Running an online shop means you're always thinking about one thing: getting visitors to make a purchase. You’ve done the hard part by building your shop, uploading products, and attracting prospective buyers. But getting traffic to your online shop is only half the battle. The real challenge is turning browsers into buyers.
If your shop’s conversion rate feels low, you’re not alone. Every indie maker hits that moment where traffic looks good, but the sales are low. The good news? You don’t need a massive budget or a fancy redesign to fix it. Small, thoughtful improvements can make a big difference in how many website visitors hit that “buy” button.
Think of conversion optimization as fine-tuning your shop to work smarter, not harder. You’re removing roadblocks, building trust, and making the shopping experience feel easy.
Whether you’re new to selling online or looking to squeeze more results from the audience you already have, these 10 practical tactics will help you increase online sales without breaking the bank or burning yourself out with complicated strategies.
Understanding conversion rates for online shops
Before diving into the tactics, let's get clear on what a conversion rate is and why it matters so much for small, independent shops. When you know your conversion rate, you can measure what’s working, spot opportunities for improvement, and celebrate progress over time.
Your conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as:
- Completing an online purchase
- Adding products to a cart or wishlist
- Signing up for your newsletter
- Filling out a contact form
A typical conversion rate for small, independent online shops ranges from 1% to 3%. While that may seem like a small percentage, even a slight improvement can lead to a noticeable increase in sales.
How to calculate your conversion rate
In order to improve your conversion rate, you need to know where you’re starting from. Your conversion rate tracks how many of your visitors are taking the action you want, which for most ecommerce shops is making a purchase.
Here’s the simple formula:
Conversion rate = (number of sales ÷ number of visitors) x 100
For example, if you had 100 sales last month and 5,000 visitors, your conversion rate is 2%. For every 100 visitors to your shop, 2 of them converted into customers.
You can find these numbers in your Big Cartel dashboard or by using tools like Google Analytics. These platforms will automatically calculate your conversion rate, but it’s also helpful to understand the math behind it.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Compare like with like. Review the same time period for both sales and visitors, whether that’s monthly or quarterly.
- Don’t panic over small numbers. If you’re new or only getting a few hundred visits to your website each month, small changes, like one extra sale, can make your rate jump up or down
- Track over time. Your goal is progress—a 0.5% increase means your shop is converting better than before
Once you know your baseline, you’ll be able to measure the impact of each change you make, such as updating your photos, streamlining checkout, or improving your calls to action.
Now that you know what a conversion rate is and how to calculate it, it’s time to look into ways to increase that number. Improving your conversion rate does not mean overhauling your entire online shop. Instead, you want to make small, smart changes to help more visitors feel confident in buying from you.
Let’s dive into the tactics to help boost conversion rates, starting with your checkout process.
1. Simplify your checkout process
Nothing kills a sale faster than a complicated checkout process. When you're ready to buy, you want it to be quick and painless.
Keep your checkout to only the essential information. Ask for name, email, shipping address, and payment info. That's it. Don't require account creation upfront (let customers check out as guests), and avoid asking for unnecessary information, such as phone numbers, unless you actually need it.
Consider offering multiple payment options as well. Digital wallets like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay can significantly speed up the process since customers don't need to manually enter their card details.
Set up your checkout process to be as streamlined as possible—every extra step is another chance for customers to change their minds. Try running through your own checkout on your phone. If it takes more than a minute or feels frustrating, your customers are likely feeling the same.
2. Make your store mobile-first
More than 1.65 billion customers are shopping on their phones in 2025, and if your store doesn’t display nicely on mobile, you are losing sales.
Mobile-first design means thinking about the user experience on a smartphone before the desktop experience. All BigCartel themes are designed to be mobile-friendly out of the box, but it’s still recommended to test your store on your own phone regularly, especially if you’ve done any advanced customizations to your theme.
When viewing your online shop from a smartphone, pay attention to:
- Are the product images crisp and easy to zoom in on
- Is the text readable without squinting
- Are buttons thumb-friendly (not tiny targets that are impossible to tap)
If you're feeling frustrated using your own store on your smartphone, imagine how your customers feel.
Pro tip: Ask a friend to buy something from your shop on their phone. Watch where they hesitate—that’s where you can improve.
3. Sharpen your product pages
Your product pages are your digital salespeople—they need to do the convincing when you're not there.
- Use high-quality photos. Show your products from multiple angles, include detail shots, and if possible, show products in use. People buy with their eyes first, especially online, where they can't touch or try before making a purchase.
- Write clear, detailed descriptions. Your product descriptions should answer the questions customers have. What's the size? What's it made of? How does it fit or work? Go beyond features and explain the benefits. Instead of "100% cotton," try "soft, breathable cotton that gets more comfortable with every wash."
Good product pages don't just inform, they convert. When you nail the visuals and description copy, you're giving customers everything they need to feel confident buying from you.
4. Add trust builders
Customer reviews are huge when building trust with potential customers. Even if you're just starting out, you can encourage early customers to leave reviews by including a thank-you card in your packages, inviting them to leave feedback or tag you on social media. Keep in mind that authentic reviews (including some that aren't perfect 5-stars) will build more credibility than pages and pages of glowing 5-star testimonials.
Be transparent about your shop policies by providing clear, easy-to-find information about shipping, returns, and customer service. Include your contact information prominently—a phone number or email address shows you're a real business with real people behind it.
Display security badges and payment logos on your checkout page or footer to show your site is secure and accepts trusted payment methods.
All these help to build trust with first-time customers, making them feel confident when buying from your online shop.
5. Tighten your Call-to-Action (CTA)
Your call-to-action buttons are designed to guide buyers to the next step, making them impossible to miss and irresistible for customers who are ready to buy.
Use action words that create urgency, such as "Shop Now," "Get Yours," or "Add to Cart." Avoid passive or vague language like "Click Here" or "Learn More" when you want people to take action.
Make your buttons stand out visually by using contrasting colors that pop against your site's background. Make them large enough to be easily clickable on mobile devices.
If someone's on a product page, your primary call to action should be to add to cart, not to sign up for your newsletter or follow you on social media. Avoid overwhelming visitors with too many calls-to-action on a single page, which lowers your conversion rate.
Not sure which button text works best? Swap it for a week or two and track clicks—sometimes one word tweak makes all the difference.
6. Recover lost carts
Cart abandonments are a fact of ecommerce stores, but that doesn't mean those potential sales are lost forever. You can use abandoned cart recovery tools to automatically email customers who add items to their cart but don't complete the purchase. These emails should be helpful, not pushy. Remind them what they left behind, maybe offer to answer questions, and make it easy to complete their purchase with one click.
Consider offering a small discount in your follow-up emails, but don't make it your first move—some customers just need a gentle reminder.
7. Highlight your best-sellers
Create a "best-sellers" or "customer favorites" section high up on your homepage. This not only helps with conversion rate optimization but also makes shopping easier for customers who might be overwhelmed by choices.
Use phrases like "popular choice" or "customer favorite" on individual product pages to give potential customers that extra nudge toward a purchase. When customers see that other people are buying and loving certain products, they're more likely to want them too.
8. Offer limited-time deals
Urgency drives action, but it has to be genuine. Flash sales, seasonal promotions, or limited inventory messaging can encourage customers to buy now instead of thinking about it later. Keep promotions simple and clear. "20% off this weekend only" is better than complicated tiered discounts that confuse more than they convince.
The key is authenticity—if you say a sale ends Friday, it needs to end Friday. If you show limited stock, it should be really limited. If you only make 20 prints of a design, say so—scarcity happens naturally for indie shops where products are not mass-produced.
Customers can smell fake urgency from a mile away, and it damages trust. Think about it: if your sale 'ends tonight' three nights in a row, why would anyone believe your next promotion? Worse, why would they trust other claims you make about your products?
Stick to real deadlines and actual inventory numbers. It might mean fewer impulse buys in the short term, but you'll build lasting customer relationships that pay off way more over time.
9. Test, track, and tweak
Improving your online store conversion rate isn't a one-and-done task but an ongoing process.
- Pay attention to your analytics. Which pages have the highest bounce rates? Where do people drop off in your checkout process? What products are viewed most but purchased least?
- Test different approaches. Try different button colors, product descriptions, or page layouts. Change one thing at a time so you know what's making a difference.
- Get feedback from customers. Simple surveys or feedback forms can reveal why people aren't buying and what would make them more likely to purchase.
The best part? You don't need to be a data scientist to do this well. Start with one small change, watch what happens, and build from there. Every test teaches you something about your customers, and that knowledge compounds over time. You can check your conversion rate in Google Analytics or your Big Cartel dashboard to see how many visitors are converting into customers.
10. Keep it Indie
As an independent business, you have advantages that big retailers don't. Use them.
- Tell your story. Customers want to know who they're buying from and why you started your business. Personal connection drives loyalty and can justify higher prices than mass-market alternatives.
- Offer personal touches. Handwritten thank-you notes, custom packaging, or personal email responses show customers they're dealing with real people who care about their experience.
- Be responsive and flexible. If a customer has a special request or question, you can often accommodate them in ways that larger companies simply can't. This level of service becomes a competitive advantage that can significantly boost e-commerce sales.
Your small business size is your superpower, not a limitation. While big retailers are optimizing algorithms, you're building actual relationships with customers. That human touch is something customers actively seek out and are willing to pay more for, so lean into what makes your shop uniquely yours.
FAQs about boosting e-commerce sales
Now that you’ve got the tactics, let’s clear up some frequently asked questions. These questions come up often for independent makers and small brands, whether you’re just starting out or fine-tuning your existing shop.
What is a “good” conversion rate for indie shops and small brands?
Most small online shops convert between 1% and 3% of visitors into buyers, but what’s considered “good” depends on your products, pricing, and audience.
Higher-priced or niche products tend to have a lower conversion rate vs lower-priced, impulse-friendly items that convert higher. What really matters is improving your own baseline over time instead of comparing your shop to others.
How long should I test changes in my shop for?
It’s recommended to give each change at least two to four weeks before you evaluate results. This timeframe gives you enough traffic and data to see what’s working (or not working).
It’s important to make only one major change at a time (such as a new product photo layout or button color) so you know exactly what caused the difference. Keep a simple log or spreadsheet of what you changed and when. Conversion rate optimization is all about small experiments leading toward long-term growth.
What’s the difference between traffic and conversion?
- Traffic is how many people visit your online shop
- Conversion is how many of those visitors take action by making a purchase
While getting more traffic to your site is great, it doesn’t guarantee more sales. That is where optimizing your shop for conversions comes in.
Why are so many users abandoning their carts?
Cart abandonment is common across all online shops, from small independent shop owners selling their handmade goods to giants like Amazon and Walmart, who sell everything under the sun. Shoppers might be comparing prices, waiting for payday, or simply getting distracted mid-checkout. But sometimes, the checkout process itself gets in their way. There might be too many form fields, unexpected shipping costs, or limited payment options that can cause potential buyers to abandon their carts.
Should I focus on increasing traffic or making existing visitors more likely to buy?
If you already have a steady flow of website visitors, start with conversion first. However, if traffic to your website is low, consider different traffic boosting options to help drive more visitors before you spend time improving conversions.
Once your shop is consistently turning visitors into buyers, you can then start scaling with marketing, SEO, or social ads.
Start converting more visitors today
Improving your conversion rate doesn't require a complete store overhaul or choosing a new shop theme. Pick one or two of these tactics that resonate most with your current challenges and start there.
Remember, small improvements compound over time. 0.15% increase in conversion rate might not sound like much, but over hundreds of visitors, it adds up to real money in your pocket.
The most successful online shops never stop experimenting and optimizing. They're always testing, always improving, and always putting their customers' needs first. Start with these e-commerce conversion tips, but don't stop here—keep learning what works for your unique business and customers. You’ve got this!