Many merchants who have launched or replaced a new site with Shopify may be experiencing the problem of sales not growing as much as expected, right?
In this article, from the perspective of Commerce Media, which provides comprehensive support from Shopify site construction to actual operation and sales, we will summarize the characteristics of Shopify stores that are not selling and the improvement points that should be reviewed immediately.
Table of Contents
- 0. Premise: Switching to Shopify does not guarantee sales
- 1. Lack of necessary customer acquisition before and after launch
- 2. Not implementing SEO measures available in the admin panel
- 3. Purchase/browsing flow is not optimized
- 4. Design and product unit price do not match
- 5. Insufficient payment options and convenience
- 6. Lack of product and customer perspective
- Summary: The reason why Shopify stores don't sell lies in their design and operation
0. Premise: Switching to Shopify does not guarantee sales
First, it's important to understand that
switching to Shopify does not guarantee sales.
This is because a store built with Shopify is, after all, its own e-commerce site.
Compared to other e-commerce platforms, Shopify has the following strengths:
- Site structure and features strong in SEO
- Low running costs and fees
- High scalability through the official app store
- Intuitive admin panel, easy to operate
- Product and inventory information reflected instantly
However, unlike opening a store on marketplace platforms like Amazon or Rakuten, which already have a certain customer base, you first need to make your store known and attract customers to visit.
Furthermore, to ensure a pleasant shopping experience for customers who do visit, it's essential to perform tasks akin to "store creation" in a physical store, such as product display, sales promotions like special offers, and designing the purchase/browsing flow.
With this in mind, let's consider why your store isn't selling and what countermeasures you can take.
1. Lack of necessary customer acquisition before and after launch
A Shopify site isn't finished once it's built; that's when the real work begins.
Factors that affect a site's sales include:
- Not conducting PR, announcements, promotions, or advertising before and after launch
- Not requesting indexing in Search Console
Let's look at each of these.
Not conducting PR, announcements, promotions, or advertising before and after launch
When considering customer acquisition for a website, attracting customers before and after launch is extremely important.
Especially for new launches, it's crucial to gain market recognition.
If you already have a certain level of recognition or a fan base, you can expect a reasonable amount of customer acquisition by making announcements on your own media or running promotions when you open.
Conversely, if you need to reach unknown segments, such as for a new launch, utilizing advertising services or press release distribution services like PR TIMES can also be effective.
Not requesting indexing in Search Console
As mentioned in the next chapter, Shopify is a platform strong in SEO, but if you launch a site with a newly contracted domain without doing anything, it can take several weeks to several months for it to appear in search results like Google.
If you set up Google Search Console and request indexing, it usually appears in search results within 2-3 days, so be sure to do this if you are launching with a new domain.
▼For instructions on how to set up Shopify + Google Search Console, click here
We have compiled a guide on how to set up Shopify and Google Search Console. We also explain how to set up essential e-commerce operation features such as sitemap settings and e-commerce tracking.
2. Not implementing SEO measures available in the Shopify admin panel
Many people find "SEO difficult," but
there are many SEO measures that can be implemented solely through the Shopify admin panel.
Meta description settings
Shopify's automatic settings directly input page content, but this can lead to cases where the text is truncated due to character limits.
Improving this can lead to an increase in organic search traffic.
Image and text optimization
- Few images
- Alt (alternative text) not set
- Product description text too short
Google prioritizes optimizing user experience as part of its SEO strategy, so enriching content like product information and images is highly important.
These are also measures to deepen user understanding.
3. Purchase/browsing flow is not optimized
A common issue with Shopify sites that aren't selling is a confusing purchase flow.
- Don't know where the cart button is
- Can't find the desired product
- Complicated purchase process
- Stressful to use on a smartphone
Pay attention to the points above and re-evaluate your site's design and purchase flow.
Especially important to note is that in recent e-commerce, most access comes from smartphones.
What looks fine on a PC can often lead to problems on a smartphone, such as:
- Small text
- Buttons that are difficult to press
- Important information buried at the bottom
It is important to view the site from the perspective of how a customer would actually feel, taking these points into consideration.
Since stakeholders may view it with inherent biases, seeking honest feedback from a third party is also an option.
Design and product unit price do not match
Shopify's templates are excellent, making it easy to build stylish websites.
However, sites that simply use templates as they are should be approached with caution.
- Monotonous section configuration
- Design looks cheap compared to the product unit price (or vice versa)
- Brand's worldview is not conveyed
Especially for high-priced products, design and trustworthiness are directly linked to sales.
As explained above, the persuasiveness and trustworthiness of a brand can vary greatly depending on what information is placed in what order, alongside the purchase flow.
Similar to the purchase/browsing flow mentioned above, incorporating third-party opinions might lead to new discoveries.
5. Insufficient payment options and convenience
Some users abandon their purchase because a specific payment method is not available.
By considering which payment methods are necessary based on the products handled and their price range, and implementing them in your store, you can reduce checkout abandonment.
Furthermore, it is extremely important not only to provide various payment methods but also to create and enhance guide pages for using the site, shipping and refund policies, and a frequently asked questions page.
Having such pages can alleviate anxieties customers may have before making a purchase.
Moreover, resolving questions at the guide page stage can also lead to a reduction in inquiry volume.
6. Lack of product and customer perspective
The reason for stagnant sales is often due to a lack of understanding of the products and the customers who purchase them.
To improve the "reasons for not selling" introduced in the previous chapters,
- Verify market demand for products
- Deepen understanding of actual purchasing customers
- Specifically design personas for potential customers
By regularly performing such analysis, utilizing analytical tools like GTM, you can implement appropriate site improvements and advertising/promotional measures.
Summary: The reason why Shopify stores don't sell lies in their design and operation
When you feel "Shopify isn't selling,"
it's a sign that there's room for improvement, not a limit of Shopify.
However,
- Don't know where to start
- No dedicated e-commerce staff in-house
- Analysis and improvements are not happening
This is the reality for many merchants.
Commerce Media offers:
- Shopify site construction based on the premise of a successful store
- Comprehensive support including SEO, advertising, and CRM
- One-stop support for operations from customer acquisition to delivery
We provide support in a wide range of areas according to your needs.
Please feel free to consult us.
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