Hi. We’ve been going for nearly 18 months with Shopify and have had some success but it’s mainly local people who know us. I don’t feel our email funnels are right and definitely feel we’re missing something but there is just soo much to choose from and to look at we don’t know where to start. Thought about hiring a Shopify partner but we don’t have a lot of money right now.
We’ve placed some ads on Instagram with links back to Shopify but while we get views we don’t get sales. Looked at the automated campaigns but is this what we need? Any help would be very much appreciated. Based in Wales in the Uk.
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Hey @UpandDown It sounds like you’ve built a great local following already—huge win, because getting that first loyal base is often the hardest part. When it comes to email funnels and ads, I totally get how overwhelming the options can be (there’s so much noise out there).
Would it be okay to take a look at your shopify store?
If you want, happy to share some ideas on simple improvements you could try yourself before investing in any paid help.
Hi,
If you’re getting traffic but not seeing conversions, the key is to identify the root cause.
Here’s what I recommend as a starting point:
Understand Visitor Behavior:
- Google Analytics 4 - Track where your traffic is coming from and pinpoint which pages are causing visitors to drop off without converting.
- Hotjar - Use heatmaps and session recordings to see how users navigate your site. This can help uncover friction points or confusing layouts.
- User Testing - Ask friends, relatives, or use platforms like PickFu to get real feedback from people who resemble your target audience. Honest insights can reveal issues you might overlook.
Best regards,
Upsellise
Hi @UpandDown
Could you share the store URL for our further check? We can provide you with some feedback based on SEO and store performance on Google. Thank you!
Hi @UpandDown ,
I totally understand your situation. Have you ever considered about improving your post-purchase services and do some upsell activities to retain your customers? Many Shopify merchants overlook the upsell opportunities after customers purchase. But we can turn the one-time buyer into a repeated buyer or every loyal customer through marketing during your workflow.
Good shopping experiences bring your customers back again. I will suggest you give Parcel Panel Order Tracking a chance, as it will cost nothing to you and if you choose the free plan. An all-in-one post-purchase solution automatically syncs order data from Shopify and Carriers, then sends shipping notifications to your customers, which will really make your customers aware of every step in the delivery. Also, you can set up and design your shipping notifications, personalising the services.
For the upsell, what Parcel Panel helps will be promoting your product collections and increase sales in every shipping notification. As we know, every customer will check their order status for 4-6 times so it will be a great opportunity to trigger the buying interests.
Hope this information help and let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi @UpandDown ,
Thanks for sharing where you’re at. It is very common to start off strong with local customers, then hit a plateau when trying to grow beyond that, especially when there are so many tools and strategies out there.
You’re already on the right track by experimenting with Instagram ads and thinking about your email funnel. Here are a few focused suggestions that can help, even on a tight budget:
- Refine your email funnel for new visitors
- Add a welcome pop-up offering a small incentive for signups
- Set up a simple email sequence: a welcome message followed by one or two emails introducing your brand or highlighting a best seller
- Link directly to collections or featured products, not just your homepage
- Get more from your Instagram ads
- Focus on retargeting visitors who viewed products but did not buy
- Use customer photos or testimonials to build trust
- Try short videos that tell the story behind your products or show them in use
- Start with just a few essential automations
You do not need a complex setup to get results. Focus on:
- A welcome email flow for new subscribers
- An abandoned checkout reminder
- A win back email for people who have not purchased in a while
These flows are simple to set up and can make a big difference in converting more visitors.
Looking for an Easier Way to Get Started?
Retentionly – AI Email Marketing is beginner friendly with AI integration, so you can set up these email flows quickly without needing extra tools. You only pay for the emails you send, and the team sets up your automations for free, so nothing is left half done.
Need a hand? Just reach out via our live chat. We are happy to help!
Cheers,
Retentionly Team
If this helped, feel free to like or mark it as solved so others can find it too.
It sounds like you are at a point where many small businesses find themselves after the initial local traction. Growing beyond that often comes down to improving how you nurture and convert new visitors. If hiring a Shopify partner is not in the budget right now, you can start by focusing on fixing one thing at a time instead of trying to do everything at once.
A good place to start is with your email funnel. Instead of complex automation, begin with a simple welcome email for new subscribers and an abandoned cart recovery sequence. An app like Cartly Abandoned Cart Recovery by CareCart can help set up automated cart recovery emails or WhatsApp messages without needing a big budget. For your Instagram traffic, make sure your landing pages are clear and focused on one action, like signing up or making a purchase. Small steps like these can build momentum while keeping costs low.
Goodluck! 
i will advise you to run youtube ads and also make use of user generated content of your products
Hi there @UpandDown here are some general pieces of advice that could help
- Marketing wise, maybe you can consider putting more work into your SEO (this would improve you more even locally) and then maybe try paid ads on Tik Tok as well or instead of the IG ones for a while just incase running both simultaneously might be too expensive.
- Store quality: Optimize your store quality to the fullest by making sure there are well defined collections, customer reviews, an FAQs page, etc
- Lastly, set up subscription and reward programs for the benefit of the recurrent customers you currently have.
