What Should an Online Store Audit Include – Why Is It Worth Doing?

Every person running an online store wants the website to work smoothly, be free of errors, and be friendly to potential customers. Unfortunately, minor shortcomings that can affect the final purchase decision happen quite often. However, there is a way to catch all errors and then remedy them—it is an online store audit. What exactly is it, and is it really worth it? We’ll take a look. 

What is an online store audit?

An online store audit is a comprehensive analysis of an online store’s operation in terms of usability, performance, security, SEO, and technical aspects. It is a process that allows you to detect errors, identify areas for improvement, and indicate specific actions that will allow the store to sell more effectively (and thus more).

It is worth noting that online store audits are not limited to technical aspects only. They also cover issues related to user experience (UX), customer journey optimisation, customer service processes, information security, and integration with external systems, such as ERP or CRM.

The result of such an audit is a detailed analysis of the configuration’s current state, with an indication of problems and recommendations, advice, and recommendations aimed at improving it.

What elements does an e-commerce audit include?

It should be remembered that online store audits are often carried out individually – the methods and techniques chosen may vary depending on the needs. However, each should contain the most essential elements. These include:

1. Usability and UX

How the customer navigates the store—whether he can quickly and easily access the menu items and subpages of interest—is one of the most important factors influencing the user’s purchase. Unfortunately, if this issue does not work properly, the abandonment rate can be very high.

An audit of online stores in terms of UX is assessed by, m.in:

• intuitive navigation,
• transparency of categories and product cards,
• speed of the purchasing process,
• adapting the store to mobile devices.

2. Technical performance

Even the best assortment will not help if the store is slow. Online store audits verify:

• page load time,
• server stability,
• correct operation of the IT system integration,
• handling traffic during periods of increased sales (e.g. Black Friday).

3. SEO and Search Engine Visibility

Your online store needs to be visible where customers are looking for it – on Google. An e-commerce audit checks:

• correctness of meta tags,
• URL structure,
• uniqueness of the content,
• Index
• visibility in the search engine for relevant key phrases,
• graphics optimisation,
• internal and external linking.

4. Security

Customer trust is the foundation of online sales. Therefore, online store audits include:

• SSL certificates and their configuration,
• protection against DDoS and malware attacks,
• personal data protection by the GDPR – although in this case it is also possible to perform a personal GDPR audit, which is carried out to analyse the compliance of the implementation with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation,
• password and user authorisation policy,
• identify vulnerabilities and configuration errors in the environment and applications.

5. Business processes and integrations

A good online store is not only a website, but a whole ecosystem of tools. The audit takes into account:

• integration with ERP, CRM systems or logistics platforms,
• the process of handling orders and returns,
• effectiveness of marketing automation systems.

Why is it worth performing an online store audit?

First of all, the most important benefits of an e-commerce audit include:

• Higher sales – streamlining the shopping path and optimising UX directly translates into conversions.
• Better visibility in Google – improving SEO makes the store gain new customers organically.
• Security and trust – Proper security measures protect customer data and build brand reputation.
• Technical stability – avoiding failures and slow operation means less financial losses.
• Cost optimisation – identifying ineffective solutions allows you to reduce expenses.