Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on figuring out why your conversions are low despite getting traffic and clicks.
Where is the Problem - Ads or Website?
It sounds like you've got the first part right - you're getting traffic to your site and people are actually clicking around and spending time there. That tells me your initial ads are likely doing their job of getting relevant eyes onto your store. The issue seems to be happening *after* the click, once people are on your website.
To pinpoint where exactly the problem lies, you really need to dive into your website analytics and see where people are dropping off in the conversion funnel. There are typical places where this happens, and each one points to a different potential issue:
-> Are people landing on your homepage or a landing page but not clicking through to view specific products? This could mean you're getting the wrong *type* of traffic (maybe your targeting isn't quite as dialed in as you think) or that your landing page isn't effective at guiding visitors towards the products. It needs a clear path and maybe some persuasive text or visuals to make them want to see the products.
-> Are people getting to product pages but not adding anything to their cart? This is a really common drop-off point and it almost always points to issues with the product page itself. We see this alot. Things like the product photos not looking professional or clear, missing or unconvincing product descriptions that don't highlight benefits or answer potential questions, the pricing doesn't feel right compared to the perceived value, or maybe there's no clear Call to Action button or a special offer (like free shipping or a small discount) to encourage them to add to cart right now.
-> Are people adding items to their cart but abandoning the checkout process? This suggests problems with the checkout flow itself. High or unexpected shipping costs are a huge killer here. Other issues could be limited payment options, a complicated or long checkout form, or the checkout pages just not looking trustworthy or secure.
Deep Dive into Website & Offer
Based on where people are dropping off, you can start to figure out what to fix first. Since you mentioned people are adding to cart but conversions are low, the product page to add-to-cart step and the add-to-cart to purchase step are the most likely culprits.
Let's focus on those product pages. You mentioned you sourced the product and quality is decent, but how are you *presenting* it? Are the product photos high-resolution, well-lit, showing the product from multiple angles, and perhaps even showing someone using it? I've seen conversions jump significantly just by improving the product photography. Same goes for descriptions - are they just listing features or are they telling a story, explaining the benefits, and making the product sound desirable? A good copywriter can make a big difference here.
Then there's the pricing and the offer. Is your price competitive? More importantly, does the value you're conveying on the page justify the price? Sometimes, adding a simple limited-time offer or emphasizing scarcity can nudge people towards buying.
Building Trust is Non-Negotiable
Another massive factor, especially for newer stores selling products people might not be familiar with, is trust. If your website doesn't look propperly done or feels a bit amateur, people will be hesitant to whip out their credit card. Even if they like the product and add it to cart, they might bail at checkout because they just don't feel comfortable giving you their money.
Think about how you can build trust. Do you have customer reviews or testimonials displayed prominently? Links to your social media where people can see you're active? Clear contact information (address, phone number, email)? Trust badges (SSL secure, payment method logos, return policy)? If you sell on other platforms like Etsy or Amazon where you have reviews, maybe linking to those profiles could help. Looking professional and reliable on your site is key really.
Product vs Marketing - Drawing the Line
This is the classic question. If your ads are bringing people to the site and they are engaging (clicking around, viewing products, adding to cart), then your initial marketing (targeting, creative, offer angle *in the ad*) is likely working okay to get the *right kind* of people there. The bottleneck is happening *on the website*. This suggests the issue is either how the product is *presented* on the site, the *offer* you're making on the site, or the overall *trustworthiness* of the site, rather than the initial ad messages completely missing the mark.
Could it still be a product issue? Yes, if people are seeing the product on your site and deciding it's not for them even with good presentation. But often times, the problem is that the website isn't effectively selling the product, even if the product itself is decent. You need to fix the website and offer presentation first to give the product a fair chance to convert the traffic you're paying for.
Here's a quick overview of what to check based on where people are dropping off:
| Drop-off Point | Potential Issues to Check |
| Landing Page / Homepage -> Product Page | Traffic quality (targeting), Page navigation, Calls to action, Initial visual appeal |
| Product Page -> Add to Cart | Product Photos, Descriptions, Pricing/Value, Offer/Urgency, Call to Action button clarity |
| Add to Cart -> Purchase | Shipping Costs, Payment Options, Checkout process complexity, Website Trust/Security |
| Overall Site Engagement High, Conversions Low | Website Trust, Overall User Experience, Loading Speed, Offer clarity |
My suggestion would be to dig deep into your analytics, identify the biggest drop-off point in your funnel, and then focus all your energy on fixing the issues related to that step first. For instance, if loads of people view product pages but few add to cart, make those product pages absolutely rock solid – get amazing photos, write killer descriptions, ensure the price/offer is compelling, and make the add-to-cart button stand out.
This is an iterative process. Make changes based on the data, then measure if those changes improved the conversion rate at that specific step. Keep refining until you see improvements.
Considering Expert Help
Diagnosing and fixing all these potential issues on your website can be quite complex and time-consuming, especially when you're trying to manage the advertising side as well. It requires a good understanding of analytics, user behaviour, conversion rate optimisation (CRO), and often involves specific skills like persuasive copywriting and professional photography/design.
Based on the challenges you're facing, it sounds like you're at a critical point where improving your website's ability to convert is the key to making your advertising efforts profitable. We've worked with quite a few eCommerce stores and SaaS businesses (where website conversion is also massive) helping them identify these exact bottlenecks and implement changes that significantly improve their conversion rates. For example, we helped one eCommerce client achieve a 691% return on ad spend by focusing on optimising their store and ads.
If you're finding it overwhelming to tackle all these points, or if you'd like a second pair of eyes from someone with experience in optimising websites for conversion, sometimes getting expert help can accelerate the process and save you from pouring more money into ads that aren't converting. We offer a free consultation where we can take a look at your specific store and campaign setup and give you more tailored feedback and a potential roadmap for improvement, without any obligation.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
