f you’ve spent a huge amount on your eCommerce site and it still isn’t generating sales, then there’s something you might be missing. To help you understand why your eCommerce store isn’t selling, we’ve compiled the top reasons for low e-commerce sales and actionable tips on how to increase eCommerce sales.
Most slow sites come down to a few consistent issues. Bloated theme code, large files on images, too many installed apps or plugins, and excessive third-party scripts all contribute to slow speeds. Many online stores also try to load everything at once, which increases load time and hurts perceived speed, especially on mobile devices.
Most modern platforms already handle a lot of the heavy lifting. They use a content delivery network, caching, and optimized infrastructure to improve website speed. The foundation is already built for performance.
Shopify Speed Optimization: The Fixes That Actually Move the Needle
1. Theme Choice Sets the Ceiling
According to the Shopify Community, the theme choice has a direct impact on page speed. Older or heavily customized themes often contain unnecessary code, extra CSS files, and inefficient JavaScript files that slow down page load times.
A speed-optimized theme is built with cleaner theme code and better structure. Switching to a modern Shopify theme can instantly improve loading speed and overall store performance.
2. Image Weight Is Non-Negotiable
According to Neil Patel, images are one of the most important factors that impact website performance. Large images with high-resolution file formats increase loading time, especially on mobile pages.
Image optimization is critical. This includes resizing images before upload, compressing images using image compression tools, and reducing file size without losing quality. Proper image compression ensures your store loads quickly while maintaining visual appeal.
3. App Bloat and Hidden Drag
According to Shopify, too many apps is one of the most common causes of a slow Shopify site. Each installed app adds external scripts and JavaScript that must load when a user visits your store.
Over time, excessive app usage leads to unnecessary apps running in the background. Even unused apps can leave behind code that slows down your site.
Removing unnecessary apps and cleaning up unused apps is one of the fastest ways to improve performance. If an app does not directly increase revenue or improve operations, it should not be slowing down your store.
4. Load What Sells First
One of the most important Shopify speed optimization strategies is prioritization. Your page does not need to fully load for a customer to start buying.
The key elements are simple. Product images, pricing, and the add to cart button should load first. Everything else, including reviews, chat tools, and additional scripts, can load later.
Top Mistakes That Kill New Ecommerce Shops
Why Do Most New Ecommerce Stores Fail?
The failure rate for new ecommerce stores is staggering. According to Forbes (2024), roughly 90% of ecommerce startups fail within their first 120 days. A Shopify analysis of 120,000 new stores launched in 2023 found that only 5.5% reached $1,000 in monthly revenue within six months. The reasons are predictable and largely preventable. Most failures stem not from bad products but from operational and strategic mistakes that erode conversion rates, drain marketing budgets, and prevent stores from reaching profitability.
The good news is that these mistakes follow clear patterns. By understanding the seven most common killers, you can design your store, pricing, and marketing to avoid them from day one. Each mistake below includes the data on why it matters and actionable steps to fix it.
1: Launching Without Validating Product-Market Fit
Product-market fit is the number one determinant of ecommerce success. According to CB Insights (2024), 42% of failed startups cite “no market need” as their primary reason for failure. Too many new store owners fall in love with a product idea without testing whether enough people will actually pay for it at a profitable price point. Validation before launch is not optional — it is the single most important step you can take.
2: Neglecting Brand Identity and Differentiation
In a market with an estimated 26.5 million ecommerce stores globally (Shopify, 2024), having a good product is necessary but not sufficient. According to Lucidpress (2024), consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by an average of 23%. Yet most new stores launch with generic logos, inconsistent visual identity, and no clear brand story. They look and feel like every other store, giving customers no reason to choose them or remember them.
3: Ignoring Site Speed and Performance
Site speed directly impacts conversion rates, SEO rankings, and customer satisfaction. According to Google (2024), 53% of mobile visitors abandon a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. For every additional second of load time, conversion rates drop by an average of 4.42%, according to Portent (2024). Yet the average ecommerce site loads in 4.7 seconds on mobile — well above the threshold where significant abandonment begins.
4: Creating a Frustrating Checkout Experience
Cart abandonment is the single largest revenue leak in ecommerce. According to the Baymard Institute (2024), the average cart abandonment rate is 70.19%, meaning that for every 10 shoppers who add an item to their cart, only 3 complete the purchase. While some abandonment is unavoidable (comparison shopping, browsing), Baymard found that 48% of abandonments are caused by fixable checkout UX issues including unexpected costs, account creation requirements, and complex checkout flows.
Get More Traffic to Your Online Store Fast
But first, is your eCommerce site optimized for sales?
Whether you’re just building your eCommerce website or have been in eCommerce for a while now, it’s always a good idea to periodically check that your site is still easy to navigate and optimized for sales. No matter how ingenious your marketing campaigns may be, a site that’s clunky or outdated can scare off customers faster than you’d think. To this end, here are several things to look out for:
- Organize your site with a clear structure and CTAs: Make sure shoppers can easily navigate your site and find what they’re looking for. If your product catalog isn’t displayed directly on your site’s homepage, add a prominent “Shop Now” or “Start Shopping” button that leads customers to the right pages.
- Speak to a specific target audience: Think from your customers’ shoes when you’re writing your product descriptions, designing your homepage and/or setting your prices. If customers don’t feel that your brand is tailored to them—chances are, they’ll exit your site as quickly as they entered.
- Remember that photography is king: We’re living in a visual age. High-quality product photography is a must-have, allowing customers to envision themselves using your product. Aside from static product photos, include product videos and/or user-generated content that can serve as powerful social proof.
01. Attract customers with a sales campaign
A well-planned discount pricing strategy can draw attention without draining your wallet. The key is to find a strategy that makes your customers feel that they’ve gotten a good deal, while avoiding a situation where you’re competing on price alone.
- Offer a competition or giveaway. Incentivize visitors by offering free shipping or a coupon towards their first purchase if they sign up for your mailing list. This not only entices your customers to take a chance on your brand, but also provides an avenue for you to stay in touch with them.
- Create a coupon for online use only. Whether you offer a percentage or fixed amount off the final price, an “online only” coupon can draw people to your site. Extend this offer to your existing contacts and shoppers who visit your brick-and-mortar store (if applicable). You can create a coupon directly from Wix eCommerce, applying the coupon to a specific product or collection of products if desired.
02. Target your audience on Facebook
With more than three billion monthly users, Facebook is the world’s most active social channel. There are a plethora of ways to use Facebook to your advantage, including:
- Create a Facebook page. As a first step, set up a business page for your brand where customers can look for crucial store information. This is also a good place to publish and promote any content that links back to your website, such as a sales campaign, a blog post or a product announcement.
- Run Facebook ads. Create pay-per-click (PPC) Facebook ads that help you to reach new consumers with relevant interests, browsing habits and backgrounds. Choose from a variety of ads and adjust your campaign according to your business goals. If you’re looking for an easier way to manage your ads, use Wix’s Facebook Ads tool, which leverages AI to A/B test your ads, track sales and locate the ideal audience for you to target.
03. Show off your business on Instagram
Depending on your business, Instagram can be a valuable asset for increasing traffic to your website. Use it to cultivate your brand and to give people an authentic look into your business.
Kaekoo (pictured above) uses its Instagram page to show the face behind its brand—Kaekoo founder, Kae. The brand flaunts more than 158,000 Instagram followers, many of whom have fallen in love with Kae’s creativity and personality.
- Optimize your Instagram bio. Make sure your Instagram bio is optimized for your business by including a link to your store, alongside other contact info and perhaps some witty content. Use a link-in-bio tool like Hopp to get even more mileage out of your Instagram bio and direct your followers to various pages and products within your site.
- Run Instagram ads. Target potential customers based on their preferences and online habits. Pick from a range of formats like photos, videos, carousels or Stories to create ads that align with your goals. Wix’s Facebook/Instagram Ads tool can help streamline this by using AI to create different ad variations and identify your ideal audience.
04. Experiment with other social channels
Branch out to other social media channels that may be appropriate for your brand. For example, if you run a fashion or beauty business, you might be eyeing TikTok—where you can hop on popular video trends, open a TikTok Shop and/or run TikTok ads (which can, in turn, be connected to your Wix product catalog).
“By some grace of luck, I had my website already set up “and I had preorders available.”,
Use tools like Wix’s AI-powered social media tools to quickly design custom videos, images and captions for various channels—and schedule things ahead of time so you’re not feeling overwhelmed. As you build up your social following, you can drive that traffic back to your website and turn their interest in your content into sales.
05. Lean into email marketing
The first step, of course, is to grow your email list. One way to get people to sign up for your emails is by adding a lightbox to your site that offers a discount or gift card as a reward for subscribing. You can additionally include a signup form in your site’s footer so that shoppers can opt in at any time.
- Test various subject lines. Your subject line is arguably one of the most important elements of an email, with the power to attract or repel your customers before they’ve even seen the full message. Make sure you keep your subject lines short, punchy and provocative—while still keeping them relevant to the content inside.
- Keep written content short and sweet. Don’t overdo it with the text. Make sure every word you write is useful and geared towards getting visitors to click on your main call-to-action (CTA).
Handle Returns Without Losing Money on Ecommerce
The average eCommerce return rate is 20-30%. For apparel, it’s closer to 40%. Most store owners see returns as a pure cost — lost revenue, shipping expense, restocking time, damaged products. And yeah, returns cost money. But the way you handle them determines whether that customer comes back or posts a negative review and disappears.
Here’s what most stores get wrong: they bury their return policy, make the process confusing, take two weeks to process refunds, and never follow up. The customer walks away frustrated and tells everyone about it.
How to fix this — step by step
1
Make your return policy clear, generous, and visible
Put your return policy on every product page — not buried in a footer link nobody clicks. Offer at least 30 days. If you can do 60 or 90, even better. Free returns are ideal, but if margins don’t allow it, a flat-rate return shipping fee is better than making customers guess. A clear, generous return policy increases purchase confidence and actually reduces overall return rates because customers buy with less anxiety.
2
Reduce returns at the source
The cheapest return is the one that never happens. Better product photos from multiple angles, detailed size guides with measurements (not just S/M/L), honest product descriptions that set accurate expectations, and customer Q&A sections all reduce return rates by 10-20%. If a specific product has a high return rate, read the return reasons — they’ll tell you exactly what to fix.
3
Automate the return process
Use a returns management platform like Loop, Returnly, or AfterShip Returns. Customers initiate returns through a self-service portal, print a label, and track the status. You save hours of customer service time per week. Automation also lets you offer instant exchanges or store credit before the return ships — which saves the sale 30-40% of the time.
4
Offer exchanges and store credit before refunds
When a customer initiates a return, your first option should be exchange or store credit — not a refund. “Wrong size? Exchange for free with upgraded shipping.” “Changed your mind? Here’s store credit plus a 10% bonus.” You keep the revenue and the customer stays in your ecosystem. Loop and similar platforms automate this flow beautifully.
5
Process refunds fast and follow up
Once you receive the return, process the refund within 24-48 hours. Send automated emails at every stage: return received, refund processed, and a follow-up 7 days later with a personalized recommendation. That follow-up email is your second chance — and stores that send it see 15-25% of returners come back to purchase again within 30 days.
Cut Costs and Grow Your Ecommerce Side Hustle
Understanding eCommerce Side Hustle
An eCommerce side hustle is a part-time online business venture that allows you to sell products or services alongside your main job. It leverages digital platforms to reach customers, offering flexibility and low startup costs.
This model enables entrepreneurs to test business ideas, generate additional income, and potentially grow into a full-time enterprise. Success often hinges on finding the right niche, effective personal marketing, and efficient operations management.
How to Choose a Side Hustle
A well-chosen side hustle has the potential to evolve into a lucrative full-time career. To determine if a side hustle is suitable for you long-term, evaluate its alignment with your interests, financial impact, and compatibility with your schedule.
Passion and interest alignment – Does the side hustle align with your interests?
After a full day of work, you’ll need motivation to focus on your side project. Opt for a business that excites you, whether it’s a specific niche like gardening products or a business model such as social media content creation. Your enthusiasm will help you prioritize your side hustle over leisure activities.
Financial viability – Is the side hustle financially viable?
Most eCommerce side hustles require an initial time investment before generating revenue. Start by establishing a demand for your product or service. As you progress, assess the profitability of your business to ensure your efforts are worthwhile.
Schedule compatibility – Does the side hustle fit your schedule?
With work, family, and daily responsibilities, finding time for a side hustle can be challenging. If you have a busy schedule, choose a flexible business model that allows you to complete tasks in small, manageable chunks during your free time.
Involvement level – Passive or hands-on: What’s your style?
Side hustles vary in the amount of attention they require. Some, like affiliate marketing websites, need significant upfront work but less day-to-day management. Others, such as pet sitting, demand constant attention. Decide whether you prefer a side hustle that requires ongoing involvement or one that allows for periodic bursts of effort.
How to Set up Your eCommerce Side Hustle on BigCommerce
- Source suppliers
- Select a reliable drop shipper
- Set prices
- Build a strong brand
- Design a logo
- Create your online store
- Write engaging content
- Take photos
- Handle Logistics and Customer Service
- Monitor Performance and Optimize
- Scale Your Business
Tips For Starting An eCommerce Side Hustle on BigCommerce
Successful eCommerce ventures often rely on several key strategies. Drawing from personal experience, here are some valuable insights for thriving in the online marketplace:
- Know Your Niche – Focus on areas you understand well. Your expertise in a specific field can give you a real edge over competitors who are just chasing trends.
- Try, Try Again – Don’t be discouraged if your first idea doesn’t take off. Success often comes after testing several products or concepts. Each attempt teaches you something valuable.
- Grow Smart – Scaling your eCommerce side hustle takes time. Be patient and reinvest wisely. Instead of throwing money at random ads, stick to a solid business plan.
- Set a Schedule – Consistency is key. Even with a day job, try to dedicate a few hours each week to your eCommerce business. Create a work schedule and stick to it.
- Keep Learning – The eCommerce world changes fast. Stay informed about new trends, tools, and best practices. Your ability to adapt and evolve with the industry can make a big difference.
In Conclusion
By following this guide, you’re taking the first steps towards online business success. Remember, persistence and continuous learning are key to turning your side hustle into a thriving eCommerce business. As your store grows, consider leveraging automation to streamline operations and boost efficiency. BigCommerce Automation app offers complete BigCommerce automation solutions that can help optimize your revenue, time, and operations. today and discover how the tool can benefit your eCommerce side hustle.
