7 Mistakes to Avoid When Launching Your Online Store
So, you’ve finally decided to launch your online store—congrats! Whether you’re selling handmade candles, digital products, or dropshipping the trendiest items of 2025, this is a huge step. But before you hit "publish" and start sharing your link everywhere, let’s talk about some common (and totally avoidable) mistakes that many new store owners make.
The good news? You can dodge these missteps and launch your store with confidence—especially if you're using a beginner-friendly platform like Shopify.
Let’s dive into the 7 mistakes to avoid when launching your online store—and what to do instead.
1. Skipping Market Research
One of the biggest mistakes is launching a store around a product you love… but your audience doesn’t. Just because you’re obsessed with bamboo toothbrushes doesn’t mean people are searching for them or willing to pay your price.
Fix it: Do some quick market research. Use tools like Google Trends, check out your competition on Shopify, and explore keyword volume. Make sure there’s demand before investing in inventory or building your site.
2. Choosing the Wrong Platform
If your platform is clunky, expensive, or hard to customize, you’re going to run into headaches—fast. Many new sellers try to save a buck by using complicated platforms that aren’t built for ecommerce.
Fix it: Go with something user-friendly like Shopify (click my link here to unlock a free trial). It’s built specifically for online stores, with templates, apps, and integrations that make selling (and scaling) a whole lot easier.
3. Launching Without Testing Your Site
Imagine this: your first customer finally visits your site… and your checkout button doesn’t work.
Fix it: Always test your store before going live. Add a product to cart, go through the checkout process, test discount codes, and make sure everything is mobile-friendly (because most people shop on their phones!).
4. Poor Product Descriptions and Photos
It doesn’t matter how great your product is—if the photos are blurry or the description is vague, customers will bounce.
Fix it: Use clean, high-quality photos. Write product descriptions that focus on benefits, not just features. Bonus tip: Shopify has apps that help optimize your product pages for SEO and mobile.
5. No Clear Brand or Story
People don’t just buy products—they buy stories. If your brand feels generic or forgettable, it’s harder to connect with your audience.
Fix it: Define your brand voice, create a compelling About page, and use consistent visuals. Shopify makes this easy with customizable templates and sections for storytelling.
6. Not Collecting Emails from Day One
A lot of new store owners focus 100% on social media and forget to build an email list—aka the one channel you own.
Fix it: Start collecting emails with a pop-up or welcome discount. Shopify integrates with platforms like Klaviyo and SmartrMail to make email marketing super simple.
7. Ignoring SEO and Organic Traffic
You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to show up in search results. If your product pages aren’t optimized, you’re leaving money on the table.
Fix it: Use keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and image alt text. Shopify allows you to edit SEO settings for each page, so take advantage of it!
MoneyMentors’ Final Thought
Launching your online store is exciting, but skipping the prep can lead to frustration (and missed sales). By avoiding these common mistakes and using a platform like Shopify (click my link here to unlock a free trial) that simplifies the process you’ll be way ahead of the game.
Now go out there and build something amazing!