Brazil e-commerce conversion audit you can do in 30 minutes

This practical guide expands a 30-minute conversion audit template specifically for Brazil-focused e-commerce teams and consultants, adding deeper checks, implementation advice, and templates to turn quick findings into measurable results.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Focused hypothesis: A 30-minute audit should aim to identify quick, high-impact fixes in checkout friction, local payments, speed, and trust cues rather than to solve everything.
Evidence-driven checks: Capture one screenshot or one-click evidence for each of the 12 page checks and classify findings by impact and effort.
Local payment and form handling matter: Pix, boleto, parcelamento, CEP lookup, and CPF/CNPJ handling are essential local features that influence conversions.
Speed and mobile UX are high priority: Optimize images, defer nonessential scripts, and ensure sticky, visible CTAs on mobile to reduce bounce and abandonment.
Tracking and experimentation are critical: Verify GA4/GTM e-commerce events, persist UTM parameters across redirects, and design simple A/B tests with clear metrics.
Fast handoff and weekly cadence: Provide concise tickets with acceptance criteria and maintain a weekly 30–60 minute review to monitor experiments and technical debt.

Define the thesis

The audit begins with a concise hypothesis: small, well-targeted improvements in checkout friction, local payment options, page speed, and trust signals will meaningfully improve conversion rates for Brazilian e-commerce stores. The 30-minute format is a diagnostic sprint to find the highest-impact, fastest-to-implement wins rather than to solve every issue.

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To make the thesis actionable, they should attach short-term goals and success criteria: for example, reduce checkout abandonment by a measurable percentage, increase Pix share of purchases, or improve add-to-cart to purchase conversion. Those goals help prioritize experiments and allow measurement within one to two weeks of changes.

Preparation checklist (before the stopwatch starts)

Preparation saves time and increases the quality of findings during the 30-minute audit. They should assemble the following items before starting the run:

Device access: A mobile device (or emulator) and desktop browser with cleared cache.
Admin & dev contacts: Admin credentials or a known developer contact for rapid fixes and clarifications.
Analytics access: GA4 and Google Tag Manager access or at least view-level access to confirm events.
Test payment options: Test card numbers, credentials for sandbox Pix/boleto if available, and access to the payment provider dashboard.
Stopwatch & capture tool: A timer and a screenshot tool for annotated evidence (filename conventions help later reporting).
Reference links: Bookmarks to PageSpeed Insights, GTM Preview, and privacy/LGPD guidance for quick linking.

How to run the 30-minute audit (overview)

Use a stopwatch and allocate roughly 3–4 minutes per check across the 12-page checklist, leaving 5–8 minutes at the end to synthesize the top three friction points and next actions. They should capture one-click or one-screenshot evidence for each check and classify each finding by expected impact and implementation speed (quick: minutes–hours, medium: days, long: weeks).

12-page checks (30-minute procedures)

Each check below adds details about the evidence to capture, common failure patterns, and suggested immediate actions. They should log a screenshot and a short note for each page element checked—use filenames like “PDP_MOBILE_01_Pricing.png”.

Homepage / Entry pages
Look for a clear value proposition in Portuguese (pt-BR), a single prominent CTA, and any hero messaging about local payments or shipping. Capture the mobile and desktop fold, and note if promotional banners push CTAs below the fold.

Common problems: overcrowded hero, rotating carousels hiding the main CTA, or promotional banners with countdowns causing cognitive load. Quick fix: simplify hero copy and place a payment or free-shipping message near the primary CTA.
Category / Collection pages
Assess product density, filter clarity, default sort, and whether prices and installment messaging are visible without opening PDPs. Capture the filter UI and an example where an important filter returns zero results.

Common problems: invisible price per parcel, filters that default to irrelevant options, or infinite scroll with no progress indicator. Quick fix: show the monthly installment price and add a clear “filter applied” UI element.
Search results
Run common localized search terms (brands, product types) and evaluate relevance and suggestions. Screenshot the search results and any spelling correction or “did you mean” behavior.

Common problems: exact-match-only search, lack of synonyms for Brazilian Portuguese, or missing results page metadata. Quick fix: enable fuzzy matching and add popular synonyms and brand aliases to the search index or merchandising rules.
Product Detail Page (PDP)
Examine hero media, title clarity, price and installment display, stock messaging, CTA prominence, delivery info, and social proof. Capture the top of the PDP on mobile and desktop.

Common problems: installment shown only after clicking through, unclear stock status, or missing delivery windows. Quick fix: display installment options and shipping estimate near the price and CTA.
Product images & media
Confirm high-resolution images, zoom/gesture support, availability of video or 360 views, and whether responsive images (srcset) are used. Capture the largest image file name in the network panel or the PageSpeed resource list to prove optimization needs.

Common problems: oversized images on mobile, no alt text, or slow-loading hero images. Quick fix: request responsive srcset and modern formats (WebP/AVIF) for product images.
Cart page
Check for clear item summary, enabled quantity edits, shipping estimator, visible totals, coupon behavior, and presence of express checkout options like Pix QR or wallets. Screenshot the cart summary and coupon behavior when an invalid code is entered.

Common problems: unclear totals, coupons that hide shipping until checkout, or cart page not reflecting installment options. Quick fix: surface shipping estimator and payment badges immediately in the cart summary.
Checkout flow
Test as a guest and, if possible, as a returning user. Count steps, evaluate required fields, look for CEP lookup and inline validation, and capture each checkout step screenshot. Note problematic field types (e.g., free-text CPF) and whether auto-fill works.

Common problems: long multi-step forms, lack of CEP auto-complete, and unclear error messaging. Quick fix: enable CEP lookup via an API (e.g., ViaCEP) and reduce required fields.
Payment options & methods page
Verify local methods: Pix, boleto, debit, credit with parcelamento, and wallets like Mercado Pago or PagSeguro. Capture the payment selection screen and any explanatory copy about interest or payment timelines for boleto.

Common problems: Pix listed but shown as secondary, boleto without clear payment deadlines, or unclear interest for installments. Quick fix: promote Pix and surface the first-payment or boleto due date prominently.
Account / Login and guest checkout
Check availability of guest checkout and social login options, password requirements, and error messaging clarity. Capture the login modal and the guest checkout screen.

Common problems: forcing account creation early, email verification blocking checkout, and weak social login options. Quick fix: allow guest checkout with an option to create an account after purchase.
Mobile experience
Test on real mobile hardware if possible. Check touch target size, sticky add-to-cart behavior, keyboard types for numeric/email fields, and whether the navigation is simplified for small screens. Capture the mobile add-to-cart experience and any overflow or layout break.

Common problems: CTAs obscured by sticky headers, tiny tap targets, or horizontal scroll on product cards. Quick fix: implement a sticky CTA and increase touch target sizes to at least 44×44 CSS pixels.
Speed & Core Web Vitals
Run PageSpeed Insights on PDP and checkout pages and capture LCP, CLS, and INP values. Screenshot the summary and list the top three blocking resources (images, large JS bundles, or third-party scripts).

Common problems: large hero images, render-blocking CSS, or heavy third-party trackers. Quick fix: lazy-load offscreen images and defer nonessential third-party scripts.
Trust & legal pages
Confirm visible SSL, clear return policy, phone and chat contact, privacy policy with LGPD references (LGPD), and seller identification via CNPJ in the footer or checkout. Screenshot the footer and the checkout header showing trust cues.

Common problems: missing CNPJ, buried returns policy, or cookie banners without clear opt-outs. Quick fix: add a concise returns summary on PDPs and place CNPJ in the footer and checkout pages.

Evidence capture & reporting tips

They should adopt a consistent evidence capture approach to make handoffs clear and actionable:

Filename convention: PAGE_DEVICE_XX_DESCRIPTION (e.g., PDP_MOBILE_01_Price.png).
One-line note: For each screenshot, add one sentence: the finding, severity (high/medium/low), and suggested ticket type (UX, dev, content).
Tagging: Use tags like “quick-win”, “requires-backend”, “tracking” to help triage.

How to prioritize findings: top 3 friction points

After the 12 checks, they should extract the three highest-impact friction points. Use a simple scoring matrix with two axes: implementation speed (minutes/hours/days) and expected impact (low/medium/high). Each finding gets a combined priority tag: quick-high, quick-medium, medium-high, etc.

Typical high-impact issues in Brazil include missing local payment methods, checkout complexity around CEP/CPF, and poor mobile performance. They should prioritize quick-high fixes first and schedule medium-high items into the next sprint.

Prioritization framework and example scoring

A practical, repeatable prioritization framework helps teams decide what to implement immediately. They can score each finding from 1–5 on two dimensions and calculate a priority index:

Impact (1–5): How much revenue or conversion the fix is expected to influence.
Effort (1–5): Estimated implementation time and dependency complexity (1 = minutes, 5 = weeks).
Priority index: Impact / Effort. Higher values get scheduled earlier.

Example: Adding a Pix express button (Impact 5, Effort 2) yields an index of 2.5 and is high priority; a full checkout redesign (Impact 5, Effort 5) yields 1.0 and belongs to roadmap planning.

Payment implementation considerations (practical details)

Payments in Brazil have local nuances that affect both UX and operations. They should evaluate not just whether methods are available but how they are implemented and reconciled.

Pix
Pix supports static and dynamic QR codes, payment links, and API-based integrations. For faster checkout, an express Pix button that generates a dynamic QR or link reduces friction. They should verify how refunds and reconciliation are handled in the merchant account and whether Pix notifications are properly mapped to orders.

Reference: Banco Central – Pix.
Boleto
Boleto payments can take days to clear; merchants should communicate expected clearing times and manage stock/fulfillment accordingly. Automating boleto confirmation via the payment gateway reduces manual reconciliation and customer support load.
Parcelamento (installments)
Installment messaging must clearly state whether the merchant or the issuer bears interest and what the monthly amounts are. Consumers are highly sensitive to “sem juros” (no interest) offers and will compare installment terms across sites.
Fraud vs UX trade-offs
Anti-fraud measures like 3D Secure and velocity checks reduce fraud but introduce friction. They should instrument post-purchase support metrics (chargebacks, fraud rate) to evaluate whether a less aggressive rule set improves conversion without unacceptable fraud exposure.

Address, forms and localization best practices

Brazilian address formats and identification fields (CPF/CNPJ) require special handling. Small form optimizations deliver outsized improvements in completion rates.

CEP lookup: Use services such as ViaCEP to auto-fill street, neighborhood, city, and state from CEP.
Input masks and validation: Apply masks for CPF, CNPJ, phone numbers, and CEP to reduce user errors and provide immediate inline validation messages in pt-BR.
Keyboard types: On mobile, set numeric keyboards for CEP and CPF, and use email keyboard for email fields to speed entry.
Local language & tone: Use concise, friendly Portuguese microcopy—consumers respond better to colloquial phrases like “Finalizar compra” instead of literal translations.

Speed basics: what to check fast and fix first

Speed is often one of the fastest wins. In 5–10 minutes they can surface key issues and produce a prioritized action list. Always link PageSpeed findings to user-facing problems (e.g., slow images causing a delayed CTA render) rather than treating scores as standalone objectives.

PageSpeed Insights: Run on SKU and checkout; capture LCP, CLS, and INP snapshots.
Image optimization: Detect oversized images and request responsive srcset and modern formats like WebP/AVIF.
Critical JS/CSS: Identify render-blocking resources and propose deferring noncritical files.
Server & CDN: Verify whether a CDN with Brazilian POPs is in place, and flag cross-region latency issues for static assets.
Caching & compression: Ensure GZIP/Brotli and cache headers are set for static assets.

For deeper reading on Core Web Vitals, link to Google’s guidance: Core Web Vitals.

Trust signals Brazilians expect (extra detail)

Trust is local. Brazilians often look for specific cues that reduce uncertainty and increase comfort with online purchases.

CNPJ and legal transparency: Displaying CNPJ and corporate address signals legitimacy and simplifies returns and complaints.
Delivery and returns clarity: Show estimated delivery windows and an abbreviated returns process on PDPs and cart pages; provide a link to detailed policy.
Payment logos and security: Place payment badges near CTAs and state the use of secure protocols (TLS, PCI compliance where applicable).
Reviews and social proof: Verify reviews and display seller or marketplace ratings if applicable; local marketplaces (e.g., Mercado Livre) set a baseline for trust expectations.
Privacy & LGPD: Include a short privacy notice referencing LGPD and provide a clear path for users to opt-out or request data deletion.

A/B test ideas (fast experiments for Brazil)

Design simple tests mapped to the top three friction points. Below each idea are measurement tips and primary/secondary metrics to monitor.

Express Pix CTA on cart or PDP
Compare Pix express button vs. a control. Primary metric: purchase rate; secondary metrics: payment-type share and refund rate. Ensure tracking differentiates purchases by payment method.
Installment prominence on PDP
Test large, bold installment messaging (“ou 6x sem juros de R$X”) versus passive placement. Primary metric: add-to-cart; secondary: revenue per session and average order value.
Reduced checkout fields with CEP autofill
Test a reduced first-step form (email, CEP) with CEP auto-fill against full address entry. Primary metric: begin_checkout to purchase rate; secondary: average time to submit first step.
Sticky mobile CTA
Test sticky “Finalizar compra” on mobile against the current layout. Primary metric: add-to-cart to cart conversion; secondary: bounce rate on PDP.
Free-shipping progress bar
Test a visible progress bar toward free shipping versus no progress indicator. Primary metric: average order value; secondary: conversion rate.

For sample size and duration guidance, link to a reputable calculator such as Evan Miller’s sample size calculator and to general experimentation best practices at Optimizely.

Tracking setup: what to verify and add quickly

Accurate tracking is essential to validate experiments and capture true impact. In 10–20 minutes they should verify or add the following events and parameters using Google Tag Manager and GA4 where possible.

Pageview basics: Confirm pageview tags fire on PDP, cart, and all checkout steps.
E-commerce events: Verify view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, add_payment_info, and purchase events, ensuring correct currency and value parameters.
Checkout step tracking: Implement events that include step numbers to detect micro-dropoffs.
Payment method attribution: Pass payment method as an event parameter to analyze conversion by method.
UTM persistence: Ensure campaign parameters survive redirects to payment gateways to avoid misattribution.
Form error events: Capture validation errors like “invalid CPF” to target specific UX fixes.
Heatmaps & session recordings: Use tools like Hotjar for qualitative evidence on high-traffic pages and checkout steps.
Use GTM Preview & GA4 DebugView: Validate each event and screenshot the debug view to include in the audit report.

Quick wins and implementation suggestions (expanded)

The following recommendations commonly yield fast returns and are straightforward for engineering or platform teams to implement.

Add Pix as an express checkout option
Use payment provider integrations to expose an express Pix button and a dynamic QR that is easy to scan or copy. Confirm the payment provider supports webhook notifications for reconciliation.
Enable CEP lookup and correct field types
Integrate a CEP lookup service (e.g., ViaCEP) and apply input masks for CPF/CNPJ and phone numbers. This reduces address errors and support volume.
Prominent installment messaging
Display the monthly installment amount and whether it is interest-free. Ensure backend pricing logic matches the messaging to avoid chargebacks or disputes.
Sticky CTA and simplified mobile flow
Make the primary CTA large, clear, and sticky on mobile. Reduce the number of steps before payment selection and prefill returning customer data where possible.
Surface shipping and returns early
Show a brief shipping estimate and returns summary on PDPs to reduce anxiety and cart abandonment.
Defer nonessential third-party scripts
Delay loading analytics tags or chat widgets until after first paint so they do not block critical render path.

Operational checklist: tickets and handoffs

To accelerate implementation, they should prepare compact tickets for each quick-win and hand off a prioritized backlog to engineering with clear acceptance criteria and testing steps.

Ticket template: Problem statement, screenshots, impact estimate, implementation steps, QA steps, rollback plan, owner, and target date.
Acceptance criteria example: “Pix express button appears on mobile cart; clicking generates dynamic QR within 3 seconds; successful sandbox payment marks order as paid in the admin within 5 minutes.”
QA checklist: Test on Android and iOS, desktop Chrome, and Firefox; validate GTM events; confirm purchase reconciliation in the merchant dashboard.

Weekly review cadence: what to monitor and act on

After initial fixes and tracking setup, maintain a lightweight weekly routine: a 30–60 minute review focused on a short dashboard and experiment status.

Weekly dashboard: Sessions, conversion rate, revenue per session, cart abandonment, checkout abandonment, AOV, payment method share, and top checkout errors.
Funnel drop-offs: Check for sudden changes in checkout steps or new spikes in form errors.
AB test reviews: Review experiment splits, interim results, and any secondary impacts on refunds or support tickets.
Recordings & heatmaps: Spend 10–15 minutes watching session recordings of checkout dropouts and aggregate findings into actionable tickets.
Technical debt log: Track image optimization, CDN rollout, and script deferral statuses; small wins compound.
Support themes: Scan tickets for payment failures, address issues, or coupon problems and create prioritized fixes.

Common pitfalls to avoid in a fast audit

Even a short audit can produce misleading or low-impact suggestions if performed badly. Avoid these pitfalls:

Overreliance on synthetic scores: Treat PageSpeed scores as diagnostic tools, not absolute goals; tie performance issues to user behavior.
Ignoring attribution breaks: Validate that UTMs and campaign parameters survive payment gateway redirects to prevent misattribution.
Assuming universal solutions: Presentment of parcelamento or Pix should be tested across segments—what works for one category or cohort may not generalize.
Skipping verification: Always confirm tracking changes in GTM Preview and GA4 DebugView before trusting data.

Deeper measurement and analytics recommendations

To ensure experiments and fixes produce reliable insights, teams should improve both technical and analytical practices beyond the immediate audit.

Event naming conventions: Use consistent event names and parameters to enable cross-experiment comparison (e.g., payment_method, checkout_step, error_code).
Attribution checks: Validate referral and UTM persistence across payment provider redirects and saved sessions, particularly for boleto where settlement occurs offline.
Backfill data: If historical events are missing, document the gaps and avoid drawing conclusions from partial datasets.
Support integration: Link CRM/ticketing tools to identify purchases tied to support interactions and to monitor post-purchase friction like returns.

Sample 7-day operational plan (expanded)

The sample seven-day plan turns audit insights into measurable outcomes. Add a communication plan and an owner for each day to keep momentum.

Day 1 — Share audit & triage
Share the one-page summary and assign owners for the top three friction points. Schedule short daily standups for the first week to remove blockers quickly.
Day 2 — Implement quick dev fixes
Ship CEP lookup, fix input types and masks for CPF/CNPJ, add Pix express option via payment provider, and add payment logos near CTAs.
Day 3 — Tracking validation
Validate pageviews and e-commerce events in GA4; confirm payment method is recorded on purchase and UTMs are intact post-redirect.
Day 4 — Launch first A/B test
Deploy the fastest A/B test (e.g., sticky mobile CTA or Pix express) and verify splits and event tracking. Communicate test intent and metrics to stakeholders.
Day 5 — Speed micro-optimizations
Compress top images, defer a nonessential third-party script, and set cache headers for static assets. Log these as deploy notes for the team.
Day 6 — Monitor heatmaps and sessions
Review session recordings for the checkout path and the pages under test. Create immediate tickets for any critical usability issues observed.
Day 7 — Review results and plan follow-ups
Assess early signals from A/B tests, confirm tracking integrity, and plan the next experiments and development work based on the evidence.

Audit handoff: report template and sample contents

A concise handoff report improves execution speed. The recommended structure is one page executive summary + appendix with annotated screenshots and a backlog of tickets.

Executive thesis: Two sentences restating the hypothesis and next steps.
Top 3 friction points: Description, screenshots, priority index (impact/effort), and owner.
12-page check summary: Bulletized findings with direct links or screenshot file names.
Quick wins: Actionable tickets with implementation steps and acceptance criteria.
A/B test backlog: Prioritized tests with primary metric, sample size guidance, and owner.
Tracking checklist: List of events to verify or add and proofs (GTM Preview screenshots).
Weekly cadence: Who monitors which metric, meeting cadence, and escalation path for regressions.

Example audit note and ticket (format)

Include a concrete sample ticket to streamline handoff:

Title: Add Pix express button to mobile cart
Description: Add an express “Pagar com Pix” button to the mobile cart atop the fold that generates a dynamic Pix QR/link via [payment provider].
Acceptance criteria: Button visible on mobile cart, dynamic QR generated within 3 seconds, purchase marked paid in admin after webhook, GTM event “add_payment_info” and purchase tagged with payment_method=”pix”.
Owner & ETA: Frontend dev + payments team, target: 48 hours.

Longer-term recommendations for scalability

While the 30-minute audit focuses on fast wins, teams should plan for medium-term investments that compound conversion advantages.

Platform-level optimizations: Migrate assets to a CDN with Brazilian edge locations; implement image pipelines and build-time bundling.
Checkout architecture: Consider a progressive or single-page checkout experience that reduces perceived steps.
Experimentation culture: Invest in server-side feature flags and an experimentation platform to run higher-quality tests without front-end hacks.
Customer lifecycle: Build post-purchase experiences—reorder flows, subscription offers, and targeted retention campaigns via email and WhatsApp—while tracking repeat purchase behavior.

Brazilian e-commerce conversion uplift rarely depends on a single change. It results from many small, culturally-informed optimizations implemented with reliable measurement and a fast iteration rhythm.

Which of the 12 checks is most likely to reveal an immediate opportunity for their team? They should run the 30-minute audit, share the top three friction points, and use the sample tickets and prioritization framework to begin the first sprint.