Running a Shopify store means more than just listing products and hoping for sales - it’s all about smart strategies, continual optimisation, and steering clear of sneaky mistakes that can quietly eat away at your revenue. 

Too many store owners unknowingly hold themselves back, missing out on sales and loyal customers. 

But don’t worry - we can fix that! 

In this guide, we’re breaking down five of the most common Shopify mistakes that might be slowing down your store, including…

1. Not building an emotional connection with customers
2. Ignoring mobile-first shopping trends
3. Treating customers like one-time buyers
4. Weak social media presence
5. Underestimating the importance of checkout optimisation

We’ll show you exactly why these mistakes hurt your bottom line, and most importantly, how to fix them with simple, actionable strategies. 

1 - Not building an emotional connection with customers

❌ Mistake: Treating your store like a vending machine instead of a brand. 

Many Shopify store owners put all their energy into product listings, ads, and discounts, but overlook one crucial factor: emotion. People buy from brands they actually connect with, not just those with the lowest prices. 

In a world where customers can find the same products at multiple other stores, why should they choose yours? If your brand lacks personality, storytelling, or a sense of community, you risk blending into the crowd - just another faceless shop that competes solely on price (and that’s not a game you want to play long-term).

Shoppers today crave more than just a transaction - they want to support brands that align with their values, whether that’s sustainability, craftsmanship, luxury, or exclusivity. If they don’t feel that connection with your store, they might buy once (if at all) and never come back. Worse, they’ll choose a competitor over you.

✅ Fix: Focus on strategies that will both engage and resonate with customers, drawing them to your brand as a whole.

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Develop a stong brand story

Ask yourself: Why does my store exist? What problem am I solving? What makes my brand unique? 

The most successful brands go beyond just selling products - they’re selling a vision, a lifestyle, or a cause that people want to be part of.

Footwear brand HOKA does more than just showcase the uniqueness and comfort of their product - they also tell a powerful brand story by highlighting their commitment to people and non-profits at every touchpoint of their business. They’re all about providing the best experience and making their products accessible to everyone.

Or take a skincare brand, for example - rather than just selling moisturisers, it’s selling self-care and confidence. And a sustainable clothing brand - it’s not just about the clothes, it’s about embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Did you know that 68% of consumers say a brand’s story influences their buying decisions?

That’s why your story should be everywhere, from your site’s About Page, to your product & collection descriptions, and across your social media presence. Customers should feel like they’re buying into a movement instead of just a product.

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Personalise the shopping experience

With so much competition out there, a generic, one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. Customers want to see that your store truly gets them and their unique needs. 

A huge 86% of shoppers say personalisation influences their buying decisions, and 45% are more likely to shop on a site that offers personalised recommendations. 

 Here’s how you can make their experience feel more personal:

• Quizzes & AI-driven recommendations. Help customers find the right products based on their preferences (e.g., “Find your perfect skincare routine” quiz)
• “You might like this” feature. Suggest relevant products based on browsing or purchase history. 
• Post-purchase follow-ups. As well as an order confirmation, send personalised emails thanking them, offering product tips, or suggesting complementary products.
  
  

Engage authentically with your audience all around

The last thing you want is for shoppers to feel like they’re interacting with a faceless business. They want to see the people, stories, and values behind the brand - whether it’s on your website, Shopify mobile app, customer service, marketing, and even packaging.

In fact, 88% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support. 

Share behind-the-scenes moments that showcase your journey, team, and the craftsmanship that goes into your products. You should also feature real customers using and loving your products to build authenticity and social proof. 

Go beyond just starting conversions - ask questions, respond genuinely to comments, and dive into meaningful discussions. Even your marketing and customer support should feel personal, not like a canned, robotic response. 

When every touchpoint is intentional and authentic, customers start to see your brand as something they can trust and connect with, not just another store.

2 - Ignoring mobile-first shopping trends 

❌ Mistake: Be careful not to assume customers will only shop from desktop and focus solely on how your website looks and performs there, since 79% of traffic to Shopify stores is actually coming from mobile.

If your store isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re making the buying process harder for your customers, which leads to frustrated shoppers and a lack of Shopify revenue growth.

Slow load times, clunky navigation, and messy pages will cause visitors to abandon their carts before checking out. And if your competitors have a smoother mobile experience, chances are, customers will go with them instead.

✅ Fix: Optimise your website for ALL devices, not just desktop, and place a key focus on mobile optimisation. 

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Ensure your Shopify store is fully mobile-optimised

The first step is to make sure your Shopify store is fully mobile-optimised. That means fast loading speeds, a clean and easy-to-navigate design, and product pages that display nicely on smaller screens. 

Use mobile-responsive themes, avoid unnecessary site elements, reduce the size of images, and simplify checkout so it takes as few steps as possible. 

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Launch a mobile app for your Shopify store

For an even better experience, consider launching a dedicated mobile app for your Shopify store. A shopify mobile app provides a smoother shopping journey, as well as offering features that a desktop site can’t quite match.

With an app, you can send push notifications to bring customers back, offer exclusive discounts and deals, and create a frictionless buying experience with faster checkout options. 

A mobile app also helps build brand loyalty by making it super easy for customers to engage with your store anytime, anywhere. If you're serious about seeing more Shopify revenue growth and retaining customers, prioritising mobile is a must.

Plus, studies show that shoppers browse 286% more products when using an app and add items to their cart 85% more often. Pretty impressive, right?

3 - Treating customers like one-time buyers

❌ Mistake: Focusing only on acquiring new customers but not optimising for repeat purchases.

Getting new customers is exciting, but if your Shopify store is stuck in an endless cycle of chasing new buyers without retaining them, you’re leaving serious revenue on the table.

It costs 5x more to acquire a new customer than to sell to an existing one, yet so many store owners pour all their energy (and ad budget) into getting first-time buyers, totally overlooking strategies that bring customers back for repeat sales.

So, it’s important to focus on turning one-time buyers into lifelong customers. Otherwise, your business will be stuck with unpredictable revenue and high marketing costs.

✅ Fix: Implement customer retention tactics and marketing strategies to keep customers coming back. 

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Offer loyalty programs & VIP perks

Loyalty programs and VIP perks are a great way to retain customers. Offering exclusive discounts, early access to new products, or points-based rewards keeps shoppers engaged and makes them feel appreciated, plus, they’ll be more certain that they'll benefit from returning.

Health & beauty brand Superdrug has an awesome rewards program where customers can collect points and use them for discounts on future purchases. They even run campaigns like the one above, where shoppers earn triple points on every item they buy.

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Implement post-purchase upsells & cross-sells 

To enhance lifetime value (LTV), you’ve got to give customers a reason to return. Start by implementing post-purchase upsells and cross-sells - like offering a complementary product at checkout or following up with a personalised recommendation via email.

Upselling can boost a customer’s lifetime value by 20%-40% - that’s pretty huge!

This simple strategy can instantly increase your revenue without any extra customer acquisition costs. It’s super popular and effective, with 72% of salespeople using these tactics to make about 30% of their revenue.

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Send personalised email campaigns 

Use personalised email campaigns to keep your brand fresh in customers’ minds. Instead of sending out generic promotions, try emails tailored to their past purchases - something like, “Loved your last order? Here’s something you’ll love next!”

For example, New Look’s email campaign adds a personal touch that customers really appreciate. They offer a "Just for you" edit, with a message saying they know your style and have hand-picked a collection that’s a perfect fit.

This keeps customers interested and engaged, as well as making it simpler for them to discover new products they’ll actually love.

By focusing on retention, you’re building a steady, long-term revenue stream that helps your Shopify store grow sustainability, without constantly relying on new customer acquisition. 

4. Weak social media presence (Paid & Organic Social)

❌ Mistake: Treating social media as an afterthought instead of a core part of your brand.

Many Shopify store owners see social media as just another marketing channel, rather than realising it’s a powerful tool for sales and engagement.

But simply posting here and there won’t cut it - social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are where brands build trust, create communities, and drive steady sales.

If your presence is weak and inconsistent, you’re missing out on massive organic reach and not fully tapping into your paid ad potential. Even worse, if your competitors are showing up daily with engaging content, they’ll grab the attention (and money) of your target audience before you do.

✅ Fix: Develop an effective social media content strategy, for both organic and paid social.

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Post engaging content

Post engaging content regularly across all your social media channels. Mix it in different content styles like user-generated content (UGC), behind-the-scenes clips, and product demos to show off your brand’s personality and authenticity. 

Customers love seeing real people using and enjoying your products - not just polished ads. In fact, brands that share authentic content like UGC get 28% higher engagement than those that don’t.

Sportswear brand AYBL are a fantastic example of this; here, they gave their social followers a sneak peek behind-the-scenes with a video showing how their latest collaboration came together, giving everyone an inside look at their brand and creative process.

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Leverage short-form videos (Reels & TikTok)

Short-form videos are your best bet for grabbing audience attention and going viral. Reels and TikToks help your brand get discovered by new audiences while keeping your existing customers hooked.

Showing off your products in action, sharing quick tutorials, and jumping on trending sounds can give your store the organic boost it needs.

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Run meta ads & organic content harmoniously

For maximum impact, combine Meta Ads with organic social content instead of treating them as separate strategies.

Ads will bring in new buyers, but it’s your consistent, high-quality organic content that nurtures those leads and turns them into loyal customers.

Running paid campaigns while maintaining an engaging feed ensures that potential buyers don’t just see your offerings once and move on, but that they stay connected through valuable content.

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Use interactive content 

Build a real community with interactive content. Polls, Q&A sessions, and fun challenges get followers invested in your brand.

Social media does have key elements around selling, but it should also be about building relationships. 

When your audience feels like they’re something bigger than just a transaction, they’ll be more likely to show their support for your brand and recommend it to others.

5. Underestimating the importance of checkout optimisation

❌ Mistake: You feel like you’ve done everything right - SEO, ads, a great website - yet customers drop off at checkout. Why? Because your long and lengthy checkout is frustrating. 

Imagine this: A customer lands on your Shopify store, falls in love with your product, adds it to their cart, and is ready to buy. But then, they hit a slow, complicated checkout with too many steps, forced account sign-ups, and confusing payment options. The result? They leave without completing their purchase. 

A clunky checkout is one of the biggest revenue killers in ecommerce. Even the best stores can lose customers if the buying process is a hassle. If shoppers have to jump through hoops just to give you their money, they’ll bounce - and probably buy from a competitor who makes life easier. 

✅ Fix: Create a checkout process that’s seamless for your customers by eliminating any roadblocks that could stop them from buying.

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Enable one-click and guest checkout

The key to optimising for conversions is getting rid of any friction in the checkout process. For example, having to spend time creating an account (and it being mandatory to do so) deters 24% of shoppers from buying.

Start by offering one-click checkout and guest checkout so customers don’t have to waste time creating an account. The fewer steps, the better - checkout should be quick and painless.

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Offer ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) options

Next, offer ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) options like Klarna or Clearpay. A lot of shoppers hesitate at checkout because of price, but BNPL lets them split payments into smaller, interest-free installments, making purchases feel more affordable. 

This can significantly enhance your average order value (AOV) and reduce cart abandonment.

Jewellery brand Orelia has a smart strategy going on. They make sure you can see BNPL or installment payment options right on the product page, so you’re already thinking about how easy it is to buy before even reaching checkout. Then, when you do get to checkout, they offer loads of payment options, including express checkout.

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Display trust signals to reassure buyers

Finally, build trust by showing clear security signals. Display payment icons, money-back guarantees, and fast shipping badges to reassure hesitant buyers that their purchase is safe and protected.

Trust is everything in ecommerce, and sometimes, it’s the small visual cues that make all the difference between whether a customer completes a purchase or walks away. 

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Final thoughts 

We hope this guide has shed some light on common mistakes that store owners make that could be holding back your Shopify revenue growth. And don’t worry, you’re not alone - we can assure you lots of SMEs face the same challenges. The good news is, there are plenty of strategies out there to help you turn things around!

If you’re looking for more personalised guidance, we at StoreLab are here to help. We’re a Shopify Growth Service focused on helping you grow your sales, brand awareness, and customer loyalty sustainably.

Our Shopify mobile app builder enhances customer experience with seamless navigation, push notifications, and easy checkout. With our Meta Ads Service, we handle everything from strategy to optimisation, ensuring your brand reaches the right audience and drives high-quality traffic. Plus, our Accelerator Program (SAP) offers expert one-on-one coaching to help you scale efficiently with a solid business model.

With the help of our Pro and Meta Plans, Mark Littlewood, founder of It’s a Dog’s Life, has been able to drive more sales throughout the year - 400% more sales, to be precise. 

“Prior to working with StoreLab, sales were absolutely minimal. It was an absolute eye-opener, the increase they achieved.”

Get in touch with us today to learn more!