Where online sales are really lost
Most small shop owners put their energy into product photos and descriptions — and they should. But plenty of sales are lost later, at the point where a customer wants to know what delivery costs, how long it takes, and what happens if the item does not fit. If those answers are hidden or vague, people leave the basket and buy somewhere that feels safer.
The good news is that none of this needs a big budget. It needs clear decisions, written down plainly on your site.
Decide your delivery options before you build
Before a single product page goes live, decide:
- Where you ship. Ireland only, Ireland and Northern Ireland, the EU, the UK? Each option adds cost and paperwork, so start with what you can handle well.
- Which carrier you use. An Post, a courier, or a mix. Get real quotes for your typical parcel size and weight rather than guessing.
- How you charge. Flat rate, free over a threshold, weight-based, or local collection. Simple beats clever — customers should be able to work out the cost without reaching the checkout.
- Realistic dispatch times. If you pack orders on Tuesdays and Fridays, say so. "Dispatched within 2 working days" is better than a promise you cannot keep in a busy week.
If you sell outside the EU, particularly to Great Britain after Brexit, check customs and VAT rules with your accountant before you switch it on. Surprise charges on delivery are one of the quickest ways to earn a bad review.
Show delivery costs early
Do not make customers enter their address to discover what delivery costs. Put it:
- In a short line on every product page ("Free delivery in Ireland over €50, otherwise €5.95")
- In the site header or a banner if you offer a free-delivery threshold
- On a dedicated Delivery page linked from the footer
Offering local collection is worth considering for shops in towns like Castlebar, Westport or Ballina — some customers would rather pick up on the way home than wait for a courier.
Write a returns policy people can actually read
Under EU consumer law, customers buying online generally have a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel and return most goods, with some exceptions such as personalised or perishable items. Your returns policy should reflect your obligations, not try to work around them. If in doubt, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has plain guidance for businesses.
A good returns page answers four questions in plain English:
- How long does the customer have?
- What condition must the item be in?
- Who pays for return postage?
- How and when will they get their money back?
Being generous where you can afford it — for example, easy exchanges on sizes — often costs less than the sales you lose by looking strict.
Keep checkout short
Every extra field and step is a chance for someone to give up. A few practical rules:
- Allow guest checkout. Forcing people to create an account before buying loses sales. Offer an account afterwards.
- Offer the payment methods people expect. Card payments are essential; Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal are worth adding because they skip typing card details on a phone.
- Handle Irish addresses properly. Make Eircode easy to enter and do not force a "county" or "postcode" format built for another country.
- Test on your own phone. Buy something from your own shop on mobile data, not office Wi-Fi. You will quickly find the awkward bits.
Confirm, update, and follow up
After payment, the customer should get an order confirmation email straight away, then a dispatch email with tracking where possible. These simple automated messages cut down on "where is my order?" phone calls and make a small shop feel reliable.
If an order is delayed, tell the customer before they ask. A short, honest email turns a potential complaint into a reason to trust you.
Put it all in one place
Make sure your Delivery, Returns, Terms and Contact pages are linked from the footer of every page, and that your business name, address and contact details are easy to find. Customers look for these before buying from a shop they have not used before — it is how they decide you are a real business.
Final thought
A small online shop does not win on having the most features. It wins on being clear: clear delivery costs, a fair returns policy, a quick checkout and honest updates. Get those basics right and your product pages will have a much better chance of turning visits into orders.