< Back to all use cases

Pauline, E-commerce Founder: +17% Conversion Rate Without Spending More on Ads

Pauline, owner of a small independent online store, had a regular flow of customers and a well-liked product. Yet, each month she experienced inconsistent sales and quiet periods she couldn’t explain. Thanks to the VeryControl Express diagnostic, she identified several friction points in her customer journey, particularly around visibility, first contact, and automation. By applying a few simple adjustments, she stabilized her sales flow and saved time daily.
Before the diagnostic: dependent on hot traffic and time-consuming processes

Pauline relied heavily on Instagram and her existing network, without any content strategy or way to capture visitors outside of social media.
All customer inquiries went through DMs or manual email responses, and she handled order follow-ups entirely by hand.

Symptoms before the diagnostic:

  • 📉 Zero sales for several days whenever she was less active,
  • 🕒 Time wasted answering simple inquiries,
  • ❌ No automated follow-up to re-engage inactive customers.

‍

3 friction points identified with VeryControl Express

1. Online Visibility: no passive lead channels

The audit showed heavy dependence on referrals and social media, with no passive channels like newsletters, SEO, or partnerships.

2. First Contact: fully manual responses

Every request came through private messages, often after hours, with delayed and inconsistent replies.

3. Automation: no customer capture or re-engagement system

No automation to capture leads, send follow-ups, or encourage repeat orders.

‍

The simple fixes she implemented

📌 Visibility

  • 🎁 Set up a newsletter pop-up offering a discount for first-time buyers,
  • Added a “Stay informed” form on her homepage to capture cold traffic.

📌 First Contact

  • Added a “Frequently Asked Questions” section on her website to reduce repetitive inquiries,
  • Activated an Instagram auto-responder redirecting prospects to her store.

📌 Automation

  • Implemented a post-purchase follow-up sequence:
    • J+15: “Did your order arrive okay?”
    • J+45: “Check out our new collection”
  • Simple Zapier connection: new orders automatically added to Google Sheets and a thank-you email sent immediately.
Results after 30 days

✔️ +19% increase in recurring orders via post-purchase follow-ups,

✔️ Fewer time-wasting DMs, with prospects redirected to her website,

✔️ A growing email list with first subscribers without running ads,

✔️ Saved 4 hours per week on customer management.

3 lessons for small e-commerce businesses
  1. Never rely solely on hot traffic to drive sales.
  2. Make the first point of contact easier, even as a solo founder.
  3. Small, simple automations can save both time and generate extra revenue.

Want to know where you’re losing conversions? Diagnose your customer journey in 15 minutes here

Conclusion

Pauline didn’t need to redo her website or invest in more ads: with 3 precise adjustments from VeryControl Express, she achieved stable sales and a better workload balance.

I want my diagnostic