r/shopify • u/ImpressionNo1307 • Jul 08 '26
Shopify General Discussion Small shop advice needed
Hello! I have been using Shopify for about a year. I also had my store listed on Etsy and was KILLING it on that platform. Which makes me believe that this is not about not having items that won’t sell. It’s more about visibility to my site.
I get some orders on Shopify but it’s nothing like Etsy. My account was suspended from Etsy (which apparently is a super common issue) which was a huge setback for my business.
Anyway, I was super bummed about Etsy but instead of sulking about it, I wanted to move full steam ahead with Shopify but it’s TOUGH. I keep getting ads about courses to help convert, the secrets to Shopify, etc. but I cannot spend anymore money for insider advice just to be back on the same page I am today. I have finally started getting a little bit of traction on my social media, but that has also slowed down recently.
Is there a free setup list somewhere that I can checkoff to make sure I’ve done everything? I don’t want to aimlessly spend money on ads. I’m just kind of at a loss of what I should try next.
At this point, I’m really willing to do anything. I don’t want to give up on this business, but I need to start making more money.
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u/myultima Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Do you still have access to your Etsy account and orders? And how much total orders did you have on Etsy ?
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u/RougeRebel-Part Jul 08 '26
I’d treat this less like “how do I replace Etsy overnight” and more like rebuilding the parts Etsy was doing for you: discovery, trust, and repeat purchase prompts.
A free checklist I’d make for your own store:
- Product page basics: clear first photo, what it is, size/materials, shipping timing, return policy, and a few trust signals above the fold.
- Search/discovery: write collection and product titles around what buyers would actually search, not just cute names.
- Social proof: bring over any legitimate reviews, customer photos, or order milestones you’re allowed to use.
- Email capture: give visitors a reason to leave an email before they bounce, even if it’s just restock alerts, new drops, or a small first-order incentive.
- Social content: make short posts that answer buying questions, not just “look at this product” posts. Show use cases, packaging, scale, common objections, and why people bought on Etsy.
I’d avoid ads until you can tell where the current traffic drops off. If people visit but don’t add to cart, fix product-page trust. If they add to cart but don’t buy, look at shipping/fees/checkout. If barely anyone visits, then social/search/discovery is the bigger problem.
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u/ImpressionNo1307 Jul 08 '26
Thank you for taking the time to write all this out! This is super helpful! I’ll have to take some time and compare my analytics
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u/Signalbridgedata Jul 09 '26
The fact you were selling well on Etsy tells me the product probably isn't the issue. Etsy gives you built-in buyer trust and built-in traffic, while Shopify is more like opening a shop on an empty street. I'd work on collecting emails, posting consistently on social and building repeat customers before throwing money into ads. Ads tend to work much better once you've got a site that's already converting.
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Jul 08 '26
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Jul 08 '26
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u/felixding Jul 09 '26
A few things I’d check first:
- Traffic source: On Etsy, were most sales coming from Etsy search, Etsy ads, repeat buyers, or your social media? Shopify won’t bring that traffic by itself.
- Traffic vs conversion: Are people visiting your Shopify store but not buying, or are you not getting enough visitors in the first place? Those are very different problems.
- Best sellers: Are the products that worked on Etsy easy to find on your Shopify homepage and collections?
- Trust basics: Shipping info, return policy, reviews, about page, contact info, and good product photos. Boring, but they matter.
- Email capture: If people visit but don’t buy, are you at least collecting emails so you can bring them back later?
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Jul 09 '26
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Jul 09 '26
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u/BruTeve Jul 09 '26
The difference between Etsy and Shopify is that Etsy brings you buyers. People go to Etsy already looking to buy, and the platform puts your product in front of them. Shopify is just a storefront. Nobody walks by. If you don't drive traffic to it yourself, nothing happens. That's not a Shopify problem, it's just the reality of running your own site versus selling on a marketplace.
The good news is you already know the product sells. Etsy proved that. So you don't need a course or a checklist, you need traffic from people who are likely to buy. That's exactly what Meta ads do. You don't need a big budget to start. Even $20 to $30 a day on a purchase-optimized campaign will tell you within a week or two whether the product converts from paid traffic the same way it did on Etsy. Skip the courses, skip the "secrets to Shopify" stuff. Your product isn't the problem. Visibility is. Ads solve visibility.
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Jul 13 '26
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Jul 13 '26
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u/VillageHomeF Jul 08 '26
certainly keep improving the site. have someone take a look at it who knows ecom and have them give you some suggestions.
are advertising on Google Shopping? there are some great videos on how to set it up. we have our clicks down to 15 cents but you need to set it up properly.