Sales or rather the lack of them

[Robbie57]

I think I have a lovely store. I have many, many likes and loves in my Facebook groups. I have spent a small fortune on ads. I just don't get visitors or sales. What am I doing wrong. I have Fiverr freelancers helping due to my inexperience and lack of understanding around tech and terminology.

I would appreciate some help and or advice to help me, please? absolutely-pets.co 

[PaulNewton]

Hi @Robbie57 👋 nothing replaces experience in this situation except truckloads of money.

The first step is self-awareness of how much a cliche this is, setting up a store and thinking it looks good guarantees nothing, nor does  adspend, or following arbitrary checklists, or some guru-course etc etc etc.

Many first timers treat ecom as guaranteed or are surprised when throwing money at marketing doesn't work.

Current assumptions and expectations are not working, the climb to out of that trap is gonna be expensive requiring experience or lots of money to maybe one day have a slim chance of success.

⛏🏔DIG and research every other merchant falling into these traps to find the patterns to get out of the self-inflicted traps:

https://community.shopify.com/c/forums/searchpage/tab/message?q=no%20sales&collapse_discussion=true 

Ignore glossy solutions that create busy work but solve none of the fundamental business problems.

[DaisyVo]

Hi @Robbie57 

I’ve gone through your case carefully, and I totally get how frustrating it can be to put in so much effort—getting likes, spending on ads, and even hiring help—yet still not seeing sales. Let’s break this down and figure out where things might be going wrong.

1. Traffic vs. Sales Issue

From what you’ve shared, it sounds like you're getting engagement (likes and loves) but not conversions. This usually means:

• The wrong audience is seeing your ads (they like your products but aren’t actual buyers).
• Your website might not be converting visitors effectively.

Let’s tackle both.

2. Are You Targeting the Right Audience?

Likes on Facebook don't always translate into sales because people may just be reacting to a cute product without intending to buy. Here’s what you can check:

• Ad Targeting – Are your ads reaching pet owners who actually buy online? Facebook and Instagram allow detailed targeting (age, location, interests, behaviors). Try narrowing it down to engaged shoppers or people who’ve interacted with similar stores.
• Lookalike Audiences – If you’ve had even a few customers, create a lookalike audience based on them. This helps Facebook show your ads to people similar to your actual buyers.
• Retargeting – Are you running retargeting ads for visitors who left without purchasing? Many first-time visitors don’t buy right away, so retargeting brings them back.

3. Website Experience – Is It Converting?

Even if your targeting is perfect, your website needs to be easy to use and trustworthy. Here’s what you should check on absolutely-pets.co:

• Mobile Optimization – The majority of visitors shop on their phones. Does your site load fast and display well on mobile? Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check.
• Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs) – Is it easy for visitors to know what to do next? Make sure your "Add to Cart" or "Buy Now" buttons stand out and are placed clearly.
• Trust Signals – Do you have customer reviews, trust badges, and secure payment icons? People hesitate to buy from new stores without social proof.
• Product Pages – Do your product descriptions clearly highlight benefits? Instead of just features, explain why a pet owner needs your product.

4. Is Fiverr Help Actually Helping?

Freelancers are great, but if they don’t deeply understand eCommerce and conversion strategies, they might be missing key issues. Ask yourself:

• Are they running data-driven ads, or just generic ones?
• Are they optimizing your store’s conversion rate, or just designing a pretty site?
• Have they provided detailed reports on ad performance? (Check Facebook Ads Manager for cost-per-click (CPC), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS)).

5. What You Can Do Next

1. Check your Facebook ad targeting – Make sure you're hitting people who actually buy, not just engage.
2. Analyze website traffic behavior – Use Google Analytics or Shopify analytics to see where visitors drop off. If they leave without adding to the cart, something needs fixing.
3. Improve product page optimization – Better descriptions, more urgency (e.g., "Limited stock"), and trust-building elements.
4. Run retargeting ads – Bring back visitors who didn’t purchase.
5. Consider influencer marketing – Micro-influencers (pet owners with engaged followers) can drive real, buying traffic.

Final Thoughts

You’re clearly passionate about your store, and that’s a great start! The key now is fixing your ad targeting and conversion rate so visitors actually turn into buyers. Don’t give up—this is all part of the learning curve in eCommerce.

If you need any other assistance, feel free to ask, and I will try my best to support you.
Best regards,
Daisy.