High Website Traffic but Low Sales? 7 Things You’re Probably Doing Wrong

Intro

So you’ve got a “high-traffic-low-sales” problem?

That’s commonly a gigantic issue for e-commerce owners. And only few really know how to tackle it.

Let’s assume you’re one of those 78% salespeople who use social media (linked to their websites, for sure) and outsell their peers.

Looks like you’ve managed to “trick” people into coming to your online store. Your website traffic is satisfactory or may be even increasing daily. But somehow, your site fails to convert it into leads & sales.

What can be wrong and what to do about low sales?

Let’s confess: we all make mistakes. It may be an eye-opening and rather unpleasant truth, but most likely, you’re doing something with your web shop not the way you’re supposed to.

See what mistakes cause the hardest damage to your e-commerce business and prevent you from selling more.

Tons of Traffic but Tiny Sales? Here’s What Might Be Going Wrong

Frankly speaking, there are myriads of aspects that impact the lead generation process and decrease conversion rates even with the highest traffic.

But among them, there are 7 deadly things that can hurt your sales drastically.

Ready to dive into those and tackle all of them?

1. Your ads lead to wrong web pages

Here’s how a precisely-aimed advertisement works normally. For example, a Facebook ad allures users to the book. If they click on it, they’ll get right to the exact page with an offer to download this book.

How to tackle this:

Clarify whether you direct your ad viewers to the proper page that fits your marketing campaign.

Recheck your ad strategy and create multiple ads in your Ad group.

2. Your website is loading like forever

Have you heard of the “up-to-3-second rule”?

It’s high time we should talk about the psychology of webpage loading speed. Every e-seller runs into the same issue—dealing with impatient users in a world where convenience is king. Take Premier League tickets, for example. When someone’s buying tickets online for a big match, they expect the process to be fast and seamless. If the page lags or takes too long to load, there’s a good chance they’ll abandon the purchase altogether. The longer your page takes, the more likely users are to bounce.

The probability of leaving your site increases in direct proportion to the number of seconds it takes for a page to fully load.

Image Source

In the case of mobile consumers, for example, 53% of users abandon the visit, if the site takes over 3 seconds to get loaded.

How to get faster loading times and keep your potential clients in your e-store:

• Optimize and compress visuals
• Enable web page and browser caching
• Use a content delivery network
• Eliminate irrelevant redirects
• Remove redundant plugins and themes
• Minify your website’s HTML, CSS & JavaScript

After all, go with a managed web hosting solution with a performance-focused approach. According to Andrew Bates, COO at Bates Electric, these services often include built-in optimization features, automatic updates, and expert support—saving you time and technical headaches. They’re designed to handle traffic spikes without compromising speed, which is crucial during sales or promotions. Plus, many managed hosts offer security enhancements that keep your website protected while maintaining peak performance.

3. Your product pages lack info

It concerns the following info: product & service descriptions, visual & audio materials for better product overview, feedback from other shoppers, etc.

Descriptions that consist of only one word do no good. A single-word description doesn’t give your visitors the slightest idea about the item’s qualities, advantages and other specifications.

How to achieve completeness in describing your items:

The screenshot below illustrates Buttoned Down’s product page. They indicate availability, rating, color, size (with the “true to size” section), share images and offer a size chart with other valuable specifics about the shirt.

Take advantage of some must-try tips on how to write powerful product and service description.

4. You’re not using the shape, space & color psychology in design

Over to psychology again.

Psychology of shape

What if we told you that some shapes build more trust than others? Check what your fonts and shapes tell your customers.

Psychology of space

Does everything fit well into your page’s layout and esthetics?

Non-conformism between blank and occupied space on the page creates an impression of chaos. Visitors may also feel uneasy and overwhelmed. Look at this page to experience it yourself.

Psychology of color

What color are your call-to-action (CTA) buttons?

According to the button color A/B test, a red call-to-action button has a greater impact on conversions. It outperformed the green one by 21%.

How to turn your web store traffic into profits with the psychology of shapes, spaces and colors:

• Use white space to influence the mood and shopping behavior of your clients
• Structure your content according to web reading patterns and scan paths
• Try the concept of minimalism in your conversion-oriented design
• Reconsider your site or logo design

But don’t hurry with a total redesign though. Note that rebranding failures may cost you a lot.

5. Your pop-ups or labyrinth-like website scare people away

Inappropriate and annoying pop-ups can irritate your customers. Not to mention that too many of them can actually slow down your mobile SEO.

And to crown it all, visitors may be constantly getting lost in your website and receive an unpleasant user experience, if you’ve got an inconsistent site menu or incomprehensible navigation.

As Fineas Tatar, Co-CEO at Viva, puts it, a significant factor contributing to high website traffic without corresponding sales is often a disconnect in the user experience. Even if you successfully attract visitors to your site, if their journey is delayed with slow loading times and confused with unclear navigation or a lack of intuitive design, they are unlikely to convert. Ensuring a smooth and user-friendly experience from the moment a visitor lands on your page is crucial for transforming traffic into tangible results.

How to use pop-ups and deal with a puzzling navigation structure:

Pop-up best practices may help you get a clue on how to use these types of messages wisely.

6. You’re not calling to action properly

We’ve talked about the color of CTAs above, and now let’s move on to the text you choose for those.

How to do it effectively:

Don’t be afraid to ask. Asking isn’t a crime. Use clear instructions/requests in your calls-to-action. Get straight to the point, sound impactful and urgent with the so-called “strong” words: order, buy, extra, now, save, hurry, today, new, more and similar words that convert.

Checking Walmart’s website, for instance, you’ll notice that they use the words shop, now, free and save, among others, quite often.

Additionally, grab 189 powerful words and 16 tips on how to write a highly-converting CTA.

7. Your policies are confusing

Do you have a distinct money-back policy? Do you explain your shipping conditions, for example?

Ambiguous policies may dissuade your site visitors from buying.

How to get the most from policies:

Again: laconism and clarity.

For example, have a good look at the bottom of H&M’s page. Everything is ready at hand and well-structured.

Now You can Have Both: High Traffic + High Sales

The article has listed a handful of possible “wrongdoings” with your website that provoke sales dropping even with skyrocketed traffic.

Now that you know how to avoid these mistakes and handle the trickiest website problems, you’ll definitely want to reconsider some online business basics. By doing so, you can increase your return on investments.Also, consider contracting or hiring professionals such as website optimizers or business analysts that can help you take your business to the next level.

Which of the things above have you fixed already? And which of them are (were) the hardest to cope with?

Share with us in the comments below.