Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Checklist

UPDATE 08/20/2024 (next update February 2025).

Before we dive into the strategies for improving conversion rates (and the checklist), let's take a moment to remind you what we mean by conversion rate. Simply put, your website's conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take a desired action on your website, such as filling out a contact form or making a purchase.

Understanding your current conversion rate is important before you start making changes to your website. Use tools like Google Analytics (or any other client-side analytics) and PageSpeed Insights to track your website's performance and identify areas for improvement.

Setting and understanding your conversion goal is equally crucial, i.e., setting the desired action you will focus on growing. For example, you can focus on:

• increasing specific channel conversion percentages,
• increasing the number of people who check out (or buy your product),
• increasing the number of individuals who watch your promo video,
• increasing the number of people who fill out your lead generation form,
• improving the quality of your leads,
• increasing the size of your email list,
• improving website performance,
• etc.

Remember that it is better to choose one because you cannot, or at least it is really difficult, focus on two or more goals simultaneously and be certain that you can connect the changes you have implemented to the growth or decrease of your conversion targets.

Also, keep in mind that the following checklist was created as an overall collection of possible CRO tactics. Which one you use largely depends on the use case, i.e., the goals you are trying to influence.

For example, to optimize your call-to-action (CTA) clickthrough rate, you can A/B test your text copy, button color, and background image. Still, you can also enhance First Input Delay (FID), i.e., work on website performance and expect results. But you can’t expect results from optimizing the email campaign or checkout process.

There are a couple of things you should be certain of before you begin:

• Define your conversion goals. Establish clear, measurable objectives that you can use to gauge the success of your CRO efforts.
• Conduct thorough audience research. Understand your target audience's preferences, pain points, and motivations to create a website that speaks directly to their needs.
• Create a compelling value proposition. Communicate the unique benefits your product or service offers to potential customers.
• Monitor your competition. Stay informed about your competitors' strategies, successes, and failures to evolve your CRO efforts.

We’ve grouped CRO tactics for easier understanding.

Optimize your website's performance: Site speed and performance matter. They also affect your search engine ranking, Adwords pricing, and conversions. Faster loading times, better website performance, and more sessions lead to lower bounce rates and increased conversions. Check our frontend performance checklist for more.

Reliable hosting: Select a trusted hosting provider with robust security features and minimal downtime, which will keep your site secure and dependable.

Use responsive design: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and accessible across all devices including tablets, laptop and desktops.

Simplify your website navigation: Use straightforward, intuitive navigation to make it easy for visitors to find what they want.

Use high-quality visuals: Incorporate professional, visually appealing images and videos that effectively showcase your products or services.

Use the power of color psychology: Select colors for your design elements that evoke your audience's desired emotions and behaviors.

Optimize your website's typography: Choose legible, appealing fonts and formatting to enhance readability and user experience. On top of that, there are added benefits to performance with the right fonts.

Implement clear calls-to-action (CTAs): Use strong, action-oriented language and eye-catching design to encourage users to take the desired action.

Optimize your forms: Simplify and streamline your forms to reduce friction and increase conversions.

Utilize social proof: Display reviews, testimonials, and endorsements from satisfied customers to build trust and credibility.

Optimize your website's internal search: Ensure your internal search engine is fast, accurate, and user-friendly to help visitors find relevant products or information.

Optimize your site for voice search: Ensure your website is easily discoverable through voice search by targeting long-tail keywords and providing concise answers to common queries.

Implement a multilingual approach: Expand your reach by offering your website in multiple languages, catering to a global audience.

Use geo-targeting: Tailor your website's content, offers, and language based on a user's location to improve relevance and engagement.

Use A/B testing in design: Test different design elements, copies, and layouts to determine which version drives the most conversions.

Continuously measure and improve: Review your site's performance metrics regularly and use data-driven insights to optimize your CRO strategies.

Optimize your landing pages: Tailor your landing pages to the specific needs of different audience segments and traffic sources.

Utilize remarketing strategies: Use appropriate geo-location ads to target users who have shown interest in your products or services but haven't converted yet.

Implement personalization: Personalize the user experience (UX) based on their preferences and past interactions with your site.

Use exit-intent popups: Engage users who are about to leave your site with targeted offers, promotions, or content.

Leverage micro-conversions: Break down the user journey into smaller steps, focusing on optimizing each micro-conversion to facilitate the overall conversion process.

Test different pricing strategies: Experiment with various pricing models, discounts, and offers to find the most effective approach for your target audience.

Leverage the power of storytelling: Craft compelling narratives about your brand, products, or services to connect emotionally with your audience.

Employ scarcity tactics: Create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers, countdown timers, or low-stock notifications.

Implement upselling and cross-selling: Offer related products or premium upgrades to increase average order value and drive more conversions.

Use gamification: Engage users by incorporating game-like elements, such as challenges, rewards, and leaderboards, into your website or marketing campaigns.

Use data enrichment tools: Enhance user data with third-party information to better understand customer preferences and create targeted marketing campaigns.

Implement progressive profiling: Collect user data incrementally through forms or interactions, improving personalization and targeting without overwhelming users.

Implement lead scoring: Assign scores to leads based on their likelihood to convert. This will allow you to prioritize high-value prospects and allocate resources efficiently.

Monitor and analyze user behavior: Use heatmaps, scroll maps, and session recordings to understand how users interact with your website.

Prioritize user experience (UX): Address pain points and minimize frustration to ensure a seamless, intuitive, and enjoyable user experience.

Optimize your website's accessibility: Ensure your website complies with accessibility guidelines, catering to users with disabilities and enhancing your site's usability for everyone.

2FA, Strong Passwords & User Access Control: Enhance security with two-factor authentication, enforce robust password policies, and restrict access based on user roles.

Address potential objections: Proactively address common customer concerns and objections to eliminate barriers to conversion.

Create a robust knowledge base: Develop a comprehensive resource center to provide users with the necessary information and reduce reliance on customer support.

Create an FAQ section: Provide answers to frequently asked questions to reduce customer uncertainty and build trust.

Utilize live chat support: Implement a live chat feature to answer customer queries in real time and guide them toward conversion.

Provide multiple contact options: Offer various channels, such as phone, email, and social media, for users to contact your business.

Establish a strong brand identity: Create a memorable, consistent brand identity to build trust, recognition, and loyalty among your audience.

Heatmap and live session review: Use them to analyze where people click, scroll, and spend the most time on your website and to understand the drop-off points.

Invest in high-quality content: Engage users and build trust with well-written, informative, and visually appealing content across channels.

Leverage SEO best practices: Optimize your site for search engines to drive more organic traffic and increase the likelihood of conversions.

Optimize for local search: Tailor your website and SEO efforts to attract local customers and improve your visibility in local search results.

Optimize your email marketing campaigns: Experiment with subject lines, content, and CTAs to drive more conversions from your email list. A/B test it all.

Create a sense of community: Build a loyal customer base by encouraging user-generated content (like reviews), creating forums, or offering membership benefits.

Develop a customer loyalty program: Encourage repeat purchases and brand loyalty through rewards (like gift cards), exclusive offers, and personalized experiences.

Leverage influencer marketing: Collaborate with influencers in your niche to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences.

Implement a referral program: Encourage customers and influencers to refer friends and family by offering incentives, such as discounts on free products or a percentage of purchases made.

Optimize product descriptions: Craft persuasive, informative, and SEO-friendly product descriptions to convince users of the value of your offerings.

Go beyond product: Implement content marketing as part of your brand/product story. Use our content writing checklist to get you going.

Product page A/B testing: Test different design elements, copy, and layouts to determine which product page version drives the most conversions.

Implement the correct structured data: Structured data is a standardized syntax that describes page information semantically and helps your product page rank in a rich format.

Offer free shipping or returns: Incentivize customers to complete their purchases by providing free shipping or hassle-free returns.

Dynamic pricing: a flexible solution to real-time data pricing.

Offer product comparisons: Facilitate decision-making by providing easy-to-understand comparisons between your products and competitors.

Offer user-generated reviews: Allow users to review and voice their opinions on your product.

Establish trust signals: Display security badges, certifications, and memberships to reassure users about your business's safety and credibility.

Offer a seamless checkout experience: Minimize cart abandonment by simplifying and streamlining the checkout process.

Offer multiple payment options: Cater to a wider range of customers by providing various payment methods and currencies.

Increasing your conversion rate is an ongoing process, and it takes time and effort to achieve significant improvements. Investing in the right CRO strategies and techniques will ultimately help you achieve your conversion goals.