Troubleshooting Add to Cart But No Sales on Shopify

If you’re seeing an add to cart but no sales on Shopify store, you’re not alone. Many Shopify owners face this issue, and it can be frustrating. The reasons behind it can range from a complex checkout process to unexpected delivery costs. In this article, we’ll break down the most common causes and how to fix them to boost your sales.

Why Does Your Shopify Store Have Add to Cart Actions but No Sales?

1. Complex checkout processes

Complexity in a checkout process is akin to placing barriers in your customers’ paths just before they complete the race. It can be quite annoying and cause “add to cart but no sales on Shopify” issues way before you can even utter the words “Buy Now.”

Just imagine – your customer is already willing to buy your product, but then the flood of forms, fields, and steps hits them. This is enough to cause anyone to throw the towel and start looking for a different store.

How to fix it:

• Streamline as your business depends on it (because it does): Cut down those checkout steps to the bare minimum. Aim for a one-page checkout if possible. If not, make sure each step is clear and necessary.
• Progress indicators are your friend: Make your customers see the process and how many steps are left.
• Autofill is magic: Use browser autofill capabilities for address and payment info. It’s like giving your customers a personal assistant.
• Guest checkout option is a must: Not everyone wants to commit to a lifelong relationship with your brand before buying a single item. Let them check out as guests.
• Mobile optimization isn’t optional: Make sure your checkout process works smoothly on mobile devices. Test it yourself – if you find it annoying, your customers definitely will.

2. Unexpected delivery costs

Extra charges at the last point of an order can close the customer’s wallet. This cannot be taken lightly; it is one reason why “add to cart but no sales on Shopify” happens so frequently.

Customers feel cheated when they decide to purchase a product at the perceived price only to find that the final price includes extraneous costs of which they were not made aware.

How to fix it:

• Transparency is key: Display shipping costs clearly on the product page or in the cart before checkout begins. No surprises, no disappointments.
• Offer free shipping thresholds: Set a minimum order value for delivery free. This is mutually beneficial – customers are encouraged to purchase more of your products while you use the gains from the influx in sales to finance the shipping costs.
• Flat rate shipping: It is advisable to charge a flat rate for all orders to avoid complications.
• Shipping Calculator: Implement a shipping cost calculator early in the process. Let customers enter their zip code and see the exact cost before they even start checkout.
• Absorb the cost: If possible, build shipping costs into your product prices. “Free shipping on all orders” can be a powerful marketing tool.

3. Unattractive promotions

While customers may add items to their cart, they might hesitate to complete the purchase if your promotional offerings aren’t compelling enough. In the competitive e-commerce landscape, standard discounts alone may not suffice. Shopify merchants have numerous tools to create enticing promotions that can turn browsing into buying.

How to fix it:

• Get creative with your offers: Do not make use of the traditional percentage discounts type of offers. Mix it up!
  • Free shipping: “Free overnight shipping on orders over $100”.
  • Bundle deals: To be more convincing, “buy one shirt, other pants are half off” prompts the buying of more than one item.
  • Time-limited offers: This is particularly the case with a phrase such as “30% off for the next 4 hours.”
  • Free gifts: Of course, promos like “Spend $50, get a mystery gift of $20” bring in the thrill of the game factor.
  • Tiered discounts: The three options which range from “10% off the next $50 spent, 15% off the next $100 spent, 20% off the next $150 spent” is persuasive in making customers patronize a store more.
• Create a loyalty program: Give loyalty points to customers, unique coupon codes or get early access to newly launched products.
• Leverage social media: Hold special flash sales and other promotions only for followers.
• Seasonal and event-based promotions: Try to associate your offers with festivities, weather, or any current issues that will make it interesting for the customers to approach you.

When it comes to the enhancements of the attractive parameters of your promotions, thus, there is BOGOS, Shopify app that can turn things bright. This app lets you create all sorts of exciting offers like buy-one-get-one (BOGO), free gifts with purchase, volume discounts, product bundles, and quantity break. It’s super flexible, allowing you to set up multiple offers with custom rules and even use a gift slider to display options to customers.

Excellent for Shopify store owners is how easy it makes running complex promotions. You can boost your Shopify conversion rate without being a tech wizard. Besides, subscribers can analyze how the different offers are faring using the page in real-time.

BOGOS is pretty reasonable price-wise. Plans start at $29 per month, and there is a free trial if the user wants to try the service. We also provide annual subscriptions, which are slightly cheaper than monthly subscriptions.

One of the coolest features is the sub-condition options. These let you get really specific with your promotions. For example, you can set up offers that only work for:

• Customers who click a special link
• People who meet certain order history requirements
• Customers with specific tags
• Shoppers from certain countries
• Folks buying subscription products
• Customers using your mobile app

All these features are super amazing. Let’s check this app now and see your sales soar!

4. Lack of social proof

In the vast sea of online shopping, social proof is like a life raft for uncertain customers. Without it, potential buyers are in the dark, guessing whether the products you offer are excellent or whether your store is reliable. 

In a world where people read review sites to find where to eat lunch, if your e-commerce site lacks social proof, there would be a red flag waving in the wind.

How to fix it:

• Reviews, reviews, reviews: At this level, it is recommended that you set an effective review system on the product pages that you sell. Designed a way to encourage customers to leave feedback and attend to it, whether positive or negative.
• User-generated content is gold: You should inspire your customers to post pictures or videos of themselves using your products. Perhaps you can come up with a branded hashtag and showcase some of the best posts on your site.
• Influencer partnerships: Engage influencers of your type with your niche. Its endorsement may bring powerful social proof of the products they use or support.
• Trust badges: Ensure that the security badges, industry certifications, and related awards are visible on your website.
• Customer testimonials: Add stories along with a description of how the products or services benefited clients, including the customers’ names and pictures where necessary.
• Case studies: Where the buyer is more skeptical, or it is a B2B or a high-risk purchase, case studies can offer all the social proof needed.
• Sales counters: Show how many times a product has been purchased. It’s a subtle but effective form of social proof.

5. Weak brand presence 

A weak brand presence is another major reason why add to cart but no sales Shopify occurs frequently. In the sea of e-commerce, every insignificant fish without visible specific features is a shipwreck, and this statement is quite accurate when it comes to having a weak brand. Consumers always feel some discomfort in their purchase decisions, especially if the brand is unfamiliar to them.

The problem is, if your brand is not easily recognizable and easily recognizable, potential customers might not say, “Wow, I need this,” but instead are likely to say, “Who are these guys?” This will reduce the conversion rate; people will always prefer a familiar brand, even if it means paying a little extra.

How to fix it:

• Develop a unique brand voice: Ensure that there is unity of voice in all your communications. This means that the communications should have a familiar, distinguishable style/tone. Whatever it might be, quirky, professional, friendly, or anything else in between, it has to suit your target audience.
• Tell your brand story: Tell customers about your company’s background, beliefs, and objectives. The audience does not hook into a product; they hook into stories.
• Create valuable content: Create a blog, podcast, or YouTube account that provides informative content in your niche or specialty. Become a source of information within your field.

Read more: Shopify Conversion Rate Optimization: 30 Proven Strategies to Improve Conversion Rate

6. Requiring customers to create an account

Forcing customers to create an account before they can complete a purchase is like asking someone to sign a lease before they’ve even toured the apartment. It’s a commitment many aren’t ready to make, especially for a first purchase. 

This extra step can feel invasive, time-consuming, and unnecessary, leading to cart abandonment. Remember, at this point, the customer just wants to buy your product, not join your club.

How to fix it:

• Offer guest checkout: Always provide an option to check out as a guest. Make it clear and easy to find.
• Simplify account creation: If a customer does choose to create an account, make it as painless as possible. Use social login options or just ask for essential information.
• Post-purchase account creation: After a guest completes their purchase, offer the option to create an account with a single click, using the information they’ve already provided.
• Progressive profiling: Instead of asking for all information upfront, gather additional details over time as the customer engages with your brand.
• Make it optional: If you must have an account creation step, make it clear that it’s optional and explain why it’s beneficial.

Read more: How to Create a Shopify Abandoned Cart Discount? A step-by-step guide

7. No clear return or refund policy

A vague or hidden return policy creates uncertainty and anxiety, especially for first-time customers. When customers are unable to find or comprehend the return policy, they may be forced to conclude that returns are difficult or even impossible. This perceived risk can become another powerful reason why consumers will not make a purchase.

How to fix it: 

• Keep it simple: Avoid jargon and unnecessary rhetoric. Adopt simplicity in language. Do not use legal language that might mislead clients, as it is not always easy to understand.
• Be generous: If possible, try to have an extensive return policy. Most thriving e-business organizations have forward 30, 60, or even 90-day return policies.
• Highlight free returns: One way or another, if you intend to offer free returns, customers must be aware of that. That is the major plus of it.
• Create an FAQ: Prepare and publish a Q&A on your website to ensure your customers have enough information about your return policy.
• Automate where possible: Implement a system where customers can initiate returns online without having to contact customer service.

8. Targeting the wrong customers

Selling to the wrong customers is like selling ice to Eskimos. It does not matter how good your product is or how efficient your checkout process is if you are not getting it to the right people. 

If not well managed, this misalignment can cause high bounce rates, low conversion, and ineffective marketing costs. It is not about traffic generation but about the right traffic that asymptotes to the website.

How to fix it: 

• Define your ideal customer: Identification of clear buyer personas is based on the demographic, psychographic, and behavioral data.
• Analyze your current customers: Just focus on who is actually purchasing your product or availing of your service. It could be people other than the ones you are targeting as your customers.
• Use the right channels: Find out where your target clientele is most active online and target their specific channels.
• A/B test everything: Always split-test various variables in your marketing approach to determine what works best with your intended audience.
• Listen to feedback: Take note of your customers’ comments, feedback, reviews, and tickets they open to seek help. These can reveal crucial information about who your products are particularly suited to.

Read more: How to Get Sales on Shopify Without Ads? 13 Best Tips

9. Insufficient website traffic

A lack of website traffic means there is no traffic to be tapped; this is like establishing a shop in the middle of nowhere. It also doesn’t matter how spectacular your item is, or how streamlined your shopping cart is, if no one is coming to your site, you won’t make any sales. 

Few visitors to your website translate to few persons to convert to a customer, and it may also hurt the credibility of the site and its ranking with search engines.

How to fix it:

• SEO optimization: Make sure your site is entirely searchable or fully search engine friendly. This includes on-page SEO, technical SEO, and writing good content with relevant keywords.
• Content marketing: Content strategy should be one of the central guidelines. Articles, videos, infographics, and any type of post can draw the attention of potential customers.
• Social media marketing: Use social media to become integral to the places your target audience responds to. Build valuable content sharing, interaction with the audience, and paid social advertisement.
• Paid advertising: For targeted traffic, opt for paid advertising or pay-per-click campaigns such as Google Ads or social media ads.
• Referral programs: These help motivate existing customers to introduce other people to your products through rewards.

Read more: High Traffic No Sales on Shopify? Common Mistakes and How to Fix It

Conclusion

I hope you find this post helpful in fixing the issue of add to cart but no sales on Shopify. By addressing common causes like complex checkouts, unexpected costs, and weak branding, you can boost your sales and improve customer experience. Stay consistent, and your efforts will pay off!

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