Frequently Asked Questions

StrategyFive is best for established WooCommerce brands that want measurable conversion and revenue growth without a full redesign.

As a rough guide, we are a strong fit when:

• Your WooCommerce store has consistent trading and enough traffic to learn from.
• You can grant access to GA4 and the key parts of your store so we can measure changes fairly.
• There is a decision maker who can approve changes quickly and keep momentum.
• You are open to improving performance and stability, including moving hosting if it is holding you back.

If you are smaller or earlier stage, our Platform Only plan can be a sensible first step while you grow.

We onboard a limited number of new CRO clients each month to protect quality.

If our next start window is full, we will offer the next available date and confirm it in writing before you sign. We would rather start slightly later and deliver properly than overbook and slow everything down.

We are not the right partner for every store, and it is better to be clear upfront.

• Very low traffic stores where meaningful testing would take an impractically long time.
• Brands that cannot share GA4 access or align on measurement rules.
• Teams looking for a full redesign as the primary solution, rather than iterative optimisation.
• Situations with long approval cycles and no clear owner for decisions.
• Non WooCommerce platforms such as Shopify.

If you are unsure, we can usually tell quickly from a short discovery call and a GA4 review.

We run a performance backed CRO programme for WooCommerce. CRO means conversion rate optimisation, improving the percentage of visitors who buy and the revenue you earn per visitor.

In practice, the work usually includes:

• Speed and technical optimisation so the site is stable, fast and easier to iterate on.
• UX improvements that remove friction across product pages, basket and checkout.
• Structured experimentation, using controlled tests where it is the right approach.
• GA4 led measurement, reporting and a clear roadmap so you can see what changed and why.

We are hands on. We implement changes, not just recommend them.

No. Our core model is iterative improvement, not large redesign projects.

For most stores, the fastest route to growth is a steady cadence of smaller, evidence led changes. If a redesign is genuinely required, we can discuss it as a separate scoped project, but it is not the default approach.

We specialise in WordPress and WooCommerce.

That focus is deliberate. It lets us move faster, build deeper technical knowledge, and maintain a platform and process designed around how WooCommerce stores actually work.

No. We do not manage Google Ads, Meta ads, or media buying.

We focus on improving onsite performance. We will collaborate with your marketing team or agency, and we may recommend actions that improve landing page experience and conversion, but you keep control of advertising spend and channels.

Yes, as long as roles are clear and change control is respected.

During the Performance Gateway and ongoing testing, uncoordinated development work can invalidate experiments and make measurement unfair. If you have an internal team or an agency, we will agree boundaries and a simple approval process so everyone can work without breaking each other.

We can help with DNS changes and domain related tasks as part of onboarding and support. You remain the domain owner.

We do not provide mailbox hosting. If you need email hosting, we can work with your existing provider and help ensure your domain and DNS are configured correctly.

Create a dedicated admin user for StrategyFive rather than sharing a single login.

• Use the email address we provide during onboarding.
• Use a strong unique password and enable multi factor authentication if available.
• Do not reuse an existing personal account. Keep access auditable and removable.

If you use a security plugin that restricts logins, tell us before you apply restrictions so we can avoid lockouts.

The Performance Gateway is our prove then pay model.

We work at no cost for up to 90 days while we aim to prove at least a 12% uplift in GA4 measured conversion rate or revenue per visitor, compared to an agreed baseline.

If we hit the success threshold in any rolling 30 day measurement window, the Gateway is successful and the paid partnership begins for that successful window. If we do not hit the threshold within 90 days, you can walk away owing £0.

No. The Gateway is a safeguard, not a guaranteed free period.

If the success threshold is met earlier, invoicing starts immediately for the preceding successful 30 day measurement window. For example, if we hit the target in the first month, the first invoice covers that month in arrears.

The Gateway follows the same core approach as the ongoing CRO partnership. The difference is that fees only start once we have proved the success threshold.

Typical work in the first few weeks includes:

• Confirming KPIs, baselines and measurement rules in GA4.
• Stabilising the site, fixing errors, and removing technical blockers that affect speed and checkout reliability.
• Reviewing the theme and plugin stack for performance and maintainability.
• Setting up reporting, dashboards and a shared log for context such as launches, tracking gaps and incidents.

From there we move into a steady cadence of UX improvements and experimentation.

If you request work outside the agreed CRO scope, we can deliver it as additional development on a time and materials basis.

The success threshold is a 12% or greater year on year uplift in GA4 measured conversion rate or revenue per visitor in a rolling 30 day measurement window.

We use GA4 as the source of truth. The baseline is normally the same dates in the prior year to keep comparisons fair through seasonality. Where data quality issues would distort the comparison, we agree and document a fair adjustment in the shared log.

Where we run A B tests, we follow statistical best practice and aim for sensible minimum run times so decisions are not made on noise.

If we do not hit the success threshold within 90 days, you can leave owing £0 for the Gateway period.

We will still share the work completed, what we learned, and what we would do next. Some clients choose to continue on the Platform Only plan or proceed with CRO on a different basis, but the decision is yours.

We qualify stores to protect both sides.

We are usually a good fit when a WooCommerce store has consistent trading and enough traffic to learn from. As a guide, tens of thousands of sessions per month makes testing easier, but qualification is not a single number. We also look at data quality, operational maturity, and whether decisions can be made quickly.

We keep access requests focused, and we prefer read only access where possible.

At minimum we usually need:

• GA4 access, plus Tag Manager and Search Console if you use them.
• WordPress and WooCommerce admin access.
• Hosting, DNS or domain access where a migration or DNS change is required.
• Consent management access, usually CookieScript or an equivalent CMP.

We may also request access to relevant third party systems such as email marketing, reviews, search, payment gateways or fulfilment integrations, so we understand constraints and avoid breaking flows.

Yes, but major changes need coordination.

Routine updates such as product changes, content, and planned promotions are normal. What we want to avoid is unplanned technical or UX changes that invalidate testing or make measurement unfair.

During the Gateway we ask you to:

• Tell us before major theme, checkout, tracking, consent, or plugin changes.
• Avoid large rebuilds or migrations without a joint plan.
• Respond quickly to approvals so the programme keeps momentum.

We follow the same standard in reverse. We do not push changes live without an agreed approval process.

GA4 is our source of truth for measurement.

Depending on your setup, we may also use:

• Looker Studio dashboards for reporting.
• Behaviour analytics such as Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar.
• A B testing tools such as Nelio.

If you already have tools in place, we can often work with what you have as long as data quality is reliable.

You will always know what is happening and why.

• Early phase: baseline confirmation, priority roadmap, and quick wins to stabilise performance.
• Ongoing: a steady cadence of changes and experiments, with written updates and clear next steps.
• Monthly: a one page Performance Report and an updated dashboard covering baselines, results and context.

We also maintain a shared log to record launches, anomalies, consent changes and incidents, so performance discussions stay fair and specific.

This is common and it is usually expected.

When you tighten consent compliance, fewer users are tracked in GA4 until they opt in. That can reduce measured sessions and conversions, even if real trading performance is unchanged.

To keep comparisons fair, we follow a consent reset protocol. We exclude the first 7 days after a consent change from uplift verification where possible, and we compare like for like segments such as consenting users only. If segments are not available, we may adopt the first full consent compliant 30 day window as the new baseline.

A pegged baseline is an agreed fixed baseline used when historical GA4 data is missing or unreliable.

For example, if you have recently re platformed or you do not have enough prior year GA4 history, we may agree a pegged baseline based on the first 30 days of stable tracking. The 12% success threshold is then measured against that pegged baseline rather than year on year history.

Our platform is designed for WooCommerce performance, reliability and fast iteration.

That typically means:

• Managed infrastructure with performance tuning, caching and CDN support.
• Security hardening, monitoring and patching.
• Staging environments for testing changes before they go live.
• A maintenance cadence that keeps WordPress, WooCommerce and key plugins up to date where licences are provided.

It is also integrated with how we run CRO. When we control the platform layer, we can ship changes faster and reduce risk.

In most cases, yes. Hosting quality directly affects speed, stability and how safely we can test changes.

We can sometimes work with existing dedicated infrastructure if it is already fast, well managed and gives us the access and control we need. If hosting is a bottleneck and you do not want to change it, we may decline the CRO partnership because it puts results and reliability at risk.

Our infrastructure is hosted with UK or EU providers.

Some tools used for analytics and experimentation may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where that happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place under our Data Processing Addendum.

Yes, where it makes sense for the store.

A CDN can improve global load times and reduce load on the origin server. We will configure caching and CDN settings to avoid conflicts with checkout, user accounts and dynamic content.

We focus on the bottlenecks that actually impact shopper experience and conversion.

Depending on what we find, speed work can include:

• Theme and template optimisation to reduce heavy scripts and layout shift.
• Plugin review and reduction of unnecessary load.
• Caching, CDN configuration, and server level performance tuning.
• Image and asset optimisation.
• Fixing error logs and technical issues that slow pages or break key flows.

We track progress using a mix of real user signals and repeatable performance tests, not just a single score.

For sites hosted on our platform, we target 99.0% uptime per calendar month.

Uptime is measured using UptimeRobot checks at least every 60 seconds. The target excludes scheduled maintenance, client introduced issues, third party outages and force majeure. If monthly uptime falls below target due to our hosting environment, a service credit may apply under the SLA.

We maintain at least two independent backup copies, encrypted and stored redundantly.

• Daily database backups with 7 days retained.
• Full backups at least twice per week.

If you need a restore, contact support. Restore time depends on the situation, but urgent restores are often possible the same day. We will confirm what point in time you want to restore to before any action is taken.

We size hosting to the store and apply fair use so the platform stays stable for everyone.

If you have unusual requirements, such as very large media libraries or extreme traffic spikes, we will discuss it upfront and agree a sensible approach. In many cases, a CDN or storage strategy solves the issue without major cost.

Sometimes, but it depends on the setup.

Multisite has specific constraints around plugins, caching and user permissions. We will review your multisite configuration during discovery and confirm whether it is suitable for our platform and CRO process.

There are three parts to our commercial model:

• 90 day Performance Gateway: we work at £0 for up to 90 days until we prove the success threshold.
• CRO Partnership: after proof, you move onto a fixed monthly tier fee.
• Optional development: work outside the agreed CRO scope is billed separately on a time and materials basis.

All pricing is in GBP unless agreed otherwise, and VAT is added where applicable.

Post proof, fees are fixed. There is no revenue share and no percentage of uplift fee.

The performance aligned part is the Gateway. We only start billing once the 12% success threshold is met in GA4.

After the Performance Gateway, you move onto a fixed fee tier.

• Essentials: £1,750 per month (guidance: about £0.5m to £1.5m annual online revenue).
• Growth: £2,750 per month (guidance: about £1.5m to £3m).
• Scale: £4,500 per month (guidance: about £3m to £5m annual online revenue).
• Enterprise: from £9,000 per month (guidance: about £5m+ annual online revenue; custom scope and pricing).

The tier is confirmed in writing in your Order Form or statement of work. Prices exclude VAT.

Yes. Platform Only is £250 per month plus VAT.

If you have unusually complex requirements, we may quote a higher platform fee in advance.

It is designed for very small businesses or stores that want a faster, more reliable WooCommerce foundation without the full CRO partnership.

It includes platform access, security hardening and a maintenance cadence. It excludes CRO services, design and development projects, content and paid media.

We use GA4 as the source of truth.

During the Performance Gateway, the success threshold is measured on a rolling 30 day measurement window. We normally compare against the same dates in the prior year to keep comparisons fair through seasonality.

After proof, we report uplift monthly using the same year on year baseline approach.

If historical GA4 data is missing or unreliable, we agree a pegged baseline in writing and measure uplift against that instead.

We treat performance as something to review, not something to explain away.

If results fall materially short over consecutive months, we will review the roadmap with you and agree actions. That might include adjusting the test plan, revisiting measurement context, or discussing a tier change.

Fees are fixed and are not automatically paused by performance metrics, but you can downgrade tier or terminate on notice if it is not working for you.

We invoice monthly in arrears with clear itemisation.

• Payment terms: due within 30 days of invoice date unless agreed otherwise.
• Payment methods: Stripe for cards and wallets. Bank transfer is available by agreement.
• Disputes: raise invoice questions within 30 days.

We do not notify bank detail changes by email. If anything looks unusual, contact accounts@strategyfive.io using known contact details.

Your tier fee is fixed at signature and does not change unless you agree a tier change or a new Order Form.

Our standard hourly rate for additional development may change with 30 days written notice. The current hourly rate is shown in our Terms.

Yes. You can request a tier change up or down.

Tier changes take effect from the next measurement month, provided you give at least 30 days written notice and we confirm capacity. Any change must be agreed in writing.

Most of the time, each website is treated as a separate scope because tracking, performance and testing are different per store.

If you have multiple stores that share infrastructure and a combined roadmap, we can discuss a bundled approach. Any multi site arrangement is confirmed in your Order Form.

The CRO partnership is rolling monthly.

Either party can terminate with 30 days written notice. Fees are billed in arrears, and fees for services already delivered remain payable. If you give less than 30 days notice, you remain liable for fees covering the 30 day notice period.

Monthly fees start once the Performance Gateway is proven.

If the 12% success threshold is met in any rolling 30 day window during the Gateway, the first invoice covers that successful window in arrears at the fixed fee for your selected tier. The Gateway is not a guaranteed 90 day free period.

We use year on year baselines to reduce the impact of normal seasonality and trading patterns.

If an extraordinary macro event makes year on year comparison unreliable for a period, we can designate it as a material market disruption and adjust measurement fairly. Any adjustment is documented so both sides can see what changed and why.

No. Post proof, your monthly fee is fixed for your tier and it is not tied to traffic volume, revenue share or uplift.

If your scale changes significantly and you want higher velocity testing or deeper analysis, we can discuss a tier change. Any change is always agreed in writing.

Support hours are 09:00 to 17:30 UK time, Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays.

Support is provided by email or ticket. For P1 emergencies outside support hours, we provide best efforts support.

To contact support, use support@strategyfive.io. For urgent P1 issues, you can also escalate via +44 20 4502 0343.

We prioritise issues based on severity.

These are targets within support hours (09:00 to 17:30 UK time, Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). For P1 emergencies outside support hours, we provide best efforts response without a guaranteed target.

• P1 urgent: site down, purchase or checkout failures not attributable to the payment gateway, or a critical security issue being actively exploited. Target first response: 2 hours. Target restore or workaround: 4 hours.
• P2 high: major function materially impaired. Target first response: 4 business hours. Target restore or workaround: 2 business days.
• P3 standard: routine defects or requests without material revenue impact. Target first response: 8 business hours. Target restore or workaround: 5 business days.

Targets exclude delays caused by third party outages, force majeure, client introduced defects, lack of access or missing licences.

Email support@strategyfive.io with:

• A clear description of the issue and the affected URL.
• Steps to reproduce, plus screenshots or a short screen recording if possible.
• Whether the issue is stopping purchases or affecting checkout.

If you think it is a P1 issue, call +44 20 4502 0343 as well so we can respond faster.

We monitor platform uptime and key services. If an outage occurs, our internal team is alerted and we start investigation immediately.

We will prioritise restoring service, then confirm the cause and any follow up actions. Where appropriate, we record material incidents in the monthly performance report so there is a clear audit trail.

We plan maintenance to minimise disruption.

• Planned maintenance is scheduled outside UK working hours where possible and we notify you in advance.
• Updates and deployments are prepared and tested in staging before going live.
• Peak retail periods may include agreed blackout periods, for example around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Yes. Staging is part of how we reduce risk.

We build and test changes in staging first, then follow an agreed approval process before deploying to live.

In most cases, you will not need cPanel access because we manage the platform for you.

If there is a specific operational requirement, we can discuss controlled access on a case by case basis. We keep production environments secure, so any access must align with change control and security requirements.

It depends on the cause.

• If the issue is a defect in our deliverables that fails agreed acceptance criteria in the supported environment, we will correct it at no charge within the remedy period.
• If the issue is caused by third party plugins, themes, external services, client changes, or work outside the agreed scope, it is billed as additional development.

Additional development is typically £65 per hour plus VAT, with a 0.5 hour minimum, charged in 30 minute increments, unless agreed otherwise.

We do not offer a full SEO retainer as a core service.

However, speed, stability and good technical foundations support both conversion and organic performance. Where SEO overlaps with CRO and platform work, we will fix issues and make recommendations. If you need ongoing SEO content or link building, we can work alongside your SEO team.

Our best results come from implementation, not documents.

That said, we can offer paid audits or second opinions on a scoped basis. If you want this, we will agree the scope, timeline and deliverables in writing before starting.

Security is built into our platform and operating process.

Our approach includes monitoring, patching and hardening, secure access controls, encrypted backups, and sensible change control so sites do not drift into risky states.

We also keep plugin stacks lean and review licences and updates, because outdated plugins are a common source of vulnerabilities on WordPress.

Yes. SSL certificates and HTTPS management are included on our platform.

We manage renewals and ensure traffic is served securely.

For CRO services, you act as the data controller and StrategyFive acts as a data processor for personal data processed through analytics and experimentation tools.

A Data Processing Addendum is incorporated by reference and is available on request or signature. We process data only on documented instructions and we maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures.

Our hosting and CDN infrastructure is based with UK or EU providers.

Some sub processors such as analytics tools may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where that happens, we use appropriate safeguards such as the UK IDTA or EU Standard Contractual Clauses as required.

We keep our tool stack focused and we use reputable vendors.

Our sub processor list includes:

• CookieScript for consent management.
• Google for GA4 and Looker Studio.
• Microsoft and Hotjar Ltd for behaviour analytics.
• Nelio Software S.L. for A B testing.
• Stripe for payments.
• UK or EU hosting and CDN providers for infrastructure.

We may update this list with notice under the DPA.

We may use reputable AI tools to support internal research, drafting and quality checks.

We do not input your confidential information or personal data into public AI tools without your written consent. Human review governs all outputs. This does not authorise any AI processing of your customer data.

StrategyFive is a trading name of Nordic Creative Limited, a company registered in England and Wales.

• Company number: 07580121
• VAT number: GB 485 7059 50
• Registered address: Kemp House, 152 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom

All policies are available on our Terms and Policies page.

You can find Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Notice, and the Cookie Notice at strategyfive.io/legal/.

These FAQs are a plain English summary to help you understand how we work.

If anything in an FAQ conflicts with the Terms, your Order Form, or an agreed statement of work, the signed documents take precedence.

In summary:

• We start with a Performance Gateway of up to 90 days at £0, aiming to prove a 12% uplift in GA4 measured conversion rate or revenue per visitor.
• If we hit the success threshold in a rolling 30 day measurement window, you move onto a fixed fee CRO tier and invoicing starts for that successful window in arrears.
• If we do not hit the threshold within 90 days, you can walk away owing £0 for the Gateway period.
• After proof, fees are fixed monthly by tier. There is no revenue share.

Full definitions and rules are set out in our Terms and SLA.

Both sides agree to keep non public information confidential and to use it only to deliver the service.

On full payment, you own the deliverables we create for you. Our pre existing tools, libraries and know how remain ours and are licensed to you for use on your site. We may reuse de identified learnings and generic snippets to improve services, but we never disclose your confidential information or personal data.

Yes. We can sign a mutual non disclosure agreement if your procurement process requires it.

Our Terms also include confidentiality obligations, but we are happy to review an NDA where needed.

Neither party can transfer the agreement to someone else without consent, unless it is to an affiliate or as part of a merger or sale.

We may use vetted subcontractors to deliver parts of the service, and we remain responsible for their work.

We only use client names, logos or results in marketing if you opt in in writing.

You can revoke consent at any time for future materials. If you want references, we can provide them on a case by case basis, subject to client permission.

Yes. We maintain professional indemnity insurance underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Limited.

The limit is £1,000,000 for claims made within the European Union, including the United Kingdom. The policy does not cover claims first brought in the United States or Canada. A certificate is available on request.

The CRO partnership is rolling monthly and can be terminated on 30 days written notice.

On exit, we will agree a practical handover plan. You own delivered work on full payment. If you want help migrating away from our platform or documenting changes, we can scope that as additional work.

For personal data processed under the DPA, we will delete or return client personal data within 30 days of termination, except where legal retention or backups apply.