10 product page mistakes that cost you sales

Most product pages lose buyers for simple reasons: a cost that appears too late, a question left open, a photo that hides the scale, a claim nobody believes. Here are ten common mistakes in the order a shopper meets them, each with a fix you can apply in your Shopify store.

What buyers see first

1. A title nobody would recognize

A brand-only name such as “The Aurora” tells a visitor nothing.

Fix: Keep the name if you like it, and add what the product is: “Aurora silver cross necklace.”

2. Photos that hide the scale

Shoppers cannot hold the product. A clean photo on white does not show whether a bag fits a laptop or a keyring.

Fix: Add one photo in use, or next to an everyday object, and one close-up of the material. Give each image descriptive alt text.

3. Variants without their own photo

A buyer picks “Forest green” and the main photo stays black. They cannot tell what they will receive.

Fix: Attach an image to each color or finish, and check that the photo changes when you switch variants.

4. A buy button buried on a phone

On a small screen, a long gallery or a promotional banner can push the price and the button far down the page.

Fix: Open the page on your own phone. You should see the product, the price and a clear next step with very little scrolling.

What buyers read next

5. Copied supplier text

The same paragraph can be found on other stores, and it answers none of your buyer’s questions.

Fix: Keep the facts and rewrite the rest using our method for product descriptions that sell.

6. Claims with nothing behind them

“Best quality on the market” gives a skeptical buyer nothing to check. Invented health or safety claims are worse: they can create legal problems as well as doubts.

Fix: Replace each adjective with a fact you can document. If you do not know a detail, ask your supplier or leave it out.

7. A compare-at price you never charged

Shopify’s compare-at price field is meant for the original price of a product, so your theme can show a sale. If the product was never sold at that price, the discount is not real, and some buyers will check.

Fix: Only use a compare-at price you genuinely charged. Otherwise show the normal price with confidence.

What makes buyers leave at the last moment

8. Shipping costs that only appear at checkout

This is the top listed reason for leaving in Baymard Institute’s cart abandonment research (page last updated September 22, 2025): among US shoppers who were not just browsing, 40% cited extra costs that were too high, and 12% could not see the total up front.

Fix: State costs and delivery times on the page, in a dropdown, and link to a clear shipping page. Make sure they match your rates in Shopify.

9. No word on returns

In the same Baymard list, 13% cited an unsatisfactory returns policy. A policy nobody can find raises the same doubt.

Fix: Say the time limit and who pays for the return next to the buy button, then link to your returns page.

10. Fake reviews and fake urgency

Invented reviews mislead buyers and can break the law. A countdown timer that restarts on every visit also loses trust once someone notices.

Fix: Show only reviews from real buyers, even if you have few. Our guide explains how to add real reviews to Shopify. Announce a deadline only if it is real.

A quick way to check your own pages

Pick your best-selling product and open it on your phone. Then answer these questions without scrolling back up, and without using anything you know as the owner:

• What is it, and who is it for?
• How big is it, and what is it made of?
• What will I pay in total, and when will it arrive?
• What happens if it does not work for me?

Any question you cannot answer from the page is the next thing to fix. Fixing these mistakes does not guarantee sales, but it removes reasons not to buy.

Starting from a complete page

Forgefont gives each product a dedicated template with dropdowns on every plan, and copies your prices, SKUs and stock exactly as you entered them. If you give us your terms, it also creates a Shipping and returns page. Compare the plans to see what each one includes.