Start with the numbers: your funnel at a glance
Pull the last 30 days from Shopify Analytics and write down seven numbers. Then compare each one with the benchmarks below. The step furthest below its benchmark is your biggest leak. (The full explanation of each metric is in Shopify funnel analysis.)
| Step | Number to check | Poor | Average | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homepage | Bounce rate | > 50% | 40–50% | 30–40% | < 30% |
| Homepage | Visitors who see a product | < 35% | 35–50% | 50–60% | 60%+ |
| Collections | Click-through to a product | < 35% | 35–50% | 50–60% | 60%+ |
| Product page | Add-to-cart rate | < 3% | 3–5% | 5–8% | 8%+ |
| Cart | Cart abandonment | > 75% | 60–75% | 50–60% | < 50% |
| Checkout | Checkout drop rate | > 65% | 56–65% | 46–55% | 40–45% |
| After purchase | Repeat purchase rate | < 15% | 15–25% | 25–40% | 40%+ |
And the number above all: revenue per visitor. It combines how many people buy and how much they spend.
The Shopify CRO audit checklist
Homepage
- Does the first screen show real products and one clear next step, not just a lifestyle image and a slogan?
- Are your bestsellers and sets shown first, not your cheapest items?
- Is there a clear free-shipping threshold or main offer near the top?
- Is social proof visible (rating, number of customers, real reviews)?
Collection pages
- Sorted by bestsellers, not “newest” or “price low to high”?
- Do cards show what makes the product special (one of a kind, handmade, bestseller, low stock) when it’s true?
- Ratings and review counts on the cards?
- For consumables, the price per unit on bigger packs?
Product pages
- Are the top 3 buying doubts answered right next to Add to Cart (trust, delivery, returns, fit)?
- Is the product description visible before the buy button, not buried in an accordion? (That test was worth ~$760K a year.)
- Is there one strong review near the button? (+$67,365.)
- A size or fit guide where fit matters?
- A video as the main image if your ads are videos?
- Bundles or quantity options above Add to Cart?
Cart
- Returns, delivery and who you are in one clear line?
- A free-shipping progress bar with the threshold 20–30% above your AOV?
- One relevant add-on, not ten?
- Nothing that adds a new doubt after the decision?
Checkout
- Guest checkout and express payment (Shop Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal)?
- No surprise costs: duties, taxes and shipping clear up front?
- Trust right above the Pay button, legal wall of text removed?
- On Shopify Plus: social proof by the logo, a real reservation timer, tested add-ons. (The 7 checkout changes.)
After the purchase
- A one-click post-purchase offer before the thank-you page?
- An email flow for the second order (after delivery, review request, a matching product)?
Ads and tracking
- Do your ads land on the matching page (same product, same visual, same offer)?
- Is server-side tracking sending every purchase and its value correctly?
- Do you know your break-even MER? (How to find it.)
What you get when I run the audit with you
- Your seven funnel numbers against the benchmarks.
- The biggest leak and what it’s costing you per month.
- The doubts your customers mention most, from your reviews and messages.
- The first three tests I’d run, ranked by revenue.
You leave with a clear plan whether we work together or not. If you want the whole programme run for you, see Shopify CRO agency services.
