Hitlist Conversion Rate Optimization Audit
The Hitlist Conversion Rate Optimization audit is a 60-90 page document containing specific and actionable site updates that will improve your conversion rate. It's informed by qualitative and quantitative data gleaned from primary research and our analysts' vast experience. Read on for more info.
From start ups (with wireframes) to industry leaders, our Hitlist clients come to us when they need:
To increase conversion rates
… or in situations where conversion rate seems low relative to the industry.
A CRO focused design review
… to inform a planned redesign, or to review a current design project.
To implement best practices
… when there is no time or resource for A/B testing.
To lower CPA
… on competitive keywords.
A fresh set of eyes
… for new prospectives and to re-imagine complicated flows.
To grab low hanging fruit
… when they have lots of great ideas, but need help prioritizing them.
The Hitlist is a 60-90 page document that is:
Specific and actionable
Our recommendations are specific and include detailed implementation instructions.
Based on actual results
We have run 8,000+ A/B tests — a 61.1% win rate across 2,288 decisive tests — and don't need to guess what optimizations work and which don't.
Holistic
We cover all major page templates, as well as your traffic sources, user engagement, and analytics.
Proven and Effective
Hitlist recommendations have increased site conversion rates 10-30%.
What Hitlist-driven programs have delivered
The "10-30% lift" isn't a projection. These are documented engagements where the audit set the roadmap and testing proved the results.
AB Testing76%Program win rateCase study · AB Testing$14MM+ Revenue From a Multi-Year A/B Testing Program for Jewelry eCommerce
ConversionTeam's multi-year CRO testing program delivered a 76% win rate and over $14MM in incremental revenue for a leading jewelry eCommerce retailer.
Read case study
AB Testing$5MM+Incremental revenueCase study · AB Testing9 Winning A/B Tests Deliver $5MM+ for Houseplans eCommerce
ConversionTeam's 3-year CRO testing program delivered 9 winning A/B tests and over $5MM in incremental revenue for a leading houseplans eCommerce marketplace.
Read case study
AB Testing+35.4%Conversion rate liftCase study · AB TestingSocial Proof Drives 41% Revenue Lift for Cruise Aggregator
A leading cruise tour aggregator with strong reviews wasn't converting their excellent reputation into sales. By adding TrustPilot reviews to their booking pages, they saw conversion rates jump 35.4% and revenue increase 41.2% during the test period. This case study explores how social proof at key decision points can dramatically improve booking performance.
Read case study
Third-party proof
What Hitlist clients say
11 verified reviews on Google & Clutch
Devon is a real CRO rockstar. He looks at a site and immediately hones in on the opportunities for improvement, and backs up every recommendation with testing. Highly recommend.
Mike BelascoFounder & AdvisorThey provide elaborate reporting on every test, with clear KPIs where we can identify winners to implement - conversion-rate increases, more ecommerce purchases, and higher engagement. Communication is easy and their project management is excellent.
Devon was a great partner when we needed to improve our website's user experience. His team gave us a thorough audit of our top pages and a free heatmapping tool we still use today. Highly recommend, especially if you're in lead gen.
Working through tests with ConversionTeam has been great. Their project management is top-notch, and their knowledge base is what stands out - we have no plans to change the relationship any time soon.
ConversionTeam was excellent to work with and delivered exactly what we were looking for. They ran a CRO audit of our site; their insight was incredibly valuable and helped us advance toward our goals with confidence. Professional, organized, and thorough.
ConversionTeam has had a significant impact on our conversion rate - a good uplift, and especially an increase in revenue. We're impressed with their personalized approach and deep understanding of our needs.
We're seeing 210x ROI and a 22% lift in conversion rate - it's hard to measure all of their impact. We sold out of almost all our stock; we weren't ready for the lift they'd provide. They run a tight ship and always come to meetings prepared.
I couldn't be more impressed. Their team ran an in-depth audit that identified high-value opportunities, then a game plan of A/B tests to validate them - and nearly every test they recommended outperformed the control. Rigorous and data-driven, no guesswork.
We've worked with ConversionTeam since 2018 and are very happy. Their collaborative spirit and out-of-the-box ideas have significantly amplified our CRO efforts and added new dimensions to our strategy.
An outstanding experience. When we went looking for help optimizing conversions, two people I hold in the highest regard - who don't even know each other - both recommended Devon. We've been blown away by their expertise, professionalism, and results.
Responsive, timely, and the results and expertise speak for themselves. We bring them in across multiple client engagements.
Hitlist Audit Process
Behind the Hitlist is a highly structured process involving Analytics, User testing and UX subject matter experts. Our secret sauce, however, is our CRO Analysts' broad and deep experience, which allows them to prioritize the most impactful site updates.
- Step 1 of 9
Intake
Discuss competitive advantages, social proof assets, in depth goal review. - Step 2 of 9
Kickoff meeting
Review intake and identify CRO opportunities for later investigation. - Step 3 of 9
Analytics audit
Fix common issues like url pollution, missing goals, badly formed goals, fix & update funnels, update site search, add other business critical tagging. - Step 4 of 9
Poll
The best poll question ever: What's the one thing that almost stopped you from purchasing today? - Step 5 of 9
User testing
We give users a scenario on your site, then have them complete the same scenario on a competitor site. - Step 6 of 9
Heatmaps & session recording
Many benefits, including a better approach to complicated path analysis in analytics. - Step 7 of 9
Competitive analysis
If your competitors have better UX than you, use theirs as a starting point. - Step 8 of 9
Hitlist
60-90 pages of actionable CRO goodness. - Step 9 of 9
Hitlist reviews
We will review your implementation of the hitlist and/or work with your devs to achieve the CRO goals in the audit.
The 62-point CRO checklist
This is the self-serve version of what a Hitlist audit inspects - for any conversion-driven site, not just stores. The research says the stakes are real: Baymard Institute documents an average cart abandonment rate around 70%, Portent's speed research ties each added second of load time to measurable conversion loss, and Northwestern's Spiegel Research Center found displayed reviews can lift purchase likelihood by as much as 270%. Work the list yourself - or read the full step-by-step CRO audit guide - and when you want the site-specific, prioritized version, that's the Hitlist.
Homepage & landing pages
- Value proposition is explicit in the first viewport: what you offer, for whom, why you
- Primary CTA visible above the fold and repeated down the page
- Hero headline matches the ad or search intent that brings the traffic
- Trust signals sit near the CTA: review score, client or brand logos, guarantee
- Navigation exposes your top categories or services, not internal jargon
- Site search is prominent and returns useful results, with autocomplete for stores
- Social proof is specific - numbers, names, outcomes - not generic praise
- Promotional banners don’t bury the primary action
- Page is interactive in under 3 seconds on a mid-range phone
- No auto-rotating carousels hiding key messages
- Key content survives common breakpoints without awkward reflow
- Every visitor intent has a clear next step: browse, compare, buy or contact
Product & offer pages
- Title and images answer “is this what I need?” at a glance
- Price, shipping cost, and availability visible without interaction
- Add-to-cart or primary CTA always within reach, sticky on long mobile pages
- Reviews and ratings shown with counts, not just stars
- Description covers specs, benefits, and the top objections
- Image gallery has zoom plus context shots (or a demo for services/SaaS)
- Cross-sells and upsells don’t compete with the primary action
- Scarcity and urgency claims only when they’re true
- Return policy and guarantee restated next to the CTA
- Delivery or turnaround estimate shown before checkout
- Variant selection (size, color, plan) is unambiguous
- Out-of-stock states offer alternatives or a notify-me
- Anchor pricing and bundles tested, not assumed
Cart, checkout & forms
- Guest checkout available - no forced account creation
- Cart edits happen inline: quantity, remove, save for later
- Full cost breakdown appears before the final step - no surprise fees
- Progress indicator across checkout steps
- Forms ask only for what’s needed; optional fields marked optional
- Inline validation with clear, specific error recovery
- Address autocomplete and card auto-formatting on
- Payment options match the audience: wallets, BNPL where relevant
- Security cues at the payment step
- Site navigation stripped from checkout to close the exits
- Abandonment follow-up (email or retargeting) actually fires
- Lead-gen: form length is proportional to the offer’s value
- Confirmation page sets expectations for what happens next
Analytics & user behavior
- Every key conversion tracked as a tested, QA’d event - not assumed
- Funnels defined per conversion path with drop-off measured per step
- No URL pollution or duplicate page names splitting your data
- Conversion split by device and browser reviewed for defects
- Heatmaps and session recordings running on the top templates
- An on-site poll running - ours: “what’s the one thing that almost stopped you?”
- Site-search queries tracked and mined for demand gaps
- Traffic sources compared for quality, not just volume
- Page-speed data reviewed per template, not site-wide averages
- 404s, error states, and dead clicks monitored
- Tag and consent health verified - the data is actually flowing
- One dashboard everyone trusts for the KPIs
Testing & prioritization
- Every finding scored with our SCORE framework on impact, effort, and strength of evidence
- Hypotheses written before tests: the change, the metric, the expected effect, the why
- Sample size and duration calculated up front - no peeking, no early calls
- Tests isolate one decision at a time on high-traffic templates
- Guardrail metrics watched - AOV, refunds, lead quality - not just conversion rate
- Losing tests mined for insight instead of discarded
- Wins re-measured after implementation, not assumed permanent
- Backlog re-prioritized on a regular cadence with fresh data
- Segment and personalization follow-ups queued behind clear wins
- Test velocity tracked against the program goal
- Results kept in a shared ledger with revenue estimates
- The audit treated as a starting line - optimization is ongoing, not one-time
Are we a good fit?
Our prospective clients often have questions around which line of service would be best for their unique situation. We encourage you to get in touch to discuss this, and to see some actual CRO recommendations for your site.
Need A/B Testing in Addition to a CRO Audit?
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