December 2, 2024
Starting a Shopify store is an exciting venture, but once the initial excitement wears off, many store owners find themselves staring at empty carts and wondering, “Why am I not making any sales?” or “Why are visitors not converting into customers?”
If this sounds familiar, don’t worry — you’re not alone, and the solution may be simpler than you think. Let’s look at some common factors that might be holding you back from making more sales and increasing your conversion rate.
One of the most common reasons a Shopify store isn’t generating sales is because it’s simply not being seen. Driving traffic to your store is essential, and while there are several ways to do this, each requires effort and consistency. Let’s touch on each briefly.
Search engine optimization (SEO) should be a priority — making sure your product pages and blog posts are optimized for the right keywords can help your site rank higher in search engine results, which in turn drives organic traffic.
If you don’t have a blog at all, this is a great way to start ranking for relevant keywords. Try to be consistent and provide value with your content. Avoid anything too generic or salesy.
Running paid ads is another way to get immediate visibility. Platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram can target specific audiences who are more likely to convert.
Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth either. Encouraging your customers to share their experiences, perhaps with referral incentives, can help create a buzz.
As we know, social media is a powerful tool. Regularly sharing engaging content that showcases your products in use, behind-the-scenes looks, or user-generated content (UGC) can increase your visibility and attract more potential buyers.
Once you have some traffic coming in, you can next check your store is optimized for sales and conversions.
You could have all the traffic in the world, but if your website isn’t user-friendly, potential customers will leave before they even consider making a purchase.
First and foremost, your site needs to be easy to navigate. Customers should be able to find what they’re looking for without digging through layers of confusing menus or overwhelming product lists.
Mobile responsiveness is especially crucial. With the increasing number of shoppers using their smartphones, a site that looks and works perfectly on a desktop might break on mobile. A good Shopify theme should be fully responsive, meaning it automatically adapts to any screen size.
At the same time, your site’s design should be clean and intuitive. Use complimentary colors and keep things simple.
Accessibility is another key factor which is often overlooked; ensure your store is easy to navigate for everyone, including those with visual or auditory impairments, by using alternate text for images, readable fonts, high-contrast colors, and clear calls-to-action.
A slow-loading website can kill sales before they even begin. Studies show that a delay of even a few seconds can significantly increase bounce rates, meaning visitors leave before they engage with your site (especially on mobile!). Using tools like PageSpeed Insights or Google Lighthouse can help you evaluate your store’s performance, measuring aspects like speed and accessibility.
Also keep in mind that installing too many third-party apps or unnecessary scripts can bog down your store’s performance. While these features might offer additional functionality, they sometimes come at the cost of speed. Prioritize loading times and remove any non-essential apps that could be causing delays.
In the world of online shopping, trust is everything. Potential customers are more likely to buy from a store that feels credible and reliable.
One of the best ways to establish trust is through reviews and testimonials, but these need to be authentic. Avoid fake reviews. Shoppers are becoming increasingly savvy and can easily detect dishonesty.
Instead, encourage real customers to leave reviews by offering a small incentive for doing so. You can also find some early adopters to try your product and give feedback, in exchange for early access.
User-generated content (UGC) is another powerful trust signal. Organic photos and videos from actual customers using your product on social media can provide social proof in a way that no polished marketing campaign can. Encourage this type of content with promotional campaigns, competitions, or spotlighting customers on your own profiles.
On this note, maintaining your own active and engaging social media presence shows customers that you’re a legitimate, responsive business, further building trust.
Price is often the final determining factor in whether a customer will complete a purchase. If your prices are too high compared to your competitors, potential buyers may abandon your site in favor of cheaper options. Make sure your pricing reflects the value of your product but is also competitive within your market.
Consider trialing different price points to find the sweet spot before pushing your store with ads or other promotional campaigns. Compare this to competitors offering similar products and make sure you’re remaining competitive.
Offering regional pricing can be a big help if you’re selling internationally, as adjusting your prices based on local currencies or economic conditions makes your product more appealing to global customers.
Shipping costs can also play a major role in pricing decisions. Free shipping, or at least affordable rates, can often be the difference between a sale and an abandoned cart. Be upfront about shipping costs early in the shopping process to avoid surprising customers at checkout.
Having products go out of stock is inevitable, but the way you handle it can either salvage or lose a sale.
Sold out of that most popular size? Consider offering back-orders to allow customers to purchase out-of-stock items, with the understanding that they’ll receive the product once it’s restocked. This avoids losing the sale and reassures the buyer that the item is on its way.
If the product isn’t available yet, or is currently being designed or manufactured, you might want to consider selling it as a pre-order to capture a commitment to buy with an upfront deposit, or an early full purchase (with a discount or other incentive).
Alternatively, if you’re not comfortable selling a product you don’t have yet, you can add a “notify me when available” button to your products, allowing customers to sign up to receive an automatic alert when the product is back in stock.
Not only does this keep potential buyers engaged, but it also gives you the opportunity to grow your email list for future marketing efforts.
The Early Bird Shopify app makes this functionality simple to setup if you’re looking for a free app to get started with pre-orders, back-orders or back in stock notifications.
Your product detail page is where potential buyers make their final decision. Think of these pages as your best salespeople — if they’re not persuasive, the customer will leave.
Descriptions should go beyond basic information and speak to the customer’s needs, highlighting the unique benefits of the product.
High-quality images are crucial, especially for online shopping where customers can’t physically interact with the product. Avoid stock photos or AI-generated images which don’t show off the exact product you’re selling.
Offering more variants, like different sizes or colors, can also make your products more appealing. Shoppers like options, and providing them with clear, easy-to-select choices helps increase the likelihood of a purchase.
Show customer reviews here if you have them. It’s now or never to make the sale!
Even if a customer has made it to the checkout page, they can still abandon their cart if something doesn’t feel right.
Shipping costs are one of the top reasons for cart abandonment. If customers are surprised by high shipping fees at checkout, they may decide it’s not worth the extra cost.
Another common issue is shipping availability. If you don’t ship to a customer’s location, make sure this is clear early on to avoid frustration. Addressing these checkout issues can significantly reduce cart abandonment and improve your conversion rate.
If you’re selling pre-orders or back-orders, ensure the expected ship date and other relevant information is clearly shown during checkout and on your order confirmation pages. The customer needs to feel secure in their purchase and feel informed each step of the way.
You might also want to offer additional payment methods (e.g. PayPal) so customers can use a familiar and recognizable checkout process to feel more secure in their purchase.
Getting sales on your Shopify store often requires a holistic approach. From increasing visibility and optimizing your site’s design to building trust and addressing pricing concerns, each piece of the puzzle plays a role in improving your conversion rates.
By identifying and addressing these common barriers, you can create a smoother, more appealing shopping experience that leads to more sales. Work through this list and try to check off as many items as you can.
Find where the friction is in your customer journey, and solve those pain points.
Remember that this is an ongoing process, so don’t be discouraged if you’re missing a lot of these. Take it step-by-step and watch your sales grow!
I sincerely hope this article helps increase sales for your Shopify store, and increase your conversion rate. Best of luck with your store!
