I turned 40 this year and decided it was time to get serious about skincare. I’m curious about Korean skincare in particular and have spent a couple of hours researching and mobile shopping from my phone.
As someone who builds Shopify websites for a living, I couldn’t help but notice how many skincare brands were losing sales with easily fixable website issues.
Here’s what put me off buying and what you can learn from it.
9 things that made me click away
#1 No ingredient lists – Beautiful website, gorgeous products, but zero ingredients listed for the products I looked into. For skincare, this is a hard no. People need to know what they’re putting on their face.
#2 Slow loading websites – I actually gave up on several sites because they took too long to load on my phone. This is why I love Shopify – I can usually spot a Shopify store because it loads fast, especially on mobile and even with high res images!
#3 No reviews anywhere – When I can’t see any social proof, I don’t trust the brand. Simple as that.
#4 Confusing navigation – Too many menu items, weird category names, or navigation that just didn’t make sense (or work properly). If I can’t find what I’m looking for quickly, I’m not staying to figure it out.
#5 Shopping cart icon in weird places – One well-known brand had their cart icon at the bottom of the mobile screen instead of the top right. It took a little while to figure out how to checkout. Don’t make people hunt for basic functions.This is hurting sales.
#6 Homepage image overload – Huge banner images that probably look pretty on desktop but completely take over my phone screen. I had to scroll past multiple full-screen lifestyle shots just to see actual products. This is hurting the user experience.
#7 No payment plan options – Good skincare is expensive. Offering something like PayFlex or Pay Just Now (here in South Africa) removes that barrier of a big upfront cost.
#8 Broken loyalty programmes – Got an email about earning reward points, clicked the link to learn more, and it just went to the homepage. If you’re going to do loyalty programmes, make sure they actually work and provide an intuitive user experience.
#9 Badly timed emails – Received a “Welcome! 10% off your first order” email two days after I’d already bought something. This was frustrating.
The reality check
Most people discover your skincare brand while scrolling on their phone, maybe in bed researching that serum their friend recommended, or on their lunch break Googling solutions for their skin concerns.
Your mobile experience isn’t just important. It’s everything.
What actually happened
The brands I ended up buying from? They made shopping smooth and trustworthy. No friction, no confusion, no waiting around for pages to load.
Your products might be incredible, but if your website creates friction, customers will go elsewhere. And in skincare, there’s always somewhere else to go.
The fix for most of this stuff is pretty straightforward – test your website on your phone, ask a friend to try buying something, and fix the obvious pain points.
Your website should feel as smooth as your skincare routine.
About me
Since 2015, I’ve been helping product-based businesses build beautiful Shopify stores that help them grow sales.
Some clients come to me with an outdated eCommerce website that no longer works for them. Others are launching for the first time and need someone to gently guide them through the process, step-by-step.
Wherever you are in your business journey, I’m here to shape a website that is smart, soulful and beautifully designed. One that helps the right people say yes with ease. Learn more about my Shopify service here or book a clarity call with me here.
