Effective Strategies for Magento Conversion Rate Optimisation

Improving conversion rates is one of the most effective ways to maximise the ROI of your Magento store. Whether you run a B2B or B2C operation, understanding the factors that impact conversions—and implementing targeted strategies to address them—is critical to sustained growth. This guide outlines key Magento conversion rate optimisation strategies, from identifying friction points to enhancing UX, leveraging personalisation, and optimising the checkout process. It also covers how to monitor CRO performance using the right metrics and tools, ensuring your efforts are both measurable and scalable.

What is Magento conversion rate optimisation, and why is it important?

Magento conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is the process of improving your online store to convert more visitors into customers without increasing ad spend. If 100 people visit and 3 buy, your conversion rate is 3%. CRO helps you grow that number by refining what’s already there.

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is essential for Magento store owners because it directly increases revenue efficiency. Instead of relying solely on attracting more traffic, CRO improves the return on existing visitors by turning a higher percentage into paying customers. For example, increasing the conversion rate from 2% to 3% on a store generating £10 million annually would result in an additional £500,000 in revenue without spending more on marketing. This improved efficiency lowers customer acquisition costs and boosts profitability. In a competitive eCommerce environment, where users abandon slow or confusing sites, a well-optimised Magento store can retain more shoppers and meet rising consumer expectations, leading to better long-term growth.

Key factors influencing conversion rates in Magento stores

Several factors can significantly influence the conversion rate of a Magento store. Understanding these factors helps identify where to focus your optimisation efforts.

• Website speed and performance: Website loading speed significantly influences user behaviour and conversion rates. Walmart reported a 2% increase in conversions for every 1-second improvement in page load time. These findings underscore the importance of optimising website speed to retain user engagement and drive sales.
• User interface and navigation:  If customers can’t find what they’re looking for or get frustrated along the way, they leave. Magento stores with clear navigation, well-structured product pages, and intuitive flows consistently convert better. According to Forrester, optimising user interface elements—such as page layout, navigation flow, and interactive components—can increase conversion rates by up to 200%.
• Checkout process ease: A frictionless checkout is key to driving conversions. Research from the Baymard Institute shows that 17% of online shoppers abandon purchases due to a checkout that’s too long or complicated. Even with Magento’s default flow, issues like too many form fields or forced account creation cause drop-offs. According to Baymar, reducing fields from 23 to 7–8 can improve performance, with an optimised design increasing conversions by up to 35.26%.
• Trust and credibility signals: Trust is vital for converting customers, especially on unfamiliar Magento stores. Without the assurance of a physical retail environment, shoppers rely on visual cues such as security badges, payment logos, and social proof to assess a site's legitimacy. A lack of these signals can lead to hesitation, particularly when personal or payment information is requested. In a survey by TrustedSite, 92% of consumers expressed concerns about sharing personal information on unfamiliar eCommerce sites.
• Product page design and content: Effective product pages are crucial for conversions, especially on Magento stores with complex catalogues. Research from Nielsen Norman Group indicates that 20% of purchase failures stem from incomplete or unclear product information. This risk increases for Magento stores that use configurable or bundled products, where confusing layouts or poor variation logic can create hesitation. Clear, well-structured product page content helps users feel informed and confident, making it a critical factor in driving conversions.
• Mobile responsiveness: According to Statista, mobile devices account for 78% of online shopping traffic and 68% of orders, underscoring the importance of mobile usability. Ensuring your Magento store is optimised for mobile is essential to retain and convert mobile shoppers.

Best CRO Strategies for Magento Stores

Improving conversion rates on a Magento store requires more than surface-level fixes—it demands targeted strategies that address how users navigate, decide, and complete purchases. The strategies outlined below focus on high-impact areas where you can make measurable improvements by aligning the shopping experience with buyer intent.

Identify and fix UX friction points through behavioural analysis

Conversion issues often stem from subtle user experience (UX) friction—moments where visitors hesitate, get confused, or lose confidence. This section explores how analysing user behaviour through tools like session recordings, heat maps, and scroll maps helps uncover these points of resistance. Specific tools will be covered in detail in the Tools for CRO tracking in Magento section.

• Understand real user paths with session replays: Session recordings reveal how visitors navigate your store, from entry to exit. They highlight where users pause, what they interact with, and how they move toward key actions like add-to-cart or lead forms. These patterns show how customers process information and where they seek reassurance, helping you align your site structure with real user behaviour.
• Detect underperforming interface elements with heatmaps: Heatmaps offer a high-level visual overview of user engagement across key touchpoints. Click maps reveal where users expect interaction, such as clicking on non-interactive headings or icons, while scroll maps show how far users typically engage with a page. Low engagement on key areas, like review tabs or banners, signals poor layout or visibility, helping you refine high-impact pages.
• Uncover friction in the decision-making process: Some user behaviour signals uncertainty, even if the path looks smooth on the surface. Behaviours like repeated hovering, toggling between products, or pausing before checkout can signal missing details or pricing doubts. Session replays reveal these moments, helping you pinpoint where confidence breaks down.
• Translate user behaviour into actionable CRO changes: The primary value of behavioural analysis is its ability to guide actionable improvements. For example, if users rely on search instead of the main menu, it likely means your navigation is too complex or unclear. Streamlining categories and using intuitive labels can help them find products more easily. Use these insights to refine layout, content flow, and CTA placement—all to align site structure with real buyer intent.
• Make behavioural analysis part of your optimisation cycle: Behavioural analysis works best when used continuously, not as a one-off. After changes like a landing page redesign or checkout tweak, run heatmaps or session replays for two weeks to see if users interact as expected. This creates a feedback loop that improves each iteration.

While behavioural analysis reveals how users interact with your site, many conversion issues stem from technical or structural problems that aren’t visible in replays or heatmaps. That’s where On Tap’s AuditIQ comes in. Integrated with Magento, it continuously scans for SEO, performance, and error issues, alerting you to problems before they affect revenue.

Implement A/B testing for continuous improvement

No two Magento stores convert in the same way—what works for one may not work for another. A/B testing helps resolve this by comparing two variations of a page or element to identify which version performs better. By splitting traffic between version A and version B and measuring the difference in user behaviour, you can make informed, data-backed decisions that optimise conversion rates.

• What to test: Focus on elements that shape user decisions and guide the path to purchase. In B2C, this may include promotional messaging types, placement of social proof, and positioning of add-to-cart buttons. In B2B, relevant tests often involve lead capture flows (e.g. single-step vs. multi-step forms) or pricing presentation (e.g. visible tiers vs. gated pricing). Across both, testing layout, navigation, and content hierarchy on high-traffic or high-exit pages can help identify changes with measurable impact.
• How to use A/B testing in Magento: Magento Open Source doesn't offer native A/B testing capabilities. However, you can integrate third-party platforms like Optimizely, AB Tasty, or VWO to run experiments. For Adobe Commerce users, Adobe Target offers native A/B testing features, allowing for more seamless experimentation within the Adobe ecosystem. ​Additionally, Magento-specific modules can enable the creation of variant CMS or product pages and facilitate traffic splitting between them.
• Act on your test results: If a variant outperforms the original (e.g. a simpler checkout form leads to more completions), implement the winning version. Then, move on to testing the next priority. If the test is inconclusive, that’s still valuable. It suggests the element tested may not impact conversion, and your efforts are better spent elsewhere. Each result helps refine your optimisation focus.

In summary, A/B testing empowers Magento store owners to make evidence-based improvements. Rather than guessing what might work, you can empirically identify which changes increase your conversion rate. It’s a powerful strategy to fine-tune your site continually.

Optimise the checkout process

The checkout process is often the final hurdle in the customer journey and one of the most common points of abandonment. Streamlining this process is critical for Magento stores looking to improve conversion rates and reduce lost sales.

• Minimise the number of steps and form fields: Baymard Institute research shows that many checkouts contain 20–60% more form fields than necessary, adding friction. You can start by reviewing your checkout flow and removing non-essential fields. Fields like company name, address line 2, or separate first/last name inputs are often non-essential because they don’t directly support order fulfilment. Others, like phone number, may only be needed for certain shipping methods. Also, consider converting Magento’s multi-step checkout into a single-page layout. Reducing steps and fields helps cut hesitation and increase completions.
• Offer relevant and trusted payment methods: Align payment methods with customer needs to reduce abandonment. B2C shoppers expect familiar options like PayPal and Apple Pay. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is another effective method that is increasingly promoted by marketplaces to improve checkout conversion. B2B buyers may need invoices or credit terms. You should limit choices to 3–6 trusted options to avoid overload.
• Improve cost transparency during checkout: Displaying all costs clearly and early in the checkout process is an effective strategy to increase conversions. When shoppers understand the full price, including shipping, taxes, and fees, they are less likely to abandon the purchase. Magento allows store owners to configure shipping estimators directly on the cart page, giving customers greater visibility and reducing friction.
• Optimise for mobile checkout: With the majority of eCommerce traffic now coming from smartphones, a smooth mobile checkout is essential for capturing conversions. Cluttered layouts, small tap targets, or excessive typing requirements often cause users to abandon their purchase. To improve mobile completion rates, use mobile-friendly input types and minimise manual entry by enabling features like address auto-complete. While Magento 2’s default theme is responsive, customised themes should be reviewed across devices to avoid usability issues. 

By simplifying and optimising checkout, you remove friction at the critical moment of conversion. The payoff can be substantial: Baymard estimates a 35% potential uplift in conversion for improving checkout usability on large sites – even if your store achieves a fraction of that, it’s significant revenue. 

Enhance product page accessibility and persuasiveness

Your product pages are the heart of your Magento store, where purchase decisions happen. Optimising these pages for usability and persuasion is key to converting interested visitors into customers. Here are ways to enhance your product pages:

• Use high-quality visuals to build purchase confidence: Clear imagery helps users evaluate product suitability when physical inspection isn’t possible. Show key angles, features, and materials to reduce uncertainty and aid decision-making. For complex or high-value items, 360° views or explainer videos can help users understand size, functionality, and context of use. Strong visuals contribute to higher conversions, especially on mobile.
• Present clear, benefit-driven product information: To support confident decisions, product content should highlight what the item does, who it’s for, and why it matters. Use benefit-led messaging where possible, supported by technical specifications when they are critical to purchase decisions. Avoid overwhelming users with excessive data; instead, layer content using tabs or collapsible sections to keep the page clean while still offering depth.
• Make the call-to-action highly visible and friction-free: The prominence, clarity, and positioning of the call-to-action (CTA) directly influence whether users complete a purchase. The CTA—whether “Add to Basket” or “Request a Quote”—should be immediately visible, clearly worded, and supported by trust-reinforcing cues such as shipping guarantees or return policies. A well-structured page layout ensures the user’s journey leads naturally to the next step, reducing drop-off and improving conversion at a critical point in the funnel.
• Build trust through reassurance elements on the product page: The effectiveness of a call-to-action (CTA) plays a critical role in whether users complete a purchase or enquiry. It should be prominently positioned, easy to identify, and worded to reflect the user’s next step—whether that’s “Add to Basket,” “Buy Now,” or “Request a Quote.” Surrounding the CTA with trust-building elements such as delivery details, return policies, or security indicators can further reduce hesitation. A well-structured page layout should guide users naturally toward the CTA, making it easy to act without confusion or distraction, especially at this decisive stage in the conversion journey.
• Optimise product pages for mobile usability: To persuade mobile users effectively, product pages must present key content and actions clearly and without distraction. Position critical information—such as product name, price, reviews, and delivery details—early in the scroll to support fast decision-making. Keeping the “Add to Cart” button easily accessible throughout the page helps maintain purchase intent. As responsive design plays a key role in accessibility, you should ensure layouts adjust cleanly to smaller screens without visual clutter or unpredictable shifts. Refining mobile content and layout is a high-impact step toward reducing friction and increasing conversion.

By enhancing product pages in these ways, you create a more engaging and reassuring experience. Shoppers are more likely to convert when they fully understand the product, feel confident about its quality, and trust your store.

Leverage personalisation to engage customers

Personalisation increases relevance, which in turn drives engagement and conversion. By tailoring content, offers, and on-site experiences to individual user behaviour or customer segments, you can create more targeted journeys that guide shoppers toward action.

• Segment users and deliver targeted messages: Effective segmentation improves relevance, drives higher engagement, and increases conversions. You can group users by behaviour, lifecycle stage, or location to match content with their intent. For example, first-time visitors often need reassurance and incentives, while cart abandoners respond better to reminders or limited-time offers. Loyal customers may engage more with exclusive perks or product recommendations. Adobe Commerce supports this with built-in segmentation and dynamic content tools; Magento Open Source can achieve similar outcomes using third-party personalisation modules.
• Personalised product recommendations: Personalised recommendations are a well-established method for increasing conversion rates and average order value. By using behavioural data—such as browsing activity or past purchases— stores can surface relevant alternatives, cross-sells, or complementary products that align with each customer’s interests. This makes the shopping experience feel more tailored and reduces friction in product discovery. Common recommendation types include “You might also like” suggestions or “Frequently bought together” bundles. 
  Adobe Commerce enables this through Adobe Sensei’s AI-driven recommendation engine, while Magento Open Source stores can implement similar functionality using third-party tools like Nosto or Recolize.
• Dynamic onsite search and navigation personalisation: Tailoring search results and category navigation based on user behaviour can significantly enhance product discovery and drive conversions. For instance, returning users can be shown products related to their previous browsing activity higher in search results or filtered categories, making it easier for them to pick up where they left off. Magento stores can achieve this using advanced search modules or integrations with tools like Algolia or ElasticSearch to deliver highly relevant, user-specific results.
• Customising the homepage or landing pages: Tailoring homepage or landing page content based on user context improves relevance and boosts conversions. Logged-in users can see personalised greetings and targeted offers. Anonymous visitors can be shown local currencies or campaign-specific content.
• Balancing personalisation with privacy: Use data that’s consented to and compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR. Personalisation should be purposeful—enhancing the experience without overstepping boundaries. This builds trust and delivers value without compromising user privacy.

Optimise page load speed and performance

Page speed isn’t just a technical concern—it’s a critical factor in conversion performance. Even small delays increase friction, reduce engagement, and lower the likelihood of purchase. For Magento store owners, this makes performance optimisation not just a technical concern but a core business priority. 

• Prioritise speed improvements on high-impact pages: To improve conversion rates through speed optimisation, prioritise the pages most closely tied to user decision-making—typically the homepage, product detail pages, checkout and pages with high traffic. These touchpoints carry high commercial intent, and even brief delays in loading content like images, reviews, or forms can disrupt momentum and lead to abandonment.
• Focus areas for optimising high-impact pages: Once you’ve identified high-impact pages, review each one to identify and remove bottlenecks. Remove or postpone visual elements that don’t directly support the purchase decision, such as large banners, autoplay videos, or excessive sliders. Compress media assets and defer non-essential content to ensure that key information loads quickly, helping users stay engaged and move confidently toward conversion.
• Monitor and act on mobile speed performance: With mobile traffic now dominating eCommerce, underperformance on smartphones can directly limit revenue. Many Magento stores load significantly slower on mobile than on desktop, especially on media-heavy product and category pages. Use performance analytics to track mobile load times and identify pages with high exit rates. Focus your optimisation efforts on simplifying layouts, reducing visual load, and streamlining the purchase path to improve both speed and usability on mobile.
• Audit and remove unnecessary third-party add-ons: Over time, Magento stores can accumulate third-party modules, scripts, and integrations—many of which add unnecessary load and slow down performance. You should regularly review all active add-ons and remove anything that doesn’t directly support customer experience or drive sales.
• Scale your infrastructure to support performance as your store grows: As traffic, catalogue size, and customer activity increase, entry-level hosting may struggle to deliver consistent performance. Signs such as rising Time to First Byte (TTFB), sluggish page loads, or slowdowns during peak periods can indicate infrastructure limits. Upgrading to Magento-optimised hosting, such as a managed cloud environment with Redis, Elasticsearch, and scalable PHP resources, can significantly improve response times and ensure a stable, fast user experience as your store scales.
• Switch to Hyvä theme: Hyvä is a lightweight Magento frontend that significantly reduces page load times by replacing Magento’s traditional Luma stack with a performance-first architecture. Adopting Hyvä offers a long-term performance advantage with reduced technical debt and better Core Web Vitals scores. While implementation requires development effort, the gains in speed, usability, and overall user experience make it a strong investment for Magento stores.

Implement cart recovery tactics to reduce abandonment

Cart abandonment is a key source of lost revenue, but one that’s often recoverable. Shoppers who reach the cart have already shown strong intent, so converting even a small percentage can deliver meaningful gains. The tactics below focus on addressing common drop-off points and re-engaging high-intent users to complete their purchase.

• Identify and address key abandonment points in the funnel: Start by identifying where users abandon the checkout process—whether it's at the cart, shipping, or payment stage—using tools like Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, or Magento’s built-in reports. This highlights where to focus improvements. 
  According to Baymard Institute, top abandonment reasons include unexpected costs (39%), slow delivery (21%), forced account creation (19%), and payment security concerns (19%). These issues can often be resolved through clearer pricing, guest checkout, and trust signals.

• Re-engage abandoned users with automated email reminders: Cart recovery emails are a low-cost, high-impact way to win back users who left during checkout.
  A typical recovery flow includes an initial reminder sent within a few hours, followed by one or two timed follow-ups, often with incentives like free shipping or a small discount.  These messages often include dynamic cart contents, a clear call to action, and optional incentives like free shipping or 10% off. 

  Magento Open Source doesn’t include this functionality by default, but it can be implemented easily through platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or Dotdigital.

• Use exit-intent offers to capture at-risk users before they leave: Exit-intent popups give Magento merchants a final chance to engage users who are about to leave. Timely messages like “Wait—here’s 5 off if you complete your order now” or “Your items are still in stock—complete checkout before they run out”  can prompt users to complete their purchase. For best results, use exit-intent messaging sparingly and ensure it offers clear value without disrupting the user experience.

• Optimise the cart page to reduce early-stage abandonment: Many users abandon the funnel at the cart stage if the experience feels confusing or overly demanding. Although Magento is highly flexible, poor customisations, like requiring a postcode for shipping estimates or cluttered layouts, can create friction and cause drop-offs.
  To keep users moving forward, the next step must be obvious and easy to take. A clear, well-positioned “Proceed to Checkout” button is essential here. At the same time, the page should reassure users by showing editable product quantities, item details, and estimated shipping costs—all without requiring unnecessary inputs. Improving cart usability drives more users into the checkout process and delivers measurable ROI without increasing traffic.

• Provide real-time support to reduce checkout hesitation: Even with a well-optimised checkout, some customers may hesitate due to issues like invalid coupons, unclear shipping terms, or delivery questions. Providing live chat or visible contact options at this stage helps resolve concerns before they lead to abandonment. A quick confirmation like “Yes, we deliver to your area by tomorrow” can be all it takes to complete the sale.

Reducing cart abandonment is a highly cost-effective way to boost conversion rates. By the time users reach the cart, much of the work to attract and persuade them is already complete. Closing that final gap requires targeted fixes that do not add complexity or require significant investment. 

While no store will ever convert 100% of carts, even modest gains, such as reducing abandonment from 70% to 60%, can result in a measurable return. For Magento store owners, cart recovery should be viewed as a low-effort, high-leverage territory within a broader CRO strategy.

Monitoring CRO performance in Magento

Tracking how your Magento store performs is essential to maintaining and refining your optimisation strategy. This section outlines the key metrics and tools that help you evaluate the effectiveness of your CRO efforts, so you can prioritise what works, identify what doesn’t, and build on measurable improvements.

Key metrics for tracking Magento conversion performance

To understand how well your optimisation efforts are working, monitor the following key metrics regularly:

• Overall conversion rate (CR): This metric reflects the percentage of sessions, meaning all user interactions during a single visit, that result in a completed goal, such as making a purchase. While it's a clear measure of overall performance, it doesn't reveal which parts of the journey need improvement.
  Add-to-cart rate: This measures how many users add at least one product to their cart during a session. A low rate may signal problems with product pages, pricing, or trust (e.g., lack of reviews or unclear availability).
• Cart abandonment rate: Cart abandonment rate measures the percentage of users who add items to their cart but don’t complete the purchase. A high rate may signal issues such as hidden costs, unclear CTAs, or a lack of trust-building elements at key decision points.
• Checkout abandonment rate: This tracks users who begin the checkout process (e.g., reach the shipping or payment step) but don’t complete the purchase. It helps diagnose friction within the checkout flow itself, commonly caused by excessive form fields, forced account creation, missing payment options, or poor mobile usability.
• Revenue per visitor (RPV): This combines conversion rate with average order value (AOV), giving you insight into how effectively your store turns traffic into revenue. RPV is especially useful when comparing the impact of CRO changes across segments.
• Bounce rate on key pages: Monitoring the bounce rate on landing pages, product pages, and category pages helps identify weak entry points in the user journey.
• Micro-conversions: These include behaviours like using on-site search, clicking "Add to Wishlist," or viewing shipping policies. They indicate engagement and intent, and tracking them can help you spot user hesitation early in the funnel.

To evaluate the impact of your CRO efforts, compare key metrics over time—before and after implementing specific changes. These comparisons help reveal meaningful shifts in user behaviour and performance, guiding where to focus future optimisation.

Tools for CRO tracking in Magento

Magento doesn’t track conversion metrics out of the box at the depth most CRO programs require. To collect, analyse, and act on this data, you’ll need a combination of analytics platforms and Magento-specific tools.

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): GA4 should be your primary analytics platform. It tracks conversion funnels, events, and user paths across sessions and devices. Use it to monitor macro-conversions (purchases) and micro-conversions (e.g., clicks on the checkout button).
• Adobe Commerce Intelligence: Adobe Commerce Intelligence offers deeper insights for enterprise stores, including cohort analysis, customer lifetime value, and revenue segmentation. It’s ideal for tracking conversion trends across customer segments and product lines.
• Behaviour analytics tools (e.g., Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Microsoft Clarity): These tools offer heatmaps and session recordings that reveal how users interact with your site. They can help identify why users drop off, such as missed CTAs or confusing layouts. Integration with Magento is straightforward using Google Tag Manager or layout XML.
• A/B testing tools (e.g., Optimizely, VWO, Adobe Target): These tools let you run controlled experiments to measure how specific changes affect conversion rate. For Magento Open Source, you can use modules to create variant pages and route traffic.
• Custom dashboards or reporting tools: If you have development resources, consider building a dashboard using tools like Looker Studio. You can connect GA4, Magento backend data, and other sources to get a unified view of CRO performance.
• Surveys and feedback tools (e.g., Hotjar surveys, Yotpo, Typeform): Direct customer feedback helps contextualise the quantitative data. Exit-intent surveys or post-purchase polls can reveal reasons for hesitation or abandonment that numbers alone don’t capture.
• AuditIQ: On Tap’s AuditIQ works alongside your eCommerce team, monitoring your Magento store around the clock and alerting you to issues before they affect conversions. It continuously scans all aspects of your store—including the code, marketing, technical implementation, and sales performance—bringing everything together in one place. Specifically, it provides behavioural insights through session recordings and browser error detection, helping you pinpoint where users experience friction. With proactive alerts and a unified view of store health and user experience, AuditIQ enables faster decisions and continuous improvement in conversion performance.

When selecting tools, ensure they are GDPR-compliant, tested for Magento compatibility, and do not degrade site performance. Also, make sure that your team has the time and skill to act on the insights the tools deliver—measuring is only as valuable as the action it drives.

Conclusion

Improving conversion rates in Magento is one of the most effective ways to grow revenue without increasing traffic. This guide covered the most critical optimisation strategies—such as analysing and refining friction points, streamlining checkout, speeding up page load, and using personalisation—along with how to measure their impact. By continuously tracking performance and comparing results before and after implementation, you can make data-informed decisions, eliminate friction, and create a more efficient path to purchase.

At On Tap, we bring over 19 years of Magento expertise to help businesses implement conversion-focused solutions tailored to their specific needs, whether B2B or B2C. Our team can help you audit your current CRO performance, identify growth opportunities, and execute improvements that deliver measurable results. Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how we can help you unlock more value from your Magento store.