Starting any startup, even an eCommerce business is hard work, full of obstacles. However, as the old saying goes: A wise man learns not from his own mistakes, but the mistakes of others. Thus, when creating an eCommerce business, it is very important to learn from other people’s mistakes. Especially since startup projects in 2024 can rarely afford the luxury of learning from their own mistakes. So we will try to point out to you 5 mistakes new eCommerce sites make all too often.
Learn Constantly, If Possible From The Experiences Of Others
Experience in contact with new e-commerce merchants tells us that they generally understand well that they need a good product description, a large number of quality product images – as well as the simplest possible payment procedure. Additionally, certain tools can help you solve these problems. Therefore, in this text, we will deal with those mistakes that are most often overlooked and not taken into account when starting eCommerce startup projects, which can lead to unnecessary negative consequences for those who deal with eCommerce.
1. Mistake – About Us Page
Merchants often ask what that page will do for them in general – and especially why its content is so important? Isn’t it the essence of the quality of the products and services they offer? We think that because of such an attitude, many people often make the mistake of not realizing that customers are buying from people. They also want to know who is behind the company and the site before making a purchase. This information is very important to the customer in the process of deciding whether or not to buy the product on this or any other website. Although the content and layout of this page vary from case to case, there are still a few rules that new merchants can apply when writing the content of this page.
There are certain principles that traders should adhere to on this occasion. You can tell your story in a likable and receptive way. Posting a picture of employees is also a good move. There is also the use of the Call to Action button or displaying the opinions of other customers about your service. That way, you will more easily gain the trust of new customers.
2. Mistake – Don’t Miss To Hire SEO Experts
No matter how big your online store is – having a well-optimized site is key to your success. Companies within individual industries can still succeed thanks to the location of their store, but such examples are becoming rarer. Almost everyone today has an online store, so it is not easy to stand out in such a competitive world. Therefore, it is necessary to consult SEO experts. According to Optimum7.com, very often, beginners in the eCommerce business ignore the product description. Often their descriptions are too general or too short. For example, Google prefers descriptions that are over 300 words, so it is very important to have a long description. Your online visitors need to know a lot about your products to choose just them.
With an emerging eCommerce business, when no one knows about you, you must reach future customers in the right way. The frequent approach that customers will come by themselves is not a good way to start a new e-commerce business – and it is very likely doomed. Don’t wait for customers to come by themselves because it won’t happen – or at least it won’t happen so quickly, because the effect of SEO optimization takes time.
3. Mistake – Possibility Of Only One Payment Method
A store that has only one payment method is considered old-fashioned. This is one of the main reasons for the low conversion rate. Customers prefer different payment methods when making their purchases – and different customers prefer different methods. As m-commerce (trade via mobile phones or similar mobile devices) is growing rapidly – digital wallets are an increasingly important and well-represented method of payment – and there are more and more customers for whom it is a favorite and primary method of payment. If the salesman doesn’t adjust to that, that is, doesn’t adopt the given payment methods – he risks losing customers.
Therefore, allow some method of cash on delivery. This is the only option for customers who do not believe in the online banking system or do not trust the seller himself. Because of all of the above, the salesman needs to offer different payment options. Not only does this improve customer comfort – but it also increases the payment conversion rate.
4. Mistake – Lack Of Social Influence
To explain this, we will take the example of accounts on social networks. We can notice that many companies prominently point out the links of their accounts on social networks on their websites. They do it even though they don’t have followers. This will create a negative impression, instead of convincing people to buy the product. If you can’t dedicate yourself to maintaining and managing your accounts on various social networks – don’t advertise them on your website. There is simply no logic, and no benefit if the social media account is not updated.
Another form of informational social influence that many eCommerce businesses do not pay attention to – is the reviews. Retailers most often know that comments can influence the purchase decision – and that is why many put them on their websites.
However, a common problem is that there are no comments. This is the same example as a social network account that is not updated. The option of posting comments often does not mean that comments will come by themselves. So you have to ask customers to write their comments. To bring this option to life, you can compose and send a good email that will attract the attention of customers – and ask them what they think about their purchase. Once you have set up the system and have enough comments – you can post them on each page of your website or your store to gain the trust of site users.
5. Mistake – Lack Of Patience
This is one of the biggest mistakes. If you perhaps need more help with these you can check out someone as SoftLoft. Just like other businesses, eCommerce business also takes time to grow. Too often, online store owners expect money to start arriving as soon as they open their e-commerce store – that is, that the customers will come by themselves. But that, unfortunately, is not the case. Like traditional stores, online stores require time to grow and it is quite possible that they will not make a profit in the beginning – and that traders will not be able to achieve their goals. However, that doesn’t mean that they should give up immediately – but they must continue their business with the same passion and motive.
