320+ Ways to Fix the Leaks in Your Shopify Store

Before we get started - if you're looking for something practical, the full 320+ Shopify CRO checklist is available for free at the bottom of this page. It's a simple Google Sheet you can work through at your own pace, one section at a time.

What CRO Actually Means (in Plain English)

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is about making it easier for people to buy. That doesn’t mean tricks or dark patterns. It means removing friction, answering doubts, and making sure the path from landing on your store to completing a purchase feels smooth and confident.

It's about clarity. Do people instantly understand what you sell and why it's worth it?
It's about findability. Can they get to the product they want in a couple of clicks?
It's about trust. Are their unspoken questions answered before they even need to ask?
And it’s about momentum. Does the experience keep them moving, especially on mobile?

Good CRO work finds the places where customers hesitate - then fixes them.

Where Shopify Gives You a Head Start

Shopify already gives you one of the best e-commerce checkouts on the internet. It’s fast, secure, familiar to customers, and works with all the major payment providers. Performance-wise, it's solid too.

You're not battling the platform itself. You're standing on a strong foundation - and that gives you the freedom to focus on what really matters: the experience of your store. The journey before checkout. The moments that make a visitor feel confident enough to click "Buy now."

Not Ready for a Redesign? You Can Still Improve

Redesigns are often the most powerful way to improve conversion. When done well, they align every part of the customer journey - content, UX, performance, and storytelling - into one cohesive experience.

But not every business is in the right place for that. Maybe you're still validating your product. Maybe your budget’s tight. Maybe you’ve already launched, and you just need to plug the leaks.

That’s where this checklist comes in. It’s not a substitute for a proper design process - but it’s a great way to improve what you already have. Bit by bit. No guesswork.

What the Checklist Covers

The checklist breaks down your store into clear sections: homepage, navigation, collections, product pages, cart, checkout, mobile UX, trust-building, retention, content, and performance.

Inside each section are specific, small tasks you can check off - things like:

• Moving your returns summary closer to the Add to Cart button
• Reordering navigation so your bestsellers are easier to find
• Compressing your homepage hero image to improve mobile load time
• Making your Add to Cart button sticky on mobile
• Adding a delivery estimate right below the product price

These aren’t vague tips. They’re specific actions you can take, one at a time. Some take five minutes. Others might take a few hours. But each one brings your store a step closer to being faster, clearer, and more trustworthy.

Redesign or Not, Momentum Matters

Some stores need a fresh start. Others just need a nudge in the right direction. What’s important is momentum. A better store doesn’t happen all at once - it happens one improvement at a time.

That’s the goal of the checklist: to give you a practical, manageable way to keep moving forward, whether you’re planning a redesign or just keeping your current store performing at its best.