20 Shopify Store Mistakes to Avoid for a Successful Launch

Building a Shopify store is simple, but avoiding costly Shopify store mistakes is what separates thriving brands from struggling ones. This guide covers the 20 most common Shopify errors from skipping market research and weak branding to poor SEO and slow mobile design that can hurt sales and user trust.

Creating a Shopify store?

However, it turns out that long-term success of Shopify stores is only experienced by 5-10 percent. Most of them do not pick up, usually because of typical (and preventable) errors.

In this tutorial, you will get to know about the 20 Shopify store mistakes most merchants make, to avoid these potential pitfalls and establish a successful store.

20 Shopify Store Mistakes Every Business Should Avoid

1. Skipping Market Research and Planning

Analysis shows “no market need” is why 42% of startups fail. 

One of the biggest Shopify setup mistakes is not spending time and money to justify that people are interested in what you intend to sell. The first red flag could be neglecting competitor research in terms of offerings, price, and customer reviews.

Tip:

• Craft a basic business plan about your niche, target client, product sourcing and marketing plan.
• Name at least 3 competitors and tell what you can do better or differently.

2. Failure to Define Your Target Audience

The other new comer error is not identifying your dream customer.

• What are they (age, gender, location)?
• What need/pain points do they have?

Defining Your Target Audience by:

• Developing Buyer Personas: Determine your perfect customers according to their demographics, behavior and needs.
• Avoiding Generic Targeting: The stores that omit audience research usually have to waste time and money on the wrong buyers.
• Segmenting Your customers: To check if your audience can be split into similar groups and cater to each group with content, advert, and products.
• Personalizing Your Messaging: Address your audience by using their language when describing products and in images so that they can connect.
• Based on the Analytics Tools: We will use Google Trends, Facebook Audience Insights and Shopify Analytics to analyze buyer intent.

3. Lacking a Marketing Plan (Waiting for “Magic” Traffic)

Many new store owners assume that simply launching a Shopify store means traffic will follow a costly mistake. In reality, with over 1 billion websites on the internet, the odds of people randomly finding your new store are near zero. 

Your plan should include:

• Search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, perhaps paid advertising, and so on.
• Setting a marketing budget and strategy before launch. 
• Also, listing your products on relevant marketplaces or comparison shopping engines early on. 

4. Neglecting Branding and Using a Generic Theme

Rushing through setup with Shopify’s default look can make your store seem unprofessional or “cookie-cutter.” 88% of people will leave a website if it’s unattractive or poorly. 

Invest time in branding: 

• Choose a memorable store name and buy a custom domain. 
• Create a logo that represents your store’s vibe. Pick a color palette and font and use them consistently. 
• Customize your Shopify theme’s colors, typography, and imagery to match your brand identity.

5. Lack of a Good Web Design and Navigation

21% of online shoppers abandon carts because the navigation or site was too complicated. 

Key things to avoid this Shopify store mistake: 

Complex menus: 

• Don’t overwhelm visitors with dozens of menu items. 
• Keep your main navigation simple and logical (e.g., Shop by Category, About Us, Contact, etc.).
• Use clear labels for categories so users immediately understand where to click.

Disorganized product pages: 

• Each product page should have all necessary info (images, description, price, options) laid out cleanly.
• Group related information and make sure Call-to-Action buttons (e.g., “Add to Cart”) are prominent. 

Lack of search bar: 

• Provide a search function so users can quickly find specific products. 

Broken links or errors: 

• Test all your links and fix any 404 errors. 
• According to the Baymard Institute, errors and confusing checkout processes are top reasons for cart abandonment. 

Tip: 

• Conduct a quick usability test: ask a friend (or better, someone in your target audience) to visit your site and find a specific product or piece of information. 
• Their feedback can highlight navigation pain points you might have overlooked. 
• Simplify menus, add filters or search, and ensure your site layout guides users naturally toward making a purchase.

6. Overlooking Mobile Optimization

However, a lot of new store owners do not visit their location using mobile phones so they do not realize that the text is small, images are being cut off, or buttons are difficult to tap.

The following is how you can correct this error:

• Test your store through iPhone, Android and tablets to make sure it performs well.
• Ensure that photos resize well, menus fold easily and checkout is easy on the phone.
• Test data loading speed of mobile data, minimize large elements and slow down performance.
• Make fonts readable without zoom, easy to touch buttons, buy or prices not hidden after unnecessary scrolling.
• Updates Google has a free test that determines issues in usability, the Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Themes made on Shopify are responsive by default, although the layout or responsiveness can be broken by custom edits.
• In case a majority of traffic is mobile (check Shopify Analytics), make the design simpler and think about the implementation of AMP to open blog pages more quickly.

7. Using Low-Quality or Unoptimized Images

According to surveys, 56% of people see product images first after landing on a page. Showing only one tiny, blurry photo or using inconsistent image sizes will erode trust. 

Would you buy from a site with pixelated, poorly lit product photos? 

Probably not, and neither will your customers.

According to studies, when a webpage takes longer than 3 seconds to load, most of the visitors will leave the web page.

Avoid this mistake:

• Use high-resolution photographs, but compress them prior to their posting.
• Some optimization will be conducted by Shopify, however, you should take care of making each image file as small as possible with the use of tools such as TinyPNG or Shopify apps. 
• Add several photos to each product (demonstrate various angles, close shots, size, etc.) since the customers will not be able to touch the product.
• Include product videos or 360-degree views in case it is applicable to provide additional interest.
• Having all the product photos with similar backgrounds or lighting helps create a professional catalog effect.
• Also, please remember to provide descriptive alt text to every image (as well as to increase SEO and accessibility).

8. Giving Bad or Inadequate Product Descriptions

There are so many Shopify stores who either paste the boring description of the manufacturer or they give one line. It is not a wise thing to do since online shoppers depend on this information as a means to make a judgment (they are not able to touch or sample the product).

Tip:

• Separate the most important specs or features with bullet points (e.g., ✅ 100% organic cotton; ✅ Machine-washable cover; ✅ Fits standard queen bed).
• Furthermore, a bit of storytelling can be relevant to include, e.g., narrate what inspired the product or how the product is made.
• And always proofread! (More on that later in mistake #20.)

9. Forgetting Essential Pages (About, Contact, and Policies)

60% of shoppers read return policies before buying, and 96% would shop again with a retailer if the return process is easy. 

Add the following essential pages to fix such Shopify store mistakes:

• About Us: This is where you humanize your brand. Write about your experience, purpose or the issue your product addresses.
• Contact Info: Have an email address (preferably on your own domain), preferably a business address or phone number. Although you may use email, providing a mailing address or some form of contact would be a way of legitimizing your business. Another thing to take into consideration is a FAQ page where common questions (shipment times, sizing details, etc.) may be answered.
• Policies: Shopify has free policy generators, which can be used as a base, but tailor-made. The most frequent mistake is that one does not edit the text in the template, e.g. a boilerplate privacy policy with placeholders left in.

10. None of Social Proof or Trust Signals

Social proof is one of the best trust-builders (customer reviews, ratings, testimonials, or photos of real users). Although you might be completely new, you can add items such as a default best-seller star “★★★★★” (assuming you have preliminary reviews of your product by people who tried it, like beta users or friends, etc.).

Besides the reviews, trust badges and security signs are important, particularly on the cart and checkout pages. 

Ensure that your site has an SSL certificate. 

Use badges such as Secure Check out or payment symbols ( Visa, Mastercard, PayPal ) to show the user that their payment details are secure.

Tip:

• Install a Shopify app that displays reviews (such as Judge.me, Yotpo or Shopify Product Reviews) and prompt the customer to provide a review after making a purchase.
• A small discount on a later order to someone who leaves an honest review may be a good way to get your social proof machines going, this can also get the ball rolling.
• The other step is responding to reviews and customer inquiries; an attentive and responsive store owner provides customers with an assurance that there is a team behind the site that cares.

11. The Omission of SEO Basics

Neglecting SEO in Shopify is like leaving money on the table.

Key areas to focus on to avoid such costly Shopify store mistakes:

Keywords:

• Find out what other people search to get products similar to yours.
• Naturally incorporate such keywords in your product description and titles.

Meta Titles/Descriptions:

• Write the catchy titles (not more than approximately 60 characters) and description (not more than approximately 155 characters) of each product and page.
• It should include your key word and attractive incentive to visit.

Readable URLs:

• Shopify will automatically create URLs, which can be edited.
• Truncate URLs to be concise and incorporate your keyword (e.g., your site.com/products/organic-oatmeal-soap is superior to a long and meaningless sequence of characters and figures).

Image Alt Text: 

As noted above explain what your images are in the alt text to make them accessible and increase their SEO slightly.

12. Failure to Establish Analytics and Tracking

Google analytics will provide you with the information on where your visitors find you (e.g. search, social, ads), which pages they read, how long they stay there etc.

The sales, customer, and behavior reports are also provided in the own dashboard of Shopify.

Another thing to take into consideration is the establishment of Facebook Pixel. And as a more high-tech user, Shopify has Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and its own analytics app.

Tip:

• The habit of looking at key metrics weekly is to get in the habit of reviewing important metrics once analytics are live.
• When you see a lot of traffic and few sales coming in as a result of a certain source, have a look at the reasons behind it, perhaps there is something not applicable about that traffic or perhaps it has something wrong with those landing pages.
• Evidence-based optimizations have the potential to increase your revenue in the long-run.

13. Overloading Your Store with Apps (or Using the Wrong Ones)

It’s tempting to install dozens of Shopify apps for live chat, countdown timers, pop-ups, upsell widgets, etc. But installing too many apps can backfire by slowing down your site and cluttering your interface. Each app often injects code that can bloat your pages. 

Remember that 53% of users abandon a website that loads too slowly (over 3 seconds). 

How to avoid this Shopify store mistake: 

• Start with the basics, a review app, an email marketing or pop-up app to collect emails, and maybe one to help with SEO or image optimization. 
• Add apps one at a time and test your site speed after each addition. 
• If an app isn’t truly adding value (or if you can combine features into one app), remove it. 
• Also be wary of apps that overlap in functionality,  two apps doing similar things might conflict or double-load resources.
• Have your apps audited every now and then.
• Uninstall the app in case you have a one-time task (such as bulk editing descriptions), which you no longer require.
• Native Shopify features should be used where feasible in place of apps.
• And always read app reviews, avoid those known to slow down sites.

14. Shocking Customers with Hidden Costs or Slow Shipping

Unexpectedly high shipping costs are one of the top reasons customers leave without purchasing. 

To avoid this:

• Clearly mention on product pages or in the cart what the rate is (some stores even have a shipping calculator or at least a note like “Shipping calculated at checkout” to set expectations). 
• Consider offering free shipping above a certain order value because it’s a proven way to increase average order value and reduce cart abandonment.
• Also, multiple shipping options (standard, expedited) can help some customers be willing to pay more for faster shipping, others will wait to save money.
• Related to hidden costs is the lack of clear tax/customs info if you ship internationally. 
• Consider your return policy under this umbrella of “post-purchase experience.” A very restrictive or unclear return policy can also deter sales.

15. Complicating the Checkout Process (and Limiting Payment Options)

Cart abandonment is a plague in ecommerce and a major cause is a long or confusing checkout. If you make a customer fill out too many forms, or force account creation, or have 5 different steps to confirm an order, you’re adding friction. 

27% of shoppers abandon their cart due to a complicated checkout process. 

Avoid these common Shopify store mistakes in checkout:

• Offer a guest checkout option. Forcing account creation before purchase is a top reason for cart drop-off.
• If you can auto-detect city/state from ZIP code or use address auto-complete, do it. Every additional field is an opportunity for the customer to reconsider.
• As mentioned, show how many steps are left (“Shipping -> Payment -> Review”) so users don’t feel it’s endless.
• Ensure the checkout page is mobile-friendly (large buttons for payment, numeric keypad for phone/ZIP fields, etc.).
• Next, enable additional payment methods like PayPal, and even digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) for one-tap checkout on mobilescalify.com. If you sell globally, consider options like Klarna, Afterpay, or local payment methods where relevant.
• Remember also to display trust signals on the checkout page – security badges, SSL lock icon, or simply a note “All transactions are secure and encrypted” can reassure users at this critical stage.

16. Not Recovering Abandoned Carts

Leaving carts unattended is one of the largest opportunities that have been missed. Most of the owners of Shopify stores fail to realize that an abandoned cart is not the end of the road, but with a nudge at the right time, a good percentage of those sales can be reclaimed.

Shopify has a built-in abandoned checkout recovery email, utilize it!

Unless you are a technical person, you can use abandoned cart applications (such as those in Shopify or by third parties) that can do this automatically and even send browser push notifications or SMS messages.

Tip:

• Emails should be concise and to the point instead of bullying. Add some obvious call-to-action button to their cart.
• Include customer support information “Need help? Their doubts could be answered as well with the help of Reply to this email...
• The reminder email also contains a review of the product in some stores, which makes the customer trust even more.
• And should you provide free shipping or discount in the beginning then point out that Your 10% off code is still valid! to press home.
• Do not see an abandoned cart as a loss, but as an opportunity that came in the second time.

17. Customer Service (Poor Pre-Sale and Post-Sale)

Customer service represents the keystone to any successful business and in e-commerce it can be what sets you apart against larger competitors.

Common mistakes include:

• Respond to customer emails or messages in 24 hours.
• Wrong product ordered, delays, poor reception of the product. The manner of dealing with them can or can break your reputation.

Tip:

• In the case of one-person shows, some automation can be put in place to assist, such as having an auto-response to emails which informs the recipient of the show that the show received the message and would be in touch with them in X hours.
• Use Shopify customer service apps or use a shared inbox such as Gorgias or Zendesk when you are bigger.
• And always remember to be polite, be friendly even when the customer is unhappy.

18. Neglecting Email Marketing and List-Building

Email marketing is often cited as having one of the highest ROI in digital marketing, up to $42 back for every $1 spent. If you’re not capturing emails and engaging your subscribers, you’re leaving sales on the table. 

There are a few angles to email marketing for a Shopify store:

• Newsletter subscriptions: Have an apparent email registration signup box on your webpage.
• Post sales letters: Send a thank you letter, then possibly a follow up letter after the product has been received to get the customer to give feedback on the product or to recommend another similar product.
• Promotional campaigns: When you have a new product or when you are selling a holiday, your email list is gold. 

Tip:

• Begin small, a monthly newsletter is not bad at all.
• Email marketing services that will become integrated with Shopify are numerous (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Shopify Email, etc.).
• Application: Use segmentation: e.g. treat customers unlike non customer subscribers (give VIP customers special treatment).
• Insert merge tags in order to customize emails (e.g. Hi [Name], we would like to tell you about those new people in [Category they bought]…).
• And do not leave out a call to action in the email (such as Shop New Arrivals or Redeem Your Discount).
• Check open and click rates to see what works on your audience and make changes in order to know the reaction of your audience.

19. Neglecting Customer Retention & Loyalty Strategies

Return shoppers spend roughly 3 times more than first-time buyers on average. If you neglect strategies to bring customers back, you’re missing out on that increased lifetime value.

So what mistakes fall under this? 

• Not having any loyalty or rewards program
• Not engaging customers beyond the purchase
• Not considering customer feedback loops
• Not introducing referral programs
• Not focusing on social media engagement

Tip: 

• Find your 20 percent best customers (they can be repeat customers according to Shopify reports).
• Do something special to them, say, a little surprise present in their package or first-mover-benefit on new products.
• It is necessary to remember that loyalty is never about the amount of points or the amount of discounts, it is about how the customer feels.

20. Lack of Test and Continuous Improve (Launch-and- Leave)

Continuous Improvement checklist: Scout your website long after you have opened it:

• Regular Update: It is important to update the product listing, banners, and copy of your store to make it current.
• Keep Themes and Apps Updated: You will be better secured and your performance will be improved when you use the latest version.
• Backup Data: Save product descriptions, pictures and theme files at some scheduled frequency to prevent them being lost accidentally.
• Test A/B Tests: Try out various layouts, images, or emails to learn what works to convert the best.
• Test Website’s Speed: Test your website speed and error logs with Google PageSpeed or Shopify analytics.
• Reduce Load Time: Kill dead processes or big files and even half a second will increase conversions.
• Stay Abreast of Trends: Keep Up with Shopify news, blogs about eCommerce and eCommerce podcasts about new growth strategies.
• Periodically Review the Schedule: Conduct Audits on stock, delete obsolete materials and monitor conversion data.

Conclusion

The process of starting a successful Shopify store is not the end. By evading these pitfalls of bad planning and design into carelessness about marketing and customer care - you place your store in the right direction at the very beginning. It is important to keep in mind that even experienced shop owners make mistakes; it is only necessary to learn and change. Any step that is avoided is saved or made: a faster mobile site will result in fewer people leaving the website, and a friendly policy regarding returns will translate to more customers clicking the Buy Now button with certainty.

Audit Your Shopify Store Today!

The vast majority of Shopify stores do not fail due to poor products but due to avoidable errors, such as slowness, poor branding, poor SEO, or confusing checkout processes. When you want a store that loads quickly, converts better and forms long term customer trust, ShopX can assist you. 

We audit your store end-to-end and deliver practical improvements that boost sales. Our team makes your Shopify experience easy, effective, and orchestrated whether you are opening a new store or enhancing an already existing one.

Get your free Shopify store audit with ShopX!