After migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify, conversion rate optimization work restarts from a new baseline. The WooCommerce CRO stack (Google Optimize, Hotjar, custom PHP modifications) doesn't transfer directly — Shopify has its own testing landscape. Here's how to set up A/B testing and CRO on Shopify, including what changed after Google Optimize's sunset in 2023.

What changed after Google Optimize sunset (September 2023)

Google Optimize, the most widely used free A/B testing tool, was discontinued in September 2023. WooCommerce stores that relied on it need alternatives. Google has not released a direct replacement — this has driven migration to paid tools.

WooCommerce CRO stack (what you're replacing)

Google Optimize: A/B testing on pages, product pages, checkout flow. Now sunset.
Hotjar: Heatmaps, session recordings, surveys. Continues to work on Shopify.
Microsoft Clarity: Free heatmaps and session recording (Google's competitor). Works on Shopify.
VWO / Optimizely: Enterprise testing platforms. Continue to work on Shopify.
WooCommerce Custom Checkout Fields: Test different checkout flows via custom PHP. Not possible in standard Shopify (Shopify Plus only).

Shopify A/B testing landscape

Shogun (page-level A/B testing)

Page builder for Shopify with built-in A/B testing
Test different layouts, copy, CTAs, images on product pages and landing pages
Traffic splitting with conversion tracking
Best for: product page layout testing, landing page optimization
Limitation: requires using Shogun as your page builder (can't use native Shopify sections for tested pages)
Pricing: $39–$499/month

Intelligems (price testing + content testing)

Price A/B testing: test different prices across customer segments — measures revenue impact
Content testing: headline, description, image tests without a page builder
Works on existing Shopify theme pages (no page builder dependency)
Shipping rate testing: test different shipping thresholds ($50 vs $75 free shipping threshold)
Best for: price optimization, shipping threshold testing, content testing
Pricing: from $99/month

GemPages (page builder with A/B testing)

Similar to Shogun — page builder with split testing functionality
Template library for product and landing pages
Pricing: $29–$99/month

VWO (Visual Website Optimizer)

Enterprise-grade testing platform. Works on any website including Shopify.
Visual editor for no-code changes on Shopify pages
Heatmaps, session recording, surveys included
Best for: established Shopify stores doing serious testing programs ($1M+ revenue)
Pricing: from $199/month

Convert (VWO alternative)

GDPR-compliant A/B testing platform
Works with Shopify via script tag
Shopify Checkout testing available (non-Plus) via header script injection
Pricing: from $199/month

Shopify Plus — Checkout Extensibility

For Shopify Plus merchants: native A/B testing of the checkout experience via Checkout Extensibility
Test checkout layouts, payment method ordering, upsell offers in checkout
Native Shopify — no third-party tool needed for checkout testing

Heatmaps and session recording

Qualitative CRO research tools that work seamlessly on Shopify:

Hotjar

Heatmaps: click, scroll, and move heatmaps on any Shopify page
Session recordings: watch individual user sessions — see exactly where users hesitate, rage-click, or drop off
Surveys: exit surveys on cart page, product pages
Funnels: visualize drop-off across product → cart → checkout
Pricing: free (35 sessions/day) to $99+/month. Install via Shopify app or script tag.

Microsoft Clarity (free)

Free alternative to Hotjar. No session limit on free tier.
Heatmaps, session recordings, rage click detection
Integrates with GA4 for combined behavioral + analytics data
Install via Shopify App or Google Tag Manager

Lucky Orange

Combined session recording, heatmaps, live view, and conversion funnels
Native Shopify integration with product view events
Pricing: from $19/month

Post-migration CRO baseline reset

After migration, your CRO baselines are invalid — the new Shopify store may have a different conversion rate than WooCommerce due to platform differences (faster load time, Shop Pay, better mobile experience). Allow 4–8 weeks post-migration before starting new A/B tests:

Set new baseline: measure conversion rate, AOV, add-to-cart rate on Shopify for 30 days
Compare to WooCommerce historical baseline: has Shopify improved or decreased conversion?
Identify drop-off points: install Hotjar/Clarity and watch session recordings for the first 2 weeks
Prioritize tests based on highest-impact drop-off points, not based on WooCommerce test results

High-impact Shopify A/B tests post-migration

Product page tests

CTA button color and copy: "Add to Cart" vs "Buy Now" vs "Get Yours"
Product image ordering: lifestyle first vs product-only first
Trust signals placement: reviews above/below fold, shipping and returns near CTA
Price display: showing compare-at (was) price vs current price only
Description format: long paragraph vs bullet points vs accordion tabs

Cart and checkout tests

Free shipping threshold: $50 vs $75 vs $100 — use Intelligems for this test
Cart upsell timing: show upsell before checkout vs after add-to-cart
Checkout trust badges: show badge placement above/below "Complete order" button

Homepage and collection tests

Hero CTA copy and destination: collection page vs bestseller product
Product grid density: 2-column vs 3-column on mobile
Product card elements: show price, reviews, and quick-add vs minimal cards

Shopify native CRO features

Built-in Shopify features that often lift conversion without testing:

Shop Pay: Pre-filled checkout for returning Shopify customers. Typically lifts conversion 5–15% vs non-Shop Pay checkout.
Buy Now Pay Later (Shop Pay Installments, Klarna): Showing monthly payment on product pages increases conversion on high-ticket items.
Sticky add-to-cart: Some themes include a sticky ATC bar on product pages — test this if your current theme doesn't have it.
Countdown timers: For urgency on promotions — Hextom Banner app for time-limited offers.

CRO migration checklist

Install Microsoft Clarity (free) immediately — start collecting session data from day 1
Set up GA4 funnel report: product view → add to cart → checkout → purchase
Establish 30-day post-migration baseline before starting A/B tests
Compare Shopify baseline to WooCommerce historical conversion rate
Watch session recordings for first 2 weeks — identify obvious friction points
Identify top 3 A/B test candidates based on session recordings and funnel data
Select A/B testing tool: Intelligems (price/shipping), Shogun/GemPages (page layout), VWO (enterprise)
Set up first test: start with highest-impact, simplest change
Run test to statistical significance (minimum 100 conversions per variant)
Don't run more than 2–3 tests simultaneously — maintain clean data

The biggest post-migration CRO mistake is using WooCommerce A/B test results to make Shopify changes. The two platforms are different enough that WooCommerce learnings are hypotheses on Shopify, not proven facts — they're good starting points for test prioritization, but they need to be validated with Shopify-specific data. Start fresh with session recordings and baseline measurement, then test systematically.

Shopify a/b testing & CRO tools after WooCommerce migration (2026)