It's tempting to respond to slow sales by spending more on ads — but for most stores, the bigger opportunity is fixing what's already happening between 'add to cart' and 'order confirmed.'
Five places to check first
- Checkout steps — every extra field or page is a chance for someone to abandon the cart.
- Shipping cost surprises — showing shipping cost late in checkout is one of the top reasons for drop-off.
- Product photos and descriptions — unclear sizing or vague descriptions increase returns and hesitation.
- Page load speed — a slow product page loses buyers before they even see the price.
- Trust signals — reviews, clear return policy, and visible contact details reduce last-minute hesitation.
A 1-2% lift in conversion rate often has more impact on revenue than doubling ad spend — and it's usually cheaper to fix. Start with checkout, since that's where the most qualified traffic — people who already decided to buy — is being lost.