Introduction
For those who want to launch their online business without having any technical knowledge, Shopify is a dream come true. People are now creating, managing, and setting up online stores simpler with Shopify.
Not only that.
You can start your eCommerce store with a modest investment and a few simple clicks. This enables you to design an appealing, useful, and enjoyable site. Additionally, it offers the resources required to launch, manage, and expand your eCommerce business.
However, did you know that many online shops shut down before their first anniversary?
It’s simple to believe that your store won’t wind up in the start-up cemetery. The sad fact is that most failed online businesses started with great promise.
So why do Shopify stores fail?
This article will examine eight fatal flaws that could potentially destroy your online business.
Rate of failing Shopify stores
There isn’t a concrete Shopify success rate statistic. But it is widely believed that many eCommerce stores fail within their first year of operation.
Many ambitious business owners may be discouraged from starting their enterprise after learning sobering statistics. However, it is possible to join the ranks of successful businesses if you are enthusiastic about eCommerce and prepared to put in the necessary effort.
When we analyse failed Shopify start-ups, we uncover many causes for failure.
Most of the time, it takes more than one mistake to ruin everything. Instead, it’s a result of various misjudgements that accumulate over time. And if these problems aren’t fixed, it’s safe to say that the store’s days are numbered.
What will be the reason?
Although Shopify is an excellent platform for starting and operating an online business without hiring dedicated developers, many companies struggle to increase sales on this platform.
Do you know why many business owners continue to fail despite having excellent products and a successful marketing plan?
They fall short due to some widespread Shopify design mistakes that impact their conversion rates.
If you’re also having trouble reaching your conversion goals, perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at the design of your website.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top eight Shopify design mistakes that will kill your sales.
Let’s start.
1. Fails to implement responsive design
This is the most typical design mistake store owners make when using Shopify. They choose the theme and alter it for desktop users but ignore mobile users.
The days when calling and texting were the only things people did on their mobile phones are long gone. People now use their mobile devices to access the internet. It is past due for online store owners to design responsive stores that work correctly on various digital devices.
More than half of all internet traffic comes from mobile phones. Thus, you are losing a sizeable portion of your website’s potential audience if your eCommerce is not optimized for mobile users.
One of the factors Google takes into account when ranking a website is its mobile responsiveness. So, don’t forget to consider that.
2. Poor page loading time
Did you know that if a website takes longer than three seconds to load, 53% of visitors abandon it? According to Google’s data, that may be all it takes to lose a potential new customer.
One of the most significant barriers for potential customers is a website that loads because they will quickly lose interest and switch to another site. For this reason, you should constantly work to have an optimized, quick site.
Optimizing each component of your eCommerce store to improve performance is crucial because many factors can impact how quickly your website loads. You can run a speed test on your site to check the health of its speed.
Making sure your images are compressed, minimizing the number of redirects, removing broken links, and upgrading your hosting are ways to increase site speed. When using videos, embed them rather than upload them directly to your website.
However, reducing the page speed is that easy as one has to consider various other aspects of websites well like implementing AMP, Eliminating render-blocking JavaScript and, CSS etc, thus it is advised to get this task done by an experts programmer, but at times business has low budget especially startups, so they prefer to hire dedicated offshore developers instead of an in house programmer, as they can give you the same output in a very cost-efficient way.
3. Fails to display images in multiple angles
Customers who shop at online stores cannot physically handle the products they purchase. Instead, they must read product descriptions and examine product images before deciding.
You lose the chance of a successful conversion if you don’t use high-quality images from different angles on your product page. This is because images are crucial for both the aesthetic appeal of your eCommerce site and motivating customers to make more purchases.
It will help the visitors examine the product’s appearance from various perspectives. Also, it will inspire confidence in them that they already know how it will appear from every angle if they purchase the product.
Since Shopify provides a platform to customize your site, you can add these images without the need to hire dedicated developers. You can also use a 360-degree product video to give site visitors the best possible view of your product.
4. Complicated checkout process
Not setting up the checkout page is the next frequent mistake.
The checkout page is equally as important as the homepage and product pages.
Many inexperienced store owners forget to match the checkout page’s design to the store’s overall feel.
Always include the logo for your shop on the checkout page. Use the same font size, style, colour, etc., on your checkout page as you would on the other pages of your website.
Your customers will become confused if there is any difference between your checkout page and the rest of the website.
Let’s say the checkout page has green and white colours, and the website’s primary colour scheme is pink and black. If the checkout page doesn’t appear to be a part of your website in that case, it will confuse your customers, and they may even leave the website.
5. Fails to include a site search option
Have you ever wondered why major eCommerce sites have a site search option on their main menu?
With the site search option, visitors will find it very convenient to look up the required products without visiting each product page.
Shopify beginners frequently overlook this crucial element on their websites. Include a site search option if you don’t want to lose any more clients because they couldn’t find the product.
There is typically a built-in search feature with themes you can implement on your site.
However, it’s simple to locate plugins for an advanced search option. To make the search option visible to your audience, place it on the main menu.
6. Insufficient product descriptions
On the website, images represent the products. In the eCommerce store, product description act as a sales representative.
Your customer may click the “buy now” button after reading an engaging product description. However, many store owners overlook the significance of accurate product descriptions. They utilise the product copy supplied by manufacturers rather than write their unique and clear versions.
Images provide information about the product’s appearance and colours. Information about a product’s weight, size, texture, and advantages should highlight in the description.
7. Fails to add appropriate filters
Why do people prefer shopping online these days?
Simply put, it saves time.
So, the purpose of online shopping is lost if your website doesn’t consider the user’s valuable time.
Visitors benefit significantly from the addition of filters to product pages. Mainly if you sell a wide range of products, customers can quickly find the products they’re looking for with filters.
Spending a long time scrolling through the screen to look for the products, the customer will become impatient from having to scroll for an eternity.
Add filters to your product page to make it easier for customers to view the products they like. They choose products based on price, size, fabric, colour, etc.
8. Lack of customer reviews
How significant are user reviews for an online shop?
Most customers won’t act until they have read a favourable review.
Online retailers’ most potent sales tools are customer reviews and testimonials on product pages. People enjoy reading reviews left by other customers who have bought a product ahead of them. So it boosts trust and enables them to make more wise choices.
Additionally, you should encourage customers to post reviews after purchasing by rewarding them with coupons and discounts. Remember to provide a professional response outlining how you will address any unfavourable comments if there are any.
Conclusion
Why do Shopify stores have trouble?
After reading this article, it is only appropriate to rephrase this query. The only difference is that you already know the answer. Furthermore, the response is not as conclusive as we would like.
Success for any business, not just those on Shopify, is impossible to forecast. But there are many different ways to calculate it! After all, we have the knowledge required to spot mistakes and pitfalls that could ultimately lead to the failure of your company.
This article discussed eight mistakes that can bankrupt a company and offered tips on how to avoid them.
It is best to prevent these issues before wondering, “Why is my Shopify store not growing?” And don’t be afraid to contact us if you need to hire dedicated developers to create a successful eCommerce website. Due to our expertise in eCommerce, our team will ensure that your store survives for years to come.