To increase online store sales, first identify where buyers drop out: while choosing a product, in the cart, during checkout, or before receiving the order. Fix the specific cause and check the result using orders received and paid for, taking returns into account.
Below are 13 actions for a store owner, manager, and developer. Start by measuring, choose one problem, and test changes on a limited group of products. Each action needs to be validated on your site: sales growth depends on your product range, demand, order fulfilment, and costs.
1. Measure the entire journey from visit to receipt
The developer sets up events for product views, adding to cart, starting checkout, and creating an order. The manager adds statuses for receipt, payment, cancellation, and return. The owner defines the comparison period and metrics.
For on-site navigation, count sessions—individual visits to the site. Count a session only once at each stage. The checkout conversion rate by session is the share of sessions in which at least one order was created. A visitor may have several sessions, so the conversion rate by visitor will have a different denominator.
Hypothetical example: 200 orders were placed during 10,000 sessions, each in a separate session. Of these, 180 were received and paid for, with no returns. The checkout conversion rate is 200 ÷ 10,000 × 100% = 2%, while the receipt-and-payment rate is 180 ÷ 10,000 × 100% = 1.8%. Among placed orders, the share received and paid for is 90%.
Check one group of orders created during the selected period, and allow enough time for delivery and returns. Do not add payments for older orders to the new group. Resending an event or changing a status must not create a second purchase in the report.
2. Align prices and stock on the site and in the warehouse
The manager checks the most frequently ordered products: SKU, variant, price, and available quantity. Check reservations and products sold both online and in-store separately. If an item is unavailable, show this before checkout and offer the buyer the option to receive an in-stock notification.
Record the reasons for cancellations. After making corrections, compare the share of orders cancelled because an item was unavailable or the price did not match. Also check that the site does not show stock for a different size than the one selected.
Syncing online store products and orders with Torgsoft
The paid add-on option “Sync with an online store” is available for Torgsoft Ultra or Terminal licences. Torgsoft is used as the primary accounting system. With the exchange configured, the software sends product details, attributes, prices, and stock availability to the site and receives orders for further processing.
A site developer is needed to connect it: they configure file reception and processing, order transfer, and field mapping. In the software, you select accounting centres, the source of prices for invoices, reservation rules, and a schedule. This requires preparation for the specific site. Technical requirements are described in the Torgsoft Help Centre.
File exchange involves a delay between a data change and its processing by the site. Automatic syncing works when Torgsoft is running on the specified computer under the specified user. According to the help documentation, the sync interval must be no more frequent than once every 10 minutes, taking other synchronised objects into account. Before launch, test a price change, the sale of the last unit, and the upload of a test order.
3. Answer buyers’ questions on the product page
The manager collects recurring buyer questions and updates product pages. State the intended use, material, dimensions, what is included, compatibility, and any limitations that genuinely apply to the product. For similar models, explain their differences using the same attributes.
The developer can add structured data—markup that provides search engines with information about a product. According to Google’s documentation, this may make a page eligible for enhanced display of price, availability, and other details. Display and rankings are not guaranteed.
Check that the description matches the actual product and that the markup matches the information visible on the page. Compare product-page-to-cart visits and the number of questions about attributes already described.
4. Show useful photos and genuine reviews
Photograph the product from different angles, including important details, what is included, and its scale. For clothing, add fit photos and the model’s measurements, if known. For electronics, show the ports and markings. Buyers should understand exactly what they will receive.
After the purchase is received, invite the buyer to leave a review. Do not invent ratings or remove justified criticism solely because of its tone. Respond to the substance and explain how the issue was resolved.
Check the photos on a phone: details should be visible when enlarged. Track returns due to unmet expectations and questions about appearance.
5. Help buyers find the right option
The owner chooses filters based on real purchase criteria, and the manager fills in product attributes consistently across the catalogue. These might include size, material, compatibility, or intended use. Do not add a filter if most of its data is blank.
Show the availability of each variant. Include units of measurement and instructions for taking measurements in the size chart. If manufacturers use different size charts, place the relevant chart on the specific product page.
Test several searches from the start through to product selection. Record queries that return no results and returns caused by the wrong size or incompatibility.
6. Show the full cost and delivery times
Before the order is confirmed, show the product prices, discount, delivery, and any additional charges. If delivery depends on the address, offer to calculate it after the buyer selects a locality. Distinguish the dispatch date from the expected delivery date, and explain what affects the timeframe.
Calculate the cost of free delivery first. Hypothetical example: an order contributes UAH 300 after procurement and other variable costs. If the store pays an additional UAH 80 for delivery, UAH 220 remains. The increase in orders must make up this difference.
Check the contribution of the entire order group after the changes, including returns. An increase in average order value alone does not show whether the offer is profitable.
7. Allow buyers to check out without registering
Make the “Buy without registering” option easy to spot. Keep the fields needed for payment, contact, and delivery. Mark any additional requests as optional. Check which details the carrier actually needs.
Baymard’s research on checkout fields suggests assessing the buyer’s effort by the number of fields they have to interact with. Use this as a direction for reviewing your site.
The developer checks that entered details are retained after an error. Compare the share of sessions that complete checkout after starting it, and the number of field errors.
8. Offer payment methods you can support
The manager collects reasons for payment-related dropouts. The owner selects suitable methods, taking into account fees, the time it takes to receive funds, and the store’s capabilities. Show the terms and any additional cost before the buyer selects a method.
Test successful payment, a decline, a retry, and a return from the payment page. The “paid” status must correspond to payment confirmation. Track completed payments, duplicate orders, and enquiries about money charged without a purchase confirmation.
9. Go through the purchase process on a phone
The developer and manager complete the entire journey on the phones buyers use: search, filters, variant selection, cart, delivery, and payment. Check that the keyboard does not cover buttons, the text is readable without zooming, and the address can be corrected.
Baymard’s checkout observations support a clear sequence of steps and specific error messages. State next to the field what needs to be corrected and preserve the other entered details.
Compare conversion separately for mobile sessions. Record any obstacles found, along with the steps to reproduce them, so the developer can check the fix.
10. Suggest a relevant bundle or add-on
The manager selects compatible add-ons: the right type of batteries, a case for the matching model, or a care product for a specific material. Explain each item’s purpose and show its price. The buyer adds the item themselves and can easily remove it.
Test the offer in one category. Compare the share of orders that include an add-on, contribution per order, and purchase completion. If the upsell complicates checkout or increases returns, change the selection or where it is shown.
11. Provide support and monitor fulfilment
Show contact channels and response hours. The owner assigns someone to handle new orders and a replacement for when that person is absent. The manager checks each day for orders without confirmation, payment, or dispatch.
Tell the buyer the order number, contents, total, and next step. If the timeframe changes, agree on what happens next. Track first response time, on-time dispatch, and the share of orders received. Record reasons for non-receipt separately.
12. Invite repeat purchases with the buyer’s consent
Offer buyers a separate choice to consent to marketing messages and select a channel. Explain what the messages will contain and provide an easy way to opt out. After an opt-out, stop marketing messages on that channel.
Send relevant offers based on need: consumables for a purchased product or a notification when an awaited size is back in stock. Set frequency based on buyer responses.
Assess repeat orders received, contribution after discounts and messaging costs, opt-outs, and complaints. To estimate the effect, compare similar groups of buyers, one of which did not receive the offer.
13. Check the economics of a small advertising test
The owner sets the category, budget, duration, and acceptable cost per received and paid order. The manager matches order numbers in the advertising report against the accounting records. An order must not be credited to multiple channels and then added up as separate purchases.
Hypothetical calculation: average order value is UAH 1,000, procurement cost is UAH 600, and other variable costs are UAH 100 per order. The contribution before advertising is UAH 300. If the advertising cost UAH 18,000 and is associated with 180 received and paid orders with no returns, advertising cost per order is UAH 100. The remaining contribution is 180 × 300 − 18,000 = UAH 36,000 before fixed costs and taxes.
Calculate the cost of acquiring a new customer separately for the same group and observation period. Use purchase history to check whose received and paid order was their first; if there is not enough data, mark the status as unknown. Divide the test’s new-customer acquisition spend by the number of confirmed new customers attributed to the test under the defined accounting rules, taking returns into account. If the test also includes repeat buyers and the costs cannot be separated, report cost per order and do not call it the cost of acquiring a new customer. When there are returns, recalculate the contribution for the same order group: subtract amounts refunded to buyers from revenue, and exclude the cost of goods returned to saleable stock from the cost of goods sold. Include actual variable costs, including fees, delivery, and return handling. Do not deduct the cost of damaged goods again as a loss if it is already included in the cost of goods sold. Account separately for additional repair or disposal costs, if any. Then subtract the advertising cost of this test. Sales attributed to advertising in a report do not, by themselves, prove an incremental effect: some purchases might have happened without it.
Two-week review plan
| Period | Person responsible | Action and review outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Owner and manager | Gather metrics, cancellation reasons, and costs. Choose one problem and record the success criterion. |
| Days 4–7 | Developer and manager | Fix the problem. Check checkout, payment, and how information appears on a phone. |
| Days 8–14 | Owner and manager | Run a limited test. Compare navigation, orders, and costs using the same accounting rules. |
If orders are still in transit or there is not enough data, continue observing. Make the final decision about expanding the test after checking receipt, payment, returns, and contribution.
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