How long does it take for an online shop to get off the ground? This varies from store to store, so there's no single answer.
The bar for judging that a shop has "gotten off the ground" also varies by store.
For example: - Consistently hitting a target sales figure - Sales trending steadily upward - Generating sales even with reduced working hours, and so on
This article explains concretely what you need to do to get your online shop off the ground. If you're a business owner struggling with a shop that hasn't taken off, compare these points against your own situation!
When Does an Online Shop Typically Take Off?
How long it takes for an online shop to generate stable sales depends on many factors — the products you carry, your industry, competitors, and the tactics you're skilled at — so there's no single answer.
A shop that ran social media before launching and already had some traction lined up for attracting customers may hit its sales target in the very first month. On the other hand, a shop launched without any prior preparation or marketing knowledge may fail to reach its target sales even after several years.
As a rule of thumb, if sales aren't rising as expected after about three months of operation, analyze data such as site visit numbers to identify where the shortfall is coming from, and work through the improvement steps one by one to get things moving.
5 Common Reasons Sales Stall
Here are possible reasons a shop fails to gain traction after launch. When investigating the cause, make use of data available in each platform's admin dashboard, such as site visitor numbers.
Low Site Traffic (Not Enough Customer Acquisition)
If your site gets few visitors, it means awareness of your shop or products is insufficient. This suggests an issue with your customer-acquisition efforts — SEO, ad management, social media marketing — so review each of these tactics.
The Site Is Hard to Use (UI/UX Issues)
One metric for judging whether a site is hard to use is conversion rate. Conversion rate shows the percentage of site visitors who complete a purchase.
A low conversion rate can stem from several factors: visitors can't find what they want on the site, the path to purchase is unclear, or the site is slow.
The Product's Appeal Isn't Coming Through
One reason purchases don't happen is that product photos or descriptions are insufficient to make someone think "I want this." Conversion rate is also a useful gauge here.
Issues with Payment or Shipping
Payment and shipping methods are also a deciding factor in purchases. Only accepting credit cards, or not accepting the customer's specific card, being unable to specify a delivery date, or high shipping fees can all cause someone who found a product they want to not complete the purchase.
Not Enough Repeat Customers
Along with acquiring new customers, gaining repeat customers is an important factor in getting an online shop off the ground. Implement measures that make customers want to come back, such as after-sales support and offering perks or points.
Strategies for Getting Your Online Shop Off the Ground
Boost the Appeal of Your Products and Shop
Enrich the Content That Conveys Your Products' Appeal
To convey your products' appeal to the fullest, both photos/videos and text are key. Create a page that moves users emotionally and makes them want to buy on the spot — using images that stay sharp when zoomed in and let people picture using the product, along with a relatable, appealing headline.
- Use high-resolution images shot from multiple angles:
- Provide images that let customers picture using the product
- Share the story behind the product, its maker, or the seller
- Include reviews and testimonials
Improve Your Site Design
For an online shop, site design, color scheme, and usability all significantly influence the decision to buy. Make sure your homepage makes it instantly clear what kind of shop it is.
Beyond design, site structure also matters — for example, whether the buy button is placed somewhere obvious, and whether visitors can quickly reach the page they want.
Objectively review your site design from the following angles.
- Make the buy button stand out
- Use a design and layout that's easy to use on smartphones too
- Simplify the purchase flow
Clarify What Differentiates You from Competitors
In most cases, similar competing products exist. Use photos and copy that clearly communicate "why you should buy this" and "what strengths this has that competitors' products don't." If the product itself doesn't differ much from competitors, differentiate through the seller's own story, such as "why buy from our shop."
Customer reviews are also a point of differentiation from competitors.
Run Customer-Acquisition Campaigns
An online shop won't generate sales unless more users visit the site. Customer-acquisition efforts are the single most important tactic, since they connect directly to sales. Because effective tactics vary by target audience, consider which acquisition methods suit your products best.
Boost Organic Search Traffic with SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) makes it easier for people searching for products on search engines to find your site. It's an important tactic for gaining stable traffic over the long term. There are many SEO tactics, so start with the ones easiest for your business to tackle.
- Set search keywords on product pages: research keywords customers are likely to search for, and work them into your product pages and blog posts. Placing keywords well makes it easier for users arriving via search to find your page.
- Share related information through blog posts: publishing blog content related to your products, or information relevant to your industry, helps improve how search engines rate your site. For example, for food products, sharing recipes or information about related cooking tools can help.
Other SEO tactics include improving page load speed and building backlinks.
The blog article below introduces the basics and benefits of SEO. Use it as a reference for your SEO efforts.
SEO Strategies You Can Use on Shopify: SEO Basics, Benefits, and Recommended SEO Apps
Make Use of Social Media Marketing
Social media is a powerful customer-acquisition tool for online shops. Depending on how you run it, you can achieve results without spending money. Here are some effective ways to use social media.
- Instagram's shopping feature: On Instagram, users can purchase products directly through the shopping feature. Post Stories and feed posts featuring product images, and tag products to create a path to purchase.
- Engage with customers: actively communicate with followers and people who leave comments. Making your shop a place where customers can directly ask questions or share requests also helps grow your fanbase.
- Collaborate with influencers: partnering with influencers to introduce your products makes it easier to reach your target audience. Influencer marketing tends to be relatively costly, and results vary depending on your industry, products, and how the influencer presents them, so proceed carefully.
The blog article below explains concrete examples, operating tips, and methods for e-commerce businesses to make the most of Instagram. Use it as a reference for running your Instagram account.
Drive Immediate Traffic with Online Ads
SEO and social media take time to show results, but advertising lets you attract customers in a relatively short period. Since this generally comes at a cost, monitor the cost-effectiveness as you go.
- Google Ads: use Google Ads targeting product pages or specific keywords to rank higher in search results.
- Instagram Ads: on Instagram, you can use photo or video ads to directly convey your products' appeal. These can be set up easily from the app, making them one of the more approachable ad formats to start with.
Create a Smooth Path to Purchase
Even with good traffic, a site that's hard to buy from won't generate sales. Make improvements so users can complete purchases smoothly.
Add More Payment Options
Offering a variety of payment methods naturally encourages users to complete a purchase. Here are several payment options to consider.
* Which payment methods you can add depends on your platform and the payment service provider you've contracted with.
- Credit cards: generally the most commonly used payment method, though it comes with processing fees for the seller. If credit card payments make up a large share of your sales, it's worth choosing a payment provider with lower fees.
- QR code payments: QR code payment is especially convenient for customers shopping on their smartphones. Services like LINE Pay and PayPay have seen growing adoption in recent years, so it's worth actively adopting them.
- Convenience store payment and cash on delivery: among customers who don't use credit cards, many prefer convenience store payment or cash on delivery. Depending on your target audience's characteristics, it's worth keeping a cash-based payment option available as well.
The blog article below summarizes the payment methods available on Shopify. Use it as a reference for expanding your payment options.
Simplify the Purchase Flow
If the steps to complete a purchase are complicated, more customers will leave items in their cart without finishing. Here are some ways to simplify the purchase flow.
- Offer guest checkout so customers can buy without creating an account
- Let customers jump straight to checkout in one click, without needing to go through steps like adding to cart
Make Shipping Costs and Delivery Information Clearer
When customers know the actual shipping cost and delivery timing before purchasing, they can complete their purchase with peace of mind.
- Clearly state shipping costs: unclear shipping costs can make customers hesitate to buy. Display shipping costs in a way that's immediately clear, either at the top of the page or within the product page. For example, clear wording like "Shipping: flat rate of ¥500 nationwide" or "Free shipping on orders over ¥10,000" removes uncertainty before purchase. If shipping costs vary by delivery region, state that clearly too, so users understand it up front.
- Real-time shipment tracking: providing a feature that lets customers check shipping status in real time gives them peace of mind. Make the progress from order to delivery visually trackable, so customers can see how their shipment is progressing. This reduces anxiety about the expected delivery date.
- Clear guidelines on returns and exchanges: clearly stating that returns or exchanges are possible if a problem arises after the product arrives increases customers' confidence in purchasing. Provide concise, easy-to-understand guidelines on your return policy and process, to reassure users who are still on the fence.
Make Customers Want to Come Back
Beyond acquiring new customers, gaining repeat customers is an important factor in getting your online shop off the ground. Increasing both the number of repeat customers and how often they return helps stabilize your sales.
Here are some example strategies for each.
Introduce a Points System or Membership Perks
Make use of a points system or membership perks that directly encourage the next purchase.
- Award points based on purchase amount
- Run special sales exclusive to members
- Offer special coupons, such as birthday coupons
The blog article below introduces the pros and cons of a points system. Use it as a reference when introducing one.
6 Shopify Points Apps: Pros and Cons of Introducing a Points Program
Increase Touchpoints with Customers via Email Newsletters and Official LINE Accounts
Regular communication is an important way to keep your shop top of mind for customers.
- Share recommended products and sale information
- Send follow-up emails on how to use the product after purchase
Enhance Customer Support
Attentive support before and after purchase not only encourages buying — it also builds trust in your site and helps turn customers into fans.
- Introduce chat support
- Build out your FAQ page
- Clearly state your return/exchange policy
Choosing an Easy-to-Use Platform Also Matters for Getting Your Online Shop Off the Ground
What matters most for getting your online shop off the ground is checking your data and running your business persistently. At the same time, choosing a platform that makes it easy to implement a variety of strategies is also an important factor in getting your shop off the ground.
Shopify, an e-commerce platform from Canada, makes analysis easy right from the admin dashboard, and lets you automate marketing efforts using a wide range of apps and features. With pricing plans suited to stores of any size, from large enterprises to individual businesses, it's a platform we can recommend to businesses across a wide range of industries.
For more details on running a store with Shopify, see the article below.
