Real talk — how do you price a CRO audit vs a full build?

Shopify Discussion
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1

Pricing question that’s been on my mind :thought_balloon:

An audit and a full build are such different beasts, but clients sometimes expect them to cost the same (“you’re just looking at my store, right?”). I’ve been experimenting with how I package and price the two so the value is clear.

How do you split it? Flat fee for audits? Percentage of the build? Do you roll the audit cost into the build if they sign on? Would love to hear how you frame it.

2

I price them separately. Audits are a flat-fee strategic service, while builds are fixed-price or milestone-based.

If the client moves forward, I often credit the audit fee toward the build. This makes the audit valuable on its own and avoids unpaid discovery work.

3

Hi, @Rasel

Based on my experience, I treat them as two completely separate products because an Audit is strategy and diagnosis, while a Build is execution.

How I structure and frame it:

  1. Audit = Flat Fee: Never hourly. A fixed fee frames it as a valuable deliverable (a strategic roadmap to fix revenue leaks) rather than “just looking at a store.”

  2. Build = Fixed Project Scope: Priced based on technical complexity and requirements, not a percentage.

  3. The Credit Hook: If they sign the full build within 30 days of the audit, I credit 50% to 100% of the audit cost toward the build.

How I frame it to clients:

“The audit is your blueprint, the build is the actual house. You wouldn’t build without a blueprint, but if you hire us to build the house, we’ll credit the blueprint cost toward the project.”

This positions the audit as an easy, low-risk entry point for the client while naturally leading them into the full build

I hope this will help.

Thanks!

4

Hi there @Rasel
I keep the two separate. A CRO audit is a strategic deliverable with actionable recomendations, so I charge a flat fee based on the size/complexity of the store. A full build is scoped individually based on the time required for implementation. In the event a client moves forward with the build, I frequently credit a portion or the entirety of the audit fee toward the project. This helps clients view the audit as a necessary first step, not an additional expense.