How to increase sales on your Shopify store
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you decide to start a Shopify store using my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products or services I love, and as Shopify designer, it’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of Shopify!
Increasing sales on your Shopify store isn’t just about getting more people through the door. It’s about what happens once they’re there.
When someone lands on your site, they should feel guided. They should be able to quickly understand what you sell, find the right product, feel confident in their choice and move through checkout without friction. And ideally, they should see opportunities to add something complementary or feel encouraged to come back again.
If your sales feel lower than they should be, it’s often not because your product isn’t strong. It’s because the journey isn’t doing quite enough to support the customer’s decision to buy from you.
The good news is that small changes can make a big difference. Here’s where I’d focus if you want customers to buy more easily, increase their basket value and return as loyal customers.
1. Choose a Shopify theme that supports how you want to sell
A lot of founders choose a Shopify theme because it looks nice in the demo. And yes, aesthetics matter. But what matters more is whether the theme has the right built-in features to support how your business is going to grow.
Before choosing (or sticking with) a theme, ask:
Can I easily add recommended product sections to product pages?
Does it support a strong cart experience?
Can I customise the layout properly?
Does it handle filtering well if my catalogue of products grows?
Is it easy to highlight bestsellers or bundles?
If your theme makes these things awkward or restrictive, you’ll feel limited as you scale. A theme should support your sales strategy, not work against it.
2. Upsell in a way that feels helpful, not pushy
Think about how a boutique shop works. You pick up a top and the assistant might say, “That pairs beautifully with this jacket.” It’s relevant. It’s helpful. It increases spending without feeling forced.
Your Shopify store should do the same.
On product pages, use:
“Pairs well with” sections
Complementary product recommendations
“Complete the look” suggestions
In the cart, you can:
Suggest smaller add-ons
Highlight products that work well together
Remind customers of free shipping thresholds
Recently viewed sections are also incredibly useful. If someone has browsed five products, showing them what they’ve looked at makes it easier for them to compare and come back to something they were considering.
None of this needs to be aggressive sales tactics that put the customer off, it just needs to feel relevant, like you’re a sales assistant lending a hand to your customers.
3. Break up large chunks of text on your product pages
Large blocks of text on product pages are such a common reason why conversion drops, especially on new or DIY stores.
Most customers won’t read a long paragraph explaining every detail. They’ll skim, get boarded and if they can’t quickly find the information they’re looking for, they’ll leave.
Instead, break your product information into clear, structured sections and use dropdowns or tabs to organise it.
For example:
Why you’ll love it
Key features
Ingredients or materials
How to use it (if relevant to your product)
Sizing or fit guidance
Delivery and returns (don’t make this hard for your customers to find!)
Not only does this make your website easier to scan, it also makes your product pages feel cleaner and more spacious. When information is structured properly, customers can find what they need quickly and feel more confident about buying. It also just looks more premium.
4. Use FAQs to remove hesitation before it happens
If you regularly get messages asking about sizing, shipping times or returns, those answers should already be on your website.
FAQs aren’t just helpful - they’re strategic.
Adding structured FAQs to product pages, collection pages or a dedicated delivery page can remove last-minute hesitation. When customers feel informed, they’re far more likely to complete their purchase, plus it reduces the amount of manual answering you need to do - imagine the hours you’ll save answering the same questions over and over again in unnecessary emails or DMs.
5. Introduce loyalty apps to increase repeat purchases
It’s often easier to sell to someone who’s already bought from you than to attract someone brand new.
Loyalty apps can reward repeat customers with points, early access or small incentives. This encourages people to return rather than shop elsewhere next time. For boutique product brands, this can also build a stronger sense of community around your store as customers get rewarded for sharing your brand.
The key is to keep it simple with a premade app like Smile that does the hard work for you (ps. This isn’t an ad, it’s just an app that I’ve used for my clients and they’ve found it useful for rewarding their loyal customers and increasing sales to repeat customers).
6. Use quiz apps if customers need guidance
If you sell skincare, supplements, haircare or even complex fashion collections, decision fatigue can reduce sales as customers are unsure which product is the right fit for them.
A quiz app can guide customers towards the right product for them. Instead of browsing endlessly, they answer a few questions and receive a tailored recommendation.
When customers feel certain they’ve chosen the right option, they’re much more likely to check out. Quiz apps are usually paid, but they often pay for themselves in the long run!
7. Improve your search and filtering
If you have a larger catalogue, your search bar and filters are critical.
Make sure:
Your search function is visible
Your collection filters make sense to real customers
Your bestsellers and the products you want to promote the most are easy to find
If someone has to dig for what they want, they won’t stay long.
8. Test your store properly on mobile
So many Shopify sales happen on mobile. Open your own site on your phone and go through the full process. Add something to the cart, try to checkout and notice where it feels awkward.
Are buttons hard to tap?
Does text feel cramped?
Does the cart feel cluttered?
Are your questions about the product being answered?
Can you find what you’re actually looking for?
Small mobile adjustments can increase sales quickly without changing anything else.
Increasing sales is usually about refinement
You don’t need to constantly add new products or run discounts to increase sales. In fact, running discounts too often can start to damage your brand over time. It can train customers to wait for the next offer, reduce perceived value and slowly squeeze your margins in a way that makes growth harder, not easier.
When your Shopify store:
Makes products easy to understand
Suggests relevant add-ons
Answers questions clearly
Feels simple to navigate
Works smoothly on mobile
Uses discounts carefully and strategically
Sales tend to increase more naturally and more sustainably.
You’re not forcing people to buy with urgency tactics or price cuts. You’re guiding them towards the right decision and making it easy to follow through to buying. This approach builds stronger trust, healthier margins and more loyal customers in the long run.
If your Shopify store should be selling more than it is
Sometimes small changes are enough. Other times, the underlying structure needs redesigning properly so it supports where your business is heading.
I design strategic Shopify websites for product brands who want their store to convert confidently while still feeling refined and aligned. If you’re ready to increase sales without resorting to constant discounts or hacks, you can explore my Shopify website design services or fill in an enquiry form to get in touch.
FAQs
-
Focus on improving conversion. That means refining product pages, improving upsells, making navigation easier and reducing friction in your cart and checkout.
-
Yes. If your theme limits product page flexibility, filtering or upselling options, it can restrict your sales growth. Choosing a theme that supports how you want to sell makes scaling much easier. I recommend focusing on how flexible a theme is and making sure that it has great sales features so that it can work harder for your business.
