22 Shopify Product Page Mistakes That Drive Customers Away

Even in 2023, Shopify product pages are:

• cluttered 
• filled with uninspiring copies, and
• have gimmicky pop-ups

Let’s uncover some *common* mistakes made on Shopify product pages. 

22 most common mistakes in Shopify product pages

Here are some common mistakes Shopify store owners make that put off potential customers and conversions.

Jump to:

1. Too many plugins on Shopify product pages

2. Difficult navigation 

3. Obsolete plug and play approach 

4. Bad copies - all product talk, no emotion

5. Too much clutter

6. Lack of FAQs on Shopify product pages

7. Insufficient use of product cards 

8. Not enabling image zoom on Shopify product pages

9. Lack of social proof

10. Too many gimmicks

11. Confusing comparison charts

12. Pushy up-selling nudges

13. Irrelevant cross-selling 

14. No “out of stock” redirects

15. Hidden costs 

16. Random pricing 

17. Non-responsive Shopify store theme 

18. Too many images    

19. Not optimizing CTA buttons 

20. Limited product variants

21. No structured data for product pages

22. Lack of payment options 

1. Too many plugins on Shopify product pages

While Shopify has a plethora of plugins, you might get too excited about it and end up having a plugin for every small thing.

The result – slow website, broken links, and multiple glitches. Overall, a poor shopping experience. 

The solution: Add less than 3 plugins on the product page

Have a look at the plugins you currently run and identify which ones slow down your website.

Get your developers to hard code the feature as an alternative or find a better plugin to replace the same. 

2. Difficult navigation 

While navigating your Shopify store, shoppers might be at a loss on how to proceed or what you expect from them.

For example, shoppers are adding details in the checkout fields and if they are not offered the directional cue that an input is invalid right away, they’ll not be able to submit the form when the time comes.

Even worse, they wouldn’t come to know what the real problem is.

The solution: Cues to the rescue (easy and fast)

Here are a few things to remember while incorporating directional cues on Shopify product pages:

• Implement simple cues to avoid unnecessary distractions.
• Use white spaces to make the cues more effective.
• Add visual cues with color contrast.
• Align cues to the page’s design
• A/B test directional cues to learn the ones that work best for you. For example, you could use eye-tracking tools or click heatmap for the test.

3. Obsolete plug and play approach 

Many store owners use a one size fits all model for all of their Shopify product page designs.

If something works for product X, it's bound to work for product Y. Unfortunately, that’s not true.

Every product has different uses and customers require a different set of details for each of them.

Understanding those differences and letting that drive each page will help to attain consistent growth in conversion rates.

The solution: Add different visual formats to keep a shopper's attention

For instance, you sell drones as well as some cool drone bags.

For the latter, you might not need to demonstrate how it functions but for the drone itself, you would need to.

In that case, the Shopify product page for the drone will require a video which would not be necessary for the bag, which needs multiple images to give a better idea of the item.

Try A/B testing different layouts, copies, images, and other aspects and find out the handful of elements that have worked across the boards and retain them.

However, everything else aside, keep it as unique to each product as possible.

4. Bad copies - all product talk, no emotion

Wherever we shop online, we are immediately drawn towards brands with relatable and interesting copies.

There are three ways Shopify product page content fails to make an impression:

• Post very technical copy that fails to connect with shoppers
• Overwhelm shoppers with chunky paragraphs of product descriptions
• Format information that's not mobile-friendly

The solution: Make your product page copy more human, less robotic

The solution is straightforward – write to a human and not a robot.

Don’t be shy to show your wit and humorous side. 

One look at the Somnox website and you’ll know what a good copy can do.

Talks about science but in a fun way. The copy also works hard enough for people to relate to the quite common state of sleeplessness. 

Also, to make it easy for people to understand the benefits of the product, create short descriptions in the form of bullet points.

5. Too much clutter

Most Shopify store owners either go overboard or write unnecessary details for product descriptions.  

When the Shopify product page is filled with product description details, it only tends to overwhelm shoppers.

On the other hand, with fewer details, the product description doesn’t help shoppers to make a decision.

The solution: Let your images do the talking

Hover on image text is a brilliant way to deliver product details without making shoppers hunt for information.    

On the product image, you can place information such as:

• product names
• how to wear the product 
• prices
• product variants

Compress product images before adding them to the recommendations to maintain quality without slowing down the Shopify product page.

6. Lack of FAQs on Shopify product pages

Customers often don’t reach out to someone and clear their queries about a product.

Especially, when they want to purchase multiple products.  

FAQs on the Shopify product page design can offer an easier user experience.

FAQs also help Shopify stores with SEO benefits while clearing a few pressing doubts about functionality, manufacturing, and more. 

The solution: Use vertical formats to show product-related FAQs

Some Shopify brands push customers to subpages to get more information.

Otherwise, they dump all the FAQs on the same page which might slow down the page speed.

Use a vertical collapsible format to add relevant FAQs and save screen space while achieving the purpose.

7. Insufficient use of product cards

Product cards are a clean way to display a snapshot of an item that is linked in some way to similar items. 

However, where most Shopify stores don't use product cards it correctly.

They add little information about the product, not enough images of the product, and clear CTAs. 

The solution: Offer a preview of the overall Shopify product page

Essentially, product cards need to be treated as importantly as the Shopify product pages themselves.

It’s a great infrastructure to upsell and cross-sell products. 

One clear product, a short headline, a one-line description, the price, and a simple CTA – and you have a good product card for your Shopify product page. 

SHORT ON TIME? HERE'S A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE AREAS TO LOOK AT:

8. Not enabling image zoom on Shopify product pages

Many Shopify stores find this to be very trivial but it affects the shopping experience, especially for senior shoppers.

If you sell products such as clothing, customers feel insecure about the material and the color of the product when they can’t get a closer look. 

The solution: Make Shopify product pages intuitive with habitual gestures

Adding a zoom feature to every product image helps the customer get a sense of how the product looks and might feel up close. 

This in turn helps them make a confident purchase improving their Shopify shopping experience. 

9. Lack of social proof

While most stores add reviews and ratings to their Shopify product pages, however, they position it below the first fold.

Furthermore, they highlight generic reviews that look made up and don’t resonate with the online store visitor.

The solution: Let existing customers do the selling on product pages

Most visitors scroll through the Shopify product page quickly but focus on the important aspects on the first fold.

Highlight your ratings right below the description or right beside the headline and offer them an option to read those reviews. 

And avoid highlighting reviews like “Amazing product, love it very much”.

Instead display a review that is longer and relates to the customer more.

Reviews are just scratching the top of the surface.

Top Shopify stores leverage user-generated content on the product page, including certifications, sample test results, and more to convince visitors to buy.  

For example, in the above image Casper showcases social media posts from current customers. 

You can also integrate reviews from other sites like Google, Facebook, and third-party listings.

Ubuntu Baba imports reviews across all marketing channels for more diverse feedback.

There’s also an option to read more for lengthy reviews with a structured layout.

10. Too many gimmicks

What was once an attention-grabber is now considered distracting and even annoying.

The reason – customers see how generic it is nowadays.

Unfortunately, most Shopify sites, either while starting out or when they’re in a growth phase, make the mistake of trusting that it still engages the customer and drives more purchases. 

Similarly, many sites throw a discount popup at the user to entice them to buy the product.

But all this does is distract them from the details of the item and annoy them in the process. 

The solution: Collect zero-party data on your Shopify product page

A better approach?

Hyper-personalized features and discounts. According to Accenture, 75% of consumers are more likely to purchase if they are offered personalized recommendations. 

Like the example above, Care/of, which sells vitamins and supplements leverages hyper-personalization to grow their Shopify store. 

Customers can take a quiz about their needs and goals and get suggested products based on the results. 

It builds trust, enhances ease of use (since the customer feels their preferences are already known by the brand), and naturally paves the way for sales. 

And ditch the popups – use the existing product page infrastructure to pitch a discount.

If not, try a Hello Bar instead, it takes up less real estate and isn’t that distracting to the visitor. 

Like the example above, the bar on top lets the visitor know that they can avail free shipping if they shop for above $80.

The message is the same as any other but the way it's displayed is less annoying and compelling at the same time.

11. Confusing comparison charts

Shopify stores often have multiple options for a product.

However, they often fail to add clear comparison charts. 

Perhaps, a customer is looking for similar products with a particular specification such as ‘battery powered’ but the comparison chart doesn’t show these differences.

Then the customer is forced to go to different Shopify product pages and then come back to purchase the product.

However, this interrupts user-experience and causes loss in sales. 

The solution: Make product page information skimmable

Product comparison charts instantly create ease of experience.

Customers can find the most relevant information they need on the same product page – helping them decide to buy a lot faster. 

Keurig Coffee does the comparison chart bit especially well.

They have a site that’s functional yet informative, and when you click on any of the coffee makers, you can instantly access a ‘brewer comparison’ along with product details, FAQs, and reviews.

12. Pushy up-selling nudges

Upselling is a necessary strategy to increase average order value.

And it often works. 

However, most Shopify product pages tend to go overboard. 

This leads to three scenarios: 

• feel frustrated due to multiple options,
• ignore all the nudges, or
• get paralyzed by too many options

The solution: Offer only 3 or less recommendations on product pages

As per Hick’s law, 3 is the balanced number of options to offer.

You can show information that lets shoppers view the products quickly.

When benefits are pitched and customers’ needs are focused on, the upsell nudge will surely pay off. 

Let’s take the example of how ProFlowers does it.

For any bouquet, they have multiple options that can be selected from, and when a visitor has selected one of them.

They get to see why they are paying a price differential in the ‘Details’ section right below. 

13. Irrelevant cross-selling 

Bundling is a great way to upsell and increase your average order value.

Customers are compelled by the option of buying 2-3 products at a lower price per unit.

This is an untapped region for the majority of Shopify stores. The most common excuse is the thin spread of products.

The solution: Opt for strategic product bundling to convert more

Even if there are few products, product bundling is possible.

All you need to do is analyze what is commonly purchased together or can add the most value to a potential customer and that's it. 

Take the example of a creative product bundling strategy by Dollar Shaving Club.

Even though they have few products, they still bundle products that appeal to customers. 

14. No “out of stock” redirects

While the reality is that stores won’t have every product available throughout the season, for various reasons, just a simple out-of-stock message might not cut it.

Shopify stores make this mistake and lose their customers to a competitor.

The solution: Continue the buyer's journey through helpful messaging

Show a product countdown to show how many customers have already purchased the product. 

You can also add nudge such as the ‘product is already in X number of carts’.  

Redirect customers to explore other categories or product ranges. 

However, which redirect should you apply?  

404 Redirect - This redirect is a server response code informing the website visitor and search engine that the web page cannot be found since it no longer exists. You can prompt customers to explore products that closely the URL or search query.

302 (Temporary Redirect) - You can use this type of redirect if you want to send users to a new site or page, only for a short time. For instance, when you're redesigning or updating your website. Therefore, only use the 302 redirects if you're planning on eventually bringing the old page back or setting up a new one.

301 (Permanent Redirect) -  In case the product customers are looking for has a new or upgraded version. Then you can apply a 301 redirect which sends website visitors who have typed in the previous URL to the product’s current location in the Shopify store.

Unavailable after meta tag - If you happen to have too many out-of-stock webpages, then look towards the ‘unavailable_after META tag’. This tag tells Google in advance that the product page is going to be discontinued on a certain date. Google will show the product page in search results until the given expiry date. Approximately 24 hours after the expiration date, the product page will simply disappear from search results.

If you’re trying to fine-tune the product page experience, read more on how to use out-of-stock to your immediate advantage. 

15. Hidden costs 

While Shopify stores are quite clear and transparent about the discounts they offer, often mention taxes, shipping, and packing fees—only at checkout.

And shoppers drop off.

In fact, over a fifth of the US adults have abandoned their shopping stating this reason.

While revealing such information on the product page doesn’t change the price itself, customers are more aware of what they are paying.

It builds a sense of trust and visitors don't feel cheated when they’re about to checkout. 

The solution: Reveal all costs (with multiple options) on the Shopify product page

Apart from mentioning the product’s price, you show view estimated shipping costs based on a customer's location. 

Let customers edit the zip code and show the approximate shipping costs.

This gives visitors a better understanding of what they’ll pay and are not taken by surprise.

16. Random pricing 

Around 7% of customers abandon their e-carts because they didn’t find enough payment options.

Sometimes, bank servers are down or specific payment gateways are out of order. Shopify stores often ignore this aspect, losing potential customers. 

The solution: Make shoppers aware of any discounts and fees with clear microcopy

Take the example of the above product page for how to offer multiple payment gateways.

Offer as many payment options as possible on Shopify product pages to suit each customer’s preferred mode of payment.

The more options you feature, the more the chances are that customers will convert their interest into a purchase. 

Shopify simplifies this by offering its payment gateway.

Store owners need to pay a small fee but Shopify takes care of the integrations, letting you focus more on your business and less on setting things up. 

‍17. Non-responsive Shopify store theme 

This is not necessarily an issue for Shopify stores that are just starting out.

However, if you're a growing brand, you'll  need to customize Shopify product pages to suit the needs of a wider audience shopping through different devices. 

Unfortunately, most Shopify stores are slow to make that switch and lose out on potential sales. 

The solution: Apply a multiple device-friendly layout

Choose a responsive Shopify theme that allows you to customize fonts, colors, and other aspects of your store and automatically takes care of the mobile and tablet view of your site – creating a friendly experience across the board. 

Have a look at Shopify’s list of responsive website themes and choose the one that works best for your products.

18. Too many images    

When the Shopify store takes time to load, shoppers immediately focus on site speed.

In fact, 57% of consumers will abandon a site that doesn’t load within three seconds.

And 80% of those shoppers will never come back.

The solution: Use lazy loading images on Shopify product pages

Most Shopify stores reduce image file size while maintaining the quality of the image to improve site speed and increase conversion rates.  

Here’s where lazy loading comes into use.  

So, what exactly is lazy loading?

Lazy loading is a technique that consists of delaying the initialization of a website element until it is needed.

By implementing lazy loading, content such as images load once the shopper scrolls to the image.

This results in benefits such as:

• Lighter and faster site
• Improves Google rankings
• Increase mobile load time
• Reduce server requests
• Decrease weight on the web page

Remember: One way to make sure your Shopify product page load speed is up to par is by using the Google PageSpeed Insights test.

Pro tip: Push responsive images for different devices

Combined with lazy loading, make sure images are responsive for different devices.

Take note of making the images responsive for device resolution, orientation, screen size, network connection, and page layout.

Furthermore, the browser should not stretch the image to fit the product page layout, and loading it shouldn't result in time & bandwidth wastage.

19. Not optimizing CTA buttons 

Most shoppers just want to buy one item.

However, they go through the same cart page and then the checkout process as someone who is browsing for more items. 

Over 20% of the visitors drop off because of a long checkout process.

Every single step added is losing you a potential customer. Having customers add to cart, navigate, and then checkout can frustrate visitors who know what they want. 

The solution: Try more than one intent-based CTA on the product page

Add a simple ‘buy now’ CTA button along with other CTAs.

The subliminal message you’re sending out is this: we care for your time so you get to choose what you want right away and then come back later when you feel like it. 

It is a simple yet powerful method, try it!

20. Not extending the product variant limit

Product variants are a great way to offer shoppers options and grow more sales.    

In Shopify, you can create up to 100 variants for a product.

However, Shopify gives you only 3 options per product.

While the Shopify 100 variant limit might seem like infinity to some store owners, to others, this is a huge obstacle.

For example, as a Shopify store owner who sells scrunchies with personalized options, you will quickly reach Shopify’s variant limit.

This means that if you have an ever-increasing SKU inventory, Shopify won’t allow it.

The solution: Skip the limit with clever linking and tools

There are two ways you can skip the product variant limit:

a. Divide your product variants into separate Shopify product pages with internal linking.

In this scenario, when you open any of the product variant pages, product variants will be displayed as a swatch-like selector to change between variants.

However, in this case, Shopify stores need to add canonical tags so search engines don’t think there are duplicate pages.

So how do canonical tags work for Shopify product variant pages?

For example, there will be one webpage that’ll act like the “parent” page. The variations will be the "child" products, with each of them containing a canonical tag that points to the parent product.

b. You can use a Shopify app to remove the variant limit. These apps will allow you to add as many product options as needed:

i. Hulk Product Options

ii. Bold Product Options

iii. Infinite Options

iv. Textbox ‑ Text Product Options

21. No structured data for product pages

An SEJ experiment found implementing schema markup for one of their clients increased their clicks by 43% which boosted impressions by close to a percent, and improved average ranking positions by 12 percent.

So, what exactly is a schema?

Schema is an advanced markup code that’s added to a Shopify store.

Webpages with Schema markup make it easier for search engines to index.

Consequently, once search understands your store content, it’s easier to show it to more relevant people.

The solution: Raise the SEO value of your Shopify product pages

Implement these 5 Shopify schema markups to stay ahead in the SEO war:

• Product schema
• Rating and reviews schema
• Local business schema
• Price schema
• Product availability schema
• FAQ schema
• Breadcrumbs schema

Pro tip: Use Google Structured Data Markup Helper to quickly markup your category and Shopify product pages.

22. Lack of payment options

Credit Cards Or Buy Now, Pay Later?

Research shows that 38% of users think Buy Now, Pay Later services will eventually replace their credit cards, and more than half (56%) say they prefer to Buy Now, Pay Later compared to using credit cards for purchases.

A survey found that low-cost purchases were most common among Gen Z, nearly half of which have used BNPL services to pay for expenses of $100 or less.

On the sustainable front, 62% of Gen Z, who will begin entering the workforce this year, prefer to buy from sustainable brands.

The solution: Use Shopify's tools for ease (plus it's environment-friendly)

Shopify saw a clever opportunity to combine and let store owners implement Shop Pay as a BPNL payment getaway.

With every purchase, Shop Pay plants trees at no extra cost to reduce the environmental impact of deliveries from your store.

Improve overall customer retention through data

A higher customer retention rate is indicative of the fact that the business has managed to build a sustainable relationship with customers and they will continue to come back.

Did you know that only 18% of businesses invest in customer retention marketing?

And — those who do — don’t do it right.

A majority of them implement these strategies without even understanding user behavior and experience.

You can use Customerly to track only the key retention metrics such as:

• customer LTV
• repeat purchase rate
• purchase frequency
• revenue per customer
• purchase latency
• customer retention

The app also lets you set up weekly reports so it’s easier to understand shopping behavior, accordingly customize your Shopify store and win repeat customers!

How many apps is too much for a Shopify store?

Shopify apps are great at improving functionality and style.

But they can also make stores slower.

This means longer loading times, poorer visitor experience, and lost sales.

Why? Because every Shopify app comes with its codes. And they need to load their resources every time they need to work.

Also, app conflicts reduce store performance. And they can cause many problems to a store theme even after you uninstall apps.

Therefore, when you install too many apps, you will lose shoppers due to the store’s poor performance. And it will be much harder to fix those issues.

While there’s no set number of apps you should install, evaluate and see which will maximize conversions.

How do I make my Shopify product page better?

The average conversion rates for eCommerce sites sit somewhere between 1%-3%.

Here's how to make your Shopify product pages convert more:

• Introduce the most crucial information above the fold.
• Use price anchoring to boost customer lifetime value
• Offer a stock meter to show available stocks for all sizes, colors, and variations
• Describe your product more with verbs than adjectives
• Offer a currency converter near the product price and shipping cost
• Use an expandable menu to show vital information
• Offer a how to use/care instructions after the product description
• Use a simple color block and easily understood icons to convey crucial information
• Prioritize the “write a review” and “wishlist” features right at the top

‍Ready to Increase your Shopify Product Page Conversions?

Most Shopify store owners make these mistakes.

However, there can be other reasons why Shopify store conversions may be suffering. 

A full site audit from the ground up can help you change tracks and give your Shopify product pages a much-needed refresh.