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Shopify traffic but no sales? A Shopify conversion checklist

What you will get from this guide

How to read Shopify’s funnel to find the exact step where shoppers drop off, with a worked example
2026 Shopify conversion rate benchmarks by industry, and why your traffic source matters more than the average
A checklist of fixes for each stage of the funnel, starting with the ones that cost nothing

When a Shopify store gets traffic but no sales, the problem sits at one of four steps: the visitors are the wrong people, product pages do not persuade them to add to cart, the cart does not lead to checkout, or checkout loses them. Shopify’s analytics shows sessions, add to cart, reached checkout and completed checkout, so you can see which step breaks rather than guessing.

For context, a 2026 benchmark of 745 Shopify stores put the average conversion rate at 2.61%, with a median of 1.74%, so half the stores in the sample converted fewer than about 2 in 100 sessions. If yours is far below that, start with traffic quality, then work down the funnel. This guide shows how to read your numbers, compares them with benchmarks by industry, and gives fixes for each step. For hands-on help, see our Shopify web design service.

AJ Creationz builds and improves Shopify stores. Benchmarks are third-party figures from vendor studies and vary with sample and method; use them as a rough guide only.

Step 1: find where your funnel breaks

In Shopify, open Analytics and look at your conversion figures for the last 30 days: sessions, sessions with an add to cart, sessions that reached checkout, and sessions that completed checkout. Then work out the rate at each step.

Worked example: where a store’s funnel breaks
Step	Sessions	Rate from previous step
Sessions	10,000
Added to cart	300	3.0% of sessions
Reached checkout	180	60% of carts
Completed checkout	90	50% of checkouts
Overall conversion rate		0.9% (90 ÷ 10,000)

The figures are illustrative. Check: 300 ÷ 10,000 = 3%; 180 ÷ 300 = 60%; 90 ÷ 180 = 50%; 90 ÷ 10,000 = 0.9%.

In this example, only 3 in 100 sessions add anything to the cart. That is the weakest step, so the work belongs on traffic and product pages, not checkout. Do the same arithmetic with your numbers before changing anything.

Shopify conversion rate benchmarks for 2026

Shopify conversion rates by industry (Shogun, 745 stores, January to June 2026)
Industry	Median	Top-quartile threshold
Health and wellness	3.31%	5.94%
Beauty and personal care	3.16%	4.93%
Food and beverage	2.99%	7.27%
Toys and hobbies	2.09%	3.49%
Business and industrial	1.84%	2.70%
Apparel and accessories	1.69%	3.24%
Home and garden	1.62%	3.01%
Consumer electronics	1.39%	2.06%
Autos and vehicles	1.26%	1.98%
Sports and outdoors	1.24%	2.46%

Source: Shogun benchmark report as summarised by Blend Commerce (October 2026). Overall: 2.61% mean, 1.74% median, 3.39% top-quartile threshold. Some categories have small samples, so treat them with caution.

Benchmarks are averages across very different stores. Traffic source changes the picture most: visitors from your email list or branded searches convert far better than cold visitors from a new social ad. Compare each traffic source with itself over time, and use the benchmark only to tell whether you are roughly in range or far outside it.

If few sessions add to cart: traffic and product pages

Check traffic quality first. In Analytics, split sessions by source and country. If most traffic is from places you do not ship to, from low-quality ad placements or from bots, the product pages are not the problem.
Match ads to the landing page. An ad for one product should land on that product, not the home page.
Show the product properly. Several large, real photos, a short video if it helps, sizes and dimensions, materials and what is in the box.
Answer the questions that stop a purchase: delivery cost and time, returns policy and stock, near the add to cart button, not only in the footer.
Show real reviews from verified buyers. Never write or buy fake ones.
Make the price clear, including any extra costs, so nothing surprises the shopper later.
Test on a phone. Most Shopify traffic is mobile. The add to cart button should be visible without hunting, and images should load quickly.

If carts do not reach checkout, or checkout does not complete

The Baymard Institute, which has researched checkout usability for years, puts the average documented cart abandonment rate at around 70%. Many abandoners were only browsing, but among those who meant to buy, Baymard’s surveys put unexpected extra costs such as shipping, taxes and fees at the top of the reasons, followed by being forced to create an account, slow delivery, not trusting the site with card details and a long or complicated checkout.

Cart and checkout fixes
Problem	Fix
Shipping cost appears only at checkout	Show delivery cost on the product page and cart, or set a free-delivery threshold you can afford
Account required to buy	Allow guest checkout; offer the account after purchase
Few payment options	Turn on Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal where available
Delivery too slow or vague	State dispatch and delivery times plainly, by country
Shoppers do not trust the store	Clear contact details, returns policy, real reviews, and a professional theme without broken parts
Discount code box sends people looking for codes	Keep it, but avoid empty promises; run real offers through links that apply automatically
Abandoned carts are not followed up	Turn on Shopify’s abandoned checkout emails and check the wording and timing

A Shopify store audit in 30 minutes

Work out your funnel rates from Analytics and find the weakest step.
Split conversion rate by traffic source and device; note the worst source.
Buy something from your own store on a phone, using guest checkout, and time it.
Check every product page in your top five sellers for delivery cost, returns and reviews near the button.
Run your top product page through PageSpeed Insights and note the mobile Core Web Vitals.
Read your abandoned checkout email and confirm it is switched on.

Fix the weakest step first and re-measure after two to four weeks, so you know which change made the difference. If the store also needs a bigger plan or theme, our Shopify store cost guide shows what plans, apps and builds cost in pounds and dollars.

Work out your funnel rates today

Take the last 30 days of sessions, add to cart, reached checkout and completed checkout, and find the weakest step. If you would like a second opinion, send us your store address and those four numbers and we will record a short teardown video of your store with the fixes in priority order, at no cost.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

Why is my Shopify store getting traffic but no sales?

Either the traffic is the wrong audience, product pages do not persuade visitors to add to cart, or the cart and checkout lose them. Shopify’s funnel figures show which step is weakest.

What is a good Shopify conversion rate?

A 2026 benchmark of 745 Shopify stores found a 2.61% average and a 1.74% median, with the top quarter above 3.39%. Rates vary widely by industry and traffic source.

How do I increase Shopify sales without more traffic?

Fix the weakest funnel step: clearer product pages with delivery costs and reviews near the button, guest checkout, more payment options and abandoned checkout emails.

What is a normal cart abandonment rate?

The Baymard Institute puts the average documented cart abandonment rate at around 70%. Unexpected extra costs are the most common reason given by shoppers who meant to buy.

Should I change my Shopify theme to get more sales?

Only if the funnel shows a problem the theme causes, such as slow mobile pages or a hidden add to cart button. Most stores gain more from fixing product page content and checkout friction first.

October 27, 2026

Website brief template: what to send a web designer

What you will get from this guide

A 12-section website brief template you can copy, with the question each section must answer
A filled-in example brief for a fictional trade business, so you can see the level of detail that gets accurate quotes
An extra checklist for redesigns, so a new site does not lose the rankings and enquiries the old one earns

A website brief is a short document that tells a web designer what the site is for, who it is for, what pages and features it needs, what you already have, and your budget and deadline. A good website brief template covers those points in 12 sections and fits on two to four pages. It matters because designers quote on what they understand: two agencies given a vague brief can quote very different prices for very different sites, and you cannot compare them fairly.

Below is the template, the question each section must answer, a filled-in example, and an extra checklist if you are replacing an existing site. Send the same brief to every designer you ask to quote. For what the work should cost, see our website cost guide; to have us build it, see our website development service.

AJ Creationz builds websites and receives briefs like this. The template is our own; use it with any designer or agency.

The 12-section website brief template

Website brief template: copy the left column, answer the right
Section	The question it must answer
1. About the business	What do you do, where, for whom, and what makes you different from the competitors customers compare you with?
2. The goal of the site	What should the site achieve in the first year, in numbers if you can (for example, 20 quote requests a month)?
3. Audience	Who are the two or three main types of visitor, and what do they need to know before they contact you?
4. The main action	What is the one thing you want most visitors to do: call, request a quote, book, buy?
5. Pages and content	Which pages do you need, and who will write the words and supply the photos?
6. Features and integrations	What must the site do beyond showing pages: bookings, payments, a shop, a CRM, a members area?
7. Brand	Do you have a logo, colours, fonts and brand guidelines? Link or attach them.
8. Examples	Which three sites do you like and why, and which do you dislike and why?
9. Existing site and SEO	Is there a current site? Which pages bring traffic or enquiries? Who owns the domain and hosting?
10. Platform and editing	Who will update the site after launch, how often, and is there a platform you must or must not use?
11. Legal and accessibility	Which markets do you serve, and what do you need for privacy, cookies and accessibility?
12. Budget, timeline and decisions	What is your budget range, your launch date and why, and who signs off each stage?

Sections 2, 4 and 12 are the ones most briefs leave out, and they are the ones that change the quote most. A site that must produce booked appointments needs different pages and features from one that only needs to look credible when someone checks you after a referral.

Filled-in example: a website brief for a trade business

This example is fictional. It shows the level of detail that lets a designer quote accurately.

Example brief: Brightline Electrical (fictional), Bristol
Section	Answer
1. About	Domestic electricians, 4 staff, Bristol and 15 miles around. NICEIC registered. We specialise in EV charger installs and rewires, which most local competitors do not lead with.
2. Goal	25 quote requests a month from the site within 12 months (currently about 6). Fewer calls asking for prices we do not offer.
3. Audience	Homeowners planning a rewire or EV charger; landlords needing safety certificates. Both want price ranges, timescales and proof we are registered.
4. Main action	Request a quote with photos of the consumer unit. Phone as a second option.
5. Pages	Home, EV chargers, rewires, landlord certificates, about, reviews, contact. We will supply job photos; we need help writing the service pages.
6. Features	Quote form with photo upload, sent to our CRM. Google reviews shown on the site. No shop.
7. Brand	Logo and colours exist (files attached). No guidelines.
8. Examples	Like: site A for its clear prices; site B for its photo gallery. Dislike: site C, too many pop-ups.
9. Existing site	Old site since 2019. Domain registered by us; hosting with the old designer. The EV charger page brings most enquiries now.
10. Editing	Office manager will add reviews and photos monthly. No preference on platform as long as it is easy to edit.
11. Legal	UK only. Need a privacy policy, a cookie banner that meets UK rules and an accessible site.
12. Budget and timing	£4,000 to £6,000. Live by March, before our busy spring season. Owner signs off design and launch.

How to write each section well

Be specific about the goal. More enquiries is not a goal a designer can plan for. A number, a type of enquiry and a deadline are.
Say who writes the content. Content is the most common cause of late launches. If you want the designer to write it, say so, because it changes the price.
Explain why you like an example. I like their site does not help. I like how prices are shown on every service page does.
List integrations by name. Name your CRM, booking tool, payment provider and email platform, so the designer can check they connect.
Give a budget range. Without one, quotes can differ several times over because each designer guesses a different scope. A range lets them propose the best site for that money.
Name the decision maker. Projects stall when sign-off is unclear. Say who approves the design, the content and the launch.

Legal and accessibility: what to put in section 11

This is general information, not legal advice. In the UK, a site that uses non-essential cookies, such as analytics or ad tracking, needs consent under UK GDPR and PECR, and a privacy policy that explains how you use personal data from forms. In the US, rules vary by state, and California’s privacy law is the one most small businesses meet first if they serve customers there.

For accessibility, ask for the site to meet WCAG 2.2 level AA, the current version of the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It covers readable contrast, keyboard use, labelled form fields and text alternatives for images, which also tend to make the site easier for everyone to use.

Website redesign checklist: add this if you have a site already

A redesign can lose rankings and enquiries if old pages disappear without redirects. Add these points to section 9 of your brief:

Export a list of every current page URL and the pages that bring the most visits and enquiries, from Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Ask the designer to map every old URL to a new one and set up permanent (301) redirects at launch.
Keep the page titles and content of top-performing pages unless there is a reason to change them.
Confirm who has access to the domain, DNS, hosting, Search Console and Analytics before work starts.
Ask for tracking (form, call and booking key events) to be tested before launch, not after.
Agree a check two to four weeks after launch to review Search Console for errors and traffic changes.

Our website migration SEO checklist covers redirects in detail, with a redirect map template.

After you send the brief

Send the same brief to three designers or agencies and ask each to quote against it, listing what is included. That makes quotes comparable. Our guide to choosing a web design agency has the questions to ask and a scorecard for comparing proposals.

Copy the template and fill in sections 2, 4 and 12 first

Those three sections change quotes the most. Then send the brief to every designer you ask to quote. If you would like a quote from us, send your completed brief and we will reply within one working day with questions or a written proposal.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

What should a website brief include?

The business and its goal, the audience, the main action you want visitors to take, pages and content, features and integrations, brand assets, examples, the existing site, platform and editing needs, legal and accessibility needs, and your budget, timeline and decision maker.

How long should a website brief be?

Usually two to four pages. Long enough to answer the 12 questions in the template clearly, short enough that a designer will read all of it.

Should I include a budget in a website brief?

Yes. A range lets designers propose the best site for that money. Without one, quotes vary widely because each designer guesses a different scope.

What is the difference between a website brief and a website requirements document?

A brief explains goals, audience and scope so a designer can quote. A requirements document is a detailed specification, usually written after the designer is chosen, listing every feature and how it should work.

How do I brief a website redesign?

Use the same template, and add a list of current URLs and top pages, a requirement to redirect every old URL, and tests for tracking before launch, so you keep existing rankings and enquiries.

October 26, 2026

How to get your business on Google Maps, and why it is missing

What you will get from this guide

The steps to get a business on Google Maps, including the rules for service-area businesses that work from home
A diagnosis table for the most common reasons a business is not showing on Google Maps, with the fix for each
What Google says decides Google Maps ranking, and a 30-day plan that works on the parts you can change

To get your business on Google Maps, create or claim a Google Business Profile, enter your real business name, category and either your address or the area you serve, then verify it. Once verified and approved, the profile can appear in Google Maps and in the local results on Google Search. If you serve customers at their homes and work from a residential address, Google’s guidelines say to hide that address and set a service area instead.

If your business is not showing on Google Maps, the usual causes are an unverified or suspended profile, a profile that breaks Google’s guidelines, a search made from too far away, or a market where competitors look more relevant and better known. Google says local ranking depends on relevance, distance and prominence, and that there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. This guide covers each step and each fix. For help with the whole job, see our SEO and growth service.

AJ Creationz offers local SEO. Everything here is based on Google’s published Business Profile help and guidelines, linked in the sources. Nobody can guarantee a position on Google Maps.

How to get your business on Google Maps: step by step

Search for your business on Google Maps first. If a listing already exists, claim it rather than creating a duplicate. Google’s guidelines allow only one profile per business.
Create or claim the profile at Google Business Profile with a Google account the business controls, not a personal account of a staff member who might leave.
Use your real business name exactly as it appears on your signage, vans and invoices. Do not add locations, services or taglines to the name.
Choose your primary category carefully: the one that best describes what you are, such as Plumber or Accountant. Add secondary categories only if they are true.
Add your address or service area. If customers visit you, show the address. If you visit customers and work from home, hide the address and list the towns or postcodes you cover.
Verify the profile by the method Google offers you. The profile will not show reliably until verification is complete.
Complete everything else: hours, phone number, website link, services, a description in plain words and real photos of your premises, team and work.

Who can have a Google Business Profile

Google’s guidelines set clear eligibility rules, and breaking them is a common reason for suspensions:

Your business must have a location customers can visit or must travel to customers where they are, and be contactable in person during stated hours.
Service-area businesses should have one profile for the central location with a designated service area. If you run the business from home, hide your home address.
P.O. boxes, remote mailboxes and rented addresses where you do not actually operate are not eligible.
There should be only one profile per business, with limited exceptions for distinct departments and individual practitioners.
Your name must match the real-world name you use. Marketing taglines, service or location words, phone numbers and URLs are not allowed in it.

Why is my business not showing on Google Maps?

Common reasons a business is not showing on Google Maps, and the fix
What you see	Likely cause	What to do
Profile exists but says it is not verified	Verification never completed	Finish verification from your Business Profile dashboard
Profile disappeared or shows as suspended	A guideline breach, such as a virtual office, keywords in the name or a duplicate	Fix the breach, then request reinstatement through Google’s support route
Shows when you search the business name, not for your service	Competitors are more relevant or better known for that search	Work on relevance and prominence (see below)
Shows near your base but not in towns you serve	Distance: Google favours businesses closer to the searcher	Build location and service pages on your site; you cannot move the pin
Two listings for one business	Duplicate profiles	Keep the verified one and ask Google to remove or merge the duplicate
No pin on the map	Service-area business with a hidden address	Normal: you appear by service area, not a pin
Brand new profile not visible yet	Review and verification still in progress	Complete all fields and check again after a few days

Based on Google Business Profile help and guidelines. Exact menu names change; search Google’s help for the current wording.

How Google Maps ranking works

Google’s help page on local ranking names three factors. Relevance is how well your profile matches what someone searched for. Distance is how far you are from the searcher, or from the location in their search. Prominence is how well known your business is, which Google says draws on information from across the web such as links, articles and directories, and on reviews.

You cannot change distance, and you cannot pay Google for a better local position. That leaves relevance and prominence, which is where all legitimate Google Maps ranking work happens:

What you can do about each ranking factor
Factor	What helps	What does not
Relevance	Accurate primary category, complete services list, a description in plain words, matching service pages on your website	Stuffing keywords into the business name, which breaks the guidelines
Prominence	A steady flow of genuine reviews with replies, mentions and links from local sites, consistent name, address and phone across directories	Fake or bought reviews, which break Google’s policies and consumer law
Distance	Nothing you can change	Virtual offices or fake addresses in other towns, which are not eligible

A 30-day Google Maps plan

First 30 days: in order
Week	Tasks
Week 1	Claim or create the profile, verify it, fix the name and primary category, remove duplicates
Week 2	Complete hours, services, description and service area; add 10 or more real photos of team, vans, premises and finished work
Week 3	Send a review request with a direct link to every customer from the last three months; reply to every existing review
Week 4	Check your business name, address and phone are identical on your website and main directories; add a page on your site for each main service

After day 30: keep asking every happy customer for a review, post photos of new work monthly, and check your profile performance figures for calls, direction requests and website clicks.

Add a tracking tag to the website link on your profile so Google Analytics shows visits from Google Maps separately. That lets you see whether the work is producing enquiries, not just views.

Local SEO in the UK and the US: same rules

Google Business Profile rules are the same in both countries. What differs is the directories that matter and how people search: UK customers often search by town or postcode, US customers by city, neighbourhood or ZIP code. Use the place names your customers use on your service area and on your website pages. Our local SEO cost guide covers what it costs to have this done, in pounds and dollars.

Search for your own service from a customer’s location

Search for your main service plus a town you serve, on a phone, as a customer would. If you are not in the map results, work through the diagnosis table. If you want a hand, send us your Business Profile name and the towns you serve and we will check it against Google’s guidelines and send you a written list of fixes, at no cost.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my business on Google Maps?

Create or claim a Google Business Profile, enter your real name, category and address or service area, and verify it. Once verified and approved, it can appear on Google Maps.

Why is my business not showing on Google Maps?

Common reasons are an unverified or suspended profile, a guideline breach such as a virtual office or keywords in the name, searching from too far away, or competitors that look more relevant and better known.

Can I be on Google Maps without a shop or office?

Yes. Service-area businesses that visit customers can have a profile. If you work from home, Google’s guidelines say to hide your address and set the areas you serve.

Can I pay to rank higher on Google Maps?

No. Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. You can pay for local ads, which are labelled as sponsored and are separate from the organic map results.

How long does it take to show on Google Maps?

A new profile usually needs verification and review before it shows reliably. Ranking higher for competitive searches takes longer, often months of steady reviews and improvements.

October 25, 2026

Google Ads not working? A 12-point Google Ads audit

What you will get from this guide

A 12-point Google Ads audit in the order that finds the costly problems first, with where to click for each check
The settings that quietly waste budget on small accounts: location options, auto-applied recommendations and broad search terms
A cost-per-lead check that tells you whether the account can ever be profitable at your prices

When Google Ads is not working, the cause is usually one of four things: conversions are not tracked correctly, so Google optimises for the wrong thing; ads show for searches or places you do not want; settings have been changed automatically; or the landing page does not turn clicks into enquiries. A Google Ads audit checks each of these in turn, starting with tracking, because every other number in the account depends on it.

This 12-point audit takes about an hour on a small account. Each check says where to look in Google Ads and what a problem looks like. It ends with a cost-per-lead test that tells you whether the account can be profitable at your prices at all. If you want it done for you, see our Google Ads management service.

AJ Creationz manages Google Ads accounts. The audit order and thresholds are our working method; Google’s own documentation for each setting is linked in the sources.

Checks 1 to 3: conversion tracking

Are the right actions counted as conversions? Go to Goals, then Conversions. Primary conversions should be real enquiries: form submissions, calls over a set length, bookings or purchases. If page views, button clicks or time on site are set as primary, Google is optimising for the wrong thing.
Do the numbers match reality? Compare last month’s conversions in Google Ads with the enquiries you actually received from ads. If Google shows 40 and you got 8, something is double-counting or counting non-leads. If Google shows none but the phone rang, tracking is broken.
Is each conversion counted once? For lead generation, set conversions to count one per click, so a person who submits a form twice is not counted as two leads.

If tracking fails any of these, fix it before touching bids, budgets or keywords. Automated bidding learns from conversion data, so wrong data trains it to find the wrong people.

Checks 4 to 6: who sees your ads

Search terms. Open Insights and reports, then Search terms, for the last 30 days. Read the actual searches that triggered your ads. Look for jobs you do not do, DIY and free searches, job seekers, competitor names and locations you do not serve. Google’s help suggests using this report to find negative keywords.
Location option. In campaign settings, check Locations, then Location options. The default, Presence or interest, can show ads to people outside your area who have shown interest in it. A local service business usually wants Presence: people in or regularly in your targeted locations.
Networks. On Search campaigns, check whether the Display Network is switched on. It can spend budget on website placements that rarely convert for local service searches.

Checks 7 to 9: settings that change without you

Auto-applied recommendations. Go to Recommendations, then Auto-apply. Google can apply some recommendations automatically, such as adding keywords or changing bidding. Turn off the ones you have not deliberately chosen, then review recommendations by hand.
Change history. Look at Change history for the last 90 days. Unexplained changes to budgets, bidding or keywords often line up with when results dropped.
Bidding strategy versus data. Strategies such as Maximise conversions or Target CPA need enough reliable conversions to learn from. On a small account with only a handful of conversions a month, check whether the strategy is spending without enough data to steer by.

Checks 10 to 12: budget, ads and landing page

Budget spread. If one campaign or ad group takes most of the spend but brings few conversions, move budget to what converts. Many small accounts spread a small budget across too many services to learn anything.
Ads match the search. Read your ads next to the top search terms. Does the ad repeat what the person searched for, state the area you cover and give a reason to choose you? Ads that say only quality service at great prices waste the click.
Landing page. Click your own ad on a phone. Does the page match the ad, load quickly, show the phone number and a short form without scrolling, and answer the price question? Sending all ads to the home page is one of the most common reasons Google Ads clicks do not convert.

For the landing page itself, our website lead generation scorecard has 15 checks you can run in under an hour.

The cost-per-lead test: can this account ever pay?

Maximum cost per lead = profit per customer × close rate

If a customer is worth £400 profit and you win 1 in 4 enquiries, you can afford up to £400 × 25% = £100 per lead before ads lose money, before any management fee.

Illustrative cost-per-lead check
Line	UK example	US example
Profit per customer (assumed)	£400	$500
Close rate (assumed)	25%	25%
Break-even cost per lead: profit × close rate	£100	$125
Current cost per lead in the account (assumed)	£140	$90
Verdict	Losing £40 a lead: fix tracking, terms and page, or stop	Profitable: room to scale carefully

Check: £400 × 0.25 = £100; $500 × 0.25 = $125. Compare with your real cost per conversion only after tracking passes checks 1 to 3.

If your break-even cost per lead is below what clicks in your market cost to turn into leads, no amount of tuning will make the account profitable. Our Google Ads cost guide shows typical click prices and budgets in pounds and dollars, and the Google Ads vs Facebook Ads guide helps you decide whether another channel fits better.

What to do with the audit results

Fix tracking first, then wait one to two weeks for clean data before judging anything else.
Add negative keywords and correct location settings the same day; they stop waste immediately.
Make one bigger change at a time, such as a new landing page or bidding strategy, so you can see what worked.
Write down your break-even cost per lead and check it monthly against the account.

Start with checks 1, 4 and 5 today

Conversion tracking, search terms and location options find most of the waste on small accounts, and each takes about ten minutes. If you would like an expert view, give us read-only access to your Google Ads account and we will send you a recorded walkthrough of all 12 checks with the fixes in priority order, at no cost.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

Why are my Google Ads not converting?

Usually because conversion tracking is wrong, ads show for irrelevant searches or locations, settings were changed automatically, or the landing page does not persuade. Check tracking first, because automated bidding learns from it.

How do I audit my Google Ads account?

Work through tracking, search terms, location and network settings, auto-applied recommendations and change history, then budget, ads and landing pages. Finish by comparing your cost per lead with the most you can afford.

What does Presence or interest mean in Google Ads?

It is the default location option. It can show ads to people in your area and to people elsewhere who have shown interest in it. Presence limits ads to people who are in or regularly in your targeted locations.

Should I turn off auto-applied recommendations?

On small accounts, turn off any you have not deliberately chosen and review recommendations by hand, so changes to keywords and bidding happen only when you agree with them.

How much should I pay per lead on Google Ads?

Your break-even is profit per customer multiplied by your close rate. Paying less than that per lead is profitable before management fees; paying more loses money.

October 24, 2026

Website visitors but no enquiries? 15 lead generation fixes

What you will get from this guide

A three-question diagnosis that tells you whether the problem is the traffic, the page or the follow-up
A 15-point website lead generation scorecard you can run on your own site in under an hour
A fix order that puts the quick, high-impact changes first

When a website gets visitors but no enquiries, the cause is almost always one of three things: the visitors are not the right people, the page does not give them a clear reason and easy way to contact you, or enquiries are arriving but getting lost. Website lead generation improves when you fix them in that order of evidence: first check tracking, then the offer and trust on your key pages, then friction in forms and on mobile.

This guide starts with a short diagnosis, then gives a 15-point scorecard. Each point is a yes or no check you can do yourself, with the fix beside it. The first few fixes are usually free and take less than an hour. If you would rather have it done for you, see our website development service.

AJ Creationz builds and improves websites. The scorecard is our own audit method; the research on forms and page speed is linked in the sources.

First, diagnose: traffic, page or follow-up?

Are enquiries really zero? Send a test enquiry through every form and click every phone link on a mobile. Check the inbox the form sends to, including spam. A surprising number of no leads problems are broken forms or notifications going to an old address.
Is the traffic relevant? In Google Search Console, look at the queries that bring clicks. In Google Analytics, look at landing pages and locations. If most visits come from searches unrelated to your service, or from countries you do not serve, the page is not the problem; your targeting is.
Do visitors reach the contact step? In Google Analytics, check how many sessions view your contact page or click a phone or email link. If many reach the form but few submit, the form is the problem. If few reach it at all, the page is not persuading them.

If you cannot answer question 3 because nothing is tracked, that is fix number one below. You cannot improve website conversion rate without measuring it.

The 15-point website lead generation scorecard

Score one point for each yes. Run it on your home page and your two most visited service pages.

Website lead generation scorecard
#	Check	If the answer is no, fix it by…
1	Form submissions, phone clicks and email clicks are tracked as key events in Google Analytics	Setting up key events, then testing each one
2	Every enquiry reaches an inbox someone checks daily, and you get an instant alert	Routing forms to a shared inbox or CRM with a phone notification
3	Enquirers get an instant confirmation saying when you will reply	Adding an auto-reply with a realistic reply time
4	The headline says what you do, for whom and where, in plain words	Rewriting it, for example: Emergency plumber in Leeds, here within 2 hours
5	Each main service has its own page that answers price, timing and process questions	Splitting services into separate pages with honest price ranges
6	There is one clear next step on every page, visible without scrolling on a phone	Adding a single primary button such as Get a quote or Book a call
7	Real proof is near the call to action: reviews, named clients, photos of your work	Adding verified reviews and real project photos beside the form
8	It is obvious who runs the business: names, faces, location and how long you have traded	Adding a short about section with real people
9	Contact details are visible: phone number, email and service area	Putting them in the header or footer on every page
10	The form asks only what you need to reply (often name, contact and the job)	Removing optional fields and moving qualifying questions to the follow-up
11	Form errors are clear and fields are labelled, not just placeholder text	Using visible labels and specific error messages
12	Visitors can choose how to contact you: form, phone, and booking or chat if you can staff it	Adding a booking link or click-to-call button
13	Pages pass Core Web Vitals on mobile (LCP 2.5 s or less, INP 200 ms or less, CLS 0.1 or less)	Compressing images, removing unused scripts and fixing layout shifts
14	The site works well on a phone: tap targets, readable text, no pop-ups covering content	Testing on a real phone and removing intrusive pop-ups
15	Cookie and privacy notices do not block the contact form or call button	Using a consent banner that leaves the main action usable

Core Web Vitals thresholds are Google’s, measured at the 75th percentile of visits (web.dev). The rest are our audit checks, not Google ranking factors.

A score of 12 or more means the page is probably not your main problem; look harder at traffic quality. Between 8 and 11, fix the gaps in the order below. Under 8, the page is likely losing most of the visitors who would have enquired.

Fix order: quick wins first

Which fixes to do first
Priority	Fixes	Why first
1. Today	1, 2, 3, 9	Free, under an hour, and they stop leads being lost or never counted
2. This week	4, 6, 10, 12	Copy and form changes; no rebuild needed
3. This month	5, 7, 8, 11	Need content, photos or reviews gathered
4. With a developer	13, 14, 15	Technical changes that may need code or theme work

Why short, clear forms win more enquiries

Form design has been tested. A controlled study presented at the CHI 2014 conference applied 20 web form guidelines to forms from real company sites. With the improved forms, people completed them faster, needed fewer attempts to submit, and reported higher satisfaction. The guidelines included clear labels, helpful error messages and asking only for what is needed.

For a service business the practical rule is: ask only what you need to reply. Budget, timeline and detailed requirements can come in the follow-up call, where you can also judge fit. If you get too many poor enquiries after shortening the form, add one qualifying question, such as the postcode or the type of job, rather than going back to a long form.

Proof and trust: the step most small business sites skip

A visitor who has never heard of you is deciding whether you are real, competent and likely to turn up. Generic phrases such as quality service or customer focused do not help them decide. Specific, checkable details do: your full business name, the names and photos of the people they will deal with, photos of real jobs, reviews linked to Google, accreditations with membership numbers, and the areas you cover.

Never invent reviews or testimonials. Beyond the trust risk, fake or undisclosed incentivised reviews breach Google’s guidelines and consumer protection rules in the UK and the US.

When the fix is a new website

Most of the fixes above work on an existing site. A rebuild makes sense when the site cannot be edited easily, fails Core Web Vitals because of its theme or platform, or has no room for separate service pages. If that is you, our guide to choosing a web design agency lists the questions to ask, and the website cost guide shows UK and US prices.

Run the scorecard on your top three pages

Start with checks 1 to 3 today: they cost nothing and stop leads being lost. If you want a second pair of eyes, send us your website address and we will run the 15 checks and send you a short written list of what to fix first, at no cost.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

Why is my website not generating leads?

Usually because the visitors are not the right people, the page gives no clear reason or easy way to contact you, or enquiries are getting lost. Check tracking and forms first, then traffic quality, then the page itself.

What is a good website conversion rate for a service business?

It varies too much by industry, traffic source and offer for one benchmark to be useful. Measure your own rate of enquiries per visit, fix the scorecard gaps and compare against your own baseline month by month.

How many fields should a contact form have?

As few as you need to reply, often name, contact details and a short description of the job. Add one qualifying question only if you get too many unsuitable enquiries.

Does page speed affect enquiries?

Slow, unstable pages frustrate visitors, especially on mobile. Aim to pass Google’s Core Web Vitals: LCP 2.5 seconds or less, INP 200 milliseconds or less and CLS 0.1 or less.

Do I need a new website to get more leads?

Often not. Most fixes are tracking, copy, forms and proof. A rebuild is worth it when the current site cannot be edited, fails speed tests because of its platform, or cannot hold separate service pages.

October 23, 2026

Is SEO worth it? An SEO ROI calculator for small businesses

What you will get from this guide

An SEO ROI calculator you can fill in with five numbers, with worked UK and US examples and the arithmetic shown
How to estimate the five inputs for free from Google’s own tools and your own records
Clear signs that SEO will pay for your business, and signs you should spend the money elsewhere first

SEO is worth it when people already search for what you sell, each new customer is worth a meaningful profit, and you can afford to wait several months for results. SEO ROI is the profit from customers who found you through organic search, minus what you spend on SEO, divided by that spend. If a £800 a month programme eventually brings in £1,440 a month of extra profit, the monthly return after the ramp-up is (1,440 − 800) ÷ 800 = 80%.

The catch is time. Google’s own SEO starter guide says changes can take from a few hours to several months to show, so most programmes cost money for months before they return any. This guide gives you a calculator for the return and the payback month, shows where to find each input for free, and lists the situations where SEO is the wrong first spend. For a scoped plan, see our SEO and growth service.

AJ Creationz sells SEO. The calculator and examples use labelled assumptions, not results from a client, and no one can guarantee a ranking or a return.

The SEO ROI formula

SEO ROI = (extra monthly profit from organic search − monthly SEO cost) ÷ monthly SEO cost

Extra monthly profit = extra organic enquiries × close rate × profit per customer. Use profit, not revenue: a £2,000 job that leaves £400 after materials and labour is worth £400 here.

Two refinements make the number honest. Count only extra enquiries, above what organic search already brings you before the work starts. And if customers come back or refer others, use the profit over the time they stay with you, not just the first job.

SEO ROI calculator: worked UK and US examples

Every figure below is an assumption to show the method, not a forecast. Replace them with your own.

SEO ROI and payback for a small service business
Line	UK example	US example
Monthly SEO cost	£800	$1,500
Ramp-up before extra enquiries arrive (assumed)	6 months	6 months
Extra organic enquiries a month after ramp-up (assumed)	12	15
Close rate (share of enquiries that buy)	30%	30%
New customers a month: enquiries × close rate	3.6	4.5
Profit per customer	£400	$500
Extra profit a month: customers × profit	£1,440	$2,250
Monthly ROI after ramp-up: (profit − cost) ÷ cost	80%	50%
Cost before any return: ramp-up months × cost	£4,800	$9,000
Net gain a month after ramp-up: profit − cost	£640	$750
Months after ramp-up to recover the early cost	7.5	12
Payback month from the start	About month 14	Month 18

Check: 12 × 30% = 3.6 and 3.6 × £400 = £1,440; (1,440 − 800) ÷ 800 = 0.8. 6 × £800 = £4,800 and 4,800 ÷ 640 = 7.5, so 6 + 7.5 = 13.5 months. US: 15 × 30% = 4.5 and 4.5 × $500 = $2,250; (2,250 − 1,500) ÷ 1,500 = 0.5; 6 × $1,500 = $9,000 and 9,000 ÷ 750 = 12, so 6 + 12 = 18 months.

Notice how much the answer swings on profit per customer and on the ramp-up. If the UK business above earned £200 a customer instead of £400, the extra profit would be £720 a month, less than the £800 fee, and SEO would never pay back at that level of results. That is why the calculator matters more than any average.

Where to find each input for free

Search demand: Google Keyword Planner (inside a free Google Ads account) shows how often people search for your services in your area. If the numbers for your main services are close to zero, SEO has little to win.
What you get today: Google Search Console shows the searches you already appear for, your clicks and your average position. This is your starting point, so you only count extra enquiries later.
Close rate: your own records. Of the last 20 enquiries, how many became paying customers?
Profit per customer: your accounts. Use the average profit on a job, not the price.
Enquiry rate from visits: Google Analytics, if your contact form and phone clicks are set up as key events. If they are not, fix tracking first, because you cannot measure ROI without it.

To estimate extra enquiries, take the monthly searches for your top services, assume you would win a modest share of the clicks if you reached the first page, and multiply by the share of visitors who enquire on your site today. Keep the assumptions conservative and write them down, so you can check them against Search Console in six months.

How long SEO takes

Google’s SEO starter guide says changes to your site can take from a few hours to several months to be reflected in search, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging whether a change worked. In practice, a new or weak site in a competitive market usually needs longer than an established site that only needs fixes.

Plan cash flow for at least six months of cost before you expect a return, and judge progress in stages: pages indexed and errors fixed first, then impressions growing in Search Console, then clicks, then enquiries. If impressions are not rising after three to four months of real work, ask why.

When SEO is worth it, and when it is not

Signs SEO will or will not pay for your business
SEO is likely worth it if…	Spend elsewhere first if…
People search for your service in the places you serve	Hardly anyone searches for what you sell yet
A new customer is worth hundreds of pounds or dollars in profit	Profit per customer is very low and volume is small
You can fund six months or more before expecting a return	You need enquiries this month to pay bills
Your site can be edited and improved	Your site is about to be rebuilt anyway
You can deliver more work if more enquiries arrive	You are already fully booked for months

If you need enquiries quickly, paid search can test demand while SEO builds. Our Google Ads cost guide shows what that costs, and the Google Ads vs Facebook Ads guide helps you choose a channel.

SEO for a small business in the UK: what to do before you pay anyone

Some of the highest-return SEO work costs nothing but time. Do these first, then judge any quote against what is left:

Verify your Google Business Profile, choose accurate categories, add real photos and reply to every review.
Add your site to Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
Give each main service its own page with a clear title, the area you cover and prices or price ranges where you can.
Make sure your phone number and contact form work on mobile and are tracked as key events in Google Analytics.
Ask every happy customer for a Google review, with a direct link.

If you then hire help, our SEO pricing guide shows what UK and US providers charge and what each budget should buy, and the local SEO cost guide covers map and local rankings.

How to measure SEO ROI properly

Track form submissions, phone clicks and booked calls as key events in Google Analytics, and check that organic search is reported separately.
Add a how did you hear about us field, or a source field in your CRM, so offline sales are counted.
Use a call-tracking number on the website if most customers phone, so organic calls are not lost.
Review monthly: Search Console clicks, organic enquiries, customers won and profit, against the assumptions in your calculator.

Fill in the calculator with your own numbers

Use your real profit per customer and close rate, and a conservative guess for extra enquiries. If the payback month is beyond what you can fund, fix the free items first or test demand with ads. If you want a second opinion, send us your numbers and website and we will tell you in writing whether SEO looks worth it and where we would start.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

Is SEO worth it for a small business?

It is worth it when people search for your service, each customer is worth a meaningful profit and you can wait several months for results. Run the calculator above with your own numbers to see the payback month.

How do you calculate SEO ROI?

SEO ROI = (extra monthly profit from organic search − monthly SEO cost) ÷ monthly SEO cost. Extra profit = extra organic enquiries × close rate × profit per customer.

How long does SEO take to work?

Google says changes can take from a few hours to several months to show in search. Plan for at least six months of cost before expecting a return, longer for a new site in a competitive market.

What is a good ROI for SEO?

There is no single benchmark. A programme is worth continuing when extra profit from organic search clearly exceeds its cost after the ramp-up and the early months are recovered within a period you can fund.

Is SEO better than Google Ads?

They do different jobs. Ads can bring enquiries this week but stop when you stop paying. SEO is slower but keeps working. Many small businesses use ads to test demand while SEO builds.

October 22, 2026

Speed to lead: missed-call text back and CRM follow-up for trades

What you will get from this guide

A 15-minute test that shows your real response time on every channel, with a log sheet
Missed-call text back templates for UK and US trades, and the texting rules that apply in each country
A follow-up plan for a trades CRM: what to automate, what a person must do, and by when

Speed to lead is the time between a customer enquiring and getting a real reply from you. It matters because enquiries go cold fast. In a Harvard Business Review audit of 2,241 US companies, only 37% replied to an online lead within an hour, the average reply took 42 hours, and 23% never replied. Firms that made contact within an hour were about seven times more likely to have a meaningful conversation with a decision maker than firms that waited longer, and over sixty times more likely than firms that waited a day or more.

For a trade business the problem is simple: you are up a ladder or under a sink when the phone rings, and the customer rings the next name on the list. The fix is a system that replies in seconds when you cannot, then makes sure a person follows up within a set time. This guide shows how to measure your current speed, how missed-call text back works, the rules for texting customers in the UK and the US, and the follow-up stages a CRM for trades should run. If you want it built for you, see our GoHighLevel CRM service.

AJ Creationz sets up GoHighLevel and other CRMs, so we have an interest in this topic. The response-time research quoted here is independent; the templates and follow-up timings are our working practice, not tested benchmarks.

Why speed to lead decides who gets the job

The Harvard Business Review study is from 2011 and covered US companies, so treat its exact multiples as an indication rather than a law. The direction is what matters, and it matches how people hire trades today: someone with a leaking boiler or a broken lock wants an answer now, and the first business that replies with a time and a rough price usually gets the visit.

The study defined a qualified lead as a meaningful conversation with a key decision maker. For a trade that is the homeowner agreeing to a visit or a quote. Every hour you add between the enquiry and that conversation gives a competitor the chance to have it first.

How the 2,241 companies in the HBR audit responded to online leads
Response time	Share of companies
Within one hour	37%
Within 24 hours	16%
More than 24 hours	24%
Never responded	23%

Source: Oldroyd, McElheran and Elkington, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads, Harvard Business Review, 2011. Average response time among companies that replied: 42 hours.

Test your lead response time in 15 minutes

Before buying any software, measure what a customer experiences today. Use a phone and an email address your business does not recognise, and send one enquiry through each channel on a normal working morning.

Ring your main number and let it go unanswered. Note when you get any reply: a text, a call back or nothing.
Fill in the contact form on your website with a realistic job, such as a quote for a new bathroom tap.
Send a message through your Google Business Profile and your Facebook page, if you have them.
If you run Facebook lead ads, submit your own form.
Log the time of the first reply and the time a real person replied on each channel.

Speed-to-lead log: copy this into a spreadsheet
Channel	Enquiry sent	First reply (any)	First reply from a person	Minutes to a person
Missed phone call	10:02
Website form	10:05
Google Business Profile message	10:08
Facebook message or lead form	10:10

Minutes to a person = first reply from a person minus enquiry sent. Repeat once at 4pm and once on a Saturday, because that is when trades miss most calls.

Most owners who run this test find at least one channel with no reply at all, often the website form, because notifications go to an inbox nobody checks during the day. That one gap is usually worth fixing before anything else.

How missed-call text back works

Missed-call text back sends an automatic text from your business number when a call goes unanswered. The caller learns within a minute that you got their call and will come back to them, which stops many of them ringing the next trade. Most CRMs built for small businesses include it, including GoHighLevel, where it is a standard automation on a business phone number.

A good text does three things: confirms who they reached, says when a person will reply, and gives one easy action. Keep it short and personal.

Template: UK trade

Hi, it’s Dan from Northside Plumbing. Sorry I missed your call, I’m on a job. Reply with what you need and your postcode and I’ll get back to you by 1pm today. Or book a call here: [booking link]

Template: US trade

Hi, this is Maria at Cedar Roofing. Sorry we missed your call! Text back what you need help with and your ZIP code and we’ll call you within the hour. Reply STOP to opt out.

Promise only a reply time you can keep. A text that says within the hour, followed by silence until the next day, does more harm than no text.

Texting rules in the UK and the US

Rules differ by country, and this is general information rather than legal advice. Ask a qualified adviser to check your wording.

UK: replies versus marketing. The ICO’s guidance under PECR covers marketing texts and emails. You generally need specific consent to send marketing texts, or you can rely on the soft opt-in for existing customers who bought or negotiated to buy a similar service, if you offered an opt-out when you collected their details and in every message. A one-off reply to someone who just called you about a job is part of handling their enquiry; later promotional texts are marketing and need consent or the soft opt-in.
US: register before you text. Mobile carriers require businesses texting from local numbers to register under A2P 10DLC. Unregistered numbers risk having messages filtered or blocked, and registration can take days, so do it before you switch the automation on.
US: consent for marketing. Automated marketing texts need prior consent under US rules, and every message should include a way to opt out, such as replying STOP. Keep a record of when and how each person agreed.
Both countries: say who you are in the first message, honour opt-outs straight away and keep texts to the job the person asked about.

What a CRM for trades should automate

A CRM for trades does not need to be complicated. It needs every enquiry in one place, a first reply that is instant, and reminders that make sure a person follows up. These are the stages we set up for trade businesses:

Trades CRM follow-up plan: automation and human action at each stage
Stage	Automation	Person does	Deadline (our standard)
New enquiry (call, form, message)	Instant text or email reply; enquiry logged with source	Calls back or replies with times	Within 1 working hour
Visit or survey booked	Confirmation text with date, time and what to prepare; reminder the day before	Turns up on time	Reminder 24 hours before
Quote sent	Copy of quote by email; follow-up texts on day 2 and day 5 if no reply	Calls on day 3 to answer questions	Quote within 48 hours of visit
Job won	Booking confirmation and deposit link if used	Schedules the job	Same day
Job completed	Thank-you text with a link to leave a Google review	Asks in person for a review	Within 24 hours
Quote lost or no reply after day 10	Moves to a lost stage with a reason	Notes why, if known	Day 10

Deadlines are our recommended working standards, not industry rules. Adjust them to your hours and the size of your team.

Two details make the difference between a CRM that works and one that gets ignored. First, every channel must feed the same inbox, so nobody has to check five apps. Second, the person on call must get a notification on their phone that is impossible to miss, with the customer’s message and number in it.

What it is worth: a worked example

The figures below are assumptions to show the arithmetic, not a forecast. Put in your own numbers.

Illustrative value of recovering missed enquiries
Line	UK example	US example
Enquiries a month (calls, forms, messages)	60	60
Share currently missed or answered late (assumed)	25%, so 15	25%, so 15
Share of those you win back with a fast reply (assumed)	1 in 5, so 3	1 in 5, so 3
Average profit per job (assumed)	£250	$350
Extra profit a month: 3 × profit per job	£750	$1,050

Check: 60 × 25% = 15; 15 ÷ 5 = 3; 3 × £250 = £750 and 3 × $350 = $1,050. GoHighLevel’s plans start at $97 a month plus usage; see our GoHighLevel pricing guide for the full cost.

If even one extra job a month covers your software and texting costs, the system pays for itself. Our GoHighLevel pricing guide breaks down plan and usage costs, and the GoHighLevel vs HubSpot comparison covers which suits a trade business.

Run the missed-call test today

Call your own business from a mobile at a busy time and do not answer. If nothing reaches you within five minutes, that is the first job to fix. We can set up missed-call text back, one shared inbox and the follow-up stages above in GoHighLevel, usually within a week. Tell us your trade and how enquiries reach you, and we will suggest a setup in writing.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

What is speed to lead?

Speed to lead is the time between a customer enquiring and getting a real reply. A Harvard Business Review audit found firms that made contact within an hour were about seven times more likely to reach a decision maker than firms that waited longer.

What is a good lead response time for a trade business?

Aim for an instant automatic reply and a reply from a person within one working hour. Promise customers only a time you can keep every day.

What is missed-call text back?

It is an automation that texts a caller from your business number when you miss their call, so they know you will reply and are less likely to ring a competitor.

Is a missed-call text a marketing message in the UK?

A one-off reply to someone who has just called about a job is part of handling their enquiry. Later promotional texts are marketing and need consent or the soft opt-in under the ICO’s PECR guidance. Get legal advice on your wording.

Do I need to register to send business texts in the US?

Yes, if you text from local US numbers. Carriers require A2P 10DLC registration, and unregistered numbers risk having messages filtered or blocked.

What is the best CRM for trades?

The best one is the one your team will actually use. It should put every enquiry in one inbox, reply instantly, remind you to follow up and ask for reviews. GoHighLevel does all of these on one platform; simpler job-management tools may suit very small teams.

October 20, 2026

How much does video editing cost? Per-video and monthly prices

What you will get from this guide

Per-video, hourly and monthly prices for the kinds of video a business actually orders, in pounds and dollars
A formula that turns finished minutes and editing hours into a price, and what pushes it up
The hidden costs most quotes leave out, and what to include in a brief so quotes are comparable

Video editing for business usually costs $50 to $400 for a short social clip, $300 to $1,500 for a longer YouTube-style video, and $400 to $2,000 for a corporate or brand video, according to one 2026 guide. UK figures are £150 to £500 for a basic short-form video, £800 to £2,000 for a series of three to five clips with custom graphics, and £1,500 to £6,000 for a company profile. Hourly rates run $25 to $150 for freelancers, and £20 to £80 an hour for entry-level and mid-level UK freelancers.

Price depends mainly on video type, length, how much raw footage there is and how many graphics and revisions you want. Below are the ranges, a budget formula and a brief template so quotes can be compared. For editing handled for you, see our video editing service.

AJ Creationz edits video for social media and ads, so we sell what this guide describes. Several of the sources are video vendors, and one sells an AI clipping tool, so their numbers may lean toward their own offers. Treat all ranges as indicative and ask for written quotes.

Video editing cost by type of video

Per-project prices and turnaround in dollars (Vidico, 2026)
Video type	Cost range	Per minute	Typical turnaround
TikTok or Reels	$50 to $400	$10 to $50	1 to 2 days
YouTube, long form	$300 to $1,500	$20 to $100	3 to 5 days
Corporate or brand	$400 to $2,000	$30 to $150	5 to 10 days
Ad creative	$250 to $1,200	$25 to $100	2 to 5 days
Event highlights	$500 to $2,500	$15 to $75	5 to 7 days
Explainer or motion graphics	$800 to $3,000	$50 to $200	7 to 14 days
Documentary	$3,000 to $15,000 or more	$100 to $500	2 to 8 weeks

Fash gives a similar average of $300 to $1,000 total per video for typical business edits.

Per-project prices in pounds (Videotto UK guide, 2026)
Video type	UK cost
Basic short-form video, single clip	£150 to £500
Short-form series of three to five clips with custom graphics	£800 to £2,000
Event highlight reel, single day	£1,000 to £2,500
Company profile video	£1,500 to £6,000
Explainer or animation	£1,000 to £3,000 simple; up to £8,000 or more for complex 3D
High-end commercial	£3,000 to £8,000 digital; £10,000 to £30,000 or more for broadcast

Videotto sells an AI clipping tool, so treat its guide as one vendor’s view. Its figures are market ranges, not quotes.

How much do video editors charge per hour?

Hourly rates
Level	UK, per hour (day rate)	US, per hour
Entry level	£20 to £40 (£150 to £250 a day)	$20 to $45
Mid level	£50 to £80 (£300 to £500 a day)	$45 to $85
Senior or specialist	£100 or more (£600 or more a day)	$85 to $150 or more
Agency	£100 to £300 or more	$100 to $250

Sources: Videotto (UK, 2026), Krock (US freelancer levels, 2026) and Vidico (US agencies). Vidico gives $25 to $150 or more an hour for freelancers overall. Fash lists average hourly rates of $25 to $65 for social media videos and $30 to $100 for corporate or branded content.

Worksheet: price a video from minutes and hours

Price = finished minutes × editing hours per finished minute × hourly rate

Add licensing for music or stock, and extra rounds of revisions. A flat project price is usually this sum, rounded and agreed in advance.

Fash estimates a basic YouTube edit takes about one hour per finished minute, a corporate or marketing video one to five hours per minute, and a complex video with many rapid cuts and animations up to 25 hours. Here is an illustrative example. The hours and rate are assumptions chosen from those ranges.

Illustrative prices (assumed hours and rates, not quotes)
Line	Short promo	Brand video
Finished length	1 minute	3 minutes
Editing hours per finished minute (assumed)	3	4
Total editing hours	1 × 3 = 3	3 × 4 = 12
Hourly rate (assumed, mid level)	£50	£50
Editing price	£150	£600
Music licence (assumed)	£30	£30
Total	£180	£630

Check: 3 × 50 = 150 and 150 + 30 = 180; 12 × 50 = 600 and 600 + 30 = 630. A single licensed music track can cost from about $15 to $500 depending on the library and rights, per Vidico, so check whether the editor includes it.

Monthly video editing: retainers and packages

If you publish regularly, a monthly arrangement can cost less per video than one-off orders. One UK guide compares a mid-level freelancer at £960 to £1,600 a month for about eight clips cut from four hour-long recordings, and an agency at £2,000 to £5,000 for 20 to 60 branded clips. Those figures imply about £120 to £200 a clip on the freelancer retainer, since 960 ÷ 8 = 120 and 1,600 ÷ 8 = 200.

We found few US retainer prices in sources we could open, so ask providers for a monthly quote with the number of videos, formats and revision rounds written in.

Monthly budget = videos a month × price per video + music and stock + extra revision rounds

Divide the total by the number of videos to get your real cost per video, and compare that with a retainer quote.

Hidden costs most quotes leave out

Revision rounds beyond scope. Most quotes include two or three. Vidico says each extra round costs about $50 to $200 or more and adds days.
Your time. Writing briefs, reviewing cuts and giving timestamped feedback takes hours.
Onboarding a new editor. The first two or three projects are usually slower and cost more while the editor learns your brand and pace.
Quality redo. A cheap edit that misses the mark costs twice.
Music and stock licences. Not always included.
Formats. Vertical, square and widescreen versions of the same video may be priced separately.

A brief that gets comparable quotes

Quotes differ most when briefs differ. Send each editor the same details:

Purpose and platform: Reels, TikTok, YouTube, ads or a website.
Finished length and number of videos.
Footage: how much raw material, who shot it and in what format.
Style: two example videos you like, and your brand colours, fonts and logo.
Captions and languages: burnt-in captions, subtitles or voice-over.
Formats: vertical 9:16, square or widescreen, and the safe areas for each. See our Reels and TikTok editing guide.
Music and stock: who supplies it and who pays for licences.
Revisions: how many rounds you expect, and the deadline.
Ownership: that you receive the project files and final exports.

Freelancer, agency or an AI tool?

Freelancers cost less and suit steady, well-briefed work, but you rely on one person. Agencies cost more, which Vidico puts at two to three times freelance rates, and include project management, colour grading and full post-production. AI clipping tools cost from nothing to about £15 a month according to one vendor and suit turning existing recordings into short clips. They do not replace a creative edit for brand or ad work, and you should check the output before you publish.

If your videos feed paid campaigns, see Google Ads cost for how creative and click costs combine.

Do this next

Write the brief above for your next three videos, then ask two editors to quote the same list. If you would like us to quote, send the brief and some example videos and we will reply with a written scope.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to edit a video?

A short social clip costs about $50 to $400 or £150 to £500, a longer YouTube-style video $300 to $1,500, and a corporate video $400 to $2,000 or £1,500 to £6,000 for a company profile. Length, footage volume, graphics and revisions drive the price.

How much do freelance video editors charge per hour?

Freelancers charge about $25 to $150 an hour in US guides. UK guides give £20 to £40 for entry level, £50 to £80 for mid level and £100 or more for senior editors.

How much does it cost to edit a YouTube video?

Fash gives $20 to $50 an hour for lower-cost editors and $60 to $150 or more for experienced ones, and Vidico gives $300 to $1,500 for a 10 to 20 minute video depending on complexity.

How much does Reels or TikTok editing cost?

Vidico puts a TikTok or Reels edit at $50 to $400 per clip. A UK guide gives £150 to £500 for a basic short video and £800 to £2,000 for a series of three to five with custom graphics.

Is video editing priced per minute or per project?

Both are used. Per minute is common for long-form, with Vidico giving $10 to $500 depending on type. Per project is common for short-form and ads. Either way, the price should state revisions and formats.

How long does it take to edit a video?

Fash estimates about one hour per finished minute for a basic YouTube video, one to five hours for corporate or marketing video, and up to 25 hours for complex edits. Turnaround for a short social clip is often one to two days.

Are music licences included in the price?

Not always. A single licensed track can cost about $15 to $500, so ask whether the editor includes it or whether you supply it.

Is it cheaper to hire a freelancer or an agency?

Freelancers usually cost less per hour. Agencies cost more and include project management and specialists. Compare on what the quote includes, not the headline rate.

October 18, 2026

How much does a Shopify store cost? Setup, apps and monthly fees

What you will get from this guide

Shopify’s current plan prices and card rates in pounds and dollars, from Shopify’s own pricing pages
Everything the plan does not cover: domain, theme, apps, email and payment fees, with a year-one cost for three store sizes
A calculation that shows how much you must sell each month before a bigger plan pays for itself

A Shopify plan costs $29, $79 or $299 a month in the US and £19, £49 or £259 in the UK on Shopify’s own pricing pages, with prices shown for yearly billing, and Plus from $2,300 or £1,800. Most plans start with a free three-day trial and then $1 a month for three months, and there are no setup fees. The plan is not the whole bill: a small live store typically costs about $30 a month before payment fees, and about $93 to $113 once it has a paid theme and a few apps.

Below are the plan prices, what each cost covers, a year-one worksheet and a calculation for when a bigger plan pays off. If you want a store built for you, see our Shopify web design service.

AJ Creationz builds Shopify stores, so we sell what this guide describes. Plan prices come from Shopify’s own pages, checked on 14 October 2026. App, theme and build costs come from third-party guides, many written by agencies, so treat them as indicative.

Shopify pricing plans

Shopify plans, prices shown for yearly billing (Shopify pricing pages, 14 October 2026)
Plan	US price	UK price	Online card rate, US	Online card rate, UK	Staff accounts
Basic	$29 a month	£19 a month	2.9% + 30¢	2% + 25p	Solo
Grow	$79 a month	£49 a month	2.7% + 30¢	1.7% + 25p	Up to 5
Advanced	$299 a month	£259 a month	2.5% + 30¢	1.5% + 25p	Up to 15
Plus	From $2,300 a month	From £1,800 a month	2.25% + 30¢	From 1.3% + 25p	Unlimited

Shopify’s pages show these prices with a pay-yearly option selected. Monthly billing costs more, so check the toggle before you budget. Shopify says there are no setup fees, and that most plans start with a free three-day trial and then $1 (or £1) a month for the first three months.

Every plan includes unlimited hosting, a free SSL certificate and the ability to use a custom domain. Basic suits solo stores and new businesses, Grow adds more staff accounts and a lower card rate, and Advanced adds the lowest published card rate and live third-party shipping rates.

What the plan does not cover

Domain name: bought separately. A .com typically costs about $14 to $20 a year through Shopify, and $10 to $30 a year in other guides.
Theme: free themes, including Dawn, are professionally designed and a sound starting point. Paid themes cost about $150 to $400 once.
Apps: from nothing to $100 or more a month for a small store, and $80 to $150 or more for a store with a full marketing stack.
Email marketing: Shopify Email is free up to 10,000 emails a month. A dedicated tool such as Klaviyo starts around $20 a month and climbs with your list.
Payment fees: charged on every order. See the next section.
Your time: managing apps, product data and updates.

Common apps and typical prices (one third-party guide, 2026)
App type	Free option	Typical paid price
Product reviews	Yes	About $15 a month
Email marketing beyond the free tier	Shopify Email	$1 per 1,000 emails over 10,000
Dedicated email tool	Yes, up to 250 contacts	$20 or more a month, rising with list size
Loyalty programme	Basic options	$20 to $49 or more a month
Abandoned cart recovery	Built-in emails	$10 to $20 or more a month
Upsells and bundles	Several	$10 to $30 or more a month

Source: FS Code (2026). Trials convert to paid plans automatically, so review installed apps every month.

Payment and transaction fees

Each order carries a card-processing fee, shown in the table above. If you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an extra fee on top of what the provider charges: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Check that Shopify Payments is available in your country before you commit, because without it the extra fee applies to every sale.

Worksheet: what a Shopify store costs in year one

Year one = 12 × (plan + apps + email) + domain + theme + build, plus payment fees on sales

Payment fees depend on revenue, so they are left out of the totals. The scenarios below use US yearly-billed prices from FS Code’s three store types.

Illustrative year-one running cost, in dollars (build cost not included)
Line	New store	Small store, 6 to 12 months in	Growing store
Plan, 12 months	$29 × 12 = $348	$29 × 12 = $348	$79 × 12 = $948
Domain, a year	$15	$15	$15
Paid theme, one time	$0 (free theme)	$300	$0 (already bought)
Apps	$0 (free only)	$50 × 12 = $600	$80 to $120 × 12 = $960 to $1,440
Email tool	$0	$0 to $20 × 12 = $0 to $240	$45 to $60 × 12 = $540 to $720
Year-one total	$363	$1,263 to $1,503	$2,463 to $3,123

Check: 348 + 15 = 363; 348 + 15 + 300 + 600 = 1,263, plus up to 240 gives 1,503; 948 + 15 + 960 + 540 = 2,463 and 948 + 15 + 1,440 + 720 = 3,123. In pounds at £1 = $1.27, the new store’s year-one running cost is about £286. Payment fees, shipping, stock and marketing are extra.

When does a bigger plan pay for itself?

A higher plan lowers the card-processing rate, so it pays off once your monthly card sales are high enough that the saving exceeds the extra plan fee. The fixed per-order part of the fee is the same on every plan, so only the percentage matters.

Break-even monthly card sales = extra plan price ÷ drop in the card rate

Assumes all sales go through Shopify Payments by card and that you use what the bigger plan offers.

Break-even monthly card sales for each upgrade
Upgrade	US: extra plan fee, rate drop, break-even	UK: extra plan fee, rate drop, break-even
Basic to Grow	$50 ÷ 0.2% = $25,000	£30 ÷ 0.3% = £10,000
Basic to Advanced	$270 ÷ 0.4% = $67,500	£240 ÷ 0.5% = £48,000
Grow to Advanced	$220 ÷ 0.2% = $110,000	£210 ÷ 0.2% = £105,000

Check: 50 ÷ 0.002 = 25,000, and 30 ÷ 0.003 = 10,000. Staff accounts, reporting and shipping features may justify a higher plan sooner. Start on Basic and upgrade when your sales reach the break-even and you need the features.

What it costs to have someone build the store

Build cost is separate from the running costs above, and it depends on how much design and development you need. Third-party guides give these ranges:

Shopify build costs from published guides, in dollars
Route	Typical cost	Source
Do it yourself with a theme	$0 to $1,000	ShipAid and Ecomm.Design (2026)
Basic development package: tweaks and integrations	$500 to $2,000	Ecomm.Design
Intermediate: theme customisation, SEO, optimisation	$2,000 to $5,000	Ecomm.Design
Advanced: comprehensive design and development	$5,000 to $10,000 or more	Ecomm.Design
Fully custom theme	$3,000 to $7,000	Ecomm.Design

Ecomm.Design estimates the initial launch at $500 to $1,000 for a small business, $2,000 to $5,000 for a mid-sized one and $10,000 or more for a large one. UK agency ecommerce builds are covered in our website cost guide, which gives £5,000 to £15,000 for typical agency builds.

If you hire developers for ongoing work after launch, one guide puts support at $300 to $1,500 or more a month. For upkeep costs across platforms see website maintenance cost, and for whether Shopify is the right platform see Shopify vs WordPress.

Costs that surprise new store owners

Assuming the plan price is the monthly total. It covers the storefront, checkout and hosting. Apps, domain and fees are extra.
App trials that turn into paid subscriptions you forget to cancel.
Choosing Grow or Advanced before sales justify it. Use the break-even table.
Email costs that climb as your list grows.
Buying a premium theme when a free one would do.
Not checking whether Shopify Payments is available in your country.

Do this next

Pick the plan on Basic unless your sales already pass the break-even, list the apps you truly need, and fill in the year-one table. If you want the store built and set up properly, send us your products and goals and we will give you a written scope.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a Shopify store?

The plan starts at $29 a month in the US or £19 in the UK with yearly billing, with no setup fees. A new store using a free theme and free apps runs about $30 a month before payment fees, plus a domain at roughly $14 to $20 a year.

Is there a Shopify free trial?

Shopify says it starts with a free three-day trial with no credit card needed. After that, most plans cost $1 (or £1 in the UK) a month for the first three months, then the standard price.

How much are Shopify transaction fees?

Online card rates are 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% on Grow, 2.5% on Advanced and 2.25% on Plus in the US, and from 2% + 25p on Basic in the UK. Using a third-party payment provider adds 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% depending on plan.

Do I have to pay for a Shopify theme?

No. Free themes such as Dawn are a legitimate starting point for most stores. Paid themes cost about $150 to $400 as a one-off.

Is a domain included in the Shopify plan?

No. You buy it separately, and a .com is typically about $14 to $20 a year through Shopify. The plan includes hosting and an SSL certificate.

Should I choose Shopify Basic or Grow?

Start on Basic and move up when your monthly card sales pass the break-even in this guide, or when you need more staff accounts. At the US rates that is about $25,000 a month, and in the UK about £10,000.

What hidden costs does Shopify have?

Apps and their trials, email as your list grows, payment fees that scale with sales, a premium theme if you choose one, and your own time. None is hidden by Shopify, but all are easy to miss in a budget.

How much does it cost to have someone build a Shopify store?

Third-party guides give $500 to $2,000 for a basic development package, $2,000 to $5,000 for an intermediate one and $5,000 to $10,000 or more for advanced work. UK agency ecommerce builds are often £5,000 to £15,000.

October 17, 2026

How much does branding cost? Logo, identity and guidelines prices

What you will get from this guide

A five-level price ladder for branding in pounds and dollars, from a marketplace logo to a full rebrand
What each deliverable is, so a quote for a logo and a quote for a brand are not mistaken for each other
A worked example of what a cheap logo can cost once you have to redo it, and a scope checklist for comparing quotes

In the UK, a professional logo costs about £500 to £3,000, a brand starter pack (logo plus guidelines) about £1,500 to £5,000, and a full brand identity with strategy about £5,000 to £20,000, according to one 2026 UK guide. US guides give $200 to $1,500 for a freelance-platform logo, $2,000 to $8,000 for an independent designer, and $5,000 to $25,000 for a boutique agency. The wide gaps exist because people use the word branding for different things.

The first job is to work out which level you are buying. This guide sets out the ladder, what each level includes, what drives the price and a checklist for comparing quotes. If you want a scope for your own brand, see our brand identity service.

AJ Creationz designs brand identities, so we sell what this guide describes. Most pages that rank for this topic are written by agencies or logo sellers. Every range is indicative, and we do not publish fixed prices because scope varies. We give a written scope after a short call.

Branding cost by level

Branding price ladder, UK, in pounds (Whito, 2026)
Level	Typical cost	What you get
Marketplace or do-it-yourself logo	£30 to £150	A logo file, no strategy, often not unique
Freelance logo	£500 to £1,000	A custom logo, usually one direction and basic files
Professional logo, freelancer to mid-size agency	£500 to £3,000	Concepts, revisions and file formats; strategy rises with the price
Brand starter pack	£1,500 to £5,000	Logo plus guidelines: colours, fonts and usage rules
Full brand identity	£5,000 to £20,000	Strategy, identity system and a full asset set
Complete rebrand with strategy	£10,000 to £50,000 or more	Research, positioning, identity and rollout

Whito also gives UK hourly rates of £20 to £35 for junior designers, £35 to £60 mid-level, £60 to £100 or more for seniors, and £75 to £150 or more at agencies.

Branding price ladder, US, in dollars (iDesign, 2026)
Provider	Typical cost	What to expect
Do-it-yourself or freelance platform	$200 to $1,500	A clean mark, but probably no system, guidelines or typography rules
Independent designer	$2,000 to $8,000	A solid logo and basic guidelines; two or three concepts; quality varies, so review the portfolio
Boutique agency	$5,000 to $25,000	Strategy and a full identity system
Large agency	$25,000 to $100,000 or more	Large-scale and corporate work

Fabrik Brands gives a wider US view: $5,000 to $30,000 for the full set of branding assets, with naming and identity at $1,000 to $10,000. Both firms sell branding, so read the numbers as the market’s asking prices.

Another UK agency puts small and mid-size agencies at £3,000 to £10,000 for a full branding package, freelancers at £100 to £3,000 depending on experience, and large agencies at £10,000 to £100,000 or more. Sources overlap more than they agree, so use the ladder to find your level, then ask for quotes.

What branding actually includes

Many people say branding when they mean a logo. A complete brand identity usually includes these pieces. Ask which are in a quote.

Logo: the main mark, a wordmark, an icon and versions for small and large uses.
Colour palette: primary, secondary and accent colours with exact codes.
Typography: fonts for headings and text, and rules for using them together.
Voice and messaging: how the brand sounds in writing, a tagline and a short pitch.
Brand guidelines: the rulebook that keeps everything consistent as you grow. See our brand guidelines template.
Applications: stationery, social templates, signage, packaging and website styling.

You can see what a full identity looks like in practice in our case studies: NayaSource, Framily Adventures and Call Time each show the identity applied to cards, social posts, signage and merchandise.

What drives the price

How much strategy you need. Research, positioning and naming take time, and Fabrik lists naming and identity work separately at $1,000 to $10,000 and research and strategy at $2,000 to $15,000.
How many logo concepts and revisions you get.
How many assets are included. A logo costs less than a system with stationery, social templates, signage and packaging.
Who does the work. Freelancers cost about 30% to 50% less than agencies, according to Whito, usually with lighter strategy.
Guidelines. Fabrik says editorial and style guides cost $2,000 to $15,000 depending on the work involved.

Which level do you need?

Matching a level to a stage of business
Your situation	Level to consider	Why
Side project or test idea	Marketplace or freelance logo	Low risk while you test; expect to outgrow it
New business selling to local or online customers	Brand starter pack	A logo plus guidelines is the right level for most small businesses, according to Whito
Growing business with several channels and staff	Full brand identity	A system keeps the website, social, print and packaging consistent
Established brand that looks dated or inconsistent	Audit first, then refresh or rebrand	Start with what works before spending on a complete rebrand

Worksheet: the real cost of a cheap logo

Cost of going cheap first = cheap logo + the proper brand later + reprinting what carried the cheap logo

Compare it with doing it once. Include signage, packaging and stationery you have already printed.

Illustrative double-pay using Whito’s UK ranges (assumed, not a quote)
Line	Low end	High end
Marketplace logo	£30	£150
Brand starter pack later	£1,500	£5,000
Spent in total, before reprinting	£1,530	£5,150
Starter pack done first	£1,500	£5,000
Extra cost of going cheap first, before reprinting	£30	£150

The direct extra cost looks small, and that is the point of the example. The real cost is what you reprint: Whito says rebranding after signage, packaging and stationery are printed costs far more than getting the brand right once. Add the reprint quotes for your own items before you decide.

How to compare branding quotes

Scope checklist: ask each provider to fill this in
Item	Ask
Strategy and research	Is any included? What is the output?
Logo concepts	How many directions, and how many revision rounds?
File formats	Print, web, social and a one-colour version?
Guidelines	Included, and in what form: a short sheet or a full document?
Applications	Which items are designed: cards, social, signage, packaging, website?
Usage rights and ownership	Do you own the final files and the rights to use them?
Timeline and payments	Milestones, and what you pay at each stage?

Agencies that quote the same price for different scopes are not offering the same thing. For hiring advice, read how to choose a web design agency, which uses the same questions.

Do this next

Decide which level on the ladder fits your stage, then ask two providers to fill in the scope checklist. If you want a written scope from us, tell us what you sell, who you sell to and what the brand will appear on.

Talk to us →

Frequently asked questions

How much does branding cost for a small business?

Most UK small businesses are served by a brand starter pack at about £1,500 to £5,000. US guides range from about $1,000 to $5,000 for a basic package up to $5,000 to $30,000 for a fuller identity.

How much does a logo cost?

In the UK, from £30 to £150 for a marketplace logo, £500 to £1,000 for a freelancer, and up to about £3,500 from a mid-size agency. In the US, $200 to $1,500 on freelance platforms and $2,000 to $8,000 from an independent designer.

How much do brand guidelines cost?

Fabrik Brands puts editorial and style guides at $2,000 to $15,000 depending on the work. In the UK a logo plus guidelines starter pack is about £1,500 to £5,000.

What is the difference between a logo and branding?

A logo is one part. Branding includes strategy, colours, typography, voice, guidelines and how everything is applied. A logo-only price and a branding price are not comparable.

Are freelancers cheaper than agencies for branding?

Usually, by about 30% to 50% according to Whito, with less strategic depth. For a young business that is often the right trade.

How much does a rebrand cost?

A complete rebrand with strategy and rollout is about £10,000 to £50,000 or more in UK guides. A refresh of an existing identity costs less, so start with an audit of what already works.

What affects the cost of branding?

The amount of strategy, the number of logo concepts and revisions, the number of assets, who does the work and whether guidelines are included.

Can I use a cheap logo now and rebrand later?

You can, but price the reprinting. Whito says rebranding after signage, packaging and stationery are printed costs far more than getting it right once.

October 16, 2026