What are the most common UX issues in online stores that reduce conversion?
09.08.2026 8 min. 54 views
Driving traffic to an online store is only the first step towards making a sale. Once users land on the website, the outcome depends on how easily they can find the right product, get the information they need and complete their purchase.
This is where UI/UX decisions have a direct impact on the performance of an online store. Unclear navigation, unsuitable filters, poorly structured product information and design decisions based on the merchant's personal preferences can create obstacles along the user journey and ultimately have a negative impact on conversion.
This article is part of the following series:
- The hidden obstacles to online store growth: Where do merchants go wrong in strategy and how to avoid it?
- Where do projects fail due to poor internal organization and communication? And how does this hinder your online store’s growth?
- Marketing and content in eCommerce: what are online merchants missing?
- What are the most common UX issues in online stores that reduce conversion?
This article is the final part of the series, in which we look at some of the most common issues in UX and website structure that negatively affect the user experience and can lead to missed sales opportunities.
Why shouldn't personal preferences determine UI/UX decisions?
One of the most common mistakes we see is overlooking basic UI/UX principles, in other words, the principles of user experience. Many online store owners insist on designs and functionalities based on their own vision, without listening to the expert advice of designers who understand best practices and can recommend solutions that take into account both user behaviour and the business goals of the online store.
As a result, designers often become more like “operators” of their tools (Figma, Photoshop, etc.), carrying out the merchant's specific requests instead of contributing their expertise.
Ignoring these principles can have a negative impact on conversion, lead to user confusion and result in missed sales opportunities. The user interface and website experience should be strategically planned and based on analysis and best practices, rather than personal preferences alone.
The role of designers is not only to create a modern and visually appealing design, but also to build an accessible and intuitive user experience. Well-targeted UI/UX decisions make the user journey easier while supporting the online store's business goals of higher conversion and a better customer experience.
That is why UI/UX decisions should result from a combination of the merchant's business goals, the expertise of specialists and actual user behaviour, rather than subjective preferences alone.
How do category structure and filters affect sales?
One of the common mistakes when building an online store starts with the structure of the product catalogue. Merchants often organise categories according to their own logic and knowledge of the product range, but this does not always match the way users search for and choose products.
That is why the category structure should be built based on analysis and with the involvement of UX and SEO specialists. The goal is, on the one hand, to help users easily navigate the product range and reach the products they are looking for and, on the other, to ensure that the catalogue structure supports proper indexing and organic visibility in search engines.
Product attributes are equally important - size, colour, material, purpose, brand and other characteristics depending on the specific type of product. Completing them is often underestimated, even though they form the basis of useful filters in an online store.
When categories are not well structured or products do not have enough correctly defined attributes, the consequences have a direct impact on the user experience:
- Users find it more difficult to discover the products they are looking for;
- Filtering options are limited or the filters do not provide sufficiently relevant results;
- Navigation becomes slower and more confusing, especially with a large product catalogue;
- An incorrect structure can make indexing more difficult and limit the store's organic visibility.
Well-structured categories, high-quality product data and relevant filters make navigation easier and help users find products that match their searches and criteria more quickly. This makes the selection process easier and creates better conditions for higher conversion.
Why doesn't the user experience end when the order is completed?
One of the often overlooked aspects of eCommerce is what happens after an order is completed and, more specifically, how gaps at this stage can affect the overall customer experience.
After placing an order, the customer expects clear and timely information:
- What is the status of their order?
- What is the expected delivery time?
- How can they return or exchange a product?
When this information is missing or difficult to find, it negatively affects the user experience and creates additional operational workload for the merchant - more calls, emails and enquiries about order status. Many of these can be avoided through well-organised processes, automation and clear communication with the customer.
Post-purchase experience should be seen as a natural extension of the online store's UX. Well-organised communication and customer service after an order contribute to customer trust and satisfaction and create better conditions for customer retention and repeat purchases.
How does the accumulation of UX issues affect conversion?
In many cases, lower conversion is not the result of one specific UX issue, but rather the accumulation of difficulties at different stages of the user journey. An unclear category structure, insufficiently relevant filters, missing or difficult-to-find product information, a complicated checkout process or insufficient communication after an order may each seem like minor issues on their own.
However, when they accumulate within a single user experience, they increase the effort required to find, choose and purchase a product, and every additional difficulty increases the likelihood that the user will abandon the process before completing the purchase.
This is also one of the hidden barriers to online store growth: the business invests in attracting more traffic, but part of its sales potential remains unrealised because of existing difficulties in the user experience.
That is why UX optimisation should not be seen as a one-off task that ends when the online store is launched. User behaviour needs to be analysed regularly, stages with higher drop-off rates need to be identified and the reasons behind them need to be investigated.
It is also important to complement data analysis with direct user feedback. Surveys and usability tests can help identify specific difficulties and the reasons behind them, which cannot always be identified through website behaviour analysis alone.
Improving UX is an ongoing process that combines data analysis, observation of user behaviour and feedback from real users.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How can you remove the hidden barriers to online store growth?
Throughout this series, we have looked at different issues that may initially seem separate - the strategy before the start of the project, internal organisation and communication, marketing and content, as well as UX and the user experience on the website. In fact, they are all interconnected and affect the development of the online store.
A successful eCommerce project is not defined by a well-developed platform alone. It is a combination of a clear business strategy, a well-prepared team, high-quality product data and content, the right technology, a good user experience and continuous development. Gaps in one of these areas can affect the effectiveness of the others and the overall performance of the online store.
You can invest more in advertising and attract more visitors, but if they struggle to find the right product or face difficulties along the path to purchase, increased traffic will not automatically lead to a proportional increase in sales.
At Stenik, we see an online store as an evolving eCommerce project in which technology, UX, business processes and marketing need to work together. That is why its development does not end with the implementation of specific functionalities, but requires regular analysis of results, identification of problem areas and continuous optimisation.
Do you need a UX audit of your existing online store?
Learn more about our UI/UX design services and contact us so we can analyse your store's current user experience and identify the problem areas that make it more difficult for users to complete their orders.
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e-commerce tips