So you’ve started a Shopify store… and things aren’t going quite as well as you had hoped. You may have anticipated a deluge of sales once your storefront was finally up and running. After all, Shopify makes it seem pretty darn easy to establish your business. But no matter how easy the process may seem, there are a few common pitfalls that many Shopify businesses fall into pretty quickly—and these might be what’s keeping your brand from being the best it can be.
Take a look at these four top mistakes businesses often make on Shopify and find out what you can do to avoid them.
1. Failing to Establish Your Own Unique Brand
It’s an easy trap to fall into—you see countless successful online shops and products and think to yourself “I could do that!” Before you know it, you have a business that looks very much like those you want to emulate. But you can’t figure out why you aren’t getting the sales.
The truth is that although imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, in the world of e-commerce, sincere originality is the secret ingredient to success. It’s a great idea to pick up on the best practices of the successful businesses you see, but in order to make your online shop stand out, you must find ways to make it all your own.
From products to layouts and everything in between, the uniqueness of your brand is what will keep customers coming back.
2. Not Having a Strong Marketing Plan in Place
Your Shopify store might look beautifully inviting with lots of items in stock and ready to ship, but if you don’t have a solid marketing plan in place, your product could be collecting dust on the shelves for a long time.
Before you set up your shop, take time to create workable steps to market your brand. Explore your advertising options, look at what brands similar to yours are doing, establish a budget and get to know your target audience. Don’t be afraid to make changes as you go, too—if you find that one marketing tactic is bringing in the sales better than another, adjust your plan accordingly.
3. Not Knowing Your Target Audience
It’s great that you have a product to sell, but you need to know who you’re selling it to if you really want to bring in the profits. As you work on your marketing plan, carve some time out to study your target audience.
Who are they?
What do they want?
How do they like to be marketed to?
What can you do to engage them?
Once you get the answers to these questions, you’ll have a better shot at closing those sales.
4. Failing to Customize (and Optimize) Your Shop’s Design
The storefront templates that Shopify has to offer are a great place to start as you create your e-commerce platform, but if you really want your brand to take off, it’s worth putting in the extra effort to truly tailor your site specifically to your needs.
First, be sure to customize your store’s checkout process rather than using Shopify’s default settings. You can make add your logo, brand colors and fonts to create a cohesive shopping experience from start to finish.
Next, add a custom favicon (one of those little icons that appear on the browser tab). Finally, make sure your shop has been optimized for mobile use. The majority of shoppers are making purchases on their phones, so put your efforts into making your site mobile-friendly.
You Got This
Whether you’ve already created your Shopify storefront or are about to begin the process, solving these issues will surely help you grow your business. From establishing longlasting customer relationships to increasing sales to creating a cohesive brand, you have the power to make your Shopify site do everything you need it to do, and more!
Need more guidance on ensuring your Shopify store is performing to its' max so you can bring in sales in your sleep? Let's chat.