Running a Shopify store is good but finding your first customer and making that first sale can seem like a hurdle that you just can't cross.   It's all part of the business journey and before you promote your brand and products it's important that you set your store up right and make that first sale.  

You don't want to spend hours tinkering with the details, colors, fonts, or layouts.  Instead of getting lost on the design or the perfect optimization, you want to focus on what matters the most, that is, the basics.  

Welcome shoppers through your virtual store, make them feel invited and nudge them naturally towards that first checkout. Here is everything you need to know on how to get sales on Shopify.

Different Ways on How to Get Sales on Shopify

Here are some different tactics you can use or approach on how to get sales on Shopify. Try them out:

Get Free Traffic

Before you even spend on advertising or any special marketing efforts, it's important that you focus on driving as much free traffic to your store as possible. You can set up an X account and start posting tweets for this. Engage with communities in the same niche. There are many X groups you can check out which automatically pop up the more you keep using the app. Be more of a reply guy than a poster in the beginning because more replies can attract views to your links. Set up your X bio right and plug in your Shopify store's link right there. The more visits you get to your X profile, the more people will be redirected to your Shopify store. 

So that's the first way you can get free traffic to your store naturally, and more traffic equals more sales, and that's something you want to keep in mind.  

Now, other than X, you can also use the same tactic for Instagram. Be more of a reply guy again. Interact with comments on different posts in your niche. Check what's popping up in the Explorer feed on Instagram and see the top posts. Find something within 100K to 2,000K views. 

You don't want to target or interact with accounts that have millions of followers because you can't compete with them. So, for example, if you have a brand account on Instagram that's currently zero followers, you want to interact with accounts that have around 100 to 500 followers and maybe one or two that have 2,000, so that will make your interactions more realistic and people will likely check you out.  

You should aim to publish at least two posts a week. So the rest of the time, you want to focus on just engagement farming. On Instagram, this strategy will work very well. Don't use the follow for follow strategy because Instagram will just flag you as a bot and might suspend you or impose restrictions. Be sure to set your Instagram account as a business account in your account settings before you start engaging with other accounts.

Create Content That Actually Ranks

Now there are many ways you can create content that ranks. The first is blogs and the second way is through guest posts. Creating content that ranks will actually expand your reach. You will have to target the right keywords. You can use black hat SEO practices but we don't recommend them because Google can flag you even though they do work in the beginning of your business growth journey. You also want to send direct emails to close contacts when you launch your store. Tell them to share your brand with others. Tell your friends, neighborhoods, and local communities nearby that you are setting up a store. Word of mouth can do wonders for supporting your business.

When it comes to creating content that ranks, you want to focus on search engine optimization. You don't have to go too detailed on this but just start with some basic keyword research. For example, if you want to talk about some products or if you want to sell any services in your store, then you want to write or create blogs around them. Let's say we are going to sell some gym equipment.

Then maybe we can create a few blogs on what are the best home workouts and what kind of equipment can prevent repetitive strain injuries or muscle tears. And then if you have any products related to those things, you can promote them organically in your content. So this will not only help boost your store's visibility but it will also give people a reason to actually check out your products and buy them.  

Or you can use the same logic for even promoting services. Let's say your business offers paid massages and you have different kinds of massage therapy treatments. Then you can probably promote some skincare treatment products or any home massages that your clients can do. Give them some freebies. Add in a discount code also to your store so that they feel like checking you out.

Promote Your Brand on Reddit Business

Have you tried Business Reddit? It can help you target 100K+ interest-based communities and reach customers not found on other advertising platforms. You get $500 Ad Credit when you spend $500!

Companies who have used Reddit have increased their brand awareness by up to 8x. Plus, ad viewers are more likely to trust brands by +46% when they advertise on Reddit. You can also post unique ad formats like free-form ads, interact with highly engaged niche communities, and do precise subreddit targeting for your organization.

Try Targeted Facebook Ads

Facebook advertising is a powerful method for driving quality traffic to your Shopify store. You can create campaigns that target specific demographics, interests, behaviors, and geographic locations. The platform offers various ad formats including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and shopping ads that let customers browse and purchase directly from Facebook.

When setting up Facebook ads, start with your core objectives. Are you aiming for brand awareness, website traffic, or direct conversions? Once you know what you want to achieve, you can choose the right campaign objective and ad format. Interest-based targeting works well for new stores, while custom audiences and lookalike audiences are perfect if you already have customer data.

Video content performs exceptionally well on Facebook. Short, engaging videos that showcase your products in use tend to generate higher engagement rates than static images. User-generated content also works great - real customers using your products creates authentic social proof that resonates with potential buyers.

Explore Instagram and Google Ads

Instagram advertising integrates seamlessly with your Facebook campaigns since both platforms use the same ads manager. Instagram is particularly good for visual products and younger demographics. Stories ads, feed posts, and Reels ads all offer different ways to showcase your products.

The visual nature of Instagram makes it perfect for product demonstration. High-quality images showing people using your products can increase purchase intent significantly. You can also use Instagram Shopping features to create shoppable posts where users can tap to view product details and prices without leaving the platform.

Google Ads operates differently from social media advertising. Instead of interrupting people's browsing, Google Ads show up when people are actively searching for products like yours. This means the traffic quality is often higher because users already have purchase intent.

Start with Google Search ads targeting keywords related to your products. Use broad match keywords paired with smart bidding to let Google's algorithm find relevant searches you might have missed. Google Shopping ads are also great for e-commerce stores since they show product images, prices, and store information directly in search results.

Don't forget about Google's responsive search ads. These automatically test different combinations of headlines and descriptions to find the best performing versions. You should provide multiple headline and description options to give the system more material to work with.

Get Others to Recommend Your Brand via Marketing Partnerships

Look for brands that share similar values and target demographics. For example, if you sell yoga mats, you could partner with meditation app companies, health food brands, or athletic wear companies. These partnerships can take many forms - joint giveaways, co-created content, bundled product offers, or cross-promotional social media campaigns.

Email list swaps work particularly well for e-commerce businesses. You can feature each other's products in newsletters, share discount codes with each other's subscribers, or collaborate on educational content that benefits both audiences. The key is making sure the partnership feels natural and provides genuine value to both customer bases.

Affiliate marketing is another partnership avenue worth exploring. You can set up affiliate programs where other businesses or individuals earn commissions for driving sales to your store. This works especially well if you have products that people love to recommend organically.

Reach Out to Influencers and Bloggers 

Influencer marketing continues to be one of the most trusted forms of advertising, with 44% of brands preferring to work with nano influencers who have smaller but highly engaged audiences. These partnerships feel more authentic to consumers and often deliver better ROI than celebrity endorsements.

Start by identifying influencers whose followers match your target demographic. You don't need millions of followers - micro-influencers with 1,000 to 100,000 followers often have more engaged communities and charge reasonable rates. Look for content creators who already post about topics related to your products.

When reaching out to influencers, personalize your messages and explain why you think they'd genuinely connect with your brand. Offer product samples before asking for posts - let them experience your products first. Many successful partnerships start with gifting products with no strings attached.

Blogger outreach follows similar principles but focuses on written content rather than social media posts. Guest posting, product reviews, and collaborative articles can drive traffic and build valuable backlinks to your store. Research bloggers in your niche and offer unique angles or exclusive content that their readers haven't seen before.

Reduce Bounce Rates and Address Abandoned Carts

High bounce rates and cart abandonment are major obstacles to Shopify sales. When visitors leave your site quickly or abandon their carts, you're missing out on potential revenue. The average e-commerce abandonment rate is around 70%, but you can recover a significant portion of these lost sales.

Site speed is crucial for keeping visitors engaged. If your pages take more than three seconds to load, you'll lose potential customers before they even see your products. Optimize your images, use fast-loading themes, and consider upgrading your hosting if speed is an issue.

Your checkout process should be as simple as possible. Remove unnecessary form fields, offer guest checkout options, and provide multiple payment methods including popular options like PayPal, Apple Pay, and buy-now-pay-later services. Unexpected shipping costs are a major cause of cart abandonment, so be upfront about all charges.

Cart abandonment emails are highly effective for recovery. Send a series of automated emails starting within an hour of abandonment. The first email should be a gentle reminder, the second could offer a small discount, and the third might create urgency with limited-time offers. SMS recovery can be even more effective, with some businesses seeing 58% of abandoned carts recovered through text messages.

Look into Your Pricing Strategy and Product-Market Fit

Pricing can make or break your Shopify store success. You need to find the sweet spot between maximizing profits and staying competitive in your market. Price optimization involves analyzing customer behavior, competitor pricing, and your costs to determine optimal price points.

Start by understanding your true costs including product costs, shipping, payment processing fees, and your time. This gives you a price floor below which you can't go. Then research competitor pricing to understand market expectations. You can price slightly above competitors if you offer superior quality or service.

Value-based pricing often works better than cost-plus pricing. Instead of just adding a markup to your costs, price based on the value customers perceive in your products. If your products solve specific problems or provide unique benefits, customers may be willing to pay premium prices.

Product-market fit means your products genuinely meet market demand. If you're struggling to make sales despite good marketing, the issue might be your product selection or positioning. Survey your customers to understand what they value most about your products and what improvements they'd like to see.

Don't be afraid to test different price points. You can run A/B tests with different prices to see how they affect conversion rates and total revenue. Sometimes a higher price actually increases sales by making products seem more premium and desirable. You can use Dropshiptool’s Ad Spy and Competitor Research plus their Product Database to find the best product-market fits.

Revise Return Policies and Add Customer Reviews

Clear, generous return policies remove purchase barriers and build customer confidence. When customers know they can easily return products if they're not satisfied, they're more likely to complete purchases. Your return policy should be easy to find, written in plain language, and offer reasonable return windows.

Customer reviews are incredibly powerful for driving sales. Research shows that 98% of buyers read reviews before purchasing, and products with reviews see an 18% increase in sales on average. Reviews provide social proof and help customers make informed decisions.

Set up automated systems to request reviews from customers after they receive their products. Timing matters - send review requests when customers have had enough time to use the products but while the purchase experience is still fresh in their minds.

Don't hide negative reviews. Displaying both positive and negative reviews builds trust because it shows transparency. Respond professionally to negative reviews and use the feedback to improve your products and service. Many customers actually look for negative reviews to get a balanced perspective.

Conclusion

Getting your first sales on Shopify requires following a multi-layered approach that combines organic traffic generation, paid advertising, strategic partnerships, and conversion optimization. Start with free traffic methods like social media engagement and content creation to build initial momentum without spending money on ads.

Once you have some traction, experiment with paid advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and Google to scale your reach. Partner with brands, influencers, and bloggers to connect with new audiences authentically. Test different approaches, double down on what works for your specific products and audience, and stay persistent.