cro-auditor

CRO Auditor

Audits a website for conversion rate optimization issues AND AI automation opportunities. Returns specific, actionable findings that can be referenced in outreach messages. Each finding includes an impact assessment, recommended fix, and a natural outreach hook.

Prerequisites

• WebSearch or browser automation tool available to visit and analyze the target website
• Target website URL
• Optional: agency.config.json for service-specific audit focus

Phase 0: Intake

1. Read agency.config.json from the project root (if available).
2. Extract services[] to understand which CRO areas the agency specializes in.
3. Accept parameters:
   • url -- (required) the website to audit
   • pages -- (optional) specific pages to audit. Default: homepage, one product page, one collection page
   • depth -- quick (homepage only) | standard (home + product + collection) | deep (all pages + mobile + speed). Default: standard
   • focus -- (optional) specific area: trust, navigation, product-pages, mobile, speed, checkout, cta

Phase 1: Homepage Audit

Visit the homepage and evaluate:

Above the Fold

• Hero clarity: Is the value proposition clear within 3 seconds?
• CTA visibility: Is there a clear primary CTA above the fold?
• Visual hierarchy: Does the eye flow naturally from headline to supporting text to CTA?
• Hero image/video: Does it show the product in use or just a generic brand shot?
• Navigation: Is the menu clear, scannable, and well-organized?

Trust Signals

• Social proof: Customer count, testimonials, trust badges visible?
• Brand logos: "As seen in" or partner logos present?
• Reviews aggregate: Overall rating visible on homepage?
• Security badges: SSL, payment security, money-back guarantee?
• Contact info: Phone number, email, or chat widget accessible?

Content Structure

• Sections flow: Does the page tell a story (problem, solution, proof, CTA)?
• Category access: Can visitors find product categories within one click?
• Featured products: Are bestsellers or new arrivals prominently displayed?
• Email capture: Is there a popup or embedded signup with a compelling offer?

Phase 2: Product Page Audit

Find and visit a representative product page. Evaluate:

Product Information

• Images: Multiple angles? Lifestyle shots? Zoom capability? Video?
• Description quality: Features AND benefits? Or just specs?
• Variant selector: Clear size/color selection? Visual swatches or text dropdowns?
• Size guide: Present and easy to find? (critical for apparel/footwear)
• Ingredients/materials: Listed clearly? (critical for skincare/food)
• Price clarity: Price clearly visible? Compare-at price shown? EMI/payment plans?

Trust and Confidence

• Reviews: Customer reviews present? With photos? Star rating visible?
• Review count: Enough reviews to be credible (>10)?
• Q&A section: Customer questions and answers available?
• Return policy: Clearly stated on the product page (not buried in footer)?
• Shipping info: Delivery estimate on the product page?
• Guarantees: Money-back guarantee, warranty info?

Conversion Elements

• Add to Cart button: Prominent, contrasting color, sticky on mobile?
• Buy Now / Express checkout: Available for impulse buyers?
• Urgency elements: Stock count, limited edition, sale timer? (if appropriate)
• Upsell/cross-sell: Related products, "frequently bought together", bundles?
• Sticky add-to-cart: Does the ATC button stay visible on scroll?

Social Proof on Product Page

• UGC: User-generated photos or videos?
• Instagram feed: Brand's Instagram embedded?
• Influencer mentions: Badges or callouts?

Phase 3: Collection Page Audit

Visit a collection/category page. Evaluate:

Browsing Experience

• Filters: Available? Relevant? (price, size, color, type)
• Sort options: Best selling, price, newest, rating?
• Product card info: Does each card show price, rating, variants, quick-add?
• Grid layout: Clean grid with consistent card sizes?
• Pagination vs infinite scroll: Which is used? Is it smooth?
• Empty states: What happens when filters return no results?

Scanability

• Product images: Consistent style and ratio?
• Quick view: Can visitors see product details without leaving the collection?
• Sale/badge indicators: New, sale, bestseller badges on cards?

Phase 4: Mobile Experience

Check the site on mobile viewport:

• Responsive layout: Does everything adapt properly?
• Touch targets: Are buttons/links large enough to tap?
• Menu: Hamburger menu works smoothly?
• Product images: Swipeable gallery?
• Sticky ATC: Add to cart visible without scrolling back up?
• Form inputs: Easy to fill on mobile? Auto-zoom issues?
• Pop-ups: Do they cover the entire screen? Easy to dismiss?
• Page speed: Does it feel fast on mobile?

Phase 5: Cart and Checkout Friction

If accessible, evaluate:

• Cart drawer vs page: Slide-out cart or separate page?
• Cart upsell: Recommendations in cart?
• Shipping calculator: Can they estimate shipping before checkout?
• Discount code field: Visible? Does it discourage non-coupon buyers?
• Guest checkout: Available or forced account creation?
• Checkout steps: How many steps to complete purchase?
• Trust signals in checkout: Security badges, guarantees repeated?
• Payment options: Multiple options (cards, UPI, wallets, BNPL)?

Phase 6: Page Speed Indicators

Observe or search for speed data:

• WebSearch: site:pagespeed.web.dev "{{domain}}" or "{{domain}}" page speed
• Observable indicators: Image optimization, lazy loading, font loading, script blocking
• Note any visible layout shifts or slow-loading elements

Phase 6.5: AI Audit

Based on publicly visible data, assess AI automation opportunities for the store:

AI-Powered Customer Experience

• AI Product Recommendations: Are they using basic "You may also like" or AI-powered personalization? Most stores use Shopify's basic recommendations.
• AI Chatbot / Customer Service: Is there a chat widget? Is it rule-based or AI-powered? Could Claude or an AI assistant handle their FAQ and product questions?
• AI Search: Is their site search basic keyword matching or AI-powered semantic search?

AI-Powered Operations

• Content Generation: Could AI help with product descriptions, SEO content, social media posts?
• Email Automation: Are their email flows basic templates? Could AI personalize email content per customer?
• Inventory Forecasting: For brands with multiple SKUs, AI demand forecasting could reduce stockouts.

AI-Powered Marketing

• Ad Copy Generation: Are they running ads? Could AI generate and A/B test ad variations?
• Customer Segmentation: Could AI identify high-LTV customer segments from purchase data?
• Review Analysis: Could AI analyze customer reviews to identify product improvement opportunities?

AI Integration Opportunities

• Claude-Based Systems: What custom AI agents could improve their workflow?
  • Automated customer support agent
  • Content generation pipeline
  • Order management automation
  • Supplier communication automation
• Workflow Automation: What manual processes could be automated with AI?

AI Audit Output

For each AI opportunity found, provide:

• Opportunity: What can be improved with AI
• Current state: What they're doing now (if visible)
• Potential impact: Revenue, efficiency, or customer experience improvement
• Implementation: How Plasho + Claude Code can set this up
• Outreach hook: Natural way to mention this in outreach

Example:

{
  "area": "AI Customer Service",
  "opportunity": "Replace basic FAQ page with AI-powered chatbot",
  "current_state": "Static FAQ page with 12 questions, no live chat",
  "impact": "High -- reduce support tickets by 40-60%, 24/7 availability",
  "implementation": "Claude-powered chatbot trained on their product catalog and policies",
  "outreach_hook": "Noticed your FAQ page handles common questions statically. We've set up AI chatbots for D2C brands that handle 60% of support automatically."
}

Phase 7: Score and Prioritize

Assign an overall score from 1-10 based on:

• 9-10: Excellent, minimal issues
• 7-8: Good, a few optimizations possible
• 5-6: Average, clear improvement areas
• 3-4: Below average, significant issues hurting conversion
• 1-2: Major problems, likely losing most potential customers

Score breakdown by area:

• Trust signals: X/10
• Product pages: X/10
• Navigation: X/10
• Mobile: X/10
• CTA clarity: X/10
• Checkout: X/10
• AI readiness: X/10

Phase 8: Generate Outreach Hooks

For each issue found, craft a natural outreach hook. Rules:

• Be specific, not generic ("Your product pages are missing customer reviews" not "Your site could be improved")
• Frame as an observation, not a criticism
• Connect to revenue impact when possible
• Keep it to one sentence
• Make it conversational

Good examples:

• "I noticed your product pages don't show customer reviews, which typically increases conversion by 15-25%."
• "Your mobile add-to-cart button disappears on scroll, which means mobile shoppers have to scroll back up to buy."
• "Your collection pages don't have filters, so shoppers with 50+ products to browse might bounce."

Bad examples:

• "Your website needs work." (too vague)
• "I found 15 critical issues with your store." (sounds like a scare tactic)
• "Your conversion rate is probably terrible." (presumptuous and rude)

Phase 9: Output

Return structured JSON:

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "audited_at": "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z",
  "overall_score": "5/10",
  "score_breakdown": {
    "trust_signals": "4/10",
    "product_pages": "5/10",
    "navigation": "6/10",
    "mobile": "5/10",
    "cta_clarity": "6/10",
    "checkout": "5/10",
    "ai_readiness": "X/10"
  },
  "top_issues": [
    {
      "area": "Product Pages",
      "issue": "No customer reviews on product pages",
      "impact": "High -- reviews increase conversion by 15-25% and reduce return rates",
      "fix": "Add a reviews app (Judge.me, Loox, Stamped) and set up post-purchase review request emails",
      "effort": "Low (1-2 hours to install and configure)",
      "outreach_hook": "I noticed your product pages don't show customer reviews. For skincare brands, reviews with photos are the #1 conversion driver."
    },
    {
      "area": "Mobile",
      "issue": "Add-to-cart button not sticky on mobile",
      "impact": "Medium -- mobile shoppers must scroll back to the top to add items to cart",
      "fix": "Enable sticky ATC in theme settings or add a custom sticky bar",
      "effort": "Low (theme setting or 30-min code change)",
      "outreach_hook": "On mobile, your add-to-cart button disappears when someone scrolls down to read reviews. Quick fix that usually bumps mobile conversion."
    }
  ],
  "ai_opportunities": [
    {
      "area": "AI Customer Service",
      "opportunity": "...",
      "current_state": "...",
      "impact": "...",
      "implementation": "...",
      "outreach_hook": "..."
    }
  ],
  "ai_recommended_changes": [
    "Implement AI chatbot for customer support",
    "Add AI-powered product recommendations",
    "Set up AI content generation pipeline"
  ],
  "strengths": [
    "Clean, consistent product photography",
    "Good brand storytelling on the about page",
    "Fast page load on desktop"
  ],
  "recommended_changes": [
    "Add customer reviews with photo upload",
    "Implement sticky add-to-cart on mobile",
    "Add size guide to apparel product pages",
    "Show delivery estimate on product page",
    "Add trust badges near the add-to-cart button"
  ],
  "pages_audited": [
    "https://example.com",
    "https://example.com/products/example-product",
    "https://example.com/collections/all"
  ],
  "depth": "standard"
}

Phase 10: Log

No approval gate. Results are written directly to CRM and passed to downstream skills.

Example Usage

Trigger phrases:

• "Audit this website for CRO"
• "Check [url] for conversion issues"
• "Run a CRO audit on [company]'s store"
• "Find issues on [url] I can mention in my outreach"
• "Quick audit of [url]"

User: Audit https://brandx.com for CRO issues
Assistant: [visits homepage, product page, collection page, evaluates all dimensions, returns scored findings with outreach hooks]

User: Quick CRO check on example.com, just the product pages
Assistant: [visits product page only, returns focused findings]