cro-auditor

name	cro-auditor
description	Conversion Rate Optimization auditing for landing pages, signup flows, checkout funnels, forms, and CTAs. Identifies friction points, runs heuristic evaluations, produces prioritized recommendations using ICE/PIE frameworks. Use when the user asks about conversion optimization, funnel analysis, landing page audits, form optimization, CTA testing, or checkout improvement.
license	MIT
origin	custom
author	Rebecca Rae Barton
author_url	https://github.com/thatrebeccarae
metadata	{"version":"1.0.0","category":"growth","domain":"conversion-optimization","updated":"2026-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","tested":"2026-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","tested_with":"Claude Code v2.1"}

CRO Auditor

Conversion Rate Optimization — audit landing pages, funnels, forms, and CTAs for friction and opportunities.

Install

git clone https://github.com/thatrebeccarae/claude-marketing.git && cp -r claude-marketing/skills/cro-auditor ~/.claude/skills/

Audit Framework

Heuristic Evaluation (LIFT Model)

Score each page element on 6 dimensions:

Factor	Question	Increases/Decreases Conversion
Value Proposition	Is the benefit clear and compelling?	Increases
Relevance	Does this match what brought the user here?	Increases
Clarity	Is the message and action obvious?	Increases
Urgency	Is there a reason to act now?	Increases
Anxiety	Are there concerns about taking action?	Decreases
Distraction	Are there elements competing for attention?	Decreases

Page-Level Audit Checklist

Above the Fold

• Value proposition visible without scrolling
• Primary CTA visible and prominent
• Hero image/visual supports the message (not stock photo)
• Navigation does not distract from primary conversion goal
• Page loads in under 2.5 seconds (LCP)

Value Proposition

• Headline communicates specific benefit (not feature)
• Subheadline provides supporting detail
• Unique differentiator is clear (why you vs alternatives)
• Social proof near the value proposition (logos, count, rating)

Call to Action

• CTA text is action-oriented and specific ("Start Free Trial" not "Submit")
• CTA button contrasts with page design (stands out visually)
• Single primary CTA per page section (no competing actions)
• CTA appears multiple times on long pages (top, middle, bottom)
• Microcopy near CTA reduces anxiety ("No credit card required")

Social Proof

• Customer logos (if B2B)
• Testimonials with real names, photos, and specific results
• Case studies or metrics ("Helped 5,000+ companies increase revenue by 34%")
• Trust badges (security, certifications, awards)
• User count or activity ("Join 50,000+ marketers")

Forms

• Minimum fields necessary (every field reduces conversion 5-10%)
• Labels above fields (not placeholder-only)
• Inline validation with helpful error messages
• Progress indicator for multi-step forms
• Autofill enabled (autocomplete attributes)
• Mobile-friendly input types (tel, email, number)

Friction & Anxiety

• No unexpected costs or requirements revealed late
• Privacy policy and terms linked (not gating)
• Money-back guarantee or free trial clearly stated
• Contact information visible (phone, chat, email)
• FAQ section addressing common objections

Funnel Analysis

Funnel Mapping

Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action → Retention
   ↓          ↓          ↓        ↓          ↓
 Ad/SEO → Landing → Pricing → Signup → Onboarding
            Page      Page      Form      Flow

For each stage:

1. Traffic volume: How many users enter this stage?
2. Drop-off rate: What percentage leave without advancing?
3. Top exit pages: Where exactly do users abandon?
4. Friction indicators: Time on page, scroll depth, rage clicks

Conversion Benchmarks

Page Type	Good	Average	Poor
Landing page (paid traffic)	>5%	2-5%	<2%
Landing page (organic)	>3%	1-3%	<1%
Signup form	>25%	10-25%	<10%
Checkout (e-commerce)	>3%	1.5-3%	<1.5%
Free trial → paid	>25%	10-25%	<10%
Email opt-in	>5%	2-5%	<2%
Pricing page → signup	>10%	5-10%	<5%

Prioritization Frameworks

ICE Score

Dimension	Definition	Scale
Impact	How much will this change improve conversion?	1-10
Confidence	How sure are we this will work?	1-10
Ease	How easy is it to implement?	1-10

ICE Score = (Impact + Confidence + Ease) / 3

PIE Score

Dimension	Definition	Scale
Potential	How much room for improvement?	1-10
Importance	How valuable is the traffic to this page?	1-10
Ease	How easy is it to run a test?	1-10

PIE Score = (Potential + Importance + Ease) / 3

Audit Output Format

Executive Summary

• Current conversion rate vs benchmark
• Top 3 conversion killers identified
• Estimated revenue impact of fixes
• Quick wins (implementable in <1 day)

Issue Format

**Issue:** [What is wrong]
**Location:** [Page/element affected]
**Impact:** [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW] — [Estimated conversion impact]
**Evidence:** [Data, heuristic principle, or benchmark comparison]
**Fix:** [Specific recommendation]
**Test:** [A/B test hypothesis: "Changing X will increase Y by Z%"]
**ICE Score:** [X/10]

A/B Test Recommendations

For each recommendation, provide:

• Hypothesis: If we [change], then [metric] will [improve/increase] because [reason]
• Primary metric: The conversion metric to measure
• Minimum sample size: Based on current traffic and expected effect size
• Test duration: Minimum days to reach significance (usually 2-4 weeks)

Common Conversion Killers

1. Slow page load — Every 100ms delay reduces conversion by 1%
2. Unclear value proposition — Visitor cannot answer "What is this and why should I care?" in 5 seconds
3. Too many form fields — Each additional field reduces completion by 5-10%
4. Weak CTA — Generic text ("Submit", "Click Here") vs specific ("Start Free Trial")
5. No social proof — 92% of consumers read reviews before purchasing
6. Hidden costs — Unexpected shipping/fees are the #1 reason for cart abandonment
7. Competing CTAs — Multiple equal-weight actions create decision paralysis
8. Mobile friction — Tiny buttons, horizontal scroll, slow load on mobile
9. Trust deficit — No security badges, reviews, or contact info
10. Exit without capture — No email capture, exit intent, or remarketing pixel

Integration with Other Skills

• google-analytics — Pull conversion data to ground CRO recommendations in real metrics
• landing-page-optimizer — Deep-dive on specific landing pages (when built)
• a-b-testing-framework — Design and analyze tests for CRO recommendations (when built)
• pro-report-builder — Generate professional CRO audit deliverable