Store Audit

---
name: store-audit
description: Use when reviewing an online store as a whole — homepage, category pages, channel mix, or trust — e.g. "review my store", "audit my homepage", "Instagram or Google Ads?", "should we say we're a small team", "how should we label recommendations", "carousel or grid", "how do we look more trustworthy", "should we sell on Amazon too". For one product page, use product-page; for cart or checkout, use checkout-ux.
---

# Store audit

Make the site-wide calls that depend on what you sell and what kind of company you are. Most follow from one classification, so classify first.

## When to use

- Where marketing budget goes (social, search, comparison sites, marketplaces)
- Homepage/category layout, carousels, recommendation labels, visual style
- Which trust signals to show
- Whether to list on a marketplace

## When not to use

- A single product page → `product-page`
- A cart, checkout, or payment form → `checkout-ux`
- Shipping, returns, loyalty, retargeting → `post-purchase`
- Prices or discounts → `pricing` / `discounts`

## Inputs

Collect, or state your assumption:

- The product and who buys it (for the classification)
- Company size and whether the product is high-tech
- Current channel mix, homepage layout, recommendation label
- Gross margin; any verifiable sustainability practice; marketplace presence

> **Classify the product first.** *Hedonic* = bought for enjoyment, pleasure, or the experience (chocolate, fashion, decor, travel, spa, perfume). *Utilitarian* = bought to do a job, judged on function and value (detergent, appliances, insect repellent, tools, accounting software). If it's mixed, decide by what the buyer is optimizing for at the moment of purchase.

## Procedure

1. **Channels by product type.** Hedonic → social media and your own product pages; the journey is impulsive and starts on social. Utilitarian → search ads, comparison sites, third-party reviews, deal sites; the buyer compares for value.
2. **Recommendation labels.** Utilitarian → algorithm-based label ("Recommended based on your browsing"). Hedonic → human label ("Our expert's pick"). Keep the module; change the label.
3. **Layout direction.** Horizontal (carousel) makes people weigh quality and the primary feature — 26% more chose the pricier, higher-quality laptop. Vertical (scroll) makes them price-sensitive. Horizontal where quality should win, vertical where you compete on price.
4. **Visual style.** Structured (straight lines, symmetry, geometry) reads reliable; unstructured (rounded, incomplete, unpredictable) reads fun. Match the brand: matched perfume ads got 39% more clicks. †
5. **Cost transparency.** If margin ≤ ~55%, show a per-product cost breakdown (materials, labor, shipping, packaging, development); group beyond ~8 categories. Sales were 22% higher for a $115 wallet with one.
6. **Company size.** Small, low-tech → say so prominently; buyers infer motivated staff and better quality. Small, high-tech → show R&D effort. Large, low-tech → show employee passion.
7. **Warranty.** Offer one far longer than the category norm (10-year hoodie): 34.8% more bought. Best for buyers who know the category but not your brand. For consumables, the equivalent is an unusually strong effectiveness or satisfaction guarantee (untested, same mechanism).
8. **Sustainability.** If real, state it on product and packaging: 6.4% higher revenue across 10 million grocery sales, and people enjoy the product more when they know. Small businesses gain most. †
9. **Marketplaces.** If unknown, list on a major marketplace: 1 in 71 marketplace sales creates a direct customer; acquisition cost averages 24% of revenue vs 30–100% direct. Give a reason to switch, within marketplace rules.

## Output

Table: priority, area, recommendation, rule + number. Then what to leave alone, and why.

## Common mistakes

- Removing an "algorithm" label as fake — for utilitarian products it outperforms; for hedonic, relabel as human.
- Calling carousels weak in general — direction sets whether quality or price wins.
- Choosing search over social on intent alone — the rule is product type; hedonic starts on social.
- Hiding that you're small — for low-tech products it raises perceived quality.
- Hiding costs to protect margin — the effect holds to 55%.

## Quick reference

| Situation | Do |
|---|---|
| Hedonic | Social + product pages; human-labeled recs |
| Utilitarian | Search, comparison, review, deal sites; algorithm-labeled recs |
| Quality should win / price should win | Horizontal / vertical layout |
| Margin ≤ 55% | Cost breakdown, ≤ 8 categories |
| Small, low-tech / small, high-tech | Say you're small / show R&D |
| Unknown brand | Extraordinary warranty; marketplace listing |

† No primary citation on file for this rule — a practitioner tip, not a measured finding.

Evidence and effect sizes: see [reference.md](reference.md).