How to Hire a Conversion Rate Optimisation Agency for E-commerce
Conversion work is only as good as the testing behind it. Here is how to tell a CRO agency with a process from one that just runs A/B tests.
In this article
Research comes before testsWhat a clear process looks likeWho owns the tests and the resultsScope: fixes, not only testsQuestions to ask before you signA worked example of a research-led testBeing realistic about trafficWhat you should keep after the engagementMobile testing is non-negotiableTools and who owns themResearch comes before tests
Good CRO starts with the store as it is. Analytics shows where people leave. Session recordings and heatmaps show what they do. Customer reviews and support messages show what they worry about. Those findings become hypotheses, each one with a reason behind it. That reason is what makes a test worth running.
What a clear process looks like
Ask for their process in writing: how they collect data, how they write hypotheses, how they decide which tests to run first, how long a test runs, and what counts as a win. A test needs enough visitors to be meaningful. A test stopped early because one version looks ahead is a bad test.
Who owns the tests and the results
You should own the test setup, the data, and the results. Ask which tools they use, whether the tests run on your store or on theirs, and what happens to the work if you end the contract. Results you cannot access are results you cannot learn from.
Scope: fixes, not only tests
Testing finds problems. Someone then has to fix them. Ask whether the agency makes the changes or only recommends them, and who does the development. Recommendations that sit in a document for three months do not lift conversion.
Questions to ask before you sign
What did you learn from your last five tests, including the ones that failed? What traffic do you need to run a useful test on my store? What will you change in the first month? A good answer to the first question is a sign the agency learns from its losses too.
A worked example of a research-led test
A store notices that many visitors open the size guide, then leave the product page. The research question is clear: is the size guide hard to understand, or is the size they need missing? A session recording shows people scrolling back and forth between the size chart and the product photos. Customer reviews mention fit problems. The hypothesis is that the size information sits too far from the 'add to cart' button. The test moves a short size summary beside the button and keeps the full chart below it.
That test has a reason behind it, a measurable change, and a clear result. Compare that with a test that changes the button colour because a competitor did. A CRO agency that works the first way is building knowledge. The second way produces tests but no learning.
Being realistic about traffic
A split test needs enough visitors to see a real difference. A store with a small number of daily visitors may need weeks to finish one test. In that case, research and fixes usually return more than testing. Ask any agency to estimate how long a test on your store would take, based on your actual traffic. An honest answer may tell you to fix the obvious problems first.
What you should keep after the engagement
When the engagement ends you should keep the research notes, the list of hypotheses and results, including the failed ones, and the changes that went live. That record is the store's memory. Without it, the next team starts from scratch, and the same ideas get tested twice.
Mobile testing is non-negotiable
Most e-commerce traffic in India arrives on mobile, often on a mid-range Android phone and a weak connection. A CRO agency should test on that kind of device, not only on a desktop in an office. Check page speed, the size of tap targets, the checkout form on a small screen, and how the page behaves when a payment screen opens in another app. Ask for mobile results, separate from the overall figures, because averages hide mobile problems.
A fix that improves the desktop page while slowing the phone version is a loss for most stores. Ask how the agency checks for that.
Tools and who owns them
CRO depends on analytics, session recordings, heatmaps, and a testing tool. Each one has a licence, and each one holds data about your visitors. Ask which tools the agency will use, whether the accounts will be in your name, how long recordings are kept, and whether that retention meets your own privacy policy. Visitor data is personal data, and the agency should handle it as carefully as you do.
Key takeaways
- Research comes before testing. A test without a written hypothesis teaches little.
- Ask for the process in writing, including how long tests run and what counts as a win.
- You should own the test data and results.
- Make sure someone is responsible for turning findings into fixes.
Put this to work with Pantheraa: D2C conversion rate optimisation · Product page optimisation checklist · What is a good conversion rate?.
Hiring a CRO agency, questions, answered.
Enough visitors to reach a meaningful result within a reasonable time. A low-traffic store often gets more value from research and fixes than from split tests.
Ideally yes, or they should work closely with your developer. Findings that are never implemented produce no return.
No. CRO improves what happens after a visitor arrives. SEO affects how many visitors arrive. They work well together, but they are different jobs.
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