How to Increase Sales on Shopify (30+ Proven Tips)

a) Conduct market research to identify your ideal customers

Before you can effectively sell to your customers, you must know who they are. Conduct thorough market research to gain insights into the demographics, interests, and buying behavior of your target audience. 

Tools like Google Analytics and Shopify's own analytics can provide valuable data to help you understand your customers better. 

Another source of customer research is your established competitors - study their social media channels, sign-up for their emails and observe what they’re doing.

You want to understand things things like:

• What platforms do your customers use? (e.g. Instagram vs TikTok)
• What do they value? (e.g. environmentalism, convenience )
• How much disposable income do they have? (e.g. luxury good vs affordable options)
• What are their pain points? (e.g. crying babes, not enough time)
• What language do they use? (e.g. formal vs casual)

Learning these things about your target audience will help you develop effective marketing strategies and tailor your products and brand to meet their needs. 

b) Analyze customer behavior and preferences

Once you have identified your customer segments, it's time to analyze it to uncover patterns and preferences, so you can effectively increase sales on Shopify.

Look for common trends in their purchase behavior, preferred products, and the factors that drive them to make a purchase. This information will help you deliver the right marketing messages and product offerings that’ll resonate with your audience.

For example, e-commerce giant Amazon is a master of analyzing its customers (you know this if you’ve ever been slightly creeped out by how accurately they recommend products.

Amazon collects and analyzes vast amounts of data on customer browsing and purchase history. Using this data, they create personalized product recommendations for each customer. This personalized approach increases the likelihood of you finding products you're interested in, and boost the chances that you’ll convert.

c) Create buyer personas for effective targeting

With the data and analysis in hand, create buyer personas representing your ideal customers. These personas should encompass their demographics, motivations, pain points, and goals. Having well-defined buyer personas will guide your marketing efforts and product development, making it easier to address the specific needs of your target audience.

Hubspot has a free tool to help you build a working buyer persona. If you haven’t already, hop over there and quickly mock-up a picture of your ideal customer that you can use to tailor your marketing efforts.

a) Choose an attractive and responsive theme

When selecting a theme for your Shopify store, opt for one that reflects your brand identity and aligns with the products you offer. 

A visually appealing and well-designed theme can leave a lasting impression on visitors, create a seamless shopping experience, and help you increase Shopify sales.

Additionally, ensure that the theme is responsive, meaning it adapts and functions flawlessly across various devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

b) Optimize your website navigation

We know that intuitive website navigation can positively increase sales on Shopify by 18.5%. 

So, simplify your website's navigation to help visitors find products and information effortlessly. Create clear and intuitive menu options that categorize your products logically - ideally a user should never be more than three clicks away from initiating checkout.

Athleisure brand Gymshark is the perfect example. Despite having thousands of products, they keep it simple with just three main categories: men, women, and accessories. From there, you can easily narrow down your search with sub-categories.

Another important element to copy here is the search bar - to enable users to search for specific items quickly. 

On top of that, put effort into your eCommerce merchandising - organize your product pages in a visually appealing and user-friendly layout, allowing customers to access essential details and images with ease.

c) Focus on high-quality product images and descriptions

Visual content plays a critical role in e-commerce sales. In fact, according to Adobe, 75% of online shoppers look at product pictures before anything else..

So, use high-quality product images that showcase your items from various angles and provide a zoom-in feature to give customers a closer look. 

For example, Swedish bag retailer Sandquist has beautiful product images on each page. They blend lifestyle and pure product photography with the ability to get up close and personal and study the bag in detail.

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Alongside images, they also craft compelling product descriptions that highlight the features, benefits, and unique selling points of each item. 

Persuasive descriptions like these can make a significant difference in converting potential customers into buyers and increasing your sales on Shopify.

a) Use one-click upsells

One-click upsells (OCUs) are strategically timed offers displayed to customers immediately after they've completed their initial purchase. 

These upsells capitalize on the moment when the customer's purchase intent is at its peak, making them more likely to consider additional offers.

OCUs present a seamless purchasing experience as customers don't need to re-enter their payment details; instead, they can accept the upsell with just one click. 

This reduces friction and increases the chances of customers accepting the upsell offer. Additionally, one-click upsells can be personalized based on the contents of the customer's order, making the offer highly relevant to their interests.

Some ReConvert users have reported impressive results using one-click upsells, with some converting up to 15% of customers into an additional sale..

b) Add offers on your thank you page

Your thank you page, often overlooked, presents another valuable opportunity to increase sales on Shopify. 

After completing their purchase, customers are in a peak buying mode, making the thank you page an ideal place to present additional product suggestions and offers like this:

Data from ReConvert shows that customers view the thank you page an average of 2.2 times per order. 

So, by strategically placing upsell offers on the thank you page, you can tap into high-intent impressions and potentially secure a second purchase from a significant percentage of your customers.

A real-life example comes from B2C bidet retailer Tushy, which utilized ReConvert to add simple cross-sell offers to their thank you page. By offering complimentary lower-ticket products and accessories to customers who purchased a bidet, Tushy increased their monthly revenue by almost 200K overnight while creating a smoother buyer experience.

The beauty of post-purchase upselling is its automation. As you continue to drive traffic and sales to your Shopify store, the post-purchase funnel works in the background, amplifying your front-end efforts - making it one of the best (and easiest) easy to increase your sales on Shopify.

📚Suggested reading: How Tushy used thank you page cross-sells to generate an extra $191,786/mo.

a) Showcase customer testimonials and reviews

Collect and display genuine customer testimonials and reviews on your Shopify store. Testimonials provide social proof and validate the quality of your products or services. Consider featuring testimonials alongside product images or in a dedicated testimonial section to maximize their impact.

Pet food retailer, The Farmer’s Dog, liberally uses testimonials and media mentions to amp up trust on its store. These potent reviews (complete with photos) give shoppers confidence that other dog owners loved the product.

b) Implement product reviews

Add a rating system to your product pages, allowing customers to leave ratings and reviews directly on the product they purchased. Positive ratings act as a powerful indicator of product quality, while negative feedback provides valuable insights for improvement.

Sustainable fashion brand Everlane uses product reviews on all its pages. They’ve automated review collection too, so when you buy a product, you’ll get an email asking you to review it to unlock 5% off your next purchase - a clever way to streamline your review collection process.

c) Encourage user-generated content and social sharing

Encourage customers to share their experiences with your products on social media. User-generated content, such as photos and videos featuring your products, creates a sense of authenticity and engagement. Implement social sharing buttons on your thank you page so shoppers can flaunt their new purchases.

For example, fashion retailer Uniqlo collects user generated content from social media and presents it on their product pages.

Importantly, they also include the customer's height and the size they ordered. This allows shoppers to see how the product looks across a range of body types, so they can confidently choose the best fit for themselves.

You can use ReConvert's social sharing widget on your thank you page to allow shoppers to immediately share their purchase to social - picking you up free social proof and impressions from their friends and followers.

a) Conduct keyword research for Shopify

Perform in-depth keyword research to identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers use when searching for products similar to yours. 

Utilize keyword research tools like Ahrefs to find high-traffic and low-competition keywords that align with your products.

For example, let’s suppose I’m selling cookware like Made-In. I’d start with a list of seed keywords related to my products (e.g. stainless steel pan). I’d then appraise these keywords for competition and search volume.

I’d then pick the keywords with the highest volume and the lowest competition. Next, I’d implement these keywords on the relevant product page

b) Optimize product pages with relevant keywords

Once you’ve chosen your keywords, incorporate them strategically into your product titles, descriptions, and meta tags. 

Ensure that the keywords flow naturally within the content while accurately describing the product's features and benefits.

For example, Made-In is ranking this page second on Google for the term ‘carbon steel griddle’ which drives over 1,000 high intent visitors per month to their product page.

c) Create valuable content for blog posts and guides

Beyond optimizing pages for SEO, you can also start a blog on your Shopify store and create informative and valuable content that addresses your customers' pain points and interests - just like MadeIn does:

Use your blog to provide helpful tips, guides, and industry insights, incorporating relevant keywords naturally. Valuable content can attract organic traffic and position your brand as an authority in your niche.

For example, MadeIn’s cookery blog attracts over 127k visits per month. While these visits aren’t as high-intent as product focused searches, it still introduces people to the brand - and they have a pop-up to snag emails too, so they can remarket to some of these visitors for free, or hit them with paid retargeting ads to acquire customers at a lower cost.

📚Suggested reading: 8 of the Best Shopify Blog Examples [Copy Their Strategy]

a) Create special offers and limited-time deals

Create special offers, such as discounts, buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) deals, or free shipping for a limited time. Display these promotions prominently on your website to catch visitors' attention and create a sense of scarcity & urgency.

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One powerful tactic to increase sales on Shopify is to use ReConvert’s OCU feature to offer customers a ‘Buy another, get it for 15% off’ offer as you can see above. Other examples include promoting flash sales to your email list, offering a free gift with every purchase for a limited time, or creating mystery offers for a segment of your best customers.

b) Create urgency with countdown timers and scarcity tactics

Incorporate countdown timers on product pages to remind customers of limited-time offers. Additionally, use scarcity tactics by highlighting low stock quantities or limited availability to encourage customers to make a purchase before the opportunity expires.

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Another clever way to increase scarcity is to use countdown timers for order cut-offs like budget clothing retailer Misguided does. This gives shoppers another reason to buy now, instead of delaying their purchase - and potentially forgetting about it altogether.

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It's important to remember to only use scarcity and urgency tactfully from time to time to increase your sales. Using scarcity too liberally can cause customers to lose trust in your brand - for example, if you're always running a flash sale and cranking urgency up to the max, sooner or later, your customers will understand that it's not genuine.

c) Create a customer loyalty program for repeat business

Another great way to increase sales on Shopify is to reward repeat customers with a loyalty program. Offer points or discounts for each purchase, and allow customers to redeem their rewards on future purchases. A well-designed loyalty program can increase customer retention and foster brand loyalty.

For example, outdoor clothing brand, The North Face, has an excellent loyalty programme that gives members several unique benefits. Key to note here, is that it’s not just discounts - members get emotional perks too - like access to events and the chance to test new products before anyone else.

a) Streamline your checkout page design

Optimize your checkout page to be clean, straightforward, and free from distractions. Include only essential fields for order completion to minimize customer effort.

One of the best tips to instantly get more conversions from your Shopify checkout is to remove the ‘return to cart’ button.

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"We've run A/B tests hiding the 'Return to cart' link in checkout." Says Yusuf Shurbaji from CRO agency Prismfly. "We've seen this change increase order volume by up to 10% with over 95% statistical significance" he adds.

Yup, you read that right. An increase in order volume by 10% from an upgrade that won't take you more than a couple of minutes to implement.

🚀Pro Tip: Increasly have put together a simple step-by-step guide to help you remove the 'return to cart' link from your checkout page.

b) Enable guest checkout for more conversions

Yusuf Shurbaji, co-founder of Shopify Plus Agency Prismfly says, the wisest approach is to make accounts optional before checkout and then strategically offer account creation post-purchase.

"Historically, accounts were needed to perform functions where data is saved and accessed from between sessions or devices. But in a modern eCommerce technology stack, having an email input alone or leveraging first-party cookies is sufficient enough to complete tasks such as returns, changing a subscription, or viewing a wish list.”

“Don't gate your checkout behind an account because it's a frustrating barrier. Instead, promote account creation when it is most valuable i.e. after purchase where creating an account is a means of saving and re-accessing valuable information later."

Athleisure brand Gymshark understands this - when you checkout as a guest on their site, you're prompted to create an account on the order confirmation page.

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This way, prospective customers aren’t discouraged by having to create an account before completing the order. Meaning you’ll capture more sales, and more accounts too!

c) Add checkout upsells

Your Checkout is also a chance to earn more revenue, too. If you’re on Shopify Plus, you can use ReConvert to add upsells to your checkout to help you increase your sales on Shopify.

We’ve merchants making more from their checkout by cross-selling  shipping insurance’ and other non-physical add-ons.

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For example, nutrition company Soylent uses checkout upsells to boost their average order value. If you’ve been tempted to buy gum or other add-ons while waiting in line at the supermarket, then you already know how powerful this upsell can be.

🚀Pro Tip: Consider adding AfterPay to Shopify to offer customer a 'buy now, pay later' payment option to further boost conversions through your chekout.

a) Build an email list and segment subscribers

Encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter by offering incentives such as exclusive discounts or valuable content. For example, temporary tattoo brand Tattly offers visitors 20% off their next order when they subscribe to their email newsletter.

This is a great way to build your list while also giving an incentive for customers, particularly first-time visitors, to purchase - especially if you add an expiration date to the discount code.

Once you start building a list, it’s time to segment it. Segmenting your email list based on customer behavior and preferences allows you to send targeted and personalized campaigns and get very high conversion rates.

You can use data gathered from shoppers to segment the list, or request information upon sign-up. For example, if you run a Shopify t-shirt store, you might ask ‘Are you interested in men’s tees or women’s tees’ so you can better refine your marketing messages.

b) Send personalized product recommendations

Following on, use customer data to send personalized product recommendations based on their browsing and purchase history. Personalized recommendations can entice customers to return to your store and make additional purchases.

For example, sports giant Adidas sends product recommendation emails like this a few days after a customer completes a purchase. The products are personalized based on what the customer bought - delivered in a nice ‘complete the look’ email that you can bet helps them pick more sales.

c) Recapture more abandoned carts with a three-part sequence

Most visitors who add a product to cart to your Shopify store, won’t convert. In fact, if you've got a Shopify conversion rate above 1.3%, then you’re doing better than average.

That said, it is possible to recapture a sizable portion of those interested shoppers with a well-designed abandoned cart sequence. 

Use your abandoned cart emails to remind shoppers of the items left behind and include an incentive, such as a discount or free shipping, to encourage them to complete their purchase.

For example, bedding retailer Brooklinen, uses three emails spaced 2-3 days apart to tempt shoppers back to their cart:

• The first, simply remind the shopper what they left
• The second, includes a discount code with a time limit
• The third reminds them their discount is about to expire (pictured above)

This simple 3-step abandoned cart sequence likely performs well - almost certainly better than a single abandoned cart campaign. So if you’re only sending one email at present, take a leaf out of brooklinen's book.

a) Team up with influencers

Influencer marketing involves working with social media personalities and accounts to tap into their established following. If you’re starting out, micro-influencers are the way to go. Micro-influencers typically have between 10-20k followers, are more affordable and get a higher engagement rate compared to larger accounts.

Another good thing about working with influencers is that you can repurpose the content as creative in your paid social media campaigns. This cuts down on ad production costs, and also lends greater legitimacy to your brand.

b) Run targeted ad campaigns

Paid ads on social media can help you reach a broader audience and promote your products directly to the people who want them.

You can run targeted ad campaigns based on demographics, interests, and behaviors to attract potential customers who are likely to be interested in your offerings.

The beauty of paid social ads is the speed at which you can acquire customers. Once you find a creative audience that drives profitable sales, you can scale it to the moon.

The downside is that you can also burn a lot of money testing until you start seeing a return from your paid efforts.

If you’re new to paid advertising, we’d recommend starting with a relatively small budget that you can afford to lose. Most of the major platforms such as Facebook & TikTok have educational material available to get you set-up running your first ad.

🚀Pro Tip: Use the FB ad library to discover what ads your competitors are running. Take inspiration from their campaigns to inform your own strategy.

c) Engage with followers and build a community

When it comes to social media marketing, many brands forget to be, well, social.

Remember to interact with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Don’t always be hard selling your products - most of the time you should be creating content that helps your audience achieve their goals.

For example, guitar brand Fender, uses it’s Instagram to share interviews, memes, and educational content. Fender has amassed 3.7M guitar fans who they engage back with them too in the comment section.

Building a sense of community around your brand like this fosters loyalty and encourages customers to advocate for your products.

a) Use Shopify analytics to track sales performance

Leverage Shopify's built-in analytics tools to monitor your store's performance. Track key metrics such as sales conversion rate, average order value, and customer retention to gain valuable insights.

Identify the sources of traffic that drive the most sales to your store and double down on these. Then analyze the customer journey and conversion paths to identify potential bottlenecks or areas for improvement. Start with the areas where you find the biggest drop off in conversions

c) Use A/B testing to optimize your results

As Jacob Elbaum, CEO of CRO Agency Shivook says: “...the key to running a successful CRO campaign is to understand the value of A/B testing as a learning tool.”

“You must perform research to identify what you believe are conversion levers (site changes you believe will affect conversions) and then use A/B testing to test those levers.” He continues.

“When you win a test, you’ll then be able to confirm that the researched conversion lever is actually valid and worth digging into deeper” Adds Jacob

To run an A/B test on Shopify, you can use apps like Optimizely, Google Optimize, or VWO. These apps allow you to create different variations of your store's pages and test them against each other to see which one converts the best.

a) Offer multiple support channels

Provide various support channels such as email, live chat, and phone to accommodate different customer preferences. Respond to inquiries promptly and professionally.

For example, bidet retailer Tushy has a pop-up live chat widget. Customers can use this to get answers to their questions, find the right products or manage their returns:

b) Create a hassle-free return policy

A study from UPS revealed that 73% of shoppers say the returns experience influences how likely they are to buy again.

So, create a clear and customer-friendly return policy to instill confidence in potential buyers. An easy and hassle-free return process can alleviate concerns and encourage customers to make a purchase.

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Create an eCommerce return policy that’s fair for both you and your customers. Study your returns data and offer customers a reasonable return policy that is on par with your competitors.

📚Suggested Reading: eCommerce Returns 101: A Comprehensive Guide for Retailers 

c) Send post-purchase follow-up emails

Follow up with customers after their purchase to express appreciation, gather feedback or celebrate a milestone. For example, EQVVS sends birthday emails with a £10 gift card like this one:

This type of simple email automation is great for both boosting brand loyalty and driving extra sales from your existing customers.

You can use ReConvert to collect customer birthdays on your thank you page and integrate it with your email marketing software to delight your customers on their special day.