Getting Traffic But No Sales? 21 Reasons Why (+ How To Solve)

On the other hand, when they used keywords like ‘designer sunglasses’, and even mentioned brand names like ‘Adidas sunglasses’, and ‘Alexander McQueen sunglasses’, they received better quality traffic that converted into sales.

You can run paid ad campaigns with targeted filters to drive the right traffic if you have low sales on your eCommerce store

Also, post on social media and run ads according to age, gender, income, location, interests etc.

2. Your ads and the landing page copy are disconnected

One of our clients was getting clicks but no conversions.

On analysis, we realized there was a big disconnect between the ads and where potential customers would land.

Their ad team would create engaging ads with different themes and copy, expecting to fix the low eCommerce sales problem.

For example, the ad promised ‘50% off on products’.

However, it didn’t reflect on their homepage or relevant product pages where the copy said ‘Up to 50% off’.

This meant that the products could have discounts leading ‘up to’ 50% and not just a flat 50% off.

To test our theory, we created a landing page that reflected the same messaging from the ads.

The results? More sales in less than a week.

If a potential shopper sees differing styles in copies, visuals, or messaging, it immediately makes them more cautious.

They might suspect the trustworthiness of the brand and bounce off.

For instance, you are running a discount ad campaign only on select home decor products.

But when clicked, it takes them to the product listing page that has the home decor products, including the ones which are not discounted.

This just makes shoppers frustrated and hunt for discounted products, increasing the number of steps to checkout.

If you've been wondering why your website isn't generating leads, you too might be repeating the above mistake.

Here's what you can do: compile the eligible products under the same category and showcase only those on the landing page.

Pro Tip: Keep the focus on the products to improve conversions on the landing page. This means, removing the sticky header and limiting the number of scrolls.

3. Your traffic finds it hard to discover products

If you are getting traffic but no sales, then focus on shopping behaviour.

When new shoppers come to your online store, they want to quickly get the lay of the land and find what they want.

Through our audits, we have seen stores feature hidden menus, cluttered footers, and unfamiliar icons.

As stores grow and expand their product list, the navigation menu grows as well.

Soon, you’ll add sub-categories, then sub-sub-categories, and even sub-sub-sub-categories.

All of this creates a difficult journey, and confuses shoppers, prompting them to leave the site.

A report shows that nearly one-third of online shoppers prefer to use site search to find what they are looking for.

convert website traffic to sales | High traffic low sales - search users

The usual advice in site search personalization? Enable auto-complete and typing errors.

But that’s not all you can do to speed up eCommerce sales.

Here's how to optimize your navigation for it:

a. Image results

Make it easier for shoppers to identify products through image results as a part of your search box autocomplete feature.

b. Product prompts

Nudge shoppers to type and discover products through prompts on the search box. See how Newair offers different prompts related to their product list.

c. Ignore stop words

For example, the search query is ‘blue shirts for women in winter’.

Here, the words for and in are not really valuable to the sentence.

Your search algorithm must completely ignore these words to speed up the process of displaying search results.

Once the actual keywords are filtered out from search queries, the algorithm can identify and fetch relevant products faster.

d. Take care of non-product-related searches

Searches not related to products might not be a lot, but you still don’t want to lose them.

Make your blogs, how-to guides, FAQ page results, policies, and other pages a part of your search results so that even non-product-related information is available easily to visitors via the search box.

We recommend you to read: 31 Creative (Yet Economical) Ways To Drive Traffic To Your eCommerce Store

4. Your store looks good only on mobile

Although mobile traffic for eCommerce continues to grow, most conversions still occur on desktops and tablets.

Though most shoppers browse on mobile, you might still be struggling to turn clicks into conversions.

So, why do shoppers prefer to buy via desktop?

Firstly, they can view the product images better on a bigger screen.

Secondly, it’s easier to navigate on a desktop than on mobile, where the icons might be smaller for different finger sizes.

Furthermore, nearly 2/3 of American shoppers don’t trust retailers with their payment and personal information, especially across mobile devices.

If you are getting clicks but no conversions on desktop, then it's important to use cookies to personalize the experience.

You can use cookies to get more conversions from the incoming traffic and solve low eCommerce sales.

Since you are already collecting cookies, here’s how to use them to enhance desktop shopping:

Recognize returning customers and have their data pre-filled when they enter checkout again.
Reflect recent searches on the site (what visitors searched on mobile can come up on desktop and vice versa)
Update carts (send a triggered notification through email if shoppers added something to the cart on mobile)
Reserve products or ‘save’ carts (a great way to capture email IDs to save carts for a brief time or to send saved carts via email for later checkouts)

For a cookie-less future, read: 7 Smarter Marketing Alternatives to Third-Party Cookies (for eCommerce)

5. You’re just copying what big brands do

While it’s great to look around for inspiration, many stores blindly copy a design just because another, bigger brand does it. But just because the big brand is successful, it might not solve your conversion rate problems. - Mike Hale, UX specialist, Convertcart

If you see lots of traffic but no sales, then it's time to evaluate your website design.

For instance, we worked with a brand that had implemented guest checkout on their website to ease shopping convenience.

However, this meant they had no way to communicate with the customer and encourage future sales or nurture them.

The solution to this low eCommerce sales challenge? Apply a social media login so shoppers could sign up and check out faster.

This way, the store was able to collect important information without asking shoppers to fill out forms.

The store could also nurture long-lasting relationships through emails and even retarget shoppers on social media to get eCommerce sales.

6. Your high traffic isn't sure about the exact cost

When a shopper lands on your store through an ad that promises 50% off on the products, they expect to purchase the product at a lesser rate.

However, during checkout, if there are any extra costs, then it just frustrates shoppers and nudges them to bounce off.

You need to offer a cost breakdown right on the cart page if you want to improve your eCommerce sales.

This way, when shoppers add to their cart, they can view how much it will cost them.

Furthermore, you can provide a wider choice of shipping rates, from inexpensive standard shipping to express shipping to help them make a decision.

7. You display too many pop-ups

According to a report, pop-ups are the most despised form of advertising today.

Even Google hates it and penalizes stores for applying intrusive pop-ups.

If you see lots of traffic but no sales, pop-ups might be hindering the UX.

Here are some alternative formats to the usual full-screen or middle-of-the-screen popups:

a. Slide-in popups

These move in from the side or the bottom and don’t obscure the main content.

b. Opt-in bars

Optional bars that float at the top or bottom of the page at all times rather than pop up.

These are great mechanisms for email popups, active contests, event signups, etc.

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c. Subtle notification-style popups

To keep things truly simple and unintrusive, Beardbrand did away with the usual full-page popup and opted for this subtle email notification sign at the corner.

Furthermore, you can segment pop-up copy by the webpage, customer history, and geological targeting to generate more eCommerce sales.

8. Your traffic sees many technical drawbacks

When a shopper lands on your website, there can be many things that attract their attention.

If you've been wondering why is my online store not selling, it may be time to fix technical issues.

It’s important to identify and address them because they can have a huge impact on your sales.

If you see high traffic but no sales, then here are some questions to consider:

Is your website loading slowly?
Do you have any broken links?
How are you redirecting them from an error or a page that doesn’t exist?
Do all of your payment gateways work on all browsers?
Does your website work properly on all devices?
Are visitors getting notifications/emails when they submit a form?

9. You don’t have compelling copy

Headlines, category pages, product descriptions, promo offers, landing pages — these are all places where copywriting can shine and help bring in more sales.

There’s a lot of advice on how to structure and write eCommerce copywriting.

However, there’s no guarantee that one approach is better than the others.

If you write website copy for everyone, then it's for no one. - Luke Perry, CRO expert, Convertcart

Brands try to differentiate themselves by writing creative copy to solve the low sales challenge.

If you see high traffic but no sales, then here are some tips to write copy that converts:

Get simpler versions of your store policies vetted by legal and tech teams
Keep category names between 2 and 26 characters and less than 50 characters so that it’s easy to skim
Write the product description in an inverted triangle, which ensures that every element helps build up momentum toward the CTA
Use sensory words rather than just overflowing descriptions with adjectives (Remember, more verbs, and fewer adjectives)
Consider lending your brand a unique voice through humor, puns etc.

10. Your visuals don’t look professional

A report shows that 22% of eCommerce returns were because the products looked different from the one that was on the store’s page.

Product images that aren’t picture-perfect create a subconscious trigger that they're relatable and can be trusted.

if your eCommerce sales is down, you have to see what your store visuals are doing to convince shoppers.

Also, rich media formats such as 3D images can persuade customers to buy and increase the conversion rate by 40%.

11. Your store doesn’t seem secure to hold customer information

When a shopper lands on your website, they already don’t fully trust the brand and/or product.

54% of consumers who bought products over the Internet have admitted that they’ve been victims of online fraud—and this can be the reason behind low sales on your eCommerce store.

Buyers respond well to several trust symbols on the checkout page, including logos of established payment methods (wallets, credit cards etc.) and visual signals of secure connection, security certificates etc.

12. You’re using reviews, but not correctly

While you might know reviews are important, you might not be displaying them properly and this may be causing low sales in eCommerce.

87% of buying decisions begin with online research. Here’s when user-generated content can help you convert more from incoming traffic.

Since user-generated content is not paid and hence has a higher level of trust associated with them.

Encourage customers to demonstrate their experience and let them upload images and videos of the same.

You can use positive reviews in your marketing strategy and even display them prominently on product pages to convince shoppers to make a purchase.

13. You offer a limited number of payment options

A report shows that 56% of shoppers believe a website should provide a variety of payment methods during checkout.

For instance, if a credit card offers them reward points or airline miles, they’d want to use it every time they make a purchase online.

If you're wondering why is my online store not selling, the answer might lie in you featuring a limited number of payment options.

Also, keep in mind, Visa and MasterCard are no longer the only options there.

Customers want to make a payment through PayPal, UPI, and Apple Pay because these offer convenience as well as rewards.

14. Shopper overwhelm is leading to low eCommerce sales

Most stores think more choices mean more conversions—but this couldn't be farther than the truth.

However, for shoppers, multiple product choices can create more confusion and frustration, leading to low eCommerce sales.

If you see high traffic but no sales, then here are some ways you can skip the decision-paralysis dilemma:

Hide some product stock and show more exact-match results
Add the most popular products to the side banners
Add prompts under the products in search results like “Selling Fast” or “Only 3 products left”
Add a ‘frequently brought together’ as recommendations
Create a detailed comparison chart that has a summary of a product’s features with user ratings

15. You have unclear CTAs

A well-designed call-to-action is a digital marketing tool that can turn a visitor into a buyer.

Here’s how you can make your CTA copy reverse an eCommerce sales down scenario:

‘Sign Me Up’ (a slightly more personal touch than an abrupt, ‘Sign Up.’)

‘Download your coupons today only!’ (The word ‘only’ adds an extra tinge of urgency)

‘Buy Now with 1 click!’ (The 1-click add-on emphasizes a frictionless purchase and transaction)

16. You have a weak exit intent

An effective exit-intent pop-up can save you as much as 15% of lost traffic.

A good exit-intent pop-up tells a story and keeps shoppers hooked enough to stay on.

If you see high traffic but no sales, then here are some tips on how to design an exit intent pop-up that converts:

Take less than 0.2 seconds to get that pop-up across. The sooner, the better.
Use a highlight color that is off your brand language but will actually pull people in.
Catch them by surprise. Use graphics that are unorthodox or wacky but still true to your brand.
Have a human element. Shoppers are generally more drawn into a design when they see another person on it.
Develop user personas and configure campaign settings to catch them at a time when they will be most receptive.

Here’s an example of an exit intent from Revolve that counters low eCommerce sales:

17. You don’t talk to shoppers in real-time

For some, shopping can be stressful.

If online brands sell a large variety of products, then potential customers can get easily frustrated while trying to find products or order the right product.

Also, during the pandemic, shoppers were suddenly cut off from real-life shopping.

The consequence of it created a high demand for personalized help from brands.

eCommerce brands can implement lead generation strategies through live chats with shopping assistants to help visitors shop better.

Shoppers are also less hesitant to give their email IDs and other details to a person rather than a bot.

See how Lululemon enabled virtual shopping where customers can book appointments by adding basic information including email ID:

18. You don’t have a friendly returns policy

A return experience determines if or not a customer is going to buy from you.

84% of customers will not buy from a retailer again after a bad return experience.

Your customers will not make a second purchase unless the return process is easy.

Set the return duration to 45 days.

62.58% of online shoppers expect eCommerce brands to allow returns up to 30 days.

In contrast, 45 days is wonderful and can be a great solution for low sales.

Moreover, a return policy should also be in the best interest of the eCommerce brands and not the customers alone.

By stating the return shipping fees to be paid by the customer and returning products bought from other retailers to their original seller, it is stopping eCommerce fraud returns in its tracks.

19. Your lead magnet is not compelling

Yes, you have created the perfect lead magnet.

Then you placed it on your homepage and product pages.

While you might capture email IDs through these web pages, you might not be using your store’s full potential.

If you see high traffic but no sales, here’s how to collect email addresses by offering something in return.

a. Get leads from blogs

Write helpful content and if visitors have scrolled at least halfway through the blog, then it’s safe to say they found the answer they are looking for. At this point, display an opt-in form for a newsletter.

b. Offer personalized recommendations

Create a quiz wherein shoppers can fill in their preferences. But before showing them the product recommendation, ask them to sign up and save their results.

c. Offer to save the cart

Create urgency by letting your customers know that the items left in their cart or wishlist will be cleared out after a couple of hours or days. This will motivate shoppers to immediately purchase the item or create an account (capturing email ID) so they can save it to their wish list.

d. Enable virtual shopping

Implement live chats with shopping assistants to help visitors shop better. Let customers book appointments by adding basic information including email ID.

20. You haven’t asked for website feedback

If you have lots of traffic but no sales, then you might have some elements that don’t work on your store.

Most shoppers browse many online stores.

A bad shopping experience will be more memorable than a good one.

A study showed that 75% of users admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on their website’s UX design.

See how Lulumelons asks for website feedback:

21. You’re not A/B testing the right features

Most eCommerce stores we work with A/B test features that really don’t contribute to sales.

For instance, a store was consistently testing which CTA button color worked for them.

However, this didn’t produce any significant results.

Instead, make a clear plan of how you can test features for different types of traffic.

Consider showing different landing pages to different sets of traffic.

If you’re getting high traffic from social media, then segment accordingly and show them different copies and visuals.

You can test and see how much this traffic converts into sales in contrast to organic traffic.

This way, make the most out of every type of traffic and improve conversions.

Do check this out: Convert Organic Traffic Into Customers: 16 Ideas for eCommerce Stores

Getting Traffic But No Sales? Convertcart Can Help

98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.

Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.

And this is the problem Convertcart solves.

We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.

Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.

ConvertCart

500+ brands across 35 countries, including Everlast, USA Hockey, American Heart Association use ConvertCart to boost traffic-to-sales conversion rate—without having to break the bank.