How to Escape "0 Sales Jail" Supplement Branded Dropshipping

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Still here? Ok, let’s get into it.

There’s nothing more demoralising than pouring hours into a store… and seeing $0 sales.

You launch, you test, you tweak the copy, you switch the product image, and still — nothing.

It’s enough to make you question the whole game. But I want to show you something today that might help you break through that early wall.

One of my stores recently made £119k in 30 days from a single product. One SKU. One site. One clear message. And I did it with none of the fluff or “burner TikTok” tactics you’ve probably seen all over YouTube.

Just a product that solves a real problem, a website that converts, and ads that stop the scroll.

That’s it.

In this issue, I’m going to break down what really causes that early “stuck at $0” syndrome — and exactly how to escape it.

Let’s get into it.

The first time I launched a store, I had no idea what I was doing. No mentor, no paid themes, no budget for freelancers. Just me, Canva, Google, and caffeine. I wore every hat — and honestly, most of them didn’t fit.

But because failure wasn’t an option, I made it work.

Looking back now, what I wish someone told me wasn’t “try harder,” or “test more creatives.” It was that I needed to focus on the three levers that actually move the needle.

Product. Site. Ad.

Nothing else matters.

And the order matters too. Because if the product is off, you’ll never get the site or the ad to save you.

So let’s start there.

A good product is one that solves a real, painful, specific problem. Not something that’s “cool” or “aesthetically pleasing.” I’m talking about skincare for acne, supplements for energy, teeth whitening, anti-snoring devices — things that people will crawl over glass to fix.

Second — it needs to be renewable. Not just a one-off gadget or trinket, but something people run out of. Why? So you can introduce subscriptions. So you can build monthly recurring revenue. So your business doesn’t start from zero every month.

And third — it needs to be priced for profit. If your product only allows you to charge $20, you won’t survive. You need enough margin after ad spend, Shopify fees, packaging and fulfilment to actually grow. Which is why $40+ perceived value is a sweet spot.

For me, that product was a food powder supplement for kids.

Checks every box.

Now — let’s talk websites.

My site converts at around 3% consistently. Which is almost unheard of. But once you look under the hood, it makes sense.

Clean layout. Branded design. High-res product photos. Before and after imagery. UGC reviews. Emojis for readability. Clear bundles to increase AOV. FAQ section to handle objections. A subscription option built in. And it was all built using a standard Shopify template with some custom development on the Product and landing page(s) — a proven theme (not an AI drag-and-drop builder some guru told you about for their affiliate link).

The homepage doesn’t matter. The landing page does. And that page was optimised to build trust, tell a story, and convert — in under 5 seconds.

Most of the time, if your site feels scammy, people will bounce. Doesn’t matter how good your product is. That first impression needs to say: this is real, this is trustworthy, and this is what I’ve been looking for.

Finally — ads.

This is where most people overcomplicate things. The truth is, 80% of your success in paid ads is the creative.

Not the budget. Not the campaign structure. The creative.

If you can stop the scroll, speak directly to the problem, show social proof, and clearly direct the user where to go — you win.

I does this by using UGC or CGC (Customer generated content) to find, create or incentivise high-conversion videos or statics from real customers. It’s not about being the first to go viral. It’s about finding creative that’s already working, then running it on Facebook before anyone else does.

A great ad has a hook, a transformation, and a clear call to action.

That’s it.

Now let’s talk scale.

Whenever you want to scale, your conversion rate should be at least 3%. That’s your baseline. If you’re not hitting that, fix your foundation first.

As you scale, increase your budget slowly each day. Think consistency, not chaos. Scaling too fast with a shaky setup is the fastest way to kill a winning product.

If your CTR is low, but your conversion rate is high, that’s actually a great sign — it means your product is strong but your ad creatives need work. Flip it around — if your CTR is high but conversions are weak? It means your ads are doing their job, but your product, price or website is off.

Read that again.

This is how you diagnose where the leak is in your funnel. Product, website, ad — these three must all hit. If even one is off, your entire system is held back.

If you’re stuck at $0, one of these levers is probably off.

The product doesn’t solve a real problem. Or it’s not priced right. Or your store doesn’t build trust. Or your creative is too slow, too vague, or too generic.

Go back through those three. Fix the weakest link. The moment they align — product, site, ad — the sales start flowing.

If you want help with this, I’ve built a step-by-step process I’ve used to scale multiple stores from zero to seven figures profitably. It’s the process I wish I had when I started.

If you want to follow it with my guidance and support, you can book a call directly with me here.

This is a done-with-you programme. You’ll be surrounded by other e-com founders building real brands. We’ll do it together, and I’ll teach you the exact infrastructure, mindset, and marketing stack I use on my own projects.

If you want in, click this link to apply, or DM me @louantoniomatera.

Whether you join or not, I hope this helped you see the game for what it really is.

It’s not about hacks. It’s about systems.

Let’s build.

Lou Antonio