Guide · Last updated May 2026
How to Audit Your Website for Conversions
A website audit tells you what is broken and why. This guide covers the 4 types of website audit, what each one checks, and how to run a conversion audit in 60 seconds — free.
Quick answer
A website audit is a systematic review of your site to find what is hurting performance. There are 4 types: technical SEO (crawl errors, broken links), conversion rate (CRO) (why visitors don't convert), UX (usability friction), and page speed (load time). Most businesses need a CRO audit first — because fixing conversions on existing traffic is faster ROI than growing traffic to a broken page.
In this guide
What is a website audit?
A website audit is a structured review of your website to identify problems affecting performance. The word "audit" covers very different types of analysis depending on what you are trying to fix.
A technical SEO audit finds crawl errors and broken links. A conversion audit finds why visitors are not signing up or buying. A UX audit finds usability friction. A speed audit finds what is slowing your page down. Each one looks at a completely different dimension of your website.
Most businesses have never run any of these. The most common situation: a website that gets traffic but doesn't convert — often because the headline is unclear, the CTA is buried, or trust signals are missing. A CRO audit surfaces these in minutes.
The 4 types of website audit
1. Conversion Rate (CRO) Audit
Checks why visitors are not converting — buying, signing up, or enquiring. Covers headline clarity, value proposition, CTA visibility and copy, trust signals, social proof, page structure, and copy quality.
Best for: Businesses with existing traffic that isn't converting. Run before every paid campaign. Run after every major page redesign.
Tools: ClearAudit (AI-powered, 60 seconds), manual CRO consultant review.
2. Technical SEO Audit
Checks what is hurting search engine rankings. Covers broken links, missing or duplicate meta titles and descriptions, missing H1 tags, canonical errors, redirect chains, XML sitemap issues, robots.txt, and page indexability.
Best for: Sites ranking on page 2–3 with thin organic traffic. Run quarterly.
Tools: Screaming Frog SEO Spider, SiteGuru, Google Search Console.
3. Page Speed Audit
Checks technical performance: load time, Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS), unused JavaScript and CSS, unoptimised images, and server response time. Speed is a prerequisite for conversion — a slow site loses visitors before they see your offer.
Best for: Sites scoring below 70 on mobile PageSpeed. Fix critical performance issues before optimising conversion.
Tools: Google PageSpeed Insights (free), WebPageTest.
4. UX and Behavioural Audit
Checks how real visitors interact with your page — where they click, how far they scroll, where they drop off. Shows behaviour but requires interpretation to produce actionable fixes.
Best for: Sites with 1,000+ sessions per page to generate statistically valid heatmaps. Validate hypotheses from your CRO audit.
Tools: Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity (free).
How to run a CRO audit: step by step
A conversion audit reviews your page the way a potential customer would — looking at the headline, the offer, the trust signals, the CTA, and whether the page guides visitors toward one clear action. Here is how to do it.
Start with the above-the-fold section
The first thing a visitor sees without scrolling determines whether they stay. Ask: Is the headline clear? Does it say what you offer, for whom, and why it matters — in one sentence? Can a stranger who has never heard of your brand understand your value proposition in 5 seconds?
Audit your primary CTA
Is there one clearly dominant CTA on the page? Is it visible above the fold? Does the button copy describe what the visitor gets ("Get My Free Audit") rather than just the action ("Submit" or "Click here")? Is the CTA accessible on mobile without scrolling? Does it repeat at logical intervals for long pages?
Check trust signals
Do you have specific, credible testimonials — with a name, role, company, and a concrete result? Is there social proof (number of customers, recognisable client logos, star ratings)? Is contact information visible? Do you have relevant certifications, security seals, or media mentions? Trust signals answer the question every visitor asks silently: "Is this safe to try?"
Review the headline and value proposition
Is your headline outcome-focused ("Fix the 3 things costing you conversions") or feature-focused ("AI-powered website audit tool")? Outcome-focused headlines convert better because they speak to what the visitor wants, not what you built. Test whether removing your brand name from the headline makes the value clearer or less clear — if clearer, rewrite it.
Check mobile experience
Open your page on a real mobile device — not just a desktop browser resized. Is the primary CTA accessible without excessive scrolling? Does text render at a readable size without zooming? Are tap targets (buttons, links) large enough to tap without error? Does the page load in under 3 seconds on a 4G connection?
Identify the conversion flow
Map out the path from landing to conversion. How many steps does a visitor need to take? Is each step clearly signposted? Are there unnecessary friction points (a 7-field form where 2 fields would do, a required account creation before checkout, buried pricing)? Every extra step loses visitors.
Website audit checklist
Use this checklist to run a manual audit of any landing page or homepage. Check each item pass or fail — then prioritise fixes by impact vs effort.
First impression (above the fold)
- Headline communicates the core value proposition clearly
- Subheadline adds specificity (who it's for, what outcome)
- Primary CTA is visible without scrolling
- Brand trust signal visible (logo, tagline, or recognisable social proof)
- Page load time under 3 seconds on mobile
Headline and copy
- Headline is outcome-focused, not feature-focused
- Copy uses language the customer uses, not company jargon
- Value proposition is specific — measurable outcome, not vague promise
- Each section has one clear message
- No unexplained acronyms or technical terms for a non-technical audience
CTA effectiveness
- One primary CTA dominates the page
- CTA button copy describes what the visitor gets, not just the action
- CTA repeats at logical intervals on long pages
- CTA is large enough to tap on mobile (minimum 44×44px)
- CTA has contrast sufficient to be visible at a glance
Trust signals
- Testimonials include name, role, company, and a specific result
- Social proof is quantified (number of customers, clients, reviews)
- Contact information is visible (email, phone, or chat)
- Relevant trust badges, certifications, or media mentions are present
- Privacy/refund policy is linked from the conversion area
Mobile and UX
- Primary CTA accessible on mobile without scrolling
- Text readable without zooming (minimum 16px body text)
- No horizontal scroll on mobile
- Forms have minimal required fields
- Navigation is simple and doesn't compete with the primary CTA
Which tools to use for a website audit
Different audit types require different tools. Here is a practical breakdown of which tool to reach for first, and what each one does and does not cover.
| Tool | What it audits | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| ClearAudit | CRO, copy, UX, trust signals, competitor gap | 2 free audits, ₹199/mo |
| Google PageSpeed Insights | Page speed, Core Web Vitals | Free |
| Screaming Frog | Technical SEO (whole site crawl) | Free up to 500 URLs, £259/yr |
| SiteGuru | Technical SEO (site health, weekly reports) | Free tier, $29.99/mo |
| Hotjar | Behavioural data (heatmaps, recordings) | Free up to 35 sessions/day |
| SEMrush | Keywords, rankings, backlinks, site audit | $139.95/mo |
| Google Search Console | Search performance, indexing, crawl errors | Free |
Where to start
- Traffic exists but conversions are low? Start with ClearAudit. Fix what's stopping visitors from converting before spending more on acquisition.
- Running paid ads? Always audit the landing page first. Every rupee sent to a weak page is wasted. ClearAudit in 60 seconds before you launch.
- No organic traffic, ranking on page 2–3? Start with Google Search Console and SiteGuru to fix technical SEO first.
- Page loads slowly? Check Google PageSpeed Insights first. Fix mobile score to above 70 before optimising conversion.
- Want to watch real visitor behaviour? Install Hotjar, but only once you have 1,000+ sessions per page for meaningful heatmaps.
How often should you audit your website?
There is no universal answer, but these are the most useful triggers:
Before every paid campaign launch
Run a CRO audit on the landing page. Fix critical issues before spending on traffic.
After every major page change
Re-audit the page to confirm the change improved — or at least didn't hurt — conversion scores.
Quarterly (technical SEO)
Crawl the full site for broken links, redirect chains, and indexing issues.
When conversion rate drops unexpectedly
Run a CRO audit immediately. Compare to the previous audit if you have one.
When launching a new market or audience segment
Audit your page from the perspective of the new audience — your existing copy may assume context they don't have.
Before pitching a client (agencies/freelancers)
Audit the prospect's site and lead the conversation with scored findings. Shows value before the proposal.
Common questions
What is a website audit?
A website audit is a structured review of your site to identify what is hurting performance — whether that is search rankings, page speed, user experience, or conversion rate. The type of audit determines what gets reviewed. A CRO audit asks why visitors aren't converting. A technical SEO audit asks why search engines aren't ranking you. A speed audit asks why the page loads slowly.
How often should you audit your website?
Run a conversion audit before every paid campaign and after every major page change. Run a full technical SEO audit quarterly. Run a speed audit whenever your PageSpeed score drops or you add significant new functionality. For high-traffic pages running ads, audit before every significant spend increase.
What does a CRO audit check?
A CRO audit checks: headline clarity and value proposition, CTA visibility and copy, trust signals (testimonials, reviews, social proof), above-the-fold first impression, mobile usability, page load perception, copy quality, and whether the page guides visitors toward one clear action. The output is a ranked list of what to fix and why, with specific recommendations.
How long does a website audit take?
A technical SEO crawl takes 10–60 minutes depending on site size. A manual CRO review by a consultant takes 2–5 hours per page. An AI-powered CRO audit with ClearAudit takes 60 seconds — paste the URL and get a scored report with critical issues and specific fixes.
What tools do you need to audit a website?
For a conversion audit: ClearAudit (free to start). For page speed: Google PageSpeed Insights (free). For technical SEO: Screaming Frog or SiteGuru. For behavioural data once you have traffic: Hotjar. You don't need all of them — start with a conversion audit and a speed check. Both are free.
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