Audit of an online shop – what is it and how to carry it out?

The performance of any online shop needs to be constantly monitored in order to maintain its high efficiency. To this end, online shop audits are conducted, which indicate the strengths and weaknesses of a specific site’s performance.

In this article you will learn:

What is an online shop audit?
What can you gain from a web shop audit?
How much does a shop audit cost and how long does it take?
Who can be audited?
How does the shop audit work?

Audit of the online shop – definition

A web shop audit consists of a review and analysis of the online shop in order to assess its functionality, usability or security. Its objectives are to identify areas for improvement and to understand how the shop compares to its competitors. An online shop audit can include minor audits in areas such as technical, SEO, UX/UI, security, legal compliance or competitiveness. After the audit, shop owners receive a report with the results and recommendations for improvements and changes that can help improve efficiency.

An online shop audit is a comprehensive process of assessing and analysing the performance of an online shop, including technical aspects, SEO, UX/UI, security and legal compliance. The aim of the audit is to identify areas for improvement and make recommendations that can increase the shop’s effectiveness and competitiveness in the market.
Definition of a web shop audit

Benefits of a web shop audit

First and foremost, an audit of the online shop identifies potential problems and areas that can negatively affect the user experience and shop efficiency. Even if an online shop is doing well, regular audits are important to maintain its quality. Online markets are dynamic and customer standards and expectations change like a kaleidoscope, and an audit allows you to keep up to date with current trends and needs. Therefore, there are a number of reasons for carrying out an online shop audit, which can also be its benefits:

Improving search engine visibility – an SEO audit helps to identify areas for optimisation in order to improve search engine rankings. Good search engine rankings can attract more organic traffic.
Optimising the user experience – assessing how easy the site is to navigate, how appealing it is and how complex the purchasing process is helps to improve the user experience, resulting in their greater satisfaction and a greater propensity to return.
Ensuring security – identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities is key to maintaining customer trust.
Regulatory compliance – an audit helps to ensure that the shop complies with relevant regulations and standards, protecting against penalties and reputational damage.
Competitive analysis – comparing your shop with your competitors identifies your shop’s strengths and weaknesses and helps you determine what you can do to improve your position in the market.
Identification of technical problems – slow site loading, 404 errors and other website loading errors or lack of responsiveness on mobile devices can put customers off. An audit helps you find and resolve problems with your website’s performance.

Time and costs of a web shop audit

The time and cost of an online shop audit can vary depending on a number of factors, such as:

the size and complexity of the shop,
the scope of the audit,
the audit team (internal or external),
the rates of the companies or consultants carrying out the audit.

An audit of an online shop can take from a few days to a few weeks, which mainly depends on the size of the site. Small ones can be audited more quickly, while complex sites with thousands of products and many features may require much more time.

As far as costs are concerned, they may vary, but this does not change the fact that a professional and performed by a specialised company or an experienced consultant audit of an online shop can cost from several hundred to several thousand zlotys. The exact price depends on the scope of services, experience of the auditing company, as well as the specificity and complexity of the shop. Nevertheless, an audit of the online shop should be treated as an investment, as the corrections made on the basis of its results may increase website traffic, improve conversion or translate into higher customer satisfaction.

Commissioning an online shop audit

When auditing an online shop, the choice is usually between a specialised auditing company and a consultant-freelancer, but you can also do it yourself. The choice depends on budget, resources, the specifics of the shop and the skills required.

Audit firms usually have a team of specialists, which means they have the skills and experience necessary to carry out a comprehensive audit. They also have access to the latest tools and technology. They are most often more expensive than other solutions, but provide post-audit support and assistance in implementing recommendations and monitoring the results. However, they may require more time to coordinate and plan the audit.

Freelancers may offer more competitive rates and be more flexible in terms of audit timing and scope. They are usually specialised in a particular area, which can be beneficial if your shop needs an audit focused on a specific area. However, it is worth bearing in mind that they may not have the same wide range of skills as agencies and access to advanced tools.

Conducting an audit yourself is by far the cheapest option, which on top of that gives you full control over the process. However, it requires specialist knowledge, time and skills, which can be difficult without the right tools. There is also a risk that important areas may be overlooked during a self-audit, even more so if you have no audit experience.

Audit process for the online shop

The course of an online shop audit may vary depending on the specific shop and the specific industry, but in general an online shop audit may include the following steps:

Identifying the audit objectives

At the outset, it is useful to understand what your online shop wants to achieve by conducting an audit. These may include.

increasing visibility in search results,
improving user experience,
increasing conversions,
optimisation of the purchasing process,
better personalisation of the offer,
improved performance indicators.

Defining clear, achievable and measurable audit objectives will allow you to focus on the most important areas and tailor the audit process to your shop’s needs and expectations.

Technical audit

This stage involves a comprehensive analysis of the shop’s performance from a technical perspective. Aspects such as page loading speed, responsiveness for mobile devices, server and 404 errors and link efficiency are checked.

The aim of the technical audit is to identify potential technical issues that may negatively affect the site’s performance and user experience. Based on the results, fixes and optimisations are developed to improve performance, ensure optimal operation and increase customer satisfaction.

Security audit

During the security audit, it is verified that the shop applies best security practices and data protection measures, such as encryption, safeguards against attacks, monitoring for unauthorised access and payment transaction security. The security audit serves to identify potential vulnerabilities in the shop’s security and proposes recommendations and countermeasures. This ensures that customer data is protected to the best possible standards, avoiding loss of trust and possible penalties or legal consequences.

UX audit

The UX (User Experience) audit is used to assess the quality of the user interface and user experience. It looks at the aesthetics of the website, its readability, ease of navigation and accessibility of products. It also checks whether the website is intuitive and whether users have any problems finding the products they are interested in.

In addition, the UX audit checks how easy it is to make a purchase and whether the payment process is clear and convenient for customers. The aim of this audit is to identify areas that potentially negatively affect the user experience and those that need improvement. Developing more enjoyable and effective interactions can help to increase conversions and customer loyalty.

SEO audit

An SEO audit is an indispensable part of an online shop audit. During this stage, a keyword research is carried out, their use and compatibility with user needs are assessed. The URL structure is also analysed, the correctness and attractiveness of title tags, meta descriptions and page content is checked. The structure of internal and external links is also analysed.

These measures help to identify areas for optimisation, identify weak keywords, identify deficiencies in content optimisation and eliminate suboptimal internal linking, technical problems or errors. They also allow you to understand how your shop is visible to search engines so that you can implement optimisation strategies to increase organic traffic and your shop’s visibility in search results. Implementing improvements resulting from an SEO audit can lead to higher rankings or attracting more users.

Legal audit

A legal audit involves a detailed analysis of your shop’s legal compliance. Your shop should have and adequately present terms of use, privacy policy, return policy and other documents governing customer relations. An audit of this area allows you to check that your shop is compliant with consumer law, data protection and other e-commerce industry regulations. It can also identify possible loopholes in legal safeguards and offer recommendations to improve compliance with applicable regulations.

Taking care of legal compliance is not only a duty, but also a way to build customer trust and maintain a good reputation. A legal audit helps you operate legally, in line with consumer expectations and minimises the risk of possible consequences.

Competitor audit

A competitor analysis involves comparing your shop with your competitors, allowing you to assess how your shop is performing against others. This allows you to find the strengths and weaknesses of your site, which may relate to factors such as pricing, product quality, range of products or marketing strategies. With this audit, the shop can adjust its business strategy, improve its competitiveness and better meet customer expectations.

Report preparation

Once the audit is completed, a detailed report is prepared, which includes the results of the audit and all recommendations for improvements and changes that can help to improve the effectiveness of the online shop. This document can also be used during subsequent audits to identify important business areas, problems and errors that can be expected during the next audit.

Implementation and monitoring of recommendations

After receiving the audit report, your shop should proceed to implement the recommended improvements. These can range from small changes (e.g. optimising product descriptions or improving tags) to larger projects such as a comprehensive redesign of the user interface or improving the shop’s functionality.

It is important to focus on the most critical areas and priorities identified in the report so that the shop can effectively adapt to user expectations and improve overall performance. Once the changes have been implemented, monitoring and evaluation of their effects are essential. This involves tracking KPIs and metrics such as site traffic, number and quality of conversions or rejection rates. However, much depends on the chosen audit objective. If it was to improve SEO, it is worth tracking the page’s position in search results for specific keywords.

Analysis of the data can help to identify areas still requiring improvement. It is also worth emphasising that the process of optimising an online shop is an ongoing process. Making systematic changes and monitoring the results helps you to continuously improve and is the basis for e-commerce success. In this way, your shop can continuously increase its online visibility and improve the user experience, which can lead to more sales and customer loyalty.