Before you run a single A/B test, you need to know what to test. That's what heuristic audits are for. We run through a fixed checklist so we're not relying on gut feel — we're checking each principle and flagging where the site breaks it. The whole thing takes about four hours for a typical ecommerce or lead-gen flow. Here's the 12-point version we use.
Clarity and value prop (1–3)
1. Above the fold, can a new visitor say in one sentence what you offer and for whom? If the hero is vague or feature-heavy, that's a flag. 2. Is the primary CTA visible and one clear action (e.g. "Start free trial" not "Learn more")? 3. Is the next step obvious — i.e. no hunting for the form or the buy button?
Trust and friction (4–6)
4. Are there clear trust signals (reviews, logos, guarantees) near the commitment point? 5. Is the path to conversion as short as it can be? Extra steps, account creation before purchase, or long forms all count against this. 6. Are errors and validation clear and helpful, or generic and punishing?
Relevance and motivation (7–9)
7. Does the copy speak to the visitor's stage (awareness vs. ready to buy)? Mismatch here kills conversion. 8. Is pricing or cost communicated before the final step? Surprises at checkout are a major leak. 9. Is there a reason to act now (scarcity, limited offer, or at least a clear benefit to not delaying)? Not manipulation — clarity.
Technical and experience (10–12)
10. Does the page load quickly on mobile? We use a quick LCP check; if it's over 3s, it's a blocker. 11. Is the experience consistent across devices? Broken layouts or different flows on mobile vs desktop count as fails. 12. Are key elements (buttons, links) accessible and easy to tap/click? Tiny targets or low contrast are still common.
We score each point pass/fail and then prioritise the fails by traffic and impact. The ones that affect the most people at the most critical step get fixed first. No fancy tool required — just a browser, a checklist, and a few hours. You'll have a backlog of tests that actually map to known friction instead of random ideas.