Product pages are perhaps *the single most important page* on your Shopify store – but in my experience, it’s also where I see the least amount of effort… and the most missed opportunity.
Your product page is where buying decisions actually happen, so it needs to do some heavy lifting. When you optimise it properly, you give yourself a serious advantage – you remove friction, build trust, and make it incredibly easy for customers to say “yes.”
The goal? To give visitors to your site ZERO excuses not to buy!
Below are 9 of the most common mistakes I see on product pages – and exactly how I’d fix them. Once you’ve read through, take a few minutes to review your own store and spot where you could improve.
And if you want a second pair of eyes, join my community or get in touch to chat about one-to-one support.
1. Weak or low-quality product imagery
I get it – investing in photography can feel like a big effort (and expense), especially early on. But it’s one of the highest-impact improvements you can make. Strong imagery instantly makes your store look more professional, trustworthy, and appealing.
In many cases, it’s what sells the product before anyone has even read a single word.
If you’re shooting content yourself, use clean, neutral backgrounds for your core product shots so nothing distracts from the product. From there, build out a mix of imagery:
- Clear cut-out shots
- Lifestyle images showing the product in use
- Close-ups that highlight texture, quality, and details
There’s no perfect number of images, but bear in mind that once you get beyond 10, most users won’t scroll through everything.
A good rule of thumb is that every image should add something new. A different angle, a new use case, or extra detail – taking care to avoid unnecessary repetition.
Think about what your customer needs to see to feel confident buying. If you’re selling something like a bag, don’t just show the outside – show the inside, the lining, the compartments. Missing visual information creates doubt, and doubt kills conversions.
A trend worth noting is that many brands are now leading with lifestyle imagery over traditional cut-outs. This helps customers immediately visualise the product in their own lives, so definitely something worth testing.
If your product requires a bit more explanation, you can also experiment with imagery that includes supporting text – highlighting key features or benefits directly on the image.
↑ Bay’s Kitchen uses clear, benefit-led text overlays on their imagery to communicate key product information at a glance.
That said, if you’re in a category like fashion, great photography will often do most of the talking for you – so it’s important to think about your specific niche and the type of imagery that will show your products in the best possible light.
2. Poorly structured content
This is probably one of the most common mistakes I see small business owners make. 😬
You’ve got all the right information about your product – which is great – but it’s often dumped into one long, overwhelming wall of text… and that’s where things go wrong.
You have to think like a customer. When someone lands on your page, they’re scanning quickly, not sitting down to read. A huge block of text can feel overwhelming, and in many cases, people will simply skip it altogether.
The way your content is presented directly affects how your brand is perceived. If the page feels chaotic or messy, it subconsciously makes the product – and the brand – feel less professional and less trustworthy.
A simple fix here is structure.
I’d recommend that all brands look at organising their product information into tabs or accordion-style dropdowns.
Then, break everything else into clear sections that users can expand if they want to read more. This keeps the page clean, digestible, and much easier to navigate.
↑ Angel & Rocket are a great example of keeping only the most important information visible at first glance, with a short description and key USP bullet points.
3. Too many CTAs
Multiple competing buttons on a product page confuse visitors and dilute your main goal – which is to get someone to add to bag.
You’ll often see secondary buttons like a “Shop” or “Quick Buy” option, designed to speed up checkout. In reality, most users don’t actually want a one-click checkout. They want a clear, straightforward path to purchase and to go through the checkout process. So removing these options typically makes the experience smoother and more intuitive anyway.
However, multiple CTAs are often the default setting on many Shopify themes, so it’s something you need to watch out for and adjust manually if needed.
The best approach is to stick to ONE primary CTA: “Add to Bag”.
Make sure it’s in your brand’s accent colour and that it stands out as the most visually dominant element on the page. Too often I see weak, low-contrast buttons that blend into the design – they should be the most eye-catching thing on the page and actively draw the user’s attention.
The “Add to Cart” button is clear and stands out. I created this theme using all my best practices and it's available as a template to purchase on Etsy.
4. Lack of persuasive, benefit-driven copy
Because my background is in writing, this one is especially close to my heart – and I see this mistake CONSTANTLY. 😢
Brands often do a great job listing product features… but completely miss the opportunity to explain why they matter.
As humans, we’re emotional creatures. We don’t buy purely based on logic – we buy based on how something makes us feel, and then we justify it afterwards with logic. That’s why benefit-driven copy is so powerful.
There’s a big difference between features and benefits:
A feature is what the product is.
A benefit is what the product does for the customer.
For example:
- “Made from stainless steel” (feature) → “Will never rust or tarnish, so it stays looking new for longer” (benefit)
- “Includes a zip closure” (feature) → “Keeps your belongings secure and prevents anything falling out” (benefit)
When you only list features, you’re asking customers to do the thinking themselves – and most won’t. But when you translate those features into benefits, you’re speaking directly to their needs, emotions, and motivations.
Always focus on who your product is for and the benefits it brings. Show the transformation, the problem it solves, or the need it meets. That’s what actually drives purchasing decisions.
5. Unanswered customer questions
The bottom line is simple: if shoppers still have doubts, they won’t convert. ❌
You have to anticipate objections. Think of it like this – if a customer walked into a physical store, they’d naturally ask the shop assistant questions. Your product page needs to act like that shop assistant and pre-empt those questions directly on the page.
↑ Supplements brand Ancient + Brave do this really well, using clear dropdowns to answer key customer questions like “why take it” and “how to use it.”
In reality, most visitors simply won’t click around your site looking for answers or take the time to contact you via email or chat.
Customers are typically thinking:
- Will this fit me?
- How do I use it?
- What is it made of?
- Is it right for my needs?
So your job is to remove that uncertainty upfront. Make sure you include everything a customer might need to confidently make a purchase decision – FAQs, sizing guides, materials, care instructions, usage guidance, and anything else relevant to your product.
6. Missing delivery & returns information
Once a customer is convinced on the product, they then move on to concerns around risk and logistics – basically anything related to what happens after they place the order.
At this stage, customers are thinking:
- When will it arrive?
- How much is shipping?
- Can I return it if I don’t like it?
- What happens if something goes wrong?
These concerns need to be addressed clearly and confidently with upfront policy information and reassurance, ideally positioned close to the CTA or in the purchase area.
Use USPs to reinforce key points such as free delivery thresholds, easy returns, or fast dispatch. It’s also worth presenting delivery times and costs in a clear, structured format – a table works particularly well here as it allows customers to quickly scan and understand the information without friction.
The key is to be completely transparent.
7. No upsell or cross-sell opportunities
If you don’t have upsell or cross-sell options on your product page, you’re definitely leaving money on the table!
Most brands will naturally have products that pair well together – whether that’s a top styled with a specific skirt, or earrings designed to complement a necklace. These combinations aren’t just nice to have; they’re a simple way to increase basket size and overall revenue.
It’s also worth reframing this: upselling isn’t just about selling more – it’s about helping the customer. Often, they may not realise a matching item exists, or that they can complete a set. In that sense, it actually improves the shopping experience and is good customer service.
The simplest fix is to add a “You may also like” product carousel on your product pages.
But you can take this further with more targeted recommendations. Apps like Shopify’s free Search & Discovery tool are a great option (highly recommend!). Once installed, you can easily set up manual featured product recommendations that are tailored to each product page.
↑ Angel & Rocket uses the “Pairs Well With” feature to showcase complementary products shown in their product imagery, inspiring customers to purchase the whole outfit.
It’s a small change, but once the initial work is done, it can have a big impact on both average order value (AOV) and units per transaction (UPT).
8. Missing trust signals
Without trust and proof, customers hesitate.
That’s why it’s essential to include strong trust signals directly on your product pages – things like customer reviews, testimonials, and star ratings.
People trust reviews more than almost anything else. Think about Amazon – what do you notice first when you’re deciding between products? It’s usually the number of reviews and the quality of them. That social proof heavily influences buying decisions.
If you have reviews, make sure they’re pulled directly onto your product pages – not hidden away elsewhere on your site. 🧐
And if you don’t yet have enough reviews per individual product, a useful workaround is to highlight your overall store credibility instead, such as: “Join X happy customers” (example below).
Where possible, also include guarantees and certifications.
For example, if you’re a beauty brand and your products are organic, vegan, or cruelty-free, make sure this is clearly communicated using icons or simple visual labels. This makes the information easy to digest and instantly boosts credibility.
Even small details like secure payment icons placed under the CTA button (see above) can help reinforce trust at the exact moment a customer is deciding whether to take the next step.
9. No brand story
Last but not least, I see this mistake on 90% of product pages – and it’s a big one...
Most brands do a decent job of telling their story on the homepage or About page, but completely fail to bring that context onto the product page itself.
It’s a massive missed opportunity!
To be clear, this doesn’t need to compete with product information – your product details should always come first. But adding a small amount of brand context at the bottom of the page helps customers understand who you are without needing to click around your site (and as we’ve already covered, most people won’t).
To fix this, I usually recommend adding a couple of simple text-image blocks that briefly introduce your brand, along with a clear link through to your About page for those who want to learn more.
↑ We added these blocks to Selbrae House product pages, which immediately brings through the family brand feel and gives a real flavour of who they are.
This is your chance to reinforce why you exist, what you stand for, and what makes you different. Because ultimately, people don’t just buy products – they buy from people and brands they connect with.
By fixing these areas on your product pages, you can create high-converting pages that customers can’t resist – and ultimately drive more sales for your online business. 🛍️
If you want a shortcut, check out the Valentina Shopify theme – a plug-and-play site built using all of my best practices. You can view the live demo here (password: lrdigital) and purchase it over on Etsy.
You can also join the community for ongoing support, or get in touch if you’d like to work together one-to-one and make these kinds of conversion-focused changes on your store.
