5 Common Shopify Mistakes Effecting Your Sales (And How to Fix Them) 5 Common Shopify Mistakes Effecting Your Sales (And How to Fix Them) 5 Common Shopify Mistakes Effecting Your Sales (And How to Fix Them)


Running a Shopify store isn’t just about listing products and waiting for orders to come in. Many merchants unknowingly make critical mistakes that hurt their conversion rates, customer experience, and overall revenue. The good news? Most of these issues are easily fixable.

In this guide, we’ll cover five common Shopify mistakes that could be costing your business sales—and, more importantly, how to fix them.

1. Slow Page Speed 🚀

The Problem:

A slow website leads to high bounce rates and lost revenue. Research shows that 53% of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Page speed also impacts SEO, meaning slow stores rank lower on Google.

How to Fix It:

  • Optimise images – Use compressed formats like WebP and tools like TinyPNG to reduce file sizes.
  • Reduce app bloat – Uninstall unnecessary apps that slow down your site.
  • Use a fast Shopify theme – Opt for lightweight themes such as Dawn or Prestige.
  • Enable lazy loading – Load images and scripts only when needed.
  • Speak to us! - We can help reduce loads speeds to optimise performance.

📌 Bonus Tip: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to identify speed issues and get actionable fixes.

2. Poor Navigation & Site Structure 🧭

The Problem:

If visitors can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they’ll leave. A confusing menu, cluttered categories, and poor search functionality all hurt conversions.

How to Fix It:

  • Use a simple, intuitive menu – Categories should be clear and easy to navigate (e.g., "Shop All," "Best Sellers," "New In").
  • Improve search functionality – Apps like Searchanise and Boost AI Search & Discovery help users find products faster.
  • Optimise product categorisation – Ensure items are logically grouped and easy to filter.
  • Use breadcrumbs – Show visitors their navigation path to improve usability.

📌 Bonus Tip: Use heatmaps and session recordings (via Hotjar or Clarity) to identify where visitors struggle to navigate.

3. Lack of Trust Signals 🔒

The Problem:

Customers hesitate to buy if a website doesn’t look credible. A lack of reviews, unclear returns policies, or missing trust badges can increase cart abandonment.

How to Fix It:

  • Display product reviews & testimonials – Use apps like Judge.me or Loox to build trust.
  • Use trust badges – Highlight secure checkout (SSL), accepted payment methods, and money-back guarantees.
  • Have a clear returns & refunds policy – Make it easy to find in your footer and on product pages.
  • Showcase social proof – Display user-generated content and real customer photos.

📌 Bonus Tip: Add a live sales notification app (like FOMO or Sales Pop) to show real-time purchases and increase urgency.

4. Ineffective Product Pages 🛍️

The Problem:

Weak product pages mean lost sales. If your descriptions are vague, images are poor quality, or your call-to-action (CTA) is weak, customers won’t convert.

How to Fix It:

  • Write compelling product descriptions – Focus on benefits over features and answer common customer questions.
  • Use high-quality images & videos – Include multiple angles, lifestyle shots, and demo videos.
  • Highlight key selling points – Use bullet points to make important details easy to scan.
  • Optimise your CTA – Instead of a generic “Buy Now,” test variations like “Order Today – Limited Stock”.

📌 Bonus Tip: Use A/B testing (via Intelligems or Optimizely) to experiment with different layouts and CTA wording.

5. Ignoring Checkout Optimisation 💳

The Problem:

Many customers abandon their baskets due to a complicated or slow checkout process.

How to Fix It:

  • Enable express checkout options – Offer Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Buy Now, Pay Later options like Klarna.
  • Streamline the checkout process – Reduce the number of steps required to complete a purchase.
  • Use address auto-complete – Speed up the process by enabling postcode lookups.
  • Send abandoned cart emails & SMS – Recover lost sales using tools like Klaviyo.

📌 Bonus Tip: Analyse Shopify’s checkout analytics to identify and address customer drop-off points.

Final Thoughts 💡

Fixing these common Shopify mistakes can lead to higher conversions, improved user experience, and increased revenue. Small changes, such as improving site speed or optimising checkout, can have a significant impact on your store’s performance.

At Haydon Power, we specialise in Shopify development, conversion rate optimisation (CRO), and eCommerce growth strategies. If you need help to scale your Shopify store, get in touch today!

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