Before You Run Ads, Fix These 5 Things on Your Shopify Store

29 Jan 2026 · ConversionAB Team

Person analyzing marketing strategy on laptop

Running ads can bring traffic fast.

Facebook ads, Google ads, Instagram ads — they can send hundreds or even thousands of visitors to your Shopify store.

But here’s the truth:

If your store isn’t ready, ads will just waste your money.

Traffic alone does not create sales. Your website experience does.

Before you spend money on ads, fix these five important areas first.

1. Clear Value Proposition

When someone clicks your ad and lands on your store, they should immediately understand:

  • What you sell
  • Who it’s for
  • Why it’s better than competitors

If your homepage just shows random products without explanation, visitors feel confused.

How to fix it:

  • Add a strong headline at the top of your homepage
  • Use a short sentence explaining the main benefit
  • Include a clear “Shop Now” button

Example:

“Eco-Friendly Water Bottles That Keep Drinks Cold for 24 Hours.”

This immediately tells visitors what you sell and why it matters.

Clarity increases confidence. Confidence increases sales.

2. Mobile-Friendly Layout

Most ad traffic comes from mobile users.

If your store works perfectly on desktop but looks messy on phone, you will lose money.

Check your store on your phone and ask:

  • Is the text easy to read?
  • Are buttons easy to tap?
  • Is the Add to Cart button visible?
  • Does checkout feel smooth?

Fix common mobile problems:

  • Increase button sizes
  • Reduce long text blocks
  • Remove overlapping images
  • Make sure forms are easy to fill

If customers struggle even slightly, they will leave.

3. Strong Product Pages

Ads bring people to your product page. That page must convince them to buy.

Your product page should include:

  • High-quality images (multiple angles)
  • Clear product title
  • Strong description focused on benefits
  • Visible price
  • Clear Add to Cart button
  • Shipping information
  • Return policy summary

Many stores make the mistake of writing very short or generic descriptions.

Don’t just list features. Explain how the product improves the customer’s life.

Remove doubt. Answer questions before they are asked.

4. Reviews and Social Proof

When running ads, many visitors are seeing your brand for the first time.

They don’t know you. They don’t trust you yet.

Reviews help build that trust.

Add:

  • Star ratings under product titles
  • Customer testimonials
  • Photo reviews (if possible)

If you don’t have reviews yet, try to collect feedback from early customers.

Even a few honest reviews can improve conversion rates.

5. Smooth and Simple Checkout

Many sales are lost at checkout.

Common problems include:

  • Too many form fields
  • Forced account creation
  • Hidden shipping costs
  • Confusing steps

Improve checkout by:

  • Enabling guest checkout
  • Showing shipping costs clearly
  • Adding secure payment badges
  • Keeping the process short

Before running ads, go through checkout yourself on both desktop and mobile.

If it feels slow or complicated, fix it first.

Bonus: Check Your Speed

Ads send traffic instantly.

If your store loads slowly, visitors will leave before they even see your product.

Improve speed by:

  • Removing unused apps
  • Compressing images
  • Avoiding heavy homepage videos

Speed directly affects how much you earn from ads.

Final Thoughts

Running ads before fixing your store is like pouring water into a leaking bucket.

You may get traffic, but conversions will stay low.

Before spending money on ads, make sure your store:

  • Has clear messaging
  • Works perfectly on mobile
  • Has strong product pages
  • Shows reviews
  • Has a smooth checkout
  • Loads quickly

When your store is ready, ads become powerful.

Fix the foundation first. Then scale with confidence.