5 CRO Fixes to Make Now That Holiday Traffic Is Gone

Jan 2

The holidays are over, your ads have cooled off, and site traffic probably dipped. Classic January energy. But instead of stressing about the slump, this is your window to make smart CRO moves that pay off all year.

You've just had a flood of data from real, motivated buyers. Let’s use it. Here are five fixes you can roll out this week to tighten things up and turn post-holiday quiet into Q1 wins:

1. Rewatch Your Heatmaps (Yes, Now)

Pull up those heatmaps and session replays from the holiday rush; they’re a goldmine.

Which CTAs got ignored?
Where did users rage-click or stall?
Did they scroll far enough to see your offer?

Don’t guess what to improve. Your actual users already told you.

Tool tip: Microsoft Clarity is free and solid for this.

2. Clean Up the Homepage for Chill Shoppers

Holiday urgency is gone. January shoppers are poking around, comparing, and browsing on their lunch break.

Make their life easier:

Ditch the holiday graphics
Highlight one clear value prop
Guide them to your bestsellers or product quiz

Less chaos, more clarity. Think: “Here’s what we’re about, you should start here.”

3. Switch Up Your Product Page CTAs

Not every CTA needs to scream “BUY NOW!” especially in Q1.

Try:

“Learn more”
“Add to wishlist”
“Compare plans”

Also, are your reviews showing? Is your shipping info easy to find? Make these pages feel trustworthy and helpful, not pushy.

4. Offer Value Without Discounting More

Everyone just came off a deep holiday sales period. Resist the urge to keep cutting.

Instead, try:

Free shipping over $X
Bonus gift with purchase
Loyalty points or early access to something new

These keep margins healthy and give buyers a reason to act.

5. Get Your Funnel & Scroll Tracking in Order

If you’re not already tracking scroll depth, button clicks, and funnel drop-offs — do it now.

You’ll want to know:

Are people seeing your primary CTA?
Where are they bouncing?
What pages convert best?

This is your testing roadmap. Don’t build your Q1 strategy on vibes alone.

Wrap Up

January’s slower pace is your CRO playground. Use the space to tune things up, A/B test wisely, and carry that holiday momentum into consistent growth.

Want a second pair of eyes on your data? 785 Digital runs lean, smart CRO audits for e-comm teams that want results, not fluff. Let’s talk.

Nicki Howes