Top 11 Things To Remove From Your Shopify Store In 2025

Running a Shopify store is no easy task. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve an existing store, optimizing key aspects of your website can directly affect your sales and customer experience. After years of selling online, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and I can assure you that some changes can make a massive difference.

Hey everyone, I am Likhon Hussain. Here’s a breakdown of the top things you need to remove, add, or optimize on your Shopify website to give your customers the best experience possible, boost sales, and stand out from the competition.

01. Stop Misplacing Your Social Media Icons

Social media is essential for building brand awareness, but the way you place those little icons on your site can backfire if done poorly. Slapping them in the header, where they’re the first thing people see, encourages visitors to click away to Instagram or TikTok before they’ve even explored your products.

Keep your visitors’ attention where it belongs in your store. I recommend moving social media icons to the footer instead. This way, they’re visible but not distracting. To take it up a notch, entice customers to engage by adding a call-to-action like, “Follow us for 10% off your next order!” It’s a simple way to drive social engagement while keeping shoppers focused on your store.

02. Limit Annoying Pop-Ups

Pop-ups can be powerful for things like collecting emails or offering discounts, but if they’re overused, they become downright maddening. Nobody enjoys battling pop-up after pop-up. It’s a surefire way to send your visitors running for the back button.

Stick to only 2–3 strategic pop-ups max, placed where they make sense:

A timed email capture pop-up that appears after 20–30 seconds of browsing.
An exit-intent pop-up on the checkout or cart page with a discount to encourage finishing the purchase.
A one-time age verification pop-up if your products require it.

The goal here is moderation. Let the pop-ups work for you, not against you.

03. Rethink Live Chat Placement

Live chat can be an amazing way to support customers, but how you implement it matters. Too many stores make the mistake of popping up an aggressively large chat box, interrupting visitors before they’ve even scrolled.

Instead, give users control by placing a small, unobtrusive chat widget in the lower corner of your site. Make it easy to access, but let shoppers reach out when they want to not just because you decided to interrupt them mid-browse.

A well-placed live chat can make the buying experience feel smooth and personalized without derailing someone’s focus. Just don’t be the modern-day version of Clippy, begging people to interact with you when they’re not ready.

04. Declutter Those Unnecessary Apps

I get it apps are fun, and Shopify has an endless supply of cool ones. But too many apps, especially outdated ones, can kill your site’s loading speed. Slow pages frustrate visitors, and frustrated visitors don’t buy.

Take some time to clean up. Ask yourself, “Does this app directly contribute to conversions or improve the shopping experience?” If the answer is “no,” remove it. Keeping your store efficient is like cleaning out that drawer full of old cables you’ll never use again do you really think you’re going to need that ancient FireWire cable? Probably not.

05. Ditch Flashy Animations

Flashy animations might look cool at first glance, but let’s be real they’re not impressing anyone when they slow down your site. They also distract customers from your actual products, which is the opposite of what you want.

Keep your design clean and simple. If you’re using animations, they should serve a purpose, like drawing attention to a “Buy Now” button or highlighting a special deal. The goal is to enhance functionality, not show off your design skills at the expense of user experience.

06. Choose Better Fonts and Colors

Unreadable fonts or harsh color schemes are a quick way to turn people off. If your site is hard to navigate visually, no one will stick around to shop. Stick to fonts that are clear and simple. Leave overly curly cursive fonts or robotic tech ones out of the mix they’re just not user-friendly.

Colors matter too. Avoid anything too bright or clashing (think: neon greens with hot pinks). Instead, aim for complementary tones that are easy on the eyes. If you’re feeling stuck, check out tools like Coolors or do a bit of sleuthing on your competitors’ sites for inspiration.

07. Streamline Product Recommendations

Giving customers personalized product recommendations can play a huge role in increasing sales, but generic or random suggestions can do the opposite. If someone’s shopping for summer dresses, don’t show them a winter coat it looks lazy and irrelevant.

Tailor recommendations are based on what they’ve clicked on searched for, or even purchased in the past. You can use apps like Rebuy AI or Shopify’s built-in tools to pull this off. The key is to make the suggestions feel curated and helpful, not like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks.

08. Simplify Your Navigation Menu

Nobody has the time or patience to decode a confusing navigation menu. If it takes too many clicks to find a product, your customers will give up and leave. Map out your categories clearly. For example, instead of dumping everything under a vague label like “Products,” break it down into “Men’s Apparel,” “Women’s Apparel,” and so on. It’s all about helping shoppers find what they need quickly so they stay on your site longer.

09. Stop Using Stock Images

Stock images scream inauthenticity. They make your site look like one of those cookie-cutter stores that customers scroll past because it doesn’t feel trustworthy. Use original photos of your products wherever possible, and don’t be afraid to get creative.

Show your items in action like a model wearing the outfit or someone using your product in real life. Adding human touches builds trust and makes your brand feel unique. Oh, and remember to optimize your images for web use to keep loading times fast.

10. Make Sure Your Contact Info Is Legit

Would you buy from a store that doesn’t have a real phone number or physical address listed? Probably not. Customers need to feel they can reach you if something goes wrong. Include a valid phone number, business email, and physical address (not a P.O. Box). Let people know where you’re based and that you’re running a credible business. If you don’t make this info easy to find, you’ll lose their trust and their sale.

11. Fix Your Checkout Process

Forced account creation during checkout is one of the biggest reasons people abandon carts. Nobody wants to create yet another password for a single purchase. Offering a guest checkout option is a simple fix.

You’ll lower barriers to buying, improve customer satisfaction, and keep carts from getting abandoned. Also, be transparent. Clearly display shipping costs, estimated delivery times, and options like local pickup or free two-day shipping. The fewer surprises, the better.

Conclusion

Optimizing your Shopify store doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Small changes like moving your social media icons or simplifying your navigation menu can have a big impact on sales and customer engagement.

At the end of the day, it’s all about creating an experience that’s intuitive, fast, and enjoyable. When you focus on improving usability and keeping distractions to a minimum, customers are more likely to trust your store and make a purchase. Start putting these tips into action today, and you’ll see the difference in no time. Happy selling!