Avoid These 13 Deadly Mistakes in Your E-commerce Business
Running an e-commerce business allows you to learn lessons that an MBA or a business course cannot teach. However, learning those lessons the hard way could cost you your business. If you want to not only survive in the e-commerce jungle but succeed in it, avoid the following common mistakes.
Running an e-commerce business allows you to learn lessons that an MBA or a business course cannot teach. However, learning those lessons the hard way could cost you your business. If you want to not only survive in the e-commerce jungle but succeed in it, avoid the following common mistakes.
Mistake #1: Customers will automatically buy from you.
You will need to invest time and energy into building and maintaining a high-traffic online store. With millions of websites out there, the big question is: What can I do to help people find me?
Mistake #2: Lack of company logo.
Running a business with no logo is a costly mistake. Visitors usually get their first impressions of your online store from the logo. Don’t think that it is too pricey to get one – there are inexpensive and even free options available from companies on the Internet.
Mistake #3: No idea who your ideal customer is.
To discover your ideal customer, do some research and examine your niche. This process consists of two phases: find who uses your product and then learn all you can about them.
Mistake #4: Skipping the trust factor.
It is impossible to run any business without building trust between you and your customers. Be sure to add your Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, SSL certificate, and Refund/exchange policy to your website. Additionally, ensure your customers that you treat their personal data with confidentiality.
Mistake #5: No reviews or no review option.
Reviews are social proof that customers like your products. Imagine the situation from a user’s point of view. Wouldn’t you like to know how other buyers feel about their purchase? Shoppers may buy from another store if they do not see other’s opinions.
Mistake #6: Not having a detailed marketing strategy.
E-commerce marketing takes effort, but if you do it properly, it will pay off in the long run. Identify your marketing goals; determine your target market; investigate how to build online awareness for your brand; consider applying SEO and online advertising; then, regularly analyze the results and improve.
Mistake #7: What if you have chosen the wrong platform?
It all starts with choosing the most suitable platform for your online business. Get advice from a software company you can trust.
Mistake #8: Poorly created ‘About’ or ‘Contact’ pages.
Don’t underestimate the sales potential of your ‘About’ page. Statistics shows that this is one of the top three most visited pages on a website or online store. Make sure to create an adequate ‘Contact’ page. Customers want to know they can reach you if there’s a problem.
Mistake #9: Not enough shipping options.
Customers like to have control and choose between various options. To please them, diversify the shipping options available on your site. When a shopper finds acceptable terms regarding delivery time and price in your store, this encourages them to purchase from you.
Mistake #10: You have not gone mobile.
Desktop computer users are not the only ones in the world using online websites. Also, the number of online business transactions made on smartphones and tablets is rapidly increasing. That is why it is imperative to have your site optimized for mobile devices.
Mistake #11: Bad product descriptions.
Writing good product descriptions might be annoying, but it is what sells the product. So, make sure to offer detailed and correct information that is written focusing on your ideal customer. Avoid too many superlatives and try to activate your customer’s imagination.
Mistake #12: Not measuring performance.
Monitor your site’s performance on a regular basis. Make sure to check key figures such as revenue, the number of products sold, and total visitors. Analyzing the numbers helps you to determine if you are on the right path. You can use Google Analytics to get crucial data about your website’s performance.
Mistake #13: Poor checkout process.
Confusing or lengthy checkout design results in increased abandonment rates, which leads to lower conversions. That is why it’s better to remove fields that are not necessary for the checkout process.
Running an e-commerce business may be hard work but never forget your reasons for starting it in the first place. Stay motivated and avoid these commonly made mistakes. Your reward will be an increase in traffic and sales on your online store.
We are LD Studios, an Atlanta based software consulting business. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us for your free consultation.
CEO and Founder LD Studios
With Diane Shirk and Veselina Alexieva