10 Things I Learned Cleaning Up Client Shopify Disasters (So You Don’t Have To)

After a chaotic year fixing broken Shopify stores, I started to notice a pattern. The same mistakes. The same "emergencies" that could’ve been avoided. The same frantic messages asking, "Can you check why our theme is glitching?" Spoiler: it's not the theme.

If you're building (or rebuilding) your Shopify store, here's what I wish every client knew *before* launch day.

1. No, your logo isn’t the problem

Business owners  love to obsess over their logo. But let me be real: it won’t save a broken store. If your site doesn’t communicate what you sell or make it easy to buy, no graphic mark can fix that. Prioritize clarity and conversion before aesthetics.

2. No, the theme isn’t “glitching”, you just broke it

Yes, themes can break. But 9 times out of 10, it’s not the theme's fault. It’s the result of DIY edits, random app installs, or someone’s cousin trying to "tweak a few lines of code." Don’t experiment on your live site. Use a duplicate theme or hire someone who knows what they’re doing.

3. No, your cousin can’t do the product photos

Unless your cousin is a professional ecomm photographer with lighting equipment and experience, don’t assign them your visuals. Low-quality photos tank trust. And in e-commerce, trust is everything. Good images sell products. Period.

4. No, you don’t need 19 collections

Every client wants to create 100 categories because "we might add these later." Don’t. Collections are for the customer, not for your dreams of product expansion. Launch lean, then scale. Too many categories confuse, overwhelm, and kill conversions.

5. No, your price isn’t too high,your copy sucks

If people aren’t buying, it’s rarely just the price. It’s how you're positioning your product. Bad copy doesn’t explain the value, benefits, or why your product is different. You can’t convince someone to spend $50 when your product page reads like a grocery list.

6. No, you can’t skip shipping setup

This one baffles me. People build out beautiful stores, launch... and forget to configure shipping. Then orders don’t go through. Or worse, you lose money. Set up rates, test checkout, and use Shopify's built-in shipping integrations early.

7. No, TikTok won’t save an empty store

Virality is not a strategy. Yes, TikTok can bring traffic. But traffic doesn’t matter if there’s nothing compelling to buy, no trust built, and no experience designed to convert. Focus on foundation first. Then fuel it with content.

8. No, “soft launching” isn’t a personality

This one’s for the perfectionists. If you never tell anyone you launched, your store isn’t live. Soft launching is often code for "I'm scared it’s not good enough." Launch ugly. Launch imperfect. But please, *launch*.

9. No, you can’t sell if YOU wouldn’t buy it

Be honest. Would you actually pay for what you're selling? Would you be excited to open the package, use the product, recommend it to a friend? If not, go back to the offer. The best marketing can’t save a mediocre product.

10. Yes, you actually have to launch

This sounds obvious. It isn’t. Too many store owners spend months tweaking and planning, but never push "publish." Shopify stores don’t make money sitting in draft. You only learn by launching. And every day you wait, someone else beats you to market.

If you're about to launch your Shopify store, avoid these mistakes and you'll be ahead of 90% of new shops. Focus on simplicity, trust, and functionality. Design for your customers, not your ego. And for the love of all things ecommerce: just hit publish.

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