What is an eCommerce audit and when is it worth conducting it?
An eCommerce audit is a comprehensive analysis of an online store, covering all key areas of its operation (technical, UX/UI, SEO, content, analytics, business, processes). Its purpose is to assess the current condition of the e-store and identify areas for improvement.
When to conduct an audit? It is best when significant changes are planned or the results are unsatisfactory. Typical times for an audit are:
- Before migrating to another platform – e.g. when planning transferring a store to Shopify. An audit helps you detect problems so that they don't transfer to the new system and prepare for migration so that you don't lose data or SEO position.
- Before a major optimization or redesign - before you invest in a rebuild, it's worth knowing what to check in your online store and which areas require attention. The audit results will indicate priorities, so you can focus on the most effective improvements.
- Regularly (preventively) or when results drop - a periodic audit (e.g. once a year) helps keep your store in good shape and adapt to changes in the market. When sales or conversions are noticeably declining, an audit will allow you to quickly diagnose the causes (e.g. technical errors, UX issues) instead of guessing.
Main areas of an eCommerce audit
A comprehensive e-store audit should cover all important aspects of the store's operation. Below are the most importantareas of an eCommerce audit and the elements to pay attention to before migration or optimization.
Technical audit
- Loading speed: Does the page load in 2-3 seconds? Slow performance discourages customers. Use tools (PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix) to measure performance and find the causes of slowdowns.
- Technical errors: Check for broken links (404), script errors, and other glitches. Use a crawler (e.g. Screaming Frog) to quickly detect and fix them.
- Responsiveness: The store must work and look good on mobile devices (mobile-first). Check on smartphones whether everything displays correctly and all functions can be used.
- Security: Make sure the store has an SSL certificate (https) and meets customer data protection standards. Regularly update your software to eliminate known security holes.
UX/UI audit
- Navigation: Is the category layout logical and clear, and can customers quickly find products? Check the effectiveness of the search engine (does it suggest phrases, filter results) and filters on product lists.
- Cart and checkout: Test whether the process from adding a product to the cart to paying for the order is simple and understandable. The cart should be easily accessible and editable, and finalizing the order should require a minimum of steps and fields. Show all costs (e.g. delivery) in advance, so that no one abandons the cart just before payment.
- Mobile UX: Check whether the store is convenient to use on a smartphone. Buttons and texts must be legible on a small screen, and the menu, search engine and cart – easily accessible. Avoid pop-ups that make mobile shopping difficult.
SEO and content audit
- Meta tags and headings: Each important subpage should have a unique meta title and description containing important keywords. Also, make sure that there is one H1 heading on the page with the main phrase, and subsequent headings (H2, H3) are used logically for the content structure.
- Duplicate content: Check if you have duplicate or copied (e.g. from the manufacturer) product descriptions. If detected, add canonical tags or prepare unique content. Also, remove pages with very little content or supplement them with valuable information.
- Indexing: Use Google Search Console to make sure that all key pages are indexed and unnecessary ones are blocked (robots.txt or noindex). Fix any indexing errors. When migrating, prepare 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones so that you don't lose traffic from search results.
Analytics and data audit
- Analytics setup: Check that Google Analytics (GA4) is properly implemented and tracks key events (transactions, clicks, etc.). Also make sure that all marketing tags (Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, etc.) are working properly - it's best to verify this in Google Tag Manager by making a test order.
- Data analysis: Review your Analytics reports to identify where you're losing customers. Check which pages have a high bounce rate and where in the shopping path users are most likely to abandon. Also pay attention to which traffic channels are generating entries without sales - this is a signal of what needs improvement.
Business audit
- Assortment: Check which products are selling best and which are selling poorly (ABC analysis). Assess whether you're offering what customers are looking for - maybe you're missing important products or, on the contrary, the assortment is too wide and creates chaos. Consider removing unprofitable items and focusing on bestsellers.
- Pricing and margins: Compare your prices with your competitors – are they driving away customers or taking away your profit? Analyze margins: are sales profitable after taking into account all costs (purchase, warehouse, marketing, shipping). The audit will show where to adjust prices or costs to maintain a healthy margin.
- Returns: Assess the terms of returns and complaints. A friendly policy (free returns, longer return period) increases customer trust. Make sure that information about returns is visible on the website and the returns process itself is smooth (fast refund, etc.).
- Promotions: Analyze the effectiveness of previous promotions (discounts, discount codes, loyalty program). Which promotions actually increased sales? Make sure that current promotions are clearly visible in the store. During migration, transfer data important for promotions (e.g. customer loyalty points, unexpired coupons) to maintain marketing continuity.
Operational process audit
- Order fulfillment: Check whether orders are completed and shipped quickly. Assess whether you offer various forms of delivery (courier, parcel locker, etc.) and whether integrations between the store, warehouse and courier companies work smoothly. If there were delays or errors in shipping, find the cause and implement corrections. During migration, make sure that the new system will support all necessary integrations and shipping methods.
- Customer service: Provide customers with quick and convenient contact (phone, e-mail, live chat) and answer questions immediately. Analyze the most common questions or complaints – they indicate what can be improved (e.g. adding missing information to the page). Good service builds loyalty, so eliminate any weak points in the process.
How to perform an eCommerce audit – who and what tools?
The audit is best entrusted to an interdisciplinary team or external experts who will look at it objectively. Combining internal business knowledge with the auditor's experience gives the best results.
Audit tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights / GTmetrix – analysis of page loading speed and key performance indicators (Core Web Vitals). You will learn about the elements that slow down the site and optimization recommendations.
- Screaming Frog – scanning the site for SEO. Detects broken links, duplicate meta data, server errors, incorrect redirects, etc. – all technical issues that need fixing.
- Google Search Console – monitor the status of your site in Google. Check the indexing report to make sure that important pages are indexed and that no errors (e.g. blocked resources) have been reported.
- Hotjar – analyze user behavior (click heatmaps, session recordings). You will find out which elements attract attention and where users encounter problems or leave the site.
- Google Analytics / GA4 – track traffic and conversions. You will see where users come from, how they navigate the store and what percentage make a purchase. GA4 also allows you to create your own reports and analyzes (e.g. user paths).
- Data from CRM/ERP – use data from the company's internal systems. Check the customer profile in CRM (e.g. % of return customers, average basket value), and operational data in ERP (e.g. turnover inventory, order fulfillment times). Such information, compared with store data, provides a more complete picture of the situation.
What's next after the audit – from results to an action plan
An audit is only valuable if you turn the conclusions into improvements. After receiving the report, prepare achange implementation plan – a schedule of corrective actions.
- Task list: List all the problems detected in the audit and the recommended solutions. Set a priority and a responsible person for them.
- Prioritization: First, deal with critical errors (e.g., checkout not working, no HTTPS path) and fixes with the greatest impact on sales. Plan less urgent improvements for later.
- Roadmap of changes: Set up a schedule for implementation. Determine what can be done right away (quick wins) and what will take more time (e.g., rebuilding the site, changing the platform). If you are planningreplatforming, include work on the new store in the plan – so that any detected problems (SEO, integrations, functionalities) can be eliminated immediately during the implementation of the new platform.
- Implementation and testing: Introduce changes in stages and check their effects on an ongoing basis. After each significant fix, verify whether it brought the expected result (e.g. faster performance, increased conversions). Before launching the new version of the store, be sure to perform comprehensive tests (pre-release audit).
- Monitoring: After implementing the fixes, monitor key indicators (sales, conversion, traffic, speed, SEO positions). Make sure that the changes are working to your advantage. Consider another audit in a few months - regular checks of the store's condition will allow you to constantly improve it.
Finally, remember that you don't have to do it alone. Do you need support with an audit or store migration? Contact us.We are an official Shopify partner and an experienced eCommerce advisor. We will help you conduct a professional audit, plan optimization, and efficiently implement changes so that your e-business grows without obstacles.
