It’s not enough to just sell great products online. You must also provide an excellent customer experience, or consumers won’t buy from you. If they do, they probably won’t return and certainly won’t recommend you to their loved ones. What they will do is leave bad reviews, which can spell the death of an eCommerce business.
To ensure you avoid this fate with your eCommerce store, we’ve compiled a list of mistakes you’ll want to avoid.
- Providing a Poor User Experience
Many new eCommerce business owners make this mistake without realizing it. If your customers can’t navigate your website easily or have difficulty checking out, they will go elsewhere without a second thought.
If you can’t create a functional and aesthetically pleasing website yourself, consider hiring a digital marketing company to do it for you. It’s also advisable to work with a company that offers 3PL fulfillment services so you don’t have to worry about reordering, shipping, and customer inquiries concerning their orders.
- Not Defining and Understanding Your Target Audience
One of the biggest mistakes any business owner can make is failing to understand their target audience. It’s not enough to have great products and a slick website. You must know who needs your products and why they need them, so you can deliver the right message to bring them to your proverbial door.
Conducting thorough market research is a must if you want to be a successful online retailer. Once again, if this isn’t something you feel confident doing, outsource the task to a digital marketing agency specializing in market research for new businesses.
- Incorrect Pricing
In addition to conducting market research to understand your target audience, you must also use research to price your products correctly. Many eCommerce business owners will set their pricing to contend with their competition, and while there is logic to this, it isn’t the only factor to consider.
For example, if you find that consumers aren’t happy with what’s available already, they may be willing to pay more if your product solves their problem more conveniently or efficiently. On the other hand, if you find that consumers complain about the high cost of said products, you might be able to offer lower prices to bring in more business. It will all depend on how high your manufacturing costs are compared to what your customers are willing to pay.
- Not Choosing the Right eCommerce Platform
eCommerce platforms vary significantly in terms of features and price. Basic platforms may seem like a good idea because they are cheaper, but they may not have the capability to grow and expand with your business.
Alternatively, higher-priced platforms might include plenty of upgrades and features that you may not need right away. However, as you grow, you may find it incredibly helpful to have them at your disposal. So, don’t let price be the only factor in choosing an eCommerce platform. Spend some time researching them before making your final choice.
- Not Using Quality Photos or Product Descriptions
The photos and descriptions you use for your products can make or break your eCommerce business. Because consumers can’t see or touch your offerings in person, they need high-quality images and detailed descriptions to decide whether to buy or not. You may have great products, but if your photos are sub-par, you can’t expect anything to sell well.
Anyone can open an eCommerce business, but unless you’re willing to go the extra mile to avoid these mistakes, your online store may not thrive. So, keep these tips in mind, and take a systematic approach as you build your online presence.
