CRO

Conversion Rate Optimisation Agency

Increase Conversions to Increase Sales

Getting more traffic is great, but turning visitors into customers is better. As a specialist Conversion Rate Optimisation Agency, we help you make the most of the traffic you already have. Instead of relying solely on paid acquisition, we focus on eCommerce conversion rate optimisation: removing friction, improving usability, and guiding more users to complete a purchase.

At Actuate, our data-driven CRO services are led by experienced strategists who know how to spot leaks, test changes, and increase ROI.

Most of our CRO clients are nowhere near us. If you’d rather work with a Manchester ecommerce agency in person, we’re in the Northern Quarter.

Talk to the CRO experts

Why is CRO so Important?

Why is CRO so Important?

Getting someone to your site is just half the battle. If they’re not converting, you’re leaving money on the table. According to Adobe, brands that invest in CRO see an average 223% ROI. Even simple UX fixes can result in a 35% boost in conversion rates.

As a performance-focused CRO agency in the UK, we focus on removing friction, reducing bounce rate, and helping your customers buy quickly, clearly, and confidently.

Book a CRO audit

Measuring CRO

Measuring CRO

We don’t guess. We identify exactly where users lose interest, abandon baskets, or get stuck, using tools like heatmaps, scroll depth tracking, user session recordings, conversion funnels, and click/heat maps. This gives us real, visual insight into how people interact with your store.

We also track form completion rates, cart abandonment, mobile vs desktop performance, and more, giving you a clear view of where your revenue is slipping through the cracks.

With that data, we create prioritised plans that directly address those issues, so we can help you build a store that converts more of the traffic you’re already paying for.

What’s involved in a CRO Strategy?

Our CRO services are custom-fit to your store, platform, and goals:

1

A/B Split Testing

A/B testing can improve conversion rates by up to 49%. We test real user behaviour to determine what converts best, from CTA placement to layout changes.

2

User Journey

Smoother journeys can reduce cart abandonment by up to 35%. We analyse how users move from a landing page to the checkout and identify friction points that cause drop-off.

3

Heatmaps

Brands using heatmap tools report up to a 20% increase in CTA interactions. Click, scroll, and movement data tell us what grabs attention, and what doesn’t. These insights shape layout and content placement to increase engagement and time on site.

4

Multivariate Testing

We test combinations of content elements (like headers, buttons, and imagery) to find the best-performing layouts. This is especially effective on high-value pages like PDPs and category listings, where small changes can lift sales by 15-25%.

5

Customer Personas

We segment your audience by intent, behaviour, and value. Tailoring experiences to different types of customers improves relevance and can boost conversions by over 200% when paired with personalisation.

6

UX/UI: User Interface & Design

88% of users won’t return after a poor experience, so first impressions matter. We make your site usable. Faster load times and cleaner interfaces help reduce bounce rate and increase purchase intent.

I4L Before CRO

Original

  • No clear hierarchy or flow to the page, appears overwhelming at first glance
  • Add to Basket CTA below the fold
  • Excessive product description pushes key elements down the page
  • Configurable options lost behind a dropdown which is easy to miss
  • Secondary CTAs such as ‘Specify’ given more prominence than the main CTA which should be ‘Add to Basket’
I4L After CRO

Optimised

  • Clear hierarchy and flow to the page
  • Obvious and logical configurable options allow user to customise product
  • Add to Basket CTA now above the fold and clearly visible
  • Product description now positioned further down allowing more space above for key elements
  • ‘Often bought with’ section allows for upsells

Platform-Specific CRO

Every platform has its strengths, and its quirks. We know how to make each one perform at its best, with CRO strategies tailored to your setup.

Adobe Commerce and Magento CRO

Magento & Adobe Commerce

From complex catalogues to custom checkout flows, we fine-tune your Magento or Adobe Commerce site to remove blockers, reduce load times, and increase checkout completion.

Shopify and Shopify Plus CRO

Shopify & Shopify Plus

Shopify’s flexibility is its superpower, but it still needs refining. We optimise desktop and mobile UX, streamline templates, and improve navigation to turn casual visitors into loyal customers.

AutoID before CRO

Original

  • Step 1 is open but subsequent steps are pushed below the fold
  • Small product imagery means it is difficult to see the details of each product
  • No obvious CTA to see more information about each individual product
  • Not clear how much the user needs to spend to qualify for discount levels
  • Bundle summary on the right hand side is no longer visible if a user scrolls further down the page
AutoID After CRO

Optimised

  • Clear steps ensure user knows what stage they are at in the process
  • Large image and gallery allows user to see the product in detail
  • ‘More Info’ button allows the user to open up the product information in a modal without leaving the kit builder page
  • Sticky footer ensures the bundle price and clear CTAs are always visible
  • Discount levels always visible in sticky footer encouraging users to spend more to reach the next level of savings

Let’s Turn More Clicks into Customers

CRO isn’t a one-and-done project. It’s a long-term growth lever. As a data-led CRO agency in the UK businesses depend on, we help you increase revenue, improve ROI, and create the next nice problem: how to keep up with growing demand.

Book your CRO workshop

Shopify and Shopify Plus CRO

A year of CRO, by the numbers

The Skirting Board Shop already had a fast Hyvä site. The real question was how much more we could squeeze from the traffic they already had.

So we ran a year of retained CRO. Testing, refining, and removing friction, month after month. Conversion climbed 51%, new visitors grew, and fewer people bounced before they bought.

That’s the point of CRO. Not one big swing, but steady, compounding gains from the traffic you’ve already paid for.

Client
The Skirting Board Shop

Sector
Building Supplies

Platform
Magento 2

Project Time
3 Months

51%

Increase in Conversion Rate

A complete Hyvä rebuild and ongoing CRO work transformed the site from an underperformer into a genuine sales engine.

670%

Increase in New Visitors

Speed improvements, better indexability, and a cleaner site structure dramatically improved organic visibility and brought significantly more traffic to the site.

5%

Reduction in Bounce Rate

A faster, more intuitive experience meant fewer visitors leaving without engaging.

What our clients say

 

We’ve worked with Actuate for several years and the results have been consistent. Conversion rate up 113%, AOV up, bounce rate down. They know our business inside out, and it shows.

Rob Dyer
Be My Bear
 

Working with Actuate is a pleasure — they are really trying to help, they listen and offer solutions to solve the problems. Thanks for all your help so far.

Rafael Bielinski
Buller Ltd
 

I like working with Actuate because they care about what they do, they clarify the detail to get the job done right.  They have worked incredibly hard with our complex needs and have been on hand for help and advice every step along the way…

Catherine Lund-Barker
Elcometer
 

“What impressed us most was how quickly Actuate identified the root cause. Within the first call they’d spotted the metadata issue that had been tanking our traffic. Everything that followed has been just as sharp.”

Mitch Tamcken
AutoID
 

I worked with Actuate on the redevelopment of the Pickett London website. Their team is an excellent asset for any company or team, it was a pleasure to work with them – easy to communicate with, easy to reach and always willing to help.

Oliver Moser
Pickett
 

Actuate Digital has helped us improve the site’s UX and increase our conversion rate. Their team leverages their expertise to provide sound opinions and advice to guide the project in the right direction. They also always offer on-hand support and communicate via email and meetings.

Daniel Wright
Reliant
 

Without Actuate’s help and support, our original website wouldn’t have succeeded. Time was of the essence, and Actuate stepped in to deliver a swift turnaround. The new site has performed exceptionally well ever since. We continue to grow thanks to Actuate. ❤️ Thanks guys!”

Chantelle Telford
Robinsons of Bawtry

Frequently Asked Questions.

Get in Touch

What is Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)?

CRO is the process of improving your website so that a higher percentage of your existing traffic completes desired actions, like making a purchase, signing up, or adding to cart, without increasing your ad spend. It focuses on removing friction points and guiding users toward conversion.

Why should my eCommerce business invest in CRO?

Traffic alone isn’t enough; if visitors don’t convert, you’re leaving revenue on the table. CRO helps you turn more of your current visitors into customers, improving ROI from your marketing spend and boosting long-term growth.

What does your CRO process look like?

We analyse real user behaviour, identify drop-off points, form hypotheses, and test changes that are likely to move revenue, not vanity metrics.

How quickly will we see impact?

Some changes help straight away. Bigger gains take time and iteration.

Can you guarantee results?

No. Anyone who does isn’t being honest.

Does this include mobile optimisation?

Yes. Mobile is usually where the biggest issues sit.

Do you implement changes or just provide recommendations?

We do both. We identify what needs fixing, test where appropriate, and implement changes so improvements actually go live.

Real Growth
Conversation.

Real growth starts with a real conversation. Get in touch with us now, and we can help unlock your next nice problem.

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