Before You Run Ads, Fix These 10 Things on Your Online Store

A while back, someone came to me with a clear request.

“I want to run catalog ads, the kind that show products with prices right in the feed.”

He had an ecommerce site.
Built with WooCommerce. It technically worked.

But when I visited the site, I could see the problem immediately.
The layout was chaotic.
The design was overloaded with features, including sliders, pop-ups, and clashing banners.
It was trying to do too much, and in doing so, it did very little to help customers buy.

He had pulled ideas from all over the internet. Followed tutorials. Hired freelancers. Tried to stitch it all together.

I’ve spent years building ecommerce stores, running digital campaigns, and working deep inside the operations of online retail. I knew one thing for sure.

Running ads to that site would burn his budget and bring in nothing.

So I told him the truth.
I would help with the ads, but we needed to rebuild the storefront first.

He agreed. Work started.
Then came the resistance.

“Let’s add this effect I saw somewhere.”
“Can we keep the layout as it is?”
“I like how this other site does it.”

We kept focusing on surface-level things. Sliders, button shapes, homepage layouts.
And we kept avoiding what actually mattered.

We ignored the things that truly drive conversion.

The 10 Things to Fix Before You Run Ads

If you’re planning to run paid traffic to your online store, here’s what needs to be in place first. These are the foundations that most struggling ecommerce businesses skip.

1. Clean Product Data
   Use clear titles, professional images, accurate pricing, and live stock levels.
2. Consistent Offers
   What people see in the ad should match what they find on the site. No surprises.
3. Mobile-First Speed
   Your store should load fast on mobile. If it lags, people leave.
4. Streamlined Checkout
   Remove friction. Offer guest checkout and local payment options like mobile money and cards.
5. Real-Time Inventory Sync
   Never advertise products that are out of stock. It damages trust and wastes budget.
6. Transparent Delivery Info
   Show delivery areas, costs, and timelines early in the shopping journey.
7. Trust Elements
   Use SSL, display your return policy, add reviews, and make contact info easy to find.
8. Proper Tracking Setup
   Install your pixel, set up conversion events, and track UTMs correctly.
9. Recovery Systems
   Set up abandoned cart emails, follow-ups, and remarketing audiences.
10. Operational Readiness
    Make sure your fulfillment, support, returns, and logistics can handle incoming orders.

This is what turns a storefront into a real business.

What Happened Next

Eventually, I gave him a full refund and stepped away.
Not because the project was too hard, but because the mindset wasn’t ready.

Months later, he returned.
A prodigal client.

This time, he was aligned.

We rebuilt the store with structure and clarity.
Synced over 600 products.
Launched catalog ads.
Orders started coming in quickly.

And suddenly, all the things he once avoided — pricing strategy, delivery flow, and customer support — became impossible to ignore.

Today, he runs his store confidently.
I’ve taught him how to manage and optimize his own campaigns.
He still checks in from time to time.

And honestly, I only wrote about this because I just remembered something.

He never refunded my refund.

Final Thought

If your ads aren’t converting, the problem might not be the platform.
It might be your foundation.

Get the basics right. Then scale.

Need an honest audit before you run paid traffic?
Let’s talk: Book a discovery session