You’re excited. You’ve selected Shopify. You’re set to make your product or concept a successful online store finally. You envision a clean storefront, seamless checkouts, and sparkling reviews. But rather than unveiling a digital work of art, you’re faced with a brick wall—lagging pages, complicated navigation, abandoned carts, and a site that doesn’t “feel right.”
This is not unusual. Most entrepreneurs dive into Shopify believing it’s plug-and-play—and to a certain extent, it is, but creating a high-converting, successful Shopify store takes more than dropping and dragging blocks. It takes strategy, user experience, and consideration of some unexpectedly prevalent pitfalls in digital design.
Before You Click “Publish,” Here’s What NOT To Do.
1. Don’t Treat Design Like an Afterthought
Too many first-time online store owners obsess over the products so much that they overlook that the storefront counts as well. Your design is your digital masterpiece. If your site resembles slow-loading pages, confusing navigation, abandoned carts, and a site that just doesn’t feel right, customers won’t linger—much less buy.
Avoid:
- Not customizing the default theme
- Bad font combinations and conflicting colors
- No visual hierarchy
Instead do:
Take time to create a visually consistent brand. Employ consistent typography, a balanced color scheme, and spacing that is orderly. Aim for a clean, modern digital design that matches your audience’s expectations. Remember, less is more.
2. Don’t Miss Mobile Optimization
Over half of online shopping is accessed via mobile devices. However, some Shopify websites appear and perform poorly on smartphones.
Avoid:
- Difficult-to-tap buttons
- Text that’s too small
- Slow-loading images or cut-off images
What to do instead:
Preview and test your website on mobile devices at all times. Mobile customization is available in Shopify—use it! Use responsive themes and tailor every bit of content to smaller screens. A mobile-optimized digital design not only enhances user experience but also enhances your SEO rankings.
3. Don’t Ignore Site Speed
In the virtual world, patience is in short supply. If your Shopify website loads in over 3 seconds, you’re missing sales.
Don’t do:
- Posting too many compressed images
- Having too many apps or plugins installed
- Too complex animations or transitions
Do this instead:
Optimize your images using tools like TinyPNG. Review your apps and delete those that are not contributing genuine value. Keep your design simple and light. Quick sites convert better—it’s that easy.
4. Don’t Undervalue the Power of Navigation
A pleasant site is useless if customers can’t find what they’re looking for. Poor navigation can trouble shoppers and increase bounce rates.
Avoid:
- Ambiguous menu headings
- Nested categories to the point of being excessive
- Missing or broken links
What to do instead:
Design cleanly. Your navigation must lead users like a map, not puzzle them like a maze. Use straightforward category titles, such as “Shop All,” “Collections,” or “About Us.” Include a search box and test all links. A good digital design takes into account the flow of user interaction.
5. Don’t Leave Your Product Pages Bare
With incredible photos, product pages require more than pictures. Consider them your virtual salesperson. Without strong copy, social proof, and decisive CTAs, your customers might walk out the (virtual) door.
Avoid:
- Bare bones descriptions without benefits
- No reviews or customer testimonials
- Ambiguous pricing or shipping information
What to do instead:
Create product descriptions that sell—emphasize benefits, not just features. Add reviews, size charts, FAQs, and shipping information. Design at a high digital level isn’t just about how things appear but also about how they communicate and convert.
6. Don’t Make Checkout a Pain
You’ve done the hard work—someone wants to purchase. But if the checkout is sloppy, confusing, or riddled with friction, they’ll leave the cart in a heartbeat.
Avoid:
- Forcing account creation
- Too many form fields
- No multiple payments are allowed
Do this instead:
Simplify. Enable guest checkout. Accept standard payment methods, including PayPal, GCash, and credit cards. Auto-fill shipping information if possible. Your checkout process should be the final step in your relaxed conversation, not a bureaucratic form-filling exercise.
7. Don’t Forget to Brand Your Store
Your Shopify website should look like your brand—not a copy of all the other e-commerce websites available. A solid brand presence inspires trust and differentiation.
Avoid:
- Generic logos or no branding at all
- Unclear tone and messaging
- Copying or recreating content from the competitor
What to do instead:
Design a mood board. Craft an unforgettable logo. Have consistent voice and messaging across your site. Even your error pages can be a reflection of your personality. A good digital design speaks volumes without needing a spoken word.
8. Don’t Rely Solely on Apps
Shopify has an app for almost everything—but too many apps can damage performance and design cohesiveness.
Avoid:
- Over-saturating with apps for unnecessary features
- Dependence on app-created pop-ups or banners
- Disregarding theme compatibility
What to do instead:
Be selective. Only use reputable apps that have a specific function (such as upsells, reviews, or email marketing). Try each one to make sure it doesn’t conflict with your layout or loading speed. In some cases, rolling your solution is cleaner and better.
9. Don’t Launch Website Without Testing It All Out
You wouldn’t open a physical store with broken shelves and locked doors—so don’t launch your Shopify website without a proper walk-through.
Avoid:
- Going live with missing pages or broken links
- Omitting to test forms, payments, and contact methods
- Neglecting how your site appears on alternative browsers
What to do instead:
Complete the whole test—be a first-time user. Checkout, click all the buttons, sign up for the newsletter, and see it on mobile and desktop. Get someone else to try it, too. Digital design is not just about looks—about functionality.
10. Don’t Do It All By Yourself
Indeed, Shopify makes e-commerce possible. But that doesn’t mean you have to wear every hat—from design to SEO to copywriting.
Avoid:
- Try to learn everything at once
- Spend weeks tweaking without seeing results
- Burn out before your store even opens
Do this instead:
Get assistance. Whether you hire a designer, developer, or digital marketing partner, investing in the right help saves time and brings better returns.
Ready to Launch the Right Way? Let’s Talk!
If you’re building your Shopify website and want to avoid the costly mistakes listed above, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. At PrimeOutsourcing, we specialize in helping businesses to succeed online—from stunning digital design to seamless development and full Shopify support; our team is ready to bring your dream store to life. Contact us today, and let’s build something brilliant together.
