I’m John Butterworth, founder of Mint SEO, and I’m sharing my tested framework for ecommerce CRO that’s helped our clients achieve conversion rates above 5.4% (beating the industry average by miles).
I’ve kept this guide as practical as possible so you can implement these changes on your store right away. Some suggestions can be applied on multiple page types, but each one targets specific friction points and opportunities within your customer journey.
I’ve split everything into four categories:
- Product Pages
- Category Pages
- Cart & Checkout Optimisation
- Site Speed & Technical Optimisation
If you’re interested in our CRO framework but don’t have the time to implement it yourself, you can hire the team at Mint SEO to do it for you and quickly improve the profitability of your store.
Alright, let’s dive in.
Product Pages
Never Remove Out of Stock Product Pages
Deleting out-of-stock pages throws away months or years of SEO value. These pages have accumulated backlinks, social shares, and ranking authority that disappear the moment you hit delete. Smart retailers keep them live and convert that traffic into future sales.
Transform dead ends into opportunities. Display your three closest alternatives at the top of the page. Capture emails with “Back in stock soon” notifications that achieve 22.45% conversion rates. Among all automated emails, back-in-stock messages deliver the highest conversion rate at 7.3% according to recent data. Set up Klaviyo automations to notify customers instantly when products return.
Create Buyer Urgency With Countdown Timers for Next Day Delivery
Countdown timers tap into our fundamental hatred of missing opportunities. Watching “Order within 3:47:23 for delivery tomorrow” tick down creates genuine pressure that static text never could. The timer transforms browsers into buyers by adding time sensitivity to their decision.
Strategic implementation sees 5% conversion lifts when done authentically. Your timer must reflect real courier cut-offs. Account for different zones where Manchester orders might have until 7 PM while rural Scotland needs purchases by 3 PM. Essential Countdown Timer for Shopify automates this complexity while maintaining accuracy across timezones.
Create More Urgency by Displaying Low Stock Levels
Real scarcity beats manufactured urgency every time. Showing “Only 2 left” or “1 remaining in size M” gives customers information they actually need while naturally accelerating their decision. Fashion retailers using size-specific stock alerts see immediate conversion improvements. Electronics stores highlighting “Last unit at sale price” create similar effects.
Honesty matters here. Set your low stock threshold at 5 items or fewer. Claiming scarcity with 50 units in stock destroys trust when customers see the same message weeks later. Let your inventory management system trigger these messages automatically for accuracy.
Add Review Stars Close to Add-to-Cart Button
The biggest mistake stores make with reviews? Hiding them where nobody looks. Your stars and ratings need prime placement directly adjacent to your buy button, right where hesitation happens.
Products displaying five or more reviews see 270% higher conversion rates. But here’s the counterintuitive bit: ratings between 4.75-4.99 stars convert better than perfect scores. A 4.8 rating from 312 reviews feels more trustworthy than 5.0 stars from 12 people. Display the full picture: star rating, review count, and one-click access to read details.
Keep Key Product Information Prominent on the Page
Confusion kills conversions faster than high prices. Within two seconds, visitors should know exactly what you’re selling, how much it costs, and whether it’s available. Miss this window and they’re back to Google finding your competitors.
Build a visual hierarchy that guides the eye naturally. Product title in bold H1 tags. Price in contrasting colour below. Green checkmark for “In Stock” or red text for “Only 2 left”. Estimated delivery directly visible. Your buy button standing out in brand colours. Test this by showing someone your page for three seconds. If they can’t recall these basics, simplify further.
Information Priority:
- Product name (largest text)
- Current price (high contrast)
- Availability status
- Delivery timeframe
- Clear CTA button
Price Anchor by Showing Original Price and Sale Price
Psychology trumps mathematics in pricing display. “~~£89.99~~ Now £54.99 (Save £35)” creates value perception that “£54.99” alone never could. The strikethrough price becomes the anchor against which customers judge your offer.
For products under £100, showing exact savings outperforms percentages. “Save £35” beats “39% off” because concrete numbers feel more tangible. Luxury brands need subtler approaches. “Members save £50” or “Exclusive price” maintains premium positioning while still highlighting value.
Add Trust Badges to Establish Your Purchase Risk Reversal
18% of customers abandon carts over security concerns. They see your checkout form and wonder if their card details are safe. Trust badges answer these unspoken fears before they become abandonments.
Norton Secured, McAfee, SSL certificates, “30-day returns”, “Free exchanges”, payment method logos. Position these elements horizontally below your add-to-cart button or in a small grid beside it. The visual reassurance addresses anxiety at the exact moment doubt creeps in.
Show a Mix of Photo and Video Reviews
Written reviews build trust. Visual reviews build desire. Video reviews drive 64% higher conversion because seeing real customers using products beats reading about them.
Glossier turned customer selfies into a marketing strategy. Gymshark features real workouts from actual customers. The authenticity resonates because it’s not trying to be perfect. Implement Okendo or Yotpo to collect media reviews. Incentivise submissions with loyalty points. Display customer content prominently alongside professional images.
Use a Short and Long Product Description
Buyers fall into two camps: those who buy on emotion and those who buy on logic. Your copy needs both. A punchy summary sits directly under your price, above the fold. Three lines maximum highlighting core benefits. “Waterproof to 100m. Swiss movement. 10-year warranty.”
Below the fold, expand into comprehensive details. Materials, specifications, care instructions, sizing charts, brand heritage. The quick buyers get instant gratification while detail-oriented shoppers find every answer. Neither group feels underserved.
Display Delivery Estimate and Shipping Cost Directly on Page
49% of abandonments happen because of unexpected shipping costs discovered at checkout. Customers feel deceived when that £40 item suddenly becomes £48 with delivery. Transparency on product pages prevents this shock.
Show clear options: “Standard (3-5 days): £4.99” and “Express (next day): £9.99”. Include your free shipping threshold: “FREE delivery on orders over £50 (£12 more needed)”. Calculate estimates based on customer location when possible. The upfront honesty builds trust while setting proper expectations.
Add Size Guides or Fit Finders Right Beside Size Selector
UK fashion retailers lose £7 billion annually to sizing returns. Customers order multiple sizes intending to return most of them. Your hidden size guide isn’t preventing this expensive behaviour.
Place “Size Guide” or “Find Your Fit” directly beside the size selector, not buried in tabs. Show measurements in both systems. Add context through model stats: “Model wears Medium: Height 5’10”, Chest 38 inches”. ASOS’s Fit Assistant asks three questions and recommends sizes based on 5 million customer data points. Technology like True Fit reduces both returns and customer service queries.
Use Sticky “Add to Cart” Buttons
Mobile product pages average 3-4 full screen lengths. Once customers scroll past your original buy button to read descriptions or reviews, getting back requires deliberate effort many won’t make. A sticky bar maintains purchase opportunity throughout their journey.
Trigger the bar after 25% scroll depth. Include product name, current price, and “Add to Cart” in a slim 60-80 pixel bar. Too tall blocks content. Too small becomes unusable. The persistent presence keeps conversion possible at any scroll position.
Display Similar Items
Cross-selling on product pages serves dual purposes. Customers discover alternatives if the current item doesn’t quite fit their needs. You showcase products with better margins or encourage multiple purchases. Both outcomes improve your bottom line.
Four to six items maximum in a responsive grid. Mix price points strategically. Include one cheaper alternative, your highest-margin similar product, and genuine alternatives. “Complete the Look” for fashion. “Frequently Bought Together” for consumables. “Compare Similar Models” for electronics. Relevance beats quantity every time.
Insert “As Seen In” Logos or Customer Photo Grid
Media mentions and customer photos provide external validation that self-promotion never could. Building an “As featured in” logo bar with publications takes minutes but adds instant credibility. The Times, BBC, Vogue logos signal that independent sources found you noteworthy.
Customer photo grids perform even better. Real people using your products in real situations. No professional lighting or careful styling. The imperfection makes it believable. Dollar Shave Club and Glossier built empires on customer-generated content beating traditional advertising.
Category Pages
Do Not Use Full-Width Banners Above The Product Grid
Category pages have one job: show products quickly. Yet countless stores hide their inventory behind massive hero images that push actual products below the fold. Mobile users need two or three scrolls just to see why they clicked. Pages losing visitors within 15 seconds often share this mistake.
Start your product grid immediately. Promotional messages belong in thin bars (under 50 pixels) or integrated within the grid itself. Your beautiful lifestyle banner means nothing if customers bounce before seeing products.
The First Grid Item Always Has The Most Clicks
Western eyes scan pages predictably. Top-left position receives 33% more clicks than position four. This isn’t random preference but ingrained reading patterns from decades of left-to-right consumption.
Your bestselling, highest-margin product belongs in position one. New arrivals needing visibility take positions two and three. Never waste prime real estate on poor performers unless they’re strategic loss leaders. Rotate featured products weekly but always optimise that crucial first spot.
Direct Purchases With Strategic Product Grid Banners
Subtle badges on product cards influence decisions without screaming for attention. “Bestseller” builds confidence through social proof. “Last Few” creates authentic urgency. “New Arrival” satisfies novelty seekers. “Staff Pick” adds personal recommendation.
Restraint matters. Badge 15-20% of products maximum or the special becomes ordinary. Test different colours for different messages. Red for urgency, green for value, gold for premium. Track which combinations drive clicks for your specific audience.
Improve UX By Listing Key Product Info In Grid Cards
Category pages shouldn’t be a guessing game. Customers browsing multiple options need immediate information to compare effectively. Forcing clicks for basic details frustrates users into abandoning your site entirely.
Display essentials directly on cards: full product name, price (with original if on sale), star rating, available sizes or colours. Technical products benefit from one key specification. “Intel i7 processor” for laptops. “Waterproof to 50m” for watches. Pre-qualification happens before clicking, saving everyone time.
Use Filters for Price, Sale, Colour, Size, Availability
Broken or limited filtering drives customers straight to competitors with better UX. Essential filters include price range sliders, sale items toggle, colour selection, size options, and availability status. Your specific industry might need additional options. “Dietary restrictions” for food. “Age range” for toys. “Compatibility” for tech accessories.
Mobile filters should slide from the side, never require page reloads. Show result counts for each filter option: “Blue (23)”. Allow multiple selections within categories. Remember selections when users navigate back. These details separate professional stores from amateur operations.
Show Product Image, Price, and Rating Directly in Grid Cards
Grid cards missing key elements force unnecessary clicks that interrupt shopping flow. Every card needs a clear product image (lazy-loaded for speed), visible pricing, and star ratings if available.
Products with any reviews convert better than those without, even if it’s just two reviews showing 4 stars. Include sale prices with strikethrough originals. Show “Quick View” on hover for desktop users. Mobile cards need slightly larger touch targets for easy tapping.
Limited-Time-Offer Popups
Time-based popups triggered after meaningful browse time capture abandoning visitors effectively. Someone spending 45 seconds viewing winter coats shows purchase intent worth pursuing. Offering 10% off in exchange for their email provides value while building your list.
Exit-intent technology captures 3-5% of leaving visitors when offers match browsing behaviour. Generic “Sign up for our newsletter” fails. “Get 10% off these running shoes” after browsing footwear succeeds. Tools like Privy and OptiMonster handle behavioural triggering intelligently.
Ensure Pagination or Infinite Scroll is Smooth and Doesn’t Reload Filters
Applied filters resetting on page two represents a critical UX failure that sends frustrated shoppers elsewhere. Users who carefully selected “Size M, Under £50, Blue” shouldn’t lose these choices when viewing more products.
Choose infinite scroll for mobile (with a “Load More” button fallback) and pagination for desktop. Maintain filter state across all navigation. Show progress: “Viewing 24 of 89 products”. Smooth transitions without viewport jumping. These technical details determine whether customers browse deeply or leave immediately.
Install a Session Recording and Heatmap Tools
Tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg, or Microsoft Clarity show exactly where visitors click, how far they scroll, and where they abandon. Heatmaps reveal whether your carefully crafted CTA buttons get noticed or ignored.
A feature many store owners aren’t aware of is session recordings. These are exactly how they sound: real recordings of how people have used your website. The data is anonymised so there’s no privacy risk.
What session recording does is allow you to see any technical issues on your website and identify what the last thing your users saw before deciding to exit your website. If it’s a review or FAQ sections, those are quick-wins to fix.
Include An FAQ Section Beneath The Product Grid
Category page FAQs accomplish two goals: answering buyer questions and adding valuable SEO content to otherwise thin pages. Generic questions waste space. Category-specific guidance provides real value.
Running shoe category: “What’s the difference between neutral and stability shoes?” Kitchen appliances: “Which attachment works best for bread dough?” Each answer runs 100-150 words of practical advice. Schema markup these as FAQ content for potential featured snippets. The combination of user value and SEO benefit makes this essential for competitive categories.
Cart & Checkout Optimisation
The global cart abandonment rate sits at 70.22% according to Baymard Institute, representing billions in lost revenue. Every friction point between cart and completion costs sales. The following optimisations target the most common abandonment triggers to recover those losses.
Show The Savings A User Is Making
Reinforcing value at checkout reduces last-second hesitation. Instead of just “Total: £156.99”, break down the maths: “Subtotal: £189.99, Discount: £33.00, Total: £156.99”. Highlight savings in green to trigger positive associations.
This works particularly well for everyday items where value matters. Supermarkets pioneered showing “You saved £24.50 today!” for good reason. B2B buyers respond to comparisons against list prices. Luxury brands should skip this entirely to maintain premium positioning.
One Click Upsells On Cart Pages
Cart pages present perfect upsell opportunities because purchase intent is already established. Display complementary products customers can add instantly without returning to browsing. Phone cases with phones. Socks with shoes. Batteries with electronics.
Strategic upselling generates 10-30% additional revenue per transaction. Keep suggestions under 30% of cart value to maintain impulse-buy appeal. “Frequently bought together” or “Don’t forget” messaging feels helpful rather than pushy. Position 3-4 items maximum to avoid overwhelming.
Enable Guest Checkout
26% of shoppers abandon when forced to create accounts. They came to buy, not fill out registration forms. Guest checkout should be the default, prominent option.
Capture emails early for abandoned cart recovery, but never gate purchases. After successful guest orders, offer one-click account creation using their purchase information: “Save your details for faster future checkouts”. Sweeten with immediate benefits: “Create account for exclusive member pricing”. This approach captures more accounts than mandatory registration ever could.
Place Trust Signals Everywhere
Purchase anxiety peaks at payment. Address every concern with visible security throughout checkout. SSL badges at form fields. Payment method logos showing accepted options. “100% satisfaction guaranteed” near the submit button.
Trust concerns drive 18% of abandonments. Include a support phone number visibly. Add a brief testimonial: “Fast delivery, exactly as described” near CTAs. McAfee Secure or Norton badges beside payment fields. Each trust element removes another excuse to abandon.
Add Free-Shipping Progress Bar in Cart
“You’re £8 away from FREE delivery!” motivates additional purchases better than any clever copy. The progress bar visualises how close customers are to saving on shipping, encouraging that extra item.
Set thresholds strategically at 30% above your current average order value. Update messaging as customers approach: “Add one more item for free shipping!” Suggest specific products at the right price point to reach the minimum. The visual progress creates a game-like element that drives higher cart values.
Keep Checkout to One Page
Long, complex checkouts cause 22% of abandonments. Multi-step processes feel like tax forms. Consolidate everything into one scrollable page with clear sections.
Use accordion sections that expand as completed: Delivery Address → Payment Details → Order Review. Show visual progress with green checkmarks. Implement postcode lookup for automatic address filling. Format card numbers automatically with spaces. The entire process should take under 60 seconds for returning customers.
Offer Route Shipping Protection
Route protection brilliantly monetises customer anxiety about deliveries going wrong. For £2-3, customers get peace of mind while you pocket mostly pure profit.
Position as a pre-checked option: “Protect your order against loss, theft, or damage for £2.49”. Most customers leave it selected. You’ve added margin while removing friction around delivery complaints. The psychology works because the small cost feels worthwhile compared to potentially losing the entire order.
Use Address Autocomplete and Inline Error Validation
Manual address entry creates errors and frustration. Google Places API reduces input time by 40% while eliminating typos that cause delivery failures.
Begin suggestions after three characters. Validate fields immediately with clear feedback. Red outline for errors with specific messages: “Postcode format incorrect”. Green checkmarks for valid entries. Never wait until submission to show problems. The instant feedback prevents frustration while speeding checkout.
Show All Costs Early
48% of cart abandoners cite unexpected costs as their primary reason. That nasty surprise at payment destroys trust instantly.
Calculate everything on the cart page. “Subtotal: £89.99, Delivery: £5.99, VAT: £19.20, Total: £115.18”. Use geolocation for shipping estimates before address entry. If exact calculation isn’t possible, show ranges: “Delivery from £4.99”. Transparency beats perfection. Customers accept costs they expect but rage against surprises.
Offer The Option To Create An Account With Purchase Info
Timing matters for account creation. Post-purchase, when customers feel satisfied, captures far more sign-ups than forced pre-purchase registration.
“Save your details for next time?” appears after order confirmation. One click creates their account using existing order data. No new forms. Incentivise with immediate value: “Members get exclusive early access to sales” or “Unlock free shipping on all orders”. This approach feels like a reward rather than a requirement.
Offer One-Click Express Payment
PayPal Express, Apple Pay, and Shop Pay buttons belong prominently above traditional forms. These reduce checkout time by 70% because payment details are already stored.
“Express checkout” with recognisable logos immediately signals speed. Mobile users especially appreciate not typing card numbers on small keyboards. These options also help customers who don’t have their wallet handy. The convenience factor alone recovers significant abandoned carts.
Increase Average Order Values With Post-Purchase One Click Upsells
The moment after purchase, when endorphins are high, presents golden upsell opportunity. Redirect to a time-limited offer page before order confirmation. “Add our bestselling moisturiser for 40% off (next 30 seconds only)”.
One click adds it to their completed order using stored payment details. No new forms or friction. Airlines perfected this with seat selection and baggage. Post-purchase upsells can increase AOV by 15-30% when executed properly. Set clear expectations: “Your original order is confirmed regardless”. Bundle complementary products at significant discounts for maximum appeal.
Navigation
Use Searchanise & AI-powered Search Recommendations
Searchanise transforms basic search into visual product discovery. Instead of text links, searchers see product cards with images, prices, and ratings directly in results. This rich experience keeps customers engaged without forcing category navigation.
Typing “blue dress” shows actual blue dresses with prices, not just suggestions. Include filters within results. Display “Trending searches” and “You might like” for inspiration. Typo tolerance and synonym recognition prevent dead ends. Smart search implementations see 15-20% higher conversions than basic text matching.
Optimise For Z-Shape Eye Scanners
Eye-tracking studies confirm Z-pattern scanning, with corners receiving maximum attention. Top-left holds your logo for brand recognition. Top-right gets cart icon and account access, or a welcome offer code for new visitors.
The scanning continues across main navigation, diagonally through hero content, ending bottom-right with primary CTAs. Use Hotjar heatmaps to verify your critical elements align with actual viewing patterns. Misaligned layouts waste prime visual real estate.
Display Product Image, Price, and Rating in Autocomplete Results
Search suggestions should preview actual products, not just predict text. Rich autocomplete showing “Gaming Laptop £899” with image and rating beats plain text “gaming laptops” every time.
Include 3-5 product previews alongside keyword suggestions. Add category hints: “in Computers & Tablets” for clarity. Mobile autocomplete needs larger touch targets with adequate spacing. The visual richness speeds product discovery while reducing required clicks.
Add “View All” Link in Dropdown Menus to Prevent Dead Ends
Mega menus can overwhelm with excessive options. Every dropdown section needs a “Shop All [Category]” escape route for comprehensive browsers.
Position “View All” links consistently at section tops or bottoms. Include “Recently Viewed” in dropdowns for quick returns to considered items. Dead-end navigation frustrates users who know what they want but can’t find the right path. Every menu endpoint should lead somewhere useful, even if it’s just the parent category.
Keep Mobile Navigation Collapsible and Easy to Reach With Thumb
Mobile drives 60% of traffic but 85% of abandonments. Tiny hamburger menus hiding in corners actively harm conversions.
Bottom navigation bars or larger menu buttons accommodate one-handed use. Accordion-style collapsible menus beat endless scrolling lists. Feature search prominently since 30% of mobile users prefer searching to browsing. Test everything with your phone in one hand. If reaching options requires finger gymnastics, redesign.
Ensure Footer Repeats Key Store Info: Shipping, Returns, Contact
Footers catch customers seeking final reassurance before purchase. “Free UK delivery over £50”, “30-day hassle-free returns”, and “Call us: 0800-XXX-XXXX” address common concerns.
Organise sections logically: Customer Service, Shopping, About Us, Connect. Include accepted payment logos and security badges. Newsletter signup with clear incentive belongs here too. Well-designed footers answer questions that would otherwise become abandonments.
Site Speed & Technical Optimisation
Google’s Core Web Vitals affect both rankings and revenue. Pages loading under 3 seconds see 32% better conversion than those taking 5 seconds. Mobile users on slower connections abandon even faster.
Ensure All Pages Work on Mobile Networks Under 3 Seconds
Testing on WiFi gives false confidence. Real customers use 4G in buildings with poor signal. If your site crawls on throttled connections, you’re hemorrhaging mobile revenue.
Run PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix regularly. Target Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5 seconds and First Input Delay below 100 milliseconds. These aren’t arbitrary Google metrics but actual frustration thresholds where customers give up and leave.
Compress and Serve Images in Modern Formats
WebP delivers 30% smaller files than JPEG at identical quality. AVIF pushes compression further still. Yet most stores serve bloated PNGs that destroy performance.
CDNs like Cloudflare automatically convert and optimise images. WordPress users can implement Smush or ShortPixel. Serve responsive images sized appropriately for devices. That 2000-pixel product photo doesn’t need full resolution on a phone screen. Every kilobyte saved improves speed.
Prioritise Loading of Product Info and CTAs Before Secondary Assets
Customers need prices and buy buttons before Instagram feeds load. Critical rendering path optimisation ensures conversion elements appear first.
Defer non-essential JavaScript. Load third-party widgets asynchronously. Product information should render within 2 seconds even if reviews take longer. Use critical CSS inlining for above-the-fold content. The perceived performance improves dramatically when important elements appear quickly.
Lazy Load Images and Videos Below the Fold
Resources users can’t see shouldn’t delay what they can see. Lazy loading waits until content enters viewport before loading, dramatically improving initial performance.
Modern browsers support native lazy loading with simple HTML attributes. For broader support, implement Intersection Observer API. Category pages with hundreds of products benefit enormously. Never autoplay videos on mobile where data costs matter.
Minify and Defer Non-Essential Scripts
JavaScript from analytics, chat widgets, and marketing pixels shouldn’t block page rendering. Each third-party script adds latency that accumulates into sluggish experiences.
Minification strips unnecessary characters reducing file sizes. Deferring delays execution until after HTML parsing. Google Tag Manager alone might add 500ms if misconfigured. Audit every script. If it doesn’t directly enable purchases, it loads last.
Use a CDN to Reduce Latency Globally
Content Delivery Networks serve assets from servers physically nearest to customers. London visitors get content from UK servers, not your hosting in America. The geographic proximity cuts loading time significantly.
Cloudflare’s free tier suffices for smaller stores. Larger operations benefit from Fastly or AWS CloudFront. CDNs provide additional benefits: DDoS protection, automatic optimization, and bandwidth savings. International visitors see 20-50% speed improvements immediately.
Implement Browser Caching and Server-Side Compression
Returning visitors shouldn’t re-download unchanged files. Browser caching stores static assets locally for instant loading on return visits.
Set appropriate cache headers: images (30+ days), CSS/JavaScript (7 days), HTML (1 hour). Enable GZIP compression reducing transfer sizes by 70%. These server configurations cost nothing but deliver measurable speed improvements. Most hosting providers enable both through simple controls.
Remove Heavy Pop-ups or Chat Widgets That Slow Down Load
That helpful chat widget might be costing you sales. Complex pop-ups with animations destroy Core Web Vitals scores Google uses for ranking.
Audit third-party tools with Chrome DevTools Network tab. Anything adding over 200ms needs justification. Replace heavy solutions with lightweight alternatives. Load chat widgets only after user interaction. Exit-intent popups outperform entry popups for both UX and performance. Speed beats features when features slow sales.
