Starting an eCommerce business seems like a good idea. When the world’s largest companies such as Amazon, Google, and eBay operate online and make exorbitant profits quarterly, more players are keen on entering the global e-commerce market. However, whatever products you sell, there is a rulebook for running your business smartly. Financial industry experts say that lots of newcomers to e-commerce trip over similar difficulties.
Below are 7 popular eCommerce mistakes that evolving companies are prone to make.
Mistake #1. Not every eCommerce platform works for your business
If you do not have an experienced adviser by your side who would point you in the right direction, the odds of your business going broke within the next 5 years is really high. The reason why you are still struggling with poor sales may lie in the fact that you chose the wrong platform to run your business. Besides streamlining your products, other eCommerce platform’s roles are to attract prospects and give you analytics and SEO metrics based on which you can scale your business. Even more advanced platforms let you launch effective marketing campaigns as well as partially customize the website through which you interact with customers.
Mistake #2. You may know little of your audience’s needs
The knowledge of your audience is the key to creating the best business model. You won’t be able to provide a great purchase experience for your consumers unless you are aware of what products they are looking for. It is therefore important to research and define product categories that are most likely to match consumer needs. This kind of analysis usually requires looking into previous sales that can tell you what types of products are most popular with your target audience. Alternatively, you can make up an ideal customer’s profile where you will indicate the main product features that attract the largest number of consumers. By exploring your customers’ expectations, you become less vulnerable to erroneous choices next time you decide what goods to supply.
Mistake #3. Imperfect web design interferes with the buyer decision-making process
When prospects visit your website for the first time, the design has a huge effect on whether they continue navigating your shop. Dull and awkward websites repel potential buyers and make them leave for another page faster. From a consumer’s perspective, the quality of the website is often associated with the quality of the products you offer. As a result, if your web page looks visually impaired, your customer retention rate will be low, while your sales won’t go up even before and on public holidays. To avoid this notorious scenario, it is vital to invest in your website design properly. Hire a bunch of professionals who will add all the essential features to make it visually appealing and workable, and don’t forget that the mobile version is a must if you aim to reach out to a wider audience.
Mistake #4. Websites with poor SEO features lead to failure
Another common misstep that plenty of beginners tend to make is that they ignore the importance of SEO and analytics tools. They let you keep track of your audience’s behavior and based on that adjust your website to their behavior patterns.
The other side of SEO friendliness is that your website should have all the essential features, such as unique content and titles, a number of correct keywords, and relevant formatting. A deviation from these norms won’t allow your website to get to the top of Google’s search ranking. The further away you stay on, the fewer opportunities you have to shine out in your niche.
Mistake #5. Buying process is overly complicated
If you are willing to fix all of your eCommerce mistakes, now it is time to think about your website’s checkout process. The buying process has to be simple and transparent as no customer will tolerate mischief in the form of hidden fees or the wrong price that differs from that indicated on the page. If you see that plenty of customers leave after adding their products to the cart, it is probably because your purchase process needs improvement. Likewise, numerous consumers avoid using websites that require signing up or verifying an account before placing an order in favor of those web pages that operate without this precondition.
Mistake #6. Your web store has no brand identity
Brand awareness is important not only for brick-and-mortar businesses. Your website should have a conspicuous image so that your audience would choose your store over your competitors next time. To stand out online, it is best to create a simple but good-looking logotype that will be associated with your company. You can also think up a catchphrase modeled after globally recognized brands like Nike (‘Just Do It’) or Apple (‘Think Different). It should be short but iconic and express your business’s mission.
Mistake #7. Terrible customer service can be a way to collapse
The last of the most common eCommerce mistakes is poor customer service that may be caused by different factors. Customer dissatisfaction most frequently results from the lack of support in handling issues related to product imperfections as well as the administrator’s inability or reluctance to deal with customer complaints. Less frequently, buyers get annoyed by slow response time or lack of gifts or coupons for regular customers. One way or another, once you manage to address all these issues, your eCommerce business has a greater chance to get ahead of its online rivals.
About the Author:
Betty Lockwood is a journalist, mobile apps developer, fintech expert and caring mother. She writes about informational technologies, news in the e-commerce world, traveling, and music events. Betty is also an editor-in-chief at Computools. Follow Betty on Twitter.
