What is Shopify CRO?

Shopify CRO (conversion rate optimization) is the process of improving your store to increase the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action - whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for your newsletter, or adding items to their cart.

Instead of driving more traffic, CRO helps you get the most out of your existing visitors. More conversions, more sales, more profit - without spending extra on ads.

How to Calculate Your Conversion Rate

Your Shopify conversion rate is simple to calculate:

Conversion Rate = (Total Conversions / Total Visitors) x 100

For example, if you had 1,000 visitors and 30 of them made a purchase, your conversion rate would be:

(30 / 1,000) x 100 = 3%

Industry benchmarks vary, but a 2-3% conversion rate is considered average for Shopify stores. If yours is below that, don’t worry - these nine strategies will help you optimize for better results.

10 Simple Strategies to Boost Your Conversion Rate

Improving your conversion rate doesn’t have to be overwhelming. 

By making small, targeted adjustments, you can remove friction from the buying process and encourage more visitors to complete their purchases. 

Here are ten simple yet powerful tactics to help you maximize conversions on your Shopify store.

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1. Design a ‘Broad & Shallow’ Navigational Structure

Think about how easy it is to navigate a physical store - everything is neatly categorized, and you can quickly find what you need. 

Online stores should follow the same logic, or else customers might feel overwhelmed, get lost, and bounce back to Google in frustration.

The best approach? A broad and shallow navigation structure. 

This means organizing your store so that every product page is reachable within three clicks or fewer - keeping the browsing experience smooth and intuitive.

A great example is the fitness apparel brand Gymshark. Despite offering a vast range of fitness apparel, its navigation starts with just two primary categories: Men’s and Women’s.

How Gymshark Simplifies Navigation:

• The homepage features clear, high-level categories
• Hovering over a category reveals a dropdown menu with product types, trending items, and accessories
• Shoppers can reach a specific product page in just a few clicks
• This well-structured approach guides customers effortlessly to the products they want, reduces friction, and increases conversions by making shopping fast and frustration-free.

Want more sales? Keep your navigation broad and shallow - so customers never have to dig to find what they’re looking for.

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2. Add Visual Progress Indicators to Checkout

Many merchants hesitate to tweak their checkout process, fearing it might hurt conversions. But when done right, even small adjustments - like adding progress indicators - can enhance the user experience and boost completion rates.

A great example comes from clothing brand Taylor Stitch, which displays a clear progress bar at the top of its checkout page.

Why Progress Indicators Work:

• They show customers how far along they are, reducing uncertainty
• They create a sense of achievement with each completed step
• They keep shoppers engaged, making them more likely to finalize their purchase

“By providing a clear indication of how far along users are in the checkout process, it creates a sense of accomplishment and progress, which can increase motivation to complete the purchase,” explains Yusuf Shurabaji, Co-Founder & Partner at Prismfly.

When customers see the finish line in sight, they’re less likely to abandon their cart. Adding a simple progress tracker can turn hesitant shoppers into happy buyers - and drive more revenue for your store.

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3. Remove ‘Return to Cart’ Links from Checkout

Once a customer enters the checkout process, your goal is to keep them focused on completing their purchase. Any unnecessary links - like a ‘Return to Cart’ button - can distract buyers, increasing the chances of them abandoning their purchase.

In an A/B test run by Prismfly, simply removing the ‘Return to Cart’ link led to a 10% increase in order volume, with 95% statistical significance.

Why This Works:

• Customers can still use their browser’s back button if needed
• Fewer exit points mean less hesitation and a smoother checkout flow
• A more streamlined experience reduces distractions and encourages completion

“We’ve run A/B tests where hiding the ‘Return to Cart’ link took just minutes to implement and immediately improved conversions,” explains Yusuf Shurabaji, Co-Founder & Partner at Prismfly.

This quick fix is a high-impact change that can significantly boost conversions with minimal effort. The fewer distractions in checkout, the higher your chances of turning browsers into buyers.

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4. Only Ask for Essential Information

Long checkout forms create friction - and friction kills conversions. The more effort customers have to put in, the higher the chances they’ll abandon their purchase. 

Every additional field you ask them to fill out is another potential drop-off point.

A great example of an optimized checkout form comes from leather goods brand Sandqvist. Instead of overwhelming shoppers with unnecessary fields, they trimmed their checkout form down to just seven fields. 

Plus, they set the shipping and billing addresses to match by default, saving customers from entering their details twice.

How to Reduce Form Friction:

• Only ask for the essentials - name, email, address, and payment details
• Auto-fill fields where possible (e.g., billing address = shipping address)
• Remove ‘company name,’ ‘confirm email,’ ‘title,’ and ‘phone number’ unless absolutely necessary

By minimizing form fields, you make checkout feel fast, easy, and seamless - leading to higher completion rates and more sales. Less typing, more buying!

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5. Add One-Click Upsells

Many merchants think conversion optimization stops at checkout, but the real opportunity comes after the first purchase. 

One of the simplest ways to increase revenue without extra traffic is by adding one-click upsells.

Once a customer has completed their purchase, they are already in a buying mindset, making them far more likely to accept an additional offer. 

Plus, with a one-click upsell, customers do not need to re-enter payment details, reducing friction and making it easier to say yes to another product.

• Upsells appear after the initial purchase, so they do not disrupt the checkout flow
• Customers can add additional products without having to re-enter payment details
• Optimized one-click upsells can convert up to 15% of total orders into second purchases

Many Shopify merchants using ReConvert have seen significant results by integrating one-click upsells into their post-purchase flow, leading to a higher average order value and more revenue without additional marketing spend.

Optimizing your store does not end at checkout. Adding one-click upsells ensures you maximize every transaction with minimal effort.

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6. Cross-Sell on Your Thank You Page

Once a customer completes their purchase, they land on your thank you page - a prime opportunity to encourage additional sales. 

A shopper who has just made a purchase is still engaged and much more likely to buy again if presented with a relevant offer.

Data from ReConvert shows that customers revisit the thank you page or order status page an average of 2.2 times per order. 

This means they are already coming back to check order details, making it the perfect place to showcase personalized product recommendations or upsell bundles.

• Display complementary products based on the customer's cart and purchase history
• Use dynamic cross-sells to make offers feel relevant and personalized
• Introduce a sense of urgency by adding a limited-time discount or exclusive post-purchase deal

By combining relevant product suggestions with a scarcity element, such as a time-sensitive discount, you can significantly increase post-purchase conversions and boost overall revenue. 

The thank you page is more than just a confirmation - it is a revenue-generating tool that keeps customers shopping.

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7. Send Abandoned Cart Emails

Cart abandonment is a major issue, with rates reaching up to 80%. However, abandoned cart emails can recover up to 10% of lost sales, making them one of the most effective email marketing automations.

Brooklinen uses a simple yet effective three-email sequence:

• A reminder email sent shortly after abandonment
• A second email two to three days later offering a limited-time 10% discount
• A final email creating urgency by notifying customers that their discount is expiring

This structured approach keeps the purchase top of mind and uses incentives to drive conversions. Implementing a similar sequence can help recover lost sales and improve overall revenue.

Pro Tip: Drive 2-3x more Klavyio abandoned cart revenue with TrackBee. TrackBee helps you collect all the Abandoned Cart & Product events that Klaviyo misses.

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8. Enable Guest Checkout (But Offer Account Creation Post-Purchase)

Customer accounts can be a powerful tool for your brand. They provide valuable data and encourage repeat purchases. But for first-time shoppers, they can also act as a conversion roadblock.

So, what’s the solution? Don’t force account creation before checkout. Instead, offer it after the purchase is complete, when customers see real value in signing up.

“Don't gate your checkout behind an account because it's a frustrating barrier,” advises Eric Even Haimi, Co-Founder at ReConvert. “Instead, promote account creation when it’s most valuable - after the purchase, when it allows customers to access order details easily.”

Gymshark executes this perfectly by giving shoppers the option to create an account on the thank-you page. The result? A frictionless checkout that converts first-time buyers while still encouraging long-term customer loyalty.

Why This Works:

• Reduces friction for first-time buyers, making checkout faster and easier
• Encourages account creation at the right moment - when customers have already purchased
• Helps shoppers save order details for future reference, increasing the likelihood of repeat business

By keeping checkout open to guests but offering a post-purchase signup, you remove barriers without sacrificing customer retention. A win-win for both merchants and shoppers.

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9. Provide Customer Support at Checkout

Imagine you're shopping in a physical store, ready to buy, but suddenly, a question pops up - "What’s the return policy?" or "Is there a warranty?". 

Normally, you’d ask a sales associate. But in eCommerce? Customers often hit a dead end.

That’s why offering customer support at checkout is crucial. Whether it’s live chat, a chatbot, or a well-placed FAQ section, having instant access to answers reduces hesitation and increases conversions.

How Checkout Support Helps:

• Addresses last-minute concerns (shipping times, returns, product details)
• Boosts trust and confidence, making customers more likely to complete their purchase
• Prevents cart abandonment caused by unanswered questions

By guiding hesitant buyers at the final stage, you remove doubt, improve customer experience, and ultimately drive more sales. Simple, yet incredibly effective.

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10. Add Checkout Upsells to Maximize Order Value

Most merchants focus on getting customers through checkout, but why stop there? 

The checkout page is the perfect moment to increase average order value by offering relevant, high-converting upsells before the purchase is finalized

By adding targeted checkout upsells with a tool like ReConvert, you can encourage customers to add complementary products without disrupting the buying experience. 

Since they’re already committed to the purchase, a well-placed upsell feels like a natural addition rather than an extra decision.

How to Implement Checkout Upsells Effectively

• Offer small, relevant add-ons (e.g., gift wrapping, product protection, or accessories)
• Use one-click checkout upsells to remove friction (no need to re-enter payment details)
• Highlight the value of the upsell (e.g., "Complete your bundle & save 15%")

Many Shopify merchants using ReConvert have seen checkout upsells increase order value without reducing conversions. The key is to keep it seamless and low-friction, so customers see the value and say ‘yes’ with just one click.

Use These Shopify CRO Strategies to Drive More Sales Today

Conversion optimization isn’t about massive overhauls - it’s about small, strategic tweaks that remove friction and guide customers toward checkout. 

Whether it’s streamlining your navigation, simplifying checkout, or adding post-purchase upsells, each change stacks up to drive higher conversions and more revenue.

Remember, accurate data is at the core of conversion optimization. Without solid data, you won’t know what optimizations you need to make, and you won’t know how well they’re working. 

One of the easiest ways to get better data is to use TrackBee. 

That’s because typically paid ads are the most expensive part of your conversion funnel. TrackBee helps you gain more accurate insights into your ad spend, helping you squeeze more sales at a lower cost.

So, start testing these tactics today, track what works, and keep refining. Your Shopify store is already getting visitors - now it’s time to turn more of them into paying customers.