Is Poor UX Costing You Conversions? Inside the Website UX Audit Process

A website can’t survive on looks alone. People need a clear, smooth, frustration-free experience, too. Slow page loads, confusing layouts, and clunky navigation can frustrate visitors long before they ever convert, donate, register, or contact you. And in a world where users have endless alternatives, user experience (UX) matters.

Poor UX can also lead to real costs. According to HubSpot and Google, 88% of users won’t return after a bad experience, and more than half will leave a site that takes longer than three seconds to load. Mobile users have even less patience, with expectations rising every year. 

If finding information, completing tasks, or moving through your site feels harder than it should, your user experience is already costing you — not just in traffic, but in potential business.  A UX audit helps you find out why.

What Is User Experience (UX)?

Think about when you walk into your favorite store or restaurant. The thing that initially drew you may have been the product or menu, but what keeps you coming back for more is probably the experience – the vibe, the look, the service. You’re here for all of it. 

The same goes for your website. No matter how good that trendy, farm-to-table restaurant is – if you walk in and it’s dirty, disorganized, or you’re forced to wait too long for a server – odds are you’ll think twice about going back there. You might even turn around and walk right back out. 

Here’s what the stats say:

• 53% of users abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load (Google).
• 70% of consumers say page speed affects their willingness to buy online (Unbounce).
• 89% of customers switched to a competitor after a poor user experience (Zendesk).
• Mobile users are 5x more likely to abandon a task if the site isn’t optimized (Google).

Even if the cornerstone of your business is a brick-and-mortar establishment, your customers are likely finding and researching you online. It’s just convenient. 

So, if they chance upon your website and they have a poor user experience, they may never actually walk through your door, call, email you, register, donate, or add to cart. They have options, and they know it.

That’s why usability (or UX) audits are so important for your organization.

What Are UX Audits?

A UX audit is a structured review of how real people experience your website. It outlines how it might be improved to create a smoother, more intuitive user journey.

A UX audit will look at the elements that shape user behavior: navigation, layout, content clarity, accessibility, mobile experience, forms, CTAs, and how easily users can complete key tasks. Instead of guessing why engagement or conversions are low, a UX audit shows you the actual friction points and why they matter.

This includes evaluating where users get stuck, what draws their attention, how they move through your pages, and what may be discouraging them from taking the next step. Even small barriers (like unclear CTAs, cluttered layouts, or awkward form fields) can have a big impact.

A good UX audit doesn’t just point out issues; it gives you a clearer picture of how to make your site easier, faster, and more enjoyable to use.

Do I Need a UX Audit?

You likely need a UX audit if your website feels confusing, outdated, slow, or difficult to navigate — or if you’ve noticed drops in engagement, conversions, or key user actions.

Most UX issues don’t appear all at once. They show up gradually as your site grows, your content changes, new pages get added, design trends shift, or user expectations evolve. Over time, even well-designed websites become harder to use if no one is actively monitoring the experience.

Here are some clear signs your site may need a UX audit:

• Users aren’t completing key actions.
  For example, low form submissions, low registrations, abandoned carts, or few contact requests.
• People can’t find what they need.
  You may see high bounce rates, short time-on-page, or repeated support questions asking for basic information.
• Your site feels cluttered or outdated.
  Layout, spacing, hierarchy, and design standards evolve quickly. What felt modern a few years ago may feel overwhelming today.
• Mobile performance is poor.
  Buttons are too small, layouts break, text isn’t readable, or tasks take too many steps.
• Navigation is confusing.
  Users struggle to move through your content or understand where to go next.
• Your pages load slowly.
  Slow load times impact both user experience and conversions.
• You recently redesigned or added new features.
  New elements can introduce friction you didn’t intend.

For most organizations, a yearly UX audit keeps things running smoothly. Larger websites, high-traffic platforms, or sites with active content pipelines may benefit from quarterly reviews to keep up with changing user behavior.

A UX audit is ultimately about clarity. If something feels “off,” if you’re not meeting your goals, or if your users seem confused, it’s time to take a closer look.

What Is the UX Audit Process?

A UX audit isn’t guesswork. It follows a structured approach to understand both the design and behavior patterns on your site. While every organization’s needs are different, most UX audits include a mix of usability, content, visual, and behavioral reviews.

First, we’ll want to gain a full understanding of your business, your services and/or products, your overall objectives, your core audience, and what you want them to do on your site. With that, we can start going page by page through your website and ensure it aligns with those goals.

Here are 11 things typically included in a user experience audit:

1. Navigation & Site Structure Review

Can users easily peruse your site, or is it difficult to find key information or take action? Do your links work as intended? Do any pathways lead to the wrong page or 404 errors? 

We evaluate menus, labels, and the overall content hierarchy to make sure users can find what they need quickly and easily. 

2. Page Layout, Spacing & Visual Hierarchy

We assess how elements are arranged on each page, ensuring your design guides the eye, reduces clutter, and supports user goals.

3. Content Clarity & Readability

Are there grammatical errors or inconsistent styling in your content? Is the font type too small or the paragraphs too long? Are some pages too light on content, failing to fulfill users’ needs? (This is also critical for SEO/AEO.) 

We examine page copy, headings, formatting, and scannability to confirm users can understand your message without friction.

4. Accessibility Review (ADA / WCAG / 508)

Ensuring that people of all abilities can use your website is essential for complying with accessibility guidelines and reaching your entire audience – not just some. 

We check color contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text, semantic markup, and screen reader behavior. This ensures inclusivity and compliance.

5. Mobile Responsiveness & Touch Interactions

The percentage of consumers using mobile devices for searching and shopping continues to rise. We review mobile layouts, tap targets, spacing, readability, and overall responsiveness across device sizes.

6. Images & Video

Do your images and videos have high-quality resolution? Do they appear as they should on both desktop and mobile? Do your video links work? 

We assess accessibility, file sizes, compression, load impact, captions/transcripts, and whether visuals support the user journey.

7. Forms, CTAs & Interactive Elements

We look for clarity, placement, field length, button visibility, and potential points of friction that block conversions.

8. Functionality Review

Does your site’s functionality match what users expect? Do dropdowns, animation, maps, calendars, and other features or integrations work as intended? Is it up to date with industry standards and your competition?

We test key user tasks like search, filters, carts, registrations, account access, and other features to ensure everything works smoothly.

9. Design Consistency

Is the design outdated? Is it on-brand and keeping pace with your industry and competition? Is it cluttered and messy, or is it neat and visually appealing? 

We check typography, colors, spacing, imagery styles, and UI components to ensure a cohesive and trustworthy experience.

10. Analytics & Behavioral Insights (if available)

We review user flows, drop-off points, device data, scroll depth, and heatmaps to understand where users struggle most.

11. Recommendations & Prioritized Roadmap

We present these assessments in a clear and easy-to-understand report, complete with details about how issues can be fixed and how long it might take to fix them.

7 Benefits of a UX Audit

A strong UX audit does more than point out problems—it highlights opportunities to improve how people move through your site and how confidently they can complete key actions. Even small adjustments can lead to noticeable improvements in engagement and conversions.

Here’s what you can expect to gain:

1. Clearer Navigation and User Paths

Users should instantly understand where to go and how to get there. A UX audit identifies confusing labels, cluttered menus, or content buried too deeply.

2. Higher Conversions and Completing Key Tasks

Optimizing forms, CTAs, mobile layouts, and task flows removes barriers that prevent users from converting, donating, registering, or purchasing.

3. Better Mobile Performance

A smoother mobile experience helps keep users engaged on the devices they use most.

4. Reduced User Frustration

Cleaner layouts, consistent design, and intuitive content placement help users move through your site with ease.

5. Improved Accessibility

Fixes to contrast, alt text, semantic structure, and keyboard navigation create a more inclusive experience and support AEO and usability.

6. Stronger Page Performance

Enhanced load times and fewer distractions lead to better user retention and lower bounce rates.

7. Visual and Functional Consistency

Your site feels more trustworthy when patterns, styles, and interactions behave predictably across every page.

Ready to Improve Your User Experience?

A UX audit is one of the most effective ways to understand what your users need—and what’s getting in their way. If you’re ready to create smoother journeys, stronger conversions, and a website that feels effortless for your audience, we’re here to help.

Ironistic’s UX audit services combine strategy, design, and real-user insights to create practical, impactful recommendations tailored to your goals. Whether you need quick wins or a full experience refresh, we’ll help you build a website that works better for your users and your organization.