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Honest question: How important is conversion rate vs finding the right product?
Posted by •11/22/2025
I've been doing this for 4 months and I keep seeing conflicting advice. Some people say it's all about finding the right product ("test products until you find a winner"), while others say it's all about conversion rate optimization ("a good store can sell any decent product").
I'm confused about where to focus my energy and money.
My situation:
- Tested 4 products so far
- Spent about $1,800 total on ads
- Got sales on all of them but never profitable
- Conversion rates ranged from 0.6% to 1.2%
- Currently spending time researching my 5th product to test
But I'm starting to wonder... if all my products had 0.6-1.2% conversion rates, maybe the problem isn't the products?
I see people saying "I tested 20 products before finding my winner" but I also see people saying "stop chasing products and fix your store first."
**For those of you who are actually profitable:**
- Did you find success by testing many products until one hit?
- Or did you focus on one product and optimize your store until it converted well?
- How do you know when to move on from a product vs when to keep optimizing?
I don't want to waste another $500 testing a new product if the real issue is that my store converts at 1% instead of 3%. But I also don't want to keep optimizing a product that just isn't going to work.
How do you actually know which one is the problem?
I'm confused about where to focus my energy and money.
My situation:
- Tested 4 products so far
- Spent about $1,800 total on ads
- Got sales on all of them but never profitable
- Conversion rates ranged from 0.6% to 1.2%
- Currently spending time researching my 5th product to test
But I'm starting to wonder... if all my products had 0.6-1.2% conversion rates, maybe the problem isn't the products?
I see people saying "I tested 20 products before finding my winner" but I also see people saying "stop chasing products and fix your store first."
**For those of you who are actually profitable:**
- Did you find success by testing many products until one hit?
- Or did you focus on one product and optimize your store until it converted well?
- How do you know when to move on from a product vs when to keep optimizing?
I don't want to waste another $500 testing a new product if the real issue is that my store converts at 1% instead of 3%. But I also don't want to keep optimizing a product that just isn't going to work.
How do you actually know which one is the problem?
4 Replies
•11/23/2025
This completely changes my perspective. I've been blaming the products this whole time when the common factor across all 4 products was my 1% conversion rate.
Going to stop product research completely and spend the next few weeks just optimizing my store. If I can get to 2.5-3% conversion rate, even my "failed" products might actually work.
Thank you for this honest answer. This is exactly what I needed to hear.
Going to stop product research completely and spend the next few weeks just optimizing my store. If I can get to 2.5-3% conversion rate, even my "failed" products might actually work.
Thank you for this honest answer. This is exactly what I needed to hear.
•11/22/2025
Adding to this - once your store converts at 2-3%, THEN product selection starts to matter more. A great product on a great store can do 4-5% conversion.
But you need the foundation first. Trying to find a "winning product" with a 1% converting store is like trying to win a race with a broken car.
But you need the foundation first. Trying to find a "winning product" with a 1% converting store is like trying to win a race with a broken car.
•11/22/2025
this is so accurate. i tested 11 products over 6 months, all failed. finally someone told me to check my stores conversion rate - it was 0.8%.
rebuilt my entire store focusing on conversion optimization. took the SAME product that "failed" before, tested it again with the new store. 2.6% conversion rate, profitable within a week.
i wasted 6 months and $3000 chasing products when my store was broken the whole time.
rebuilt my entire store focusing on conversion optimization. took the SAME product that "failed" before, tested it again with the new store. 2.6% conversion rate, profitable within a week.
i wasted 6 months and $3000 chasing products when my store was broken the whole time.
•11/22/2025
This is THE question that separates people who make money from people who stay stuck. I'm going to give you the answer nobody wants to hear:
**Conversion rate matters 10X more than product selection.**
Here's why:
**The Product Testing Trap:**
When you have a 1% conversion rate, EVERY product will fail. Even "winning" products.
Think about it:
- Product A at 1% conversion = unprofitable
- Product B at 1% conversion = unprofitable
- Product C at 1% conversion = unprofitable
- Product D at 1% conversion = unprofitable
You conclude: "I haven't found the right product yet, let me test product E"
But the real issue? Your store converts at 1% across ALL products. That's a store problem, not a product problem.
**The Conversion Rate Reality:**
Same products, different conversion rates:
**Store A (1% conversion):**
- 1000 visitors → 10 sales → $400 revenue → Unprofitable
**Store B (3% conversion):**
- 1000 visitors → 30 sales → $1,200 revenue → Profitable
**Same product. Same traffic. 3X different results.**
**Your specific situation is telling:**
"All products 0.6-1.2% conversion rate" = Your store is the common denominator.
If you tested 4 products and ALL of them converted at 0.6-1.2%, that's your answer. The products weren't the problem - your store is.
**Here's the framework:**
**Step 1: Build a store that can convert at 2-3% minimum**
- Fast load speed (under 3 seconds mobile)
- Zero checkout friction
- Trust signals (reviews, guarantees, badges)
- Professional design
- Clear value proposition
- Mobile-optimized
- Guest checkout enabled
- Multiple payment options
**Step 2: Test this with ONE product**
If conversion rate is still under 1.5%, keep optimizing the store. Don't test new products yet.
**Step 3: Once you hit 2%+ conversion, THEN test different products**
Now you have a baseline. If product performs worse, it's the product. If it performs well, you have a winner.
**How to know if a product is viable:**
With a 2-3% converting store, a product is worth keeping if:
- You're getting sales
- CPA is under 30% of product price
- ROAS is above 2.0
- People are adding to cart (shows interest)
If you're NOT getting sales even with a 3% converting store, then yes, the product might be the issue.
**The harsh truth:**
Most people never fix their store and spend years "testing products." They test 50 products, all fail at 1% conversion, and conclude "dropshipping doesn't work anymore."
Meanwhile someone else takes their "failed" product, puts it on a 3% converting store, and makes $10k/month with it.
**What you should do:**
1. STOP testing new products
2. Pick your best performer from the 4 you tested
3. Spend the next 2 weeks ONLY optimizing your store
4. Goal: Get conversion rate to 2.5%+
5. THEN evaluate if the product is viable
You've spent $1,800 on ads but probably $0 on actually optimizing your conversion funnel. Flip that priority.
**Fix the engine before changing the fuel.**
**Conversion rate matters 10X more than product selection.**
Here's why:
**The Product Testing Trap:**
When you have a 1% conversion rate, EVERY product will fail. Even "winning" products.
Think about it:
- Product A at 1% conversion = unprofitable
- Product B at 1% conversion = unprofitable
- Product C at 1% conversion = unprofitable
- Product D at 1% conversion = unprofitable
You conclude: "I haven't found the right product yet, let me test product E"
But the real issue? Your store converts at 1% across ALL products. That's a store problem, not a product problem.
**The Conversion Rate Reality:**
Same products, different conversion rates:
**Store A (1% conversion):**
- 1000 visitors → 10 sales → $400 revenue → Unprofitable
**Store B (3% conversion):**
- 1000 visitors → 30 sales → $1,200 revenue → Profitable
**Same product. Same traffic. 3X different results.**
**Your specific situation is telling:**
"All products 0.6-1.2% conversion rate" = Your store is the common denominator.
If you tested 4 products and ALL of them converted at 0.6-1.2%, that's your answer. The products weren't the problem - your store is.
**Here's the framework:**
**Step 1: Build a store that can convert at 2-3% minimum**
- Fast load speed (under 3 seconds mobile)
- Zero checkout friction
- Trust signals (reviews, guarantees, badges)
- Professional design
- Clear value proposition
- Mobile-optimized
- Guest checkout enabled
- Multiple payment options
**Step 2: Test this with ONE product**
If conversion rate is still under 1.5%, keep optimizing the store. Don't test new products yet.
**Step 3: Once you hit 2%+ conversion, THEN test different products**
Now you have a baseline. If product performs worse, it's the product. If it performs well, you have a winner.
**How to know if a product is viable:**
With a 2-3% converting store, a product is worth keeping if:
- You're getting sales
- CPA is under 30% of product price
- ROAS is above 2.0
- People are adding to cart (shows interest)
If you're NOT getting sales even with a 3% converting store, then yes, the product might be the issue.
**The harsh truth:**
Most people never fix their store and spend years "testing products." They test 50 products, all fail at 1% conversion, and conclude "dropshipping doesn't work anymore."
Meanwhile someone else takes their "failed" product, puts it on a 3% converting store, and makes $10k/month with it.
**What you should do:**
1. STOP testing new products
2. Pick your best performer from the 4 you tested
3. Spend the next 2 weeks ONLY optimizing your store
4. Goal: Get conversion rate to 2.5%+
5. THEN evaluate if the product is viable
You've spent $1,800 on ads but probably $0 on actually optimizing your conversion funnel. Flip that priority.
**Fix the engine before changing the fuel.**