Full 100% Bounce Rate, 00 Avg. Time Session

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A user is experiencing an unusual analytics issue with a newly launched Shopify store selling eBooks/PDFs. Despite achieving strong ad performance metrics (4% outbound CTR and good CPCs), Google Analytics shows a complete lack of engagement:

The Problem:

  • 100% bounce rate across all traffic
  • 0 seconds average session time
  • No recorded activity whatsoever, even for legitimate traffic from targeted countries (UK, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands)

Troubleshooting Steps Taken:

  • Refined audience targeting with similar results
  • Ruled out bot traffic based on geographic sources
  • Discovered the store owner hadn’t paid the €1 Shopify trial due to a card issue (now fixed)

Next Steps:

  • Planning to test by directing traffic to the homepage instead of landing page
  • Considering advising the client to abandon the project if issues persist

The user is seeking advice, noting this is unprecedented in their experience managing multiple Shopify stores.

Summarized with AI on November 3. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hey guys & girls,

I’ve been working with e-commerce and lead generation for a few years now. Recently, a friend asked for help setting up a store to sell eBooks/PDFs online.

I started running ads, and on the first day, I got great CTRs (4% outbound CTR), driving traffic to the landing page, but… no activity at all, not even a 1 sec session.

It seemed odd, so I refined the audience to make it more granular. Again, I got great CTRs and CPCs, but high CPMs (new ad account), and still—100% bounce rate, 0 seconds average session time.

Turns out, she hadn’t paid the €1 Shopify trial due to a card issue. I’ve fixed that now, but I’m not sure if it was the cause. Tomorrow, I’ll send traffic to the homepage and see what happens.

Any tips? If it doesn’t work, I’ll probably tell her to drop it. These aren’t bot crawlers either—the traffic is coming from the targeted countries (UK, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands), so I’m stumped.
I have other shopify stores, never ever have I seen this. 100% bounce rate?

Thanks!