How to Tell if Low Website Sales Are Due to Traffic or Conversion Problems
How Can I Tell if My Website’s Low Sales Are Due to a Traffic Problem or a Conversion Issue?
The simplest way to determine if your website’s low sales are caused by a traffic problem or a conversion issue is to compare your website traffic data with your conversion rate. If your site gets very few visitors, it’s likely a traffic problem; if you have many visitors but few purchases, it’s probably a conversion issue. Check both metrics in your analytics platform to pinpoint the root cause.
What’s the Difference Between Traffic and Conversions?
Understanding these terms is key to effective troubleshooting of low sales:
Traffic: The number of visitors who come to your website during a specific time period.
Conversions: The percentage of visitors who take a desired action—such as making a purchase, signing up, or contacting you.
How Do I Check If Low Sales Are Due to Low Traffic?
If your website’s sales are low, the first step is to look at your traffic numbers. Here’s how you can check:
Open your analytics tool (like Google Analytics, Matomo, or Adobe Analytics).
Review the number of sessions, users, or pageviews over the past month (or relevant time period).
Compare your traffic against industry benchmarks for your niche or examine your historic data.
Definition Box: Traffic Problem
Traffic Problem: Occurs when your website receives fewer visitors than needed to generate expected sales, even if your conversion rate is healthy.
How Do I Check If Low Sales Are Due to Conversion Issues?
If your traffic numbers are steady or high, but sales remain low, the likely culprit is a conversion issue. Here’s what to do:
Look up your conversion rate in your analytics platform. This is typically calculated as (Number of Sales / Number of Visitors) x 100.
Compare your conversion rate to industry averages. For ecommerce, 1-3% is often cited as a benchmark.
Analyze landing pages, checkout processes, and user behavior using tools like Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, or session replays to spot friction points.
Definition Box: Conversion Issue
Conversion Issue: Happens when a website gets sufficient traffic, but users fail to complete the desired actions, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
How Do I Calculate Traffic and Conversion Rate?
Here’s a simple table for manual calculations:
Metric
Formula
Description
Website Traffic
Total Visitors in Period
Number of unique users visiting your site
Conversion Rate
(Number of Sales / Number of Visitors) x 100
Percentage of visitors who convert
What Are Common Reasons for Low Traffic?
Poor search engine ranking (SEO issues)
Lack of social media visibility
Insufficient or poorly executed paid ads
Few backlinks from reputable sources
Outdated or irrelevant content
Technical issues blocking search engines (like robots.txt or noindex tags)
Related entities: Google Search Console, SEO Audit, Backlink Analysis
What Causes Conversion Issues Even if Traffic Is High?
Poor website design or confusing navigation
Slow page load times
Complicated or buggy checkout process
Lack of trust signals (like reviews, security badges, or clear policies)
Unclear value proposition or messaging
Not mobile-friendly
Related concepts: User Experience (UX), A/B testing, Cart Abandonment
How Do I Diagnose the Real Problem? (Step-by-Step Guide)
Check Your Numbers: Use analytics to look at both traffic and conversion data for the last 30-90 days.
Compare to Benchmarks: Is your traffic or conversion rate much lower than industry averages?
Audit the Traffic Sources: Are your visitors coming from relevant sources (search, social, referrals)?
Evaluate User Journey: Where do visitors drop off? Use funnel or flow reports (Google Analytics, GA4).
Conduct Heuristic Testing: Test the site yourself and ask others for feedback on the buying journey.
Use Session Recordings: Watch real user sessions to see what’s blocking them from converting.
Question Variations: What Else Might People Ask?
How can I tell if my marketing is bringing the right people to my website?
Why do I have a lot of website visitors but so few sales?
Is my website broken if people aren’t buying?
How do I analyze website performance for ecommerce sales?
What tools can show if poor traffic or bad conversions are hurting sales?
Featured Snippet: Quick Self-Assessment Checklist
Low traffic, low sales? Focus on boosting visitors via SEO, ads, or social media.
High traffic, low sales? Focus on improving your website’s conversion rate.
Both traffic and conversion are low? Address both acquisition and user experience.
What Tools Can Help Diagnose Traffic vs. Conversion Issues?
Tool
Purpose
Topic Entity
Google Analytics / GA4
Track visitor and conversion data
Website Analytics
Google Search Console
Audit SEO and site visibility
SEO Performance
Hotjar / Microsoft Clarity
User behavior monitoring (heatmaps, session replays)
User Experience
Survey Tools (e.g., Typeform, Google Forms)
Collect visitor feedback
Customer Insights
PageSpeed Insights
Check site speed issues
Technical Performance
Related Entities and Topics
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising
Landing Page Optimization
UX/UI Design
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Funnel Analysis
Customer Journey Mapping
Should I Fix Traffic or Conversion First?
If your traffic is extremely low, focus on increasing it; you need enough data before testing conversion changes. If traffic is healthy, invest in conversion optimization for better ROI. For most businesses, addressing both over time is ideal.
Summary Table: Troubleshooting Low Sales
Symptom
Likely Problem
Action to Take
Low traffic & low sales
Traffic issue
SEO, content marketing, advertising
High traffic & low sales
Conversion issue
Improve UX, A/B testing, better offers
Moderate/high traffic & moderate sales
Some conversion improvements needed
CRO, streamlined checkout, trust signals
Key Takeaways: How to Know if It’s Traffic or Conversion
Check both your website’s visitor numbers and your conversion rate in your analytics platform.
Low traffic with low sales means focus on getting more visitors.
High traffic with low sales means optimize your site’s ability to convert visitors into buyers.
Use digital analytics, industry benchmarks, and user testing tools to identify the weak link.
Further Resources
Crazy Egg: Conversion Rate Optimization
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