Creating your own ecommerce site requires a lot of brains and, let’s face it, some luck. However, when it comes down to ecommerce, you can minimize the risks by understanding how your consumers use your site and how can you can constantly improve it.
The amount of mistakes and tiny errors one can make when creating an ecommerce site are almost infinite. But a pattern can definitely be shaped around the most common mistakes a lot of ecommerce entrepreneurs foolishly make when entering this very delicate, but potentially lucrative business. In this article I will cover the 5 most common mistakes in ecommerce:
Uploading Low Quality Images
If you are selling goods that are supposed to attract the eye, you know by now that how they are presented can make or break your sales. Your product presentation is everything to the consumer and failing to deliver will just make your competitor a wealthier person.
The point regarding image quality is relevant to the way we conventionally do our shopping. Most of us try out clothing in the dressing room before purchasing it. We tend to feel the fabric, see if the size fits, and how its color matches our look. This is obviously impossible to do online, so you should always try to give your consumer the highest amount of clarity possible via screen.
This is where the high-quality image come into play. Investing some cash for a high resolution professional photos of your products is key for its inspection. It doesn’t even matter what you are selling, from household appliances to paragliding gear, everything must be presentable.
No Customer Support
Despite there being no physical contact between yourself and your consumer, some sort of a guarantee for one’s spent money is vital. Thus it goes without question that you should have your customer service number clearly displayed along with any relevant addresses and, this is optional, but a live chat option can truly give your customers a feel of complete care.
Make sure your refund and return policies are clear, concise, and fair. Informing your customers of all the possible options can ease their decision in purchasing your product. Keep in mind that you must cater to any and all concerns your customers might have and that it can be a daunting task. However, if you deliver the answers your customers seek, you will become a reputable company that will be approached with ease rather than mistrust.
Failing to Analyze Your Price Per Click
It’s common to be desperate for clicks if your business isn’t rolling yet. Some internet guru will surely try to convince you that a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign is the way for your ecommerce to quickly grow and get a lot of traction.
PPC campaigns are a way to get some quick traffic, however you have to be careful with these kinds of investments. The conversion rate between someone visiting your site and actually buying your product has to be carefully planned. Targeting the right group of people and carefully monitoring the input given by your PPC campaign is essential.
If you are making a profit of $3 per unit, is it really worth it to invest $1 for a click? Probably not. Weigh your options carefully and analyze your PPC campaign regularly. If you don’t, then such a campaign is just a money sink, and you won’t feel good about that.
Not Approaching Different Platforms
Ignoring the mobile market in today’s market is like shooting yourself in the foot, probably even worse than that. The incline of smartphones per capita demands a quality experience on your site regardless of the device your customers are using. So think ahead and think big when it comes to your reach on any and all platforms.
The best solution here is to have a premium responsive design implemented within your ecommerce site. In a world where people use multiple devices for a single purpose (shopping for example) your business must be accessible regardless of the time of day, location, or any other factor that prevents your customers from sitting at their desktop.
Faulty or Non-Existent Product Information
Knowing every possible detail about an online purchase is a standard expectation of ecommerce consumers, so be sure to take some initiative regarding your product description.
Try updating your site as much as humanly possible, and bring your potential customers closer to your product by providing them with everything they want to know about a certain item. Of course, don’t flood your site with trivial information.
The balance between good photos and item information is dependent on the product in hand. For example, people buying a hat only care about how the hat looks like, while people buying a PC will care about everything (the specs, size, manufacturer, etc.)
The Gist
Of course, this isn’t everything you should be paying attention to while building your ecommerce website, but it is by far the most important. Also, if you’re guilty of some of these faux pas, don’t worry! Take a deep breath, go through these bullet points, and work on resolving them. Remember, what you should be aiming towards is a smooth user experience, however, it doesn’t end there. After your customers have made a purchase, make sure they have access to impeccable customer service. Ecommerce is all about the complete experience.
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