Why Your Shopify Store Isn’t Selling (And 5 Ways to Fix It)
Imagine this scenario!
You are killing it with your online marketing and social media, and a customer lands on your Shopify store link. They find the perfect product, add it to their cart —and then it vanishes. No sale. No explanation.
Frustrating, right? You’re not alone.
According to Baymard Institute, nearly 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout. For most eCommerce stores, the average conversion rate is 1.4%. If you get more than 3.2%, you would be in the top 20% of Shopify stores, and 4.7% would make you part of the platinum club in the top 10%.
So, what can we do to increase sales? The key is to increase traffic and ensure that you have a targeted approach to converting lurkers into actual sales.
In this blog, we will talk about why shoppers leave without buying and the steps you can take to nudge them in the right direction.
Why Do Customers Abandon Their Carts?
Let’s start with the moot question – why would a customer come to your website but not complete their purchase? The reasons could be several, including:
- Unexpected Costs: High shipping fees, taxes, or hidden charges that appear at checkout often cause shoppers to hesitate and leave.
- Complicated Checkout Process: Too many steps, too many form fields, or an unintuitive design can frustrate users.
- No Guest Checkout Option: Not everyone wants to create an account just to make a purchase.
- Slow Website or Payment Errors: If your site loads slowly or customers encounter issues processing their payments, they may not complete the payment process.
- Lack of Trust: If return policies aren’t clear, security measures aren’t visible, or the store lacks social proof, customers may feel uneasy about completing their purchase.
Some additional reasons, as mentioned by actual users, include other factors like the site asking for too many details to create an account, not showing costs up-front, not enough payment methods, or even the credit card getting declined.
5 Simple Fixes to Recover Lost Sales
Recovering lost sales doesn’t have to be complicated. By identifying key friction points in your Shopify store and making a few strategic changes, you can significantly reduce cart abandonment and boost conversions.
Here are five practical solutions to help you turn abandoned carts into completed sales.
1. Simplify the Checkout Process
A complicated checkout is one of the biggest barriers to completing a sale. Customers want a seamless experience, and too many steps or unnecessary fields can cause them to abandon their cart.
To simplify the checkout process and ensure that there are minimal fields, you can:
- Use Shopify’s One-Page Checkout to reduce friction.
- Minimize the number of required fields.
- Offer multiple payment methods, including digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. This ensures that your customers can make the payment using the method ideal for them, and the likelihood of them making the purchase increases.
By making the process as quick and hassle-free as possible, you increase the likelihood of conversion.
2. Be Transparent About Costs
Forcing customers to create an account before buying can lead to frustration and cart abandonment. Thus, instead of asking them to sign up in the first go, make sure that they can:
- Explore your store and add items to the cart using a guest account. You can even enable guest checkout in Shopify to allow quick purchases without them ever having to create an account and only providing the details at the end of the checkout.
- Provide an option to save details for returning customers so that they can see their wishlist or cart items the next time they come to your store.
3. Enable Guest Checkout
Forcing customers to create an account before buying can lead to frustration and cart abandonment. Thus, instead of asking them to sign up in the first go, make sure that they can:
- Explore your store and add items to the cart using a guest account. You can even enable guest checkout in Shopify to allow quick purchases without them ever having to create an account and only providing the details at the end of the checkout.
- Provide an option to save details for returning customers so that they can see their wishlist or cart items the next time they come to your store.
4. Send Abandoned Cart Emails
Sometimes, customers need a little nudge to complete their purchase. That’s where abandoned cart emails come in.
Shopify allows you to automate these emails to remind customers about their pending purchases. For this, you can:
- Include an incentive, such as a small discount or free shipping, to encourage them to return.
- Keep the email short, engaging, and visually appealing.
- Inform them about an upcoming sale or limited-time offer to improve chances of conversion
According to Moosend, abandoned cart emails can recover up to 10% of lost sales. It’s a simple and effective way to bring customers back.
5. Build Trust with Customers
If potential buyers don’t feel confident in your store, they won’t complete their purchase. To build trust with your customers and showcase that you are a trustworthy brand:
- Display trust badges (like “Secure Payment” and “Money-Back Guarantee”) at checkout.
- Showcase customer reviews and testimonials to provide social proof.
- Make return policies clear and easy to find.
When customers trust your store, they’re far more likely to buy from you.
Start Small, Win Big!
Fixing cart abandonment doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Even small changes can lead to significant improvements in conversions. Start by implementing one or two of the above strategies and monitor the results. Over time, you’ll see fewer abandoned carts and more completed sales.
Every shopping cart represents a potential customer. Don’t let them slip away. With the right strategies, you can turn lost opportunities into loyal buyers.
And if you need help to optimize your Shopify store, get in touch with our experts. At Gadre Infotech, we specialize in helping small businesses and first-time online sellers optimize their online presence and enhance their customer experience. When your entire eCommerce store is optimized and working smoothly, the chances of cart abandonment become significantly low, and you can rest assured that you have done everything right to help your customers get the best online experiences!
