Store design mistakes that reduce sales and how to avoid them on homepage and product pages

Many store owners think the issue is marketing: “Ads don't work”, “Traffic is high but orders are low”, “Customers come and go”. Sometimes it's really about targeting or bidding, but in a large percentage of cases the issue is much simpler and more serious: Store design and user experience.
Design is not just about color, it's about “Does the store convince the customer? Does it make it easy for them to make a decision? Does it make it quick and safe to buy?” Any imbalance in these points increases the exit rate and decreases conversion, thus increasing the cost of advertising and weakening the growth of the brand.

In this article, we'll focus on the mistakes that have the most impact on sales, especially on two critical points: Home page وProduct pageswith clear practical solutions to avoid them.

Why does design affect sales more than you think?

Because the customer doesn't read your intention, they read the “signals” that they see in seconds:

  • Does the store seem reliable?
  • Are the products clear?
  • Does the price and feature make sense?
  • Are shipping and payment clear?
  • Is it easy to buy?

If the customer doesn't get these answers quickly, they will leave-even if the product is excellent.

First up: Fatal Home Page Mistakes

The homepage is not a place to display everything. Its main function:
Get to know your customer quickly, and guide them to the right product with minimal effort.

1) “First Screen” is weak or unclear

The biggest mistake: The customer walks in and doesn't understand right away:
What are you selling, to whom, and why are you better?

How to avoid?

  • Make the first section of the page (the hierro) contain:
    • One sentence explaining the type of product or category
    • One powerful feature
    • Clear button to navigate to shopping or the most popular offer

2) Slider Images Many and aimless

Long sliders are often distracting, and many visitors only see the first image.
If the images are beautiful but without a clear view, it's just “decoration”.

Solution

  • Use only one strong banner or two sections:
    • Main view
    • Category or Best Products

3) Crowded sections and too many items

Some stores put: Offers, Sections, Stories, Reviews, Videos, Products, Partners... all on top of each other.
Result: The visitor gets lost and doesn't know what to do.

Solution

  • Arrange the page as a “path”:
    • Quick definition
    • Best Products or Categories
    • Reason to trust (warranty/shipping/returns)
    • Reviews
    • Invitation to buy

4) Unordered lists and categorizations

If a customer needs to think too much about where to go, they're likely to walk out.

Solution

  • Keep the labels few and far between
  • Create a “Shop by...” section (use/type/occasion)
  • Show the most popular categories instead of all categories

5) Hide trust elements

Trust is not a pretty oath, it's a “reason to buy”.
Ignoring them kills the conversion especially for new tags.

What needs to be shown clearly?

  • Retrieval policy
  • Shipping and delivery time
  • Means of payment
  • Customer service
  • Warranty, quality, or authentication (if applicable)

6) Not focusing on the cell phone

The majority of traffic in Saudi Arabia comes from mobile.
If the store is beautiful on the computer but is a pain on mobile, you'll lose out immediately.

Solution

  • Watch:
    • Font size
    • Button spacing
    • Image loading speed
    • Price and button visibility on mobile

7) Not highlighting “bestsellers”

The customer likes to follow a “social signal”: This Bestseller = Often Appropriate.

Solution

  • Clear section: Bestsellers / Top Rated
  • With a quick price quote and a short feature

Second: Mistakes that reduce sales on the product page

The product page is where the decision happens.
Any lack of information or distracting design stops the purchase.

1) Weak or few images

Images are the “preview” of the product.
If they are few, unclear, or without angles, the customer hesitates.

Solution

  • Clear images with a clean background
  • More than one angle
  • A photo showing the size or use if possible
  • Don't compress images to the point of losing quality, and don't upload them in a huge size that slows down the page

2) A long, meaningless description or a very short description

The description should answer: Why am I buying, how will I benefit, and does it suit me?

Solution

  • Make the description:
    • Obvious advantages
    • How to use
    • To whom it suits
    • Components/Sizes/Contents
  • Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs

3) Unclear price and offer

Some pages make the price too small or too far away, or offer a discount without explanation.

Solution

  • The price is clear
  • If there is a discount: Include a reason, duration, or “limited time offer”
  • Explain what is included in the price (e.g. including tax if applicable at the store)

4) The “Add to Cart” button is not prominent

If the button is not clear or its color is close to the background, the conversion decreases.

Solution

  • Large, clear button
  • Direct text
  • On mobile, a fixed or near-fixed price button is always preferred

5) Confusing product options (size/color/type)

If the options are too many and disorganized, the customer is afraid to make the wrong choice and leave the page.

Solution

  • Keep the options organized and incremental
  • Explain the difference between the types
  • If there are measurements: Clear size chart

6) Hide shipping and retrieval information

One of the most common reasons for leaving the cart: “How long does it take to ship, and can I return?”.

Solution

  • Next to the price or just below the button place:
    • Expected delivery time
    • Abbreviated Retrieval Policy
    • Payment methods
  • Don't make the customer look at distant pages

7) No assessments or social proof

Even if your product is excellent, the customer needs proof.

Solution

  • Reviews + customer photos if possible
  • Number of orders or “bestsellers” if real
  • Frequently Asked Questions below the description

8) Unintelligent Suggested Products

Placing random products can be distracting, and may pull a customer away from making a purchase.

Solution

  • Suggested:
    • Product Add-ons
    • Only nearby products
    • Bundle to raise the average basket

9) Slow page

Every extra second reduces conversion. A slow product page means bleeding sales, especially with ads.

Solution

  • Compress images correctly
  • Minimize heavy elements
  • Review additional fonts and files

Errors in the “shopping cart” complete the picture

Even if the homepage and product page are excellent, some stores lose out at the cart because:

  • Many payment steps
  • Many fields
  • Unclear shipping fees
  • Lack of convenient payment options

This raises the “drop rate” significantly.

What are you doing?

  • Make the checkout steps few and clear
  • Show the cost of shipping early
  • Offer multiple payment methods
  • Keep the checkout page clean with no distractions

How do you know if design is the cause of poor sales?

These are clear signals:

  • High traffic + very few requests
  • Short stay on the product page
  • Adding to the basket is small compared to visits
  • Leaving a basket high
  • Lots of questions from customers about things that should be obvious (shipping/returns/size)

Quick optimizations that increase conversion without rebuilding the store

  • Optimize the first screen in Home (definition + clear button)
  • Add a trust section (shipping/return/payment)
  • Highlight bestsellers
  • Product page optimization: Better images + point descriptions + shipping and return information
  • Make the buy button visible on mobile
  • Minimize distractions in the main

These are simple things but they directly affect the conversion.