guarantee?
- Are influencer/UGC or “as seen in” logos used?
- Does the brand feel legit within 3 seconds?
Action Steps:
- Add a sitewide review widget (ex: Judge.me, Loox)
- Place a money-back guarantee badge near ATC and checkout
- Add "As Seen In" or UGC carousel just above reviews
- Rewrite your "About" section or footer to include:
- Brand origin story (1-2 lines)
- Founder credibility or social proof
- Customer service response time
Bonus: Foundational A/B Tests to Run First
Offer & Messaging
- Announcement Bar Variants
- e.g., “Up to 45% off + Free Shipping” vs. “Limited Time: Save on Your Bundle”
- Hero Headline Test
- Clear Value Prop vs. Emotional Hook
- Price in ATC Button
- Show price in CTA vs. keep it clean
- Urgency/Risk Reducers
- e.g., “Free returns” or “Ships today” near ATC
PDP Optimization
- Image gallery order
- Lifestyle first vs. product-only first
- Sizing guides
- Modal vs. Inline
- Social proof location
- Reviews near title vs. near ATC
- Badges
- “Best Seller”, “X% Off”, “Editor’s Pick”
Cart Behavior
- Sticky ATC vs. none
- Cross-sells on cart vs. after checkout
- “Trusted by 10,000+ customers” reassurance in-cart
Conclusion
CRO is all about getting the most out of every visit to your Shopify website. It turns those clicks into meaningful actions like purchases, form submissions, or resource downloads.
If you're not optimizing, you're leaving money on the table while your competitors are testing and improving their stores every month - getting more conversions, higher sales, and faster growth.
Dave’s checklist can save you time and help you identify where your funnel breaks, whether it's a problem with your offer or just a UX problem. This way, you’ll know exactly what to focus on for your CRO efforts.
If you need some expert help with your Shopify store’s CRO, reach out to Dave on Twitter or check out his website.