Stop Wasting Clicks: How to Make More Money from Shopify

Why Most Shopify Stores Struggle to Make a Profit

I see it every week here in Brisbane. A local business owner spends thousands on a beautiful Shopify store, pours money into Facebook or Google ads, and waits for the sales to roll in.

Then, nothing happens. Or worse, the sales come in, but after paying for the ads and the shipping, there’s no profit left.

If you feel like you’re working for Shopify and the ad platforms rather than yourself, you aren’t alone. Most people get Shopify marketing wrong because they focus on "traffic" (getting people to the site) instead of "profit" (making sure those people actually buy something without it costing you a fortune).

Marketing your online store isn’t about fancy technical tricks. It’s about three simple things: getting the right people to your site, making sure they buy, and ensuring they come back to buy again.

Here is how you actually move the needle on your bank balance.

1. Stop Paying for "Lookers" and Start Finding Buyers

The biggest mistake I see is business owners trying to show their products to everyone. If you sell high-end leather boots, showing an ad to everyone in Australia who likes "shoes" is a great way to go broke.

Google and Facebook love it when you do this because they get paid regardless of whether you make a sale. To make money, you need to put products in front of shoppers who are actually ready to pull out their credit card right now.

The Fix: Focus on "High Intent" keywords. If someone searches for "best running shoes," they are researching. If they search for "buy size 10 Nike Pegasus blue," they are buying. You want to spend your money on the second person.

In Brisbane, we worked with a boutique furniture maker who was spending $2,000 a month on broad ads. We cut their budget in half but focused only on people searching for specific furniture styles they actually stocked. Their sales doubled while their costs dropped.

2. Your Website is a Salesman, Not a Brochure

If a customer walked into a physical shop in Chermside and the shop assistant ignored them, didn't tell them the price, and made it hard to find the checkout, that shop would close in a month. Yet, many Shopify stores do exactly this.

Your website has one job: to sell. If it doesn't work perfectly on a phone, you are throwing money away. Most of your customers are browsing while sitting on the couch or waiting for a coffee. If they have to pinch and zoom to read your text, they’ll leave.

Check these three things today: The 3-Second Rule: Does your site load in under three seconds? If not, people leave before they even see what you sell. The "Add to Cart" Button: Is it obvious? It should be a bright, contrasting colour. Don't try to be "classy" with a grey button that blends into the background. Proof: People don't trust websites; they trust other people. You must use customer reviews prominently on your product pages. If you don't have photos of real customers using your gear, go get some. It’s the highest-converting change you can make.

The Abandoned Cart: Someone puts an item in their cart but gets distracted. An automated email an hour later saying "Hey, did you forget this?" can recover 10-15% of lost sales instantly. The Post-Purchase Thank You: Send an email a week after they get their order. Ask if they like it. Give them a reason to come back. The "Win Back": If someone hasn't bought in 90 days, send them a special offer. It’s much cheaper to keep an old customer than to find a new one.

4. Don't Get Distracted by "Shiny Objects"

You’ll hear people talking about TikTok trends, the latest AI chatbots, or complex "funnels." For 95% of small businesses in Queensland, this is a waste of time and money.

Stick to the basics that work: 1. Search Ads: Catching people when they want to buy. 2. Email: Keeping the customers you already paid to get. 3. A Fast Website: Making it easy for them to give you money.

I’ve seen businesses spend $10,000 on a custom-designed website that looks like a piece of art but doesn't have a clear "Buy Now" button. It’s madness. Your Shopify theme should be simple, clean, and fast. Anything else is just an ego project that costs you profit.

5. Understanding Your Numbers (The Real Ones)

Forget about "likes," "shares," or even "website visitors." Those are vanity metrics. They don't pay the power bill.

You need to know two numbers: 1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): How much did you spend on ads to get one new customer? 2. Average Order Value (AOV): How much does the average person spend when they buy?

If it costs you $30 in ads to get a customer who only spends $25, you are going backwards. You either need to lower your ad costs by being more specific with your targeting, or increase your order value by offering bundles or upsells at the checkout.

How Long Does This Take?

This isn't an overnight fix. If someone tells you they can double your Shopify sales in a week, they’re lying.

Fixing your website (speed and buttons): You’ll see results in days. Setting up automated emails: You’ll see extra sales within 2-3 weeks.

• Fixing your ads: It usually takes 30 to 60 days of testing and tweaking to stop the waste and start seeing a consistent return on your investment.

What Should You Do First?

Don't try to do everything at once. Start here:

1. Go to your own website on your phone. Try to buy something. If it's frustrating or slow, fix that first. 2. Look at your Google or Facebook Ads. Are you targeting specific products, or just "your brand"? Switch to specific products. 3. Turn on an Abandoned Cart email. Shopify has this built-in. It takes 10 minutes to set up and it will make you money while you sleep.

Running a Shopify store in a competitive market like Brisbane isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Stop chasing the latest "hacks" and start focusing on the simple reasons why people buy: trust, ease of use, and being there at the right time.

Need help making your Shopify store actually profitable?

At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about pretty pictures—we care about your bottom line. We help Brisbane business owners stop wasting money on ads that don't work and start building stores that actually sell.

Contact us today and let’s see if we can turn your Shopify store into a profit machine.