Conversion Rate Optimisation Checklist

How to use this conversion rate checklist

This CRO checklist is designed for Australian businesses that want a straightforward way to find and fix the issues suppressing conversions. Start with the highest-impact items closest to the conversion event (offer clarity, proof, forms/checkout). Then move out to page structure, mobile UX, speed and analytics.

• Score each item Red (fail), Amber (needs work) or Green (good enough for now).
• Log fixes in a simple backlog with impact, effort and owner.
• Ship fast improvements in days, then schedule structured tests.

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CRO fundamentals: before you tweak buttons

• One page, one primary goal. Remove or downplay competing actions.
• Message-market match. The headline and offer must match the ad, search term or source that brought the user.
• Value first. State the problem you solve, outcome, and why choose you, above the fold.
• Friction vs. motivation. Only ask for what you need now; explain why and what happens next.
• Trust at the right moments. Inject proof where doubt arises: near pricing, forms and guarantees.

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Website-wide essentials

• Navigation is simple; key conversion pages are one click away.
• Contact methods are obvious: phone, email, form and office details for Australian trust.
• Consistent CTAs using action + outcome (e.g., “Get a quote”, “Book a consult”).
• Clear privacy statement and ABN; local credibility signals if you serve a city or state.
• Mobile-first layout; text size and spacing meet accessibility basics.

Review the website design checklist

Landing page checklist

• Headline states outcome and ideal customer in plain language.
• Lead with the strongest proof: reviews, ratings, logos, case snippets.
• Explain the offer in 3–5 bullets with concrete benefits and specifics.
• Primary CTA is visible on load and repeated after key sections.
• No unnecessary links that leak traffic; footer is minimal.

Open the landing page checklist

Offer, messaging and proof

• Value proposition passes the 5-second test: who it’s for, what you do, why you’re better.
• Specifics beat superlatives: numbers, timeframes, inclusions, limitations.
• Testimonials have names, roles, locations or company for context.
• Case studies show before/after metrics; screenshots where relevant.
• Guarantees or risk-reversals are clear and believable.

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Forms and checkout

• Ask only for fields needed to progress the sale; explain why you ask for each sensitive field.
• Use inline validation and helpful error messages.
• Show what happens next after submission (thank-you page with next steps).
• Offer alternative contact paths for high-intent users (phone, live chat during business hours).
• For ecommerce: guest checkout, clear delivery and returns, trusted payment badges and BNPL if suitable.

Fix my form drop-off

Mobile UX and accessibility

• Tap targets are 44px+; critical CTAs sit clear of thumb “dead zones”.
• Readable type (16px+ body) and sufficient colour contrast.
• Sticky CTA for long pages; avoid intrusive popups on first load.
• Images are responsive and compressed; no layout shifts around CTAs.
• Keyboard and screen-reader basics work on forms and menus.

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Speed and technical checks

• Pass Core Web Vitals on mobile for key templates (CWV field data, not just lab scores).
• Optimise images, fonts and third-party scripts; defer non-critical JS.
• Cache, CDN and compression enabled; minimise render-blocking resources.
• No 404s or redirect chains on ad or email destinations.
• Track down heavy widgets that hurt conversion (maps, chat, video) and lazy load where possible.

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Analytics, tracking and attribution

• GA4 events set for primary and micro conversions; destination thank-you pages configured.
• Source/medium and campaign parameters are consistent across channels.
• Phone call tracking and form attribution in place where relevant.
• CRM or lead capture stores UTM and page context for sales follow-up.
• Dashboards show conversion rate by channel, device and landing page.

Set up analytics and tracking Build a clear CRO dashboard

Experimentation and roadmap

• Maintain a hypothesis backlog prioritised by impact, confidence and effort (ICE).
• Test one meaningful change at a time; run to significance with adequate sample size.
• Start with copy, proof placement and form friction before heavy redesigns.
• Create variants for highest-traffic, highest-value pages first.
• Document results and roll learnings into design standards.

Plan my next 90 days of tests

Light Australian benchmarks (guide only)

• Lead gen websites: 2–5% site-wide, 8–20% on focused landing pages with strong offer.
• Ecommerce: 1–3% overall, 4–8% from high-intent search or email traffic.
• Click-to-call on mobile: 4–12% from local service pages when intent is strong.
• Bounce under 50% for targeted landing pages; time to first interaction under 2s.

Always compare like-for-like (channel, device, new vs returning) and build from your baseline.

Common CRO mistakes

• Redesigning without fixing the offer or proof.
• Chasing “best practices” without measurement or traffic for testing.
• Too many fields, unclear errors and no reassurance on forms.
• Weak mobile experience and slow pages on key templates.
• No consistent attribution, so wins can’t be repeated.

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What a sensible next step looks like

Create a short action plan: confirm goals and tracking, fix the top five friction points, then run two to three meaningful tests on your highest-value page. Keep the changes small, measurable and fast to ship.

Get help prioritising your top five fixes Read the CRO strategy guide

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