# Help traffic not converting to sale



## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

Hi, I started selling t-shirts on my website 3 weeks ago. I sold around 10 tees the first week, two the second week, and two this week. I am getting traffic for sure since Google analytic show 100 of visits in average by week, just last week I had 344 visits on my website. The issue is that the traffic is not converting to sale. So I was wondering if am doing something wrong on my website or it`s my designs?

Thanks for your help!


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## shirtnewbie (May 24, 2011)

You should analyze what places your traffic is actually coming from and make adjustments accordingly. Maybe you are not targeting the correct audience that will buy your shirts. The more things you try, the better chances one of them will work for you. Good luck to you


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## shirtnewbie (May 24, 2011)

O and cool shirts btw


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

The normal conversion rate is about 1.5 - 2%. Also, you are only offering a few designs and you are up against the giants like Cafe Press, Zazzle, and many others who offer thousands of designs.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

shirtnewbie said:


> You should analyze what places your traffic is actually coming from and make adjustments accordingly. Maybe you are not targeting the correct audience that will buy your shirts. The more things you try, the better chances one of them will work for you. Good luck to you


Thanks, I will try to look into that!!!


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## NigelT (Jul 25, 2009)

We launched our site a couple months ago and saw a similar effect. I'm not sure what the exact solution is, but I think part of the issue is that people don't know who you are when starting out.

Thinking as a customer, if I come across a site with some cool tees but I don't know/trust the site/brand...it just doesn't even enter my mind to actually buy something. 

I’ll come up with a bunch of excuses not to, so our job is to remove those excuses.

Our approach has been to get out and get the name known first by making appearances at relevant events and selling in person. But then always directing people to the website. 

Coupled with that we're trying to get featured on relevant blogs online as a way to build a reputation and trust (and links) around the brand.

I'm not saying that's the only way (you could just pump out more designs and seo the heck out of the site) but I think it’s a good way...I just hope it works!


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

NigelT said:


> We launched our site a couple months ago and saw a similar effect. I'm not sure what the exact solution is, but I think part of the issue is that people don't know who you are when starting out.
> 
> Thinking as a customer, if I come across a site with some cool tees but I don't know/trust the site/brand...it just doesn't even enter my mind to actually buy something.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I was thinking about going and giving away some t-shirts to my target audience, and try to get featured in blogs like you said!!!


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## abmcdan (Sep 14, 2007)

Was there a clear pattern of what designs sold? If so do a few more designs with that style or direction. 
Also, if you have a design that is way more popular than the others think about adding that design to other garment types your target audience would like... for example: ladies tees, thermal long sleeve or such.

Your have quality artwork so now just tweak until you find what people will buy. As you add new designs make sure to send a newsletter with those new designs to the people that already bought.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

abmcdan said:


> Was there a clear pattern of what designs sold? If so do a few more designs with that style or direction.
> Also, if you have a design that is way more popular than the others think about adding that design to other garment types your target audience would like... for example: ladies tees, thermal long sleeve or such.
> 
> Your have quality artwork so now just tweak until you find what people will buy. As you add new designs make sure to send a newsletter with those new designs to the people that already bought.


The shirts are unisex and I was planning to have some top tanks too with the most sold designs.


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## Flash Gordon (Mar 28, 2011)

Don't think it's the Design's fault.
I like the Clown shirt and thought The Painter shirt was very creative.


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## EnMartian (Feb 14, 2008)

I think the first half of my answer has already been mentioned, but I'll mention it again because it's important - from where is your traffic coming, and are the people visiting the site people who are likely to buy your product. Every person who runs a business would like their potential buying public to be "everyone" but that's rarely the case. It's not just about getting traffic, it's about getting traffic that wants what you have to sell. 

The second thing is that the site, on the face of it, doesn't give a lot of signals that you're a trustworthy company. Your contact form is just that a form. You don't say much about your designs. You can find real contact information and policies, but those are on the FAQ page, where not everyone would know to look. So that might be putting some people off. Customers need to feel some form of trust for a site before they'll buy. The more information you give them, the easier it is to form that trust. I think forming that trust is something you need to work on if you want to pull more sales.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

EnMartian said:


> The more information you give them, the easier it is to form that trust. I think forming that trust is something you need to work on if you want to pull more sales.


You right, I overlooked this part, and I will work on it.


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## Intermission (Mar 28, 2011)

The more security the better, do you have an SSL badge on your website? Do you have a secured checkout? These things cost a bit more but I personally ONLY buy from guaranteed secure websites, just something to look out for.

Goodluck


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

Intermission said:


> The more security the better, do you have an SSL badge on your website? Do you have a secured checkout? These things cost a bit more but I personally ONLY buy from guaranteed secure websites, just something to look out for.
> 
> Goodluck


I don`t have a security badge yet, and I check out with Paypal who is secure!!!


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

I updated the website with badges from Paypal, and I added more information on the contact page and products.


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Also keep in mind that some of that traffic could be robots, not real people. 
Ahhh, attack of the robots...ok, just search robots.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

Celtic said:


> Also keep in mind that some of that traffic could be robots, not real people.
> Ahhh, attack of the robots...ok, just search robots.


Reminds me of the bots in Gears of War, scary stuff there!!!


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## JamesE3 (Mar 22, 2006)

I would take down the designs that aren't for sale yet. I went to the site and the first shirt I clicked on I couldn't buy. That's an immediate turn off for any buyer.

Go into your analytics and check your bounce rate. Also see where people are leaving your site. That will give you good indicators of where you need to tweak it.

Add a tweet button and a facebook like button to each individual shirt too. They work...

One of the biggest factors I've seen personally in this industry is design quantity. It seems like the more you have to offer the more people will buy from you. That may just be me though.

Converting is salesmanship. Of course trust factors and good design go into it. Promote, Promote, Promote.


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## Arizona (Jan 12, 2010)

True promotion os king, but you may want to advertise a mission. If on your banner or flash you could give customers a reason to buy your product (whats your deal, who are your shirts for?) they may be more inclined to buy. I like to feel like I'm joining a lifestyle when I buy clothes


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

Thank you guys your comments are really helpful..


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## NigelT (Jul 25, 2009)

Actually that's a good point I have overlooked. We use paypal for our payments, but don't have the badge anywhere on the site!


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## dmpromo (May 28, 2011)

One other thing you can do is set-up your sales funnel in your Google Analytics account. 

Funnel tracking is used to measure how effective a particular process is at leading your visitor down an intended path then converting that visitor into a goal (for e-commerce sites that ideally is a sale.)

It provides a detailed path analysis depicting where in that process you have problems (also called barriers) which prevent your visitors from buying. Funnels provide a “starting point roadmap” for addressing sections of the site that need adjustment and attention.

Hope that helps.

Ashish


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## 135367 (Mar 10, 2011)

My 2 cents. I got dizzy when I opened your website. The moving target was too much. Also, I don't know what your promoting. I would work on that aspect also.


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## On the Rocks (Aug 2, 2011)

I read this thread as converting traffic into sales is always an issue.

Firstly I was slightly confused. I almost thought your site was about holidays in Africa and you were selling tees on the side. But no you are selling tees as your business.

The shot with the African guys (and maybe you) wearing your shirts was confusing to me. Not least because the text on the photo was difficult to read - the one about "being different".
The font is a bad colour against the photo and way too fancy for me to read easily.

You have three tees for sale. I see mentioned the clown and painter tees. I can see the clown elsewhere on the site but no tee of this design for sale.

When I landed on the home page the page header is this really strong silhouette of the African scene.
Dense black and blue colours. 
I immediately assumed this would be one of the tee designs. What an excellent white tee that would make I was thinking.
Then it was not there as a tee for sale. 
The splatter logo tees on the three image slider on the homepage - not for sale.
What is going on I am thinking. Best designs not available.

Where are all the African themes and images, the strong colours - what has a jet engine got to do with the theme of the site?

Also the wrist bands - I did not know what these were - a tiny strip with a name on sat on a rock. Nothing to tell me it was a wrist band. Why not show it on someone's wrist and really close up. I was totally lost as to what the product was.

So I can understand 100% why you are not selling product. Make your best designs for sale and expand on strong vibrant "African" colours and themes and more informative photos of the wrist bands you could turn that around.

I have been a bit harsh maybe but customers as harsher still -they don't buy.

Also the three image slider - it does make you a bit dizzy. I wanted to look at the three tees in their wrapping - (not best way to display tees!) but the slider insisted on immediately taking me back to the image of the African guys.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

On the Rocks said:


> I read this thread as converting traffic into sales is always an issue.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


First of all thank you for your comments. I think you landed first on the Facebook page since all the designs you mentioned (the painter, the splash logo, the clown) aren`t on the website. They are part of my upcoming Fall collection, and they are on Facebook for critics. 
Also for the wristbands I assume you didn`t click on the pictures because if you had you would have seen the description and the pictures of people wearing it. In addition, if you click on every tee picture they will lead you to their description and pictures of people wearing it.

finally, the African theme is because of the origin of the name of the website. you can check the "about us" section for more information on the website. The theme doesn`t mean that only African style design will be there.

For the slider, this thing has been driving me crazy lately but I will try to fix the code for it soon. I will also try to improve the pictures on it.

Thank you again for your comments!!1


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## On the Rocks (Aug 2, 2011)

Hi Frange

I see you had some of the issues that I mentioned "sorted".
I would strongly recommend you have everything the same across all your webpages.

If you are trying to create a brand - and you have a brand there, then your own website is your flagship.

Still don't see the "clown" or "painter" tees.

Your homepage is your shop window. If window shoppers don't see or recognise the goods there they will wander on to the next window to shop. 

The wristbands. They really look like a label for the stone they sit on. I did not know what they were for some time and by that time I have moved on. Click on these and you still have them sat on the stone and a tiny image of someone wearing them. Click on that and it gets bigger but the wrist bands are miles from being obvious.

The name of the brand is African - well I would say why give it an African name unless you are pushing this slant in your products?

The hot air ballon tees (which also look like a light bulb) these are fantastic. Well done, top class design.
But what do we have? We have those strong vibrant colours and the Africa landscape silhouetted in the balloon.
I would seriously recommend you follow this line of design themes. The homepage silhouette would make a fab tee, the hot air balloon top class tee. The splatter logo is a good tee.
They all have the same feel and it is a good feel I think.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

Thank you, I will work on your recommendations. I am trying to go for a brand, and the reason you can`t see the Painter and the Clown tees is because it was recommended on this forum that I take them down until they become available. In a few weeks I will be getting new tees, and either the white tee with the African landscape or the splash logo will be printed. I will try to do another photo-shoot for the wristbands.


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## On the Rocks (Aug 2, 2011)

tager01 said:


> Thank you, I will work on your recommendations. I am trying to go for a brand, and the reason you can`t see the Painter and the Clown tees is because it was recommended on this forum that I take them down until they become available. In a few weeks I will be getting new tees, and either the white tee with the African landscape or the splash logo will be printed. I will try to do another photo-shoot for the wristbands.


I will be keeping a look out for these.
I went to TK Maxx this afternoon - don't know if it is in the USA but it is a chain of stores selling branded items at 60% and more off the prices.
There are loads of tee shirts. Most are naff, some really suicidal.
The few I saw I would may be given a go had one of the blues in your website. Really strong colour.

As an aside one thing I saw which I thought was a nice idea, something for the smaller volume produces to go for was the idea of limited edition. A label in one of the tees had something like 256 of 500 handwritten. Like it is documented, every tee is unique. When many here are hand printing and fighting against lower labour cost products or stuff coming out of a machine - this is a nice touch I think.


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## tager01 (Jun 1, 2010)

On the Rocks said:


> I will be keeping a look out for these.
> I went to TK Max this afternoon - don't know if it is in the USA but it is a chain of stores selling branded items at 60% and more off the prices.
> There are loads of tee shirts. Most are naff, some really suicidal.
> The few I saw I would may be given a go had one of the blues in your website. Really strong colour.
> ...


I think you are referring to Tj Max here in the USA. For the limited edition I learned about it a while ago. I think I will include that on my next collection. Thanks!!!


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