Why many stores on Shopify don't generate sales
Introduction
Simply "creating" a Shopify store won't guarantee sales.
Many stores are misled by the term "multi-functional," ultimately compromising user convenience. More features don't equate to a successful store. On the contrary, sites that are slowed down by too many features or lack essential information for purchase often quietly lead users to abandon their carts.
This article won't discuss "customer acquisition" or "landing pages." That's an endless topic, and I want to address the fundamentals.
No matter how much you spend on advertising, a site with a low CVR (conversion rate) won't achieve a good ROAS. If ROAS is low, you can't spend your ad budget effectively and scale your business. And stores with low CVR tend to also have low LTV (customer lifetime value). In other words, unless you create an easy-to-buy site, running ads will result in a deficit.
Before focusing on customer acquisition or CRM, first ensure that you "don't let visitors get away." CVR improvement can be tackled immediately. In this article, we'll reveal specific checkpoints for improving CVR that we've discovered through supporting many stores.
1. "Bloated" distributed themes are driving users away
Shopify's free and paid themes are designed to be used by stores of all industries and sizes worldwide. As a result, they incorporate a massive amount of features to enhance versatility, leaving piles of unused code hidden within the theme.
Imagine this: while displaying just one page, the backend is trying to load ten times more unnecessary code.
This "bloat" leads to a decrease in site loading speed. And slow site speed directly impacts CVR. This isn't just anecdotal; it's a fact that clearly shows up in the numbers.
Our company uses a uniquely optimized theme, and it's not uncommon for CVR to increase by 10% to 20% just from improving loading speed. This difference is achieved not by implementing special marketing strategies, but simply by making it "faster."
The solution is simple: don't just "turn off" unused features; "delete" them. Implement features that don't need to be in an app directly in Liquid. And boldly remove features that aren't used in Japanese stores—such as fuzzy search, multi-currency, and multi-language support. The lighter the theme, the better.
2. If you're not distributing coupons, you shouldn't use Shopify
Shopify is designed around discounts (coupons) rather than a points system. (Shopify calls them "discounts," but this article will use the common term "coupons".)
The checkout screen displays a coupon code input field by default. This is a problem.
When users see this input field, a doubt arises: "Is there a coupon somewhere?" They might leave the site to search for a code, scour search engines, or dig through social media—and sometimes never return. Or they might feel distrust, thinking "I'm losing out," and decide not to purchase.
In other words, stores that don't distribute coupons face a risk of abandonment just by having this input field. To put it extremely, if you don't intend to implement coupon strategies, you shouldn't use Shopify.
Conversely, by actively and efficiently displaying coupons, CVR will definitely increase. Clearly show available coupons right next to the product page price display and the "Add to Cart" button. Simply changing the design from "making them search" to "showing them" will reduce cart abandonment and increase purchase rates.
3. Lack of shipping transparency is a major cause of cart abandonment
The anxiety of "not knowing when it will arrive" is a greater barrier to purchase than you might imagine.
Shopify standard doesn't have a delivery date specification feature, and checkout screen customization is limited to Plus. As a result, many stores are forced to rely on no mention or vague statements like "Ships within X business days of your order."
However, what users want to know is not the "shipping date" but the "delivery date." If they can't see "when it will arrive at the earliest" at the moment they want it, users will move on to comparison, which is another form of abandonment.
For Shopify Plus stores, implementing a delivery date specification feature is a must. And even for non-Plus stores, it is possible to somewhat guarantee "when it will arrive if ordered now."
Specifically, create a dedicated page about shipping and visualize the process from order to delivery. The order cut-off time, shipping handling, carrier pickup, estimated days from warehouse to destination—just having this flow clearly visible will greatly reduce user anxiety. It's also important to explicitly state shipping support on weekends and holidays.
The peace of mind of "knowing the delivery date" has as much appeal as free shipping.
Related: Optimizing shipping flow with Calendar.JP
4. "Small settings" in the checkout screen make a big difference
Each checkout setting may seem small individually, but cumulatively they make a big difference.
Enable Shop Pay
Shop Pay is a very convenient feature for repeat customers. Since past input information is saved, for subsequent purchases, address and card information do not need to be entered. Minimizing input effort is fundamental to improving CVR, and Shop Pay is a feature that should be enabled for this reason.
In fact, Shop Pay is used more than you might expect. Furthermore, the payment processing fee rate is set lower, so as of January 2026, it is recommended to keep it on.
Handling Dynamic Checkout
On the other hand, dynamic checkout (the instant payment button displayed on product pages) requires careful consideration.
While it is generally said that "it's convenient, so it should be enabled," the reality of the Japanese market is different. After Amazon Pay's withdrawal, payment methods that work with dynamic checkout are limited to Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, but their domestic share is limited.
Most self-managed e-commerce sites built with Shopify are comprised of "first-time buyers." How many people would click an instant payment button on an unfamiliar store when there is no trust yet?
Rather, it is important to dispel distrust in the purchase process by making users go through the steps of "Add to Cart" → "View Cart" → "Checkout." Blindly following information from overseas blogs or setting things up with the mindset of "using a feature because it exists" is a typical pattern that leads to unsuccessful stores.
The optimal solution for dynamic checkout is not to disable it completely, but to display it only to logged-in users using Liquid's {% if customer %}. This way, repeat customers benefit from the convenient feature, while first-time visitors are not made to feel distrust. This branching is the correct approach.
1-page vs 3-page checkout
The checkout page structure should be chosen based on the product. For low-priced, impulse-buy products, "1-page" for speed is primary. For high-priced products (typically 20,000 yen or more) that require careful consideration, "3-page" to emphasize security is the basic approach.
For high-priced products, it's almost impossible for a first-time visitor to the site to make an immediate purchase. If you check the CVR for first-time visitors, even if the overall site CVR is 1%, immediate purchases from first-time visitors are only about 0.1% (this varies depending on the unit price). The reason for choosing 3 pages for high-priced products is to not rush first-time visitors and allow them to purchase with confidence on their return visit.
Customer account settings
We sometimes see stores that set customer accounts as "mandatory," but this is strictly prohibited. The effort required to create an account directly leads to abandonment. Always allow "optional" or "guest checkout."
5. Navigation design where "users can't find what they want"
No matter how many good products you have, it's meaningless if users can't find them.
Especially on smartphones, usability is often overlooked. Is the "Add to Cart" button within thumb's reach? If there are many products, is there an intuitive filtering function? Does searching for keywords bring up the expected products?
These are not flashy improvements, but they determine whether users can smoothly perform the basic actions of "finding what they want and adding it to the cart." Small friction points in the navigation accumulate into significant lost opportunities.
6. Are you showing "reasons to buy" on the product page?
Even if users reach the product page, they won't purchase if the necessary information isn't available there.
A common problem is insufficient product descriptions with only a prominent "Add to Cart" button. Users leave with the anxiety of "Is this the right one?"
Here are specific points to review:
- Size chart inclusion: Essential not just for apparel, but for any product where dimensions influence purchasing decisions. "The size was different than I expected" is a common reason for returns, which can be resolved beforehand.
- Navigation for series products: Use metafields to display related products or items from the same series on the product page. This immediately answers questions like "Are there other colors?" or "Are there set products?"
- Image display for variations: Allow users to select color and size variations with images, not just text. Visual selection reduces hesitation and increases cart addition rates.
These are not flashy strategies, but concrete answers to the question: "Is your design sufficient to showcase your products?" If the product's appeal is not conveyed correctly, no amount of customer acquisition will lead to sales.
Summary: The shortest route to a successful store
The reason for low sales isn't the quality of the design. It boils down to "causing stress to users."
Let's review the checkpoints mentioned in this article:
- Theme optimization: Don't just "turn off" unused features; "delete" them. Speed improvements alone can change CVR by 10-20%.
- Coupon visibility: If there's an input field, "show" the coupons instead of "making users search." If you're not implementing coupon strategies, there's less reason to use Shopify.
- Shipping clarity: Users want to know the "delivery date," not the "shipping date." Create a dedicated page to visualize the process from order to delivery.
- Optimized checkout settings: Enable Shop Pay. Display dynamic checkout only to logged-in users. For high-priced items (20,000 yen or more), use 3-page checkout. Requiring an account is strictly forbidden.
- Smartphone navigation check: Is the "Add to Cart" button within thumb's reach? Is the filtering intuitive?
- Product page information design: Size charts, navigation for series products, image display for variations. Eliminate the anxiety of "Is this the right one?"
These are not flashy strategies. However, if CVR is low, advertising won't achieve a good ROAS, ad spend cannot be utilized, and scaling won't happen. And stores with low CVR tend to have low LTV. Before investing in customer acquisition or CRM, you should first check if your site is set up so that "visitors can buy."
Before considering starting Instagram or TikTok, verify that the items mentioned in this article have been addressed and that your landing pages are robust. Before thinking about marketing strategies, start with the fundamentals. What you should do before increasing your ad budget is to thoroughly refine these "basics." That is the absolute condition for the success of your self-managed e-commerce store.