Looking to boost your conversion rates? Our free eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) checklist offers 40 actionable strategies to help you turn more visitors into paying customers. From improving checkout to optimizing site speed, these expert tips focus on enhancing the user experience and driving sales

The eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimization Checklist

Conversion Rate Optimization is the process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action—such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or adding a product to cart. Every tweak, test, or enhancement on your website should be guided by the goal of improving user experience and driving more conversions.

In this article, we will outline 20 of the most effective and evidence-based strategies to enhance the conversion rate of your eCommerce store. It is important to note, however, that this is not an exhaustive list. For a more comprehensive guide, we encourage you to download our complete eCommerce CRO checklist, which contains 40 validated optimization tactics specifically crafted to convert a larger portion of visitors into paying customers.

Get your free checklist by downloading it below!

Before you start, it is important to know your customer and what their pain points are. Do you want to read more about this process? Read our article on the conversion rate.

Top 20 CRO Recommendations to Drive More Sales

Not all optimization techniques are created equal—some deliver more significant results than others. In the next section, we’ll highlight the most effective CRO recommendations from our CRO checklist and provide you with actionable insights to implement them successfully.

1. Simplify the Checkout Process

A lengthy or confusing checkout process can result in high cart abandonment rates. In fact, 17% of shoppers abandon their carts because the checkout is too complicated. It’s a missed opportunity, as you’re so close to making a sale. To improve this, streamline the process by:

  • Offering guest checkout
  • Minimizing form fields
  • Providing a progress bar
  • Ensuring mobile responsiveness

2. Make Sure Your Search is Optimized

Many sales are lost just because the search function of the website isn’t optimized. Customers may search for a product, only to receive irrelevant results or no results at all—even when the product is in stock! To prevent this, it’s crucial to integrate a reliable third-party search engine, such as Doofinder, which offers the advanced technology needed to improve search accuracy and user experience.

Pro Tip: Retailers who implement Doofinder see an average increase in conversion rate of 20% or more, thanks to improved product findability and relevance in search results. Read more about how Doofinder benefits your business.

example of optimized search

3. Optimize for Mobile Devices

Over 60% of retail website traffic comes from mobile devices. A mobile-optimized site is no longer optional, it’s mandatory. Use a responsive design, test across multiple devices, and reduce load times to enhance the mobile experience.

4. Improve Website Speed

A 1-second delay in page load can reduce conversions by 7%. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, compress images, and implement lazy loading to accelerate performance. Additionally, consider minimizing JavaScript and CSS file sizes to further improve load times.

5. High-Quality Product Images and Videos

Visuals directly impact purchase confidence. Studies have found that 93% of consumers consider visual content to be the key deciding factor in a purchase. Make sure that on your product pages you include:

  • Multiple images per product
  • 360-degree views
  • Short explainer videos

6. Display Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Visitors need to feel confident that your website is trustworthy, and they have plenty of sources to verify this. As a matter of fact, 95% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase. Make sure that on your website you highlight:

  • Verified reviews
  • Ratings
  • User-generated content

Also, you can encourage reviews through post-purchase emails or incentives.

displaying customer reviews like ikea does can improve cro

7. Offer Free Shipping

​Offering free shipping significantly influences consumer purchasing decisions. According to a study by Shippo, 47% of consumers are willing to meet a minimum purchase requirement to qualify for free shipping. This statistic underscores how free shipping can enhance customer satisfaction and drive sales.

8. Run A/B Tests on Key Pages

Consistently A/B test your landing and product pages to determine the most effective designs and messaging for your audience. Complement this with UX research, such as usability testing and gathering user feedback, to identify pain points and enhance the overall experience. Mapping user journeys is essential for optimizing performance. By combining these approaches, you can significantly improve conversions and user satisfaction.

9. Simplify Website Navigation

As you map out the user journey, it’s important to focus on how your users prefer to navigate the site. Effective navigation helps reduce bounce rates and increase time-on-site. Consider implementing:

10. Provide Personalized Product Recommendations

Personalized shopping experiences can increase conversion rates by up to 26%, according to industry research. When users see products that align with their preferences and browsing behavior, they’re far more likely to take action. Personalization not only boosts engagement—it reduces friction, builds trust, and shortens the path to purchase.

Pro tip: Enhance product recommendations with third-party tools. For example, Doofinder uses AI and search history to offer personalized suggestions, increasing conversion rates. Learn more about Doofinder recommendations.

Enhance product recommendations with third-party tools. For example, Doofinder uses AI and search history to offer personalized suggestions, increasing conversion rates. Learn more about Doofinder recommendations.

11. Offer Multiple Payment Options

Today, customers expect the freedom to pay however and whenever they want. There’s nothing more frustrating than nearly completing a purchase, only to discover that your preferred payment method isn’t available. To improve conversion rates, ensure you provide popular payment methods like:

  • Credit/Debit Cards
  • PayPal
  • Apple Pay / Google Pay
  • Buy Now, Pay Later services (e.g., Klarna, Afterpay)

12. Create a Sense of Urgency

Sometimes, giving customers a little extra nudge can help drive sales. Limited-time offers, countdown timers, or displaying low stock levels can motivate customers to act faster. Creating a sense of urgency encourages quicker decision-making.

In the example below, Blue Banana offered a time-limited discount, prompting customers to make a quick decision on whether to take advantage of the offer.

cro through urgency

13. Optimize Product Descriptions

Effective product descriptions are key to converting visitors into customers. Clear, concise, and persuasive descriptions that highlight unique features and benefits help customers make informed decisions. Include relevant keywords for SEO, and enhance descriptions with high-quality images or videos to provide a fuller understanding of the product.

14. Good Return Policies

A clear, risk-free return policy is essential for building trust and encouraging purchases. Make sure your return policies are easy to find and prominently displayed on product and checkout pages. 67% of shoppers check return policies before making a purchase, so ensuring they’re visible will help reduce hesitation and boost customer confidence.

15. Optimize the Add to Cart Button

User experience is crucial, and that includes making sure the labeling and interface are clear and straightforward. If your customers can’t easily figure out how to add a product to their cart, they’re likely to turn to competitors. Ensure your “Add to Cart” button stands out, is clearly labeled, and provides a seamless experience when adding products. Your CTA button should be highly visible, action-oriented (e.g., “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now”), and in a contrasting color to grab attention.

Pro tip: With a tool like Doofinder, you can easily customize the “Add to Cart” button to suit your needs. Adjust button size, color, and placement with ease. Doofinder offers flexible UI customization without the need for complex development work.

conversion rate optimization through cart buttons

16. Offer Discounts or Coupons

People love the feeling of saving money, and you can tap into that by offering well-timed promotions. Encourage customers to complete their purchase with incentives like 10–15% off their first order, exit-intent popups, or bundled discounts. These strategies not only make the deal more attractive but also create a sense of urgency that drives conversions.

17. Rethink your Call To Action

When designing a call to action, it’s essential to align its position, messaging, and design with the specific needs of your target audience and your ultimate goals. Test different CTA placements and copy based on the funnel stage. A/B test variations in:

  • Color
  • Language (e.g., “Shop Now” vs. “Get Yours”)
  • Positioning on the page (e.g., top vs. bottom)
  • Button size and shape
  • Use of urgency (e.g., “Limited Time Offer” vs. “Shop Now”)

18. Quizzes for Product Discovery

Quizzes can significantly enhance product discovery by guiding customers toward the best products for their needs, preferences, or personal style. By engaging customers with interactive questions, quizzes make the shopping experience more personalized and enjoyable, which can lead to higher conversion rates.

19. Surprise Free Gifts or Bonuses

People enjoy getting something for free. Offering a surprise gift can boost conversions by tapping into this desire—customers are more likely to act on impulse when they receive something unexpected, and they feel they’re getting more value for their money than anticipated.

20. Interactive Product Customization Tools

Enable users to customize products in real-time (e.g., t-shirts, shoes, furniture). This interactive feature allows customers to visualize their personalized product before buying, boosting engagement and satisfaction, which typically results in higher conversion rates.

eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimization with Doofinder

As you’ve seen, there are numerous ways to improve your conversion rate. We’ve highlighted 20 of the most effective strategies here, but by downloading our free conversion rate optimization checklist, you’ll discover 20 more actionable tips to boost your conversion rate. Simply click the button below to get started.

It’s also important to note that third-party tools can play a key role in improving your conversion rate. For example, Doofinder can significantly enhance your conversion rate by providing search analytics and optimizing product recommendations on your site. You can try Doofinder free for 30 days and see how quickly it can improve your store’s conversion rate, or book a demo with one of our search specialists.