How to Find (and Fix) the Real Reasons Your Store Isn’t Converting | Ecommerce Coffee Break Podcast

In this episode, we dive into why 98% of online store visitors don’t buy and how to fix it. Our guest, Matthew Stafford, is a veteran e-commerce expert and managing partner at Build Growth Scale. He shares simple strategies to boost conversions, build trust, and grow your store. Topics discussed in this episode: - Why fixing conversions matters more than more traffic - What theme mistakes silently hurt your sales - Why clarity beats persuasion in e-commerce - How filters and menus boost category conversions - What checkout tweaks lift sales fast - How one post-purchase question reveals issues - Why AI boosts teams, not replaces them - How customer language improves descriptions - What a $60M growth story teaches about scaling - Why now is the best time to start e-commerce *** Timestamps: [00:00:20] Why most stores don’t convert and how to fix it [00:01:00] What mindset separates great store owners [00:02:00] Why traffic isn’t your real problem [00:03:20] What’s wrong with relying on themes [00:04:00] Why simplicity beats persuasion [00:05:00] How to guide users through the perfect store flow [00:06:20] What filters do to boost conversion by 3–5x [00:08:00] How small changes to checkout fields increase sales [00:10:20] What tools reveal real customer experience [00:11:20] How one thank-you page question reveals gold [00:12:40] What builds trust for new and unknown brands [00:13:40] How AI helps teams—not replaces them [00:15:20] What a $60M DTC growth journey looks like [00:17:00] Why being coachable is key to success [00:18:00] What the 8-week growth program includes [00:20:00] How pricing works for growth and scaling 🌐 Episode page: https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/how-to-fix-store-not-converting CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST Website: https://buildgrowscale.com/book-a-call LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewstafforddotcom X/Twitter: https://x.com/BuildGrowScale Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/build.grow.scale *** 🏁 PAST EPISODES & STARTER PLAYLISTS https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/all-episodes/ https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/playlists/ *** LOVE THE CHANNEL? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS! 👉 SUBSCRIBE: If you liked this episode, let us know by hitting the follow button 👍 and share with friends. 📬 SIGN UP FOR THE FREE NEWSLETTER https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com/ 🌐 LET'S CONNECT ON SOCIAL! - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clauslauter/ - X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ecomcoffeebreak - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ecommercecoffeebreak - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecommercecoffeebreakpodcast - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecommercecoffeebreak/ - Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ecommercecoffeebreak - BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/ecomcoffeebreak.bsky.social 🙏 GUEST REQUESTS & LISTENER QUESTIONS https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/contact/ 💼 SPONSORS https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/deals/ *** *DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE: Any information or advice we give is purely based on our own experience and research. There is no guarantee as there are many variables that will impact your success. Everything stated should be taken as an opinion. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This video contains paid promotions such as product placement, sponsorships, or endorsements. We feature sponsored interviews with guests who paid an appearance fee that supports the maintenance of the channel and podcast. Thank you for your support! https://youtu.be/-IT309uU7R8 These are some helping words: How to make money online, Make money online, Make money from home, Best ways to make money, Amazon, Shopify, Online store, How to start an online store, Selling online, Ecommerce, Direct to consumer, Business podcast, How to sell online, WooCommerce, Side hustle, shopify marketing, ecommerce, shopify, techstack, automation, post purchase, returns management, order tracking, customer experience, ai, online shopping, ecom growth