7 Mistakes New Ecommerce Sites Make

When you first set up an online store, you need to convert visitors into customers and it isn’t always easy. They’re not only looking for the right product at the right price, but the whole customer experience matters to them. Here are some mistakes new eCommerce sites tend to make and how to fix them.

1. Poor product images

Customers that buy online can’t touch or feel the product. They rely on the images and they want to be able to examine a product from every angle on their screens. Using stock images can make your store look dated, whereas having high-quality images makes it feel modern and professional.

2. Difficult navigation

When users visit your online store for the first time, they have certain expectations when it comes to navigation links and shopping cart placement. A website that doesn’t follow the conventions and is hard to use affects your conversions and sales.

Offer clarity to customers when searching and refining results. Give them filters, such as color, size and brand. Multi-tiered navigation allows them to find a sub-category quickly and breadcrumbs help to orientate them, leading them to explore a category and find products they might want to buy.

3. Inadequate product descriptions

Meaningful product descriptions consist of more than a bunch of keywords. They provide accurate product details, including measurements, color and weight. When customers see generic or thin product descriptions, they find it frustrating.

On your eCommerce store, errors such as typos can affect trust in your site, giving the impression of carelessness. Customers may worry that your service will be careless too.

4. Lack of customer service

Lack of clear ways to contact a company is a sign that it has something to hide. People must be able to contact you without difficulty. Buying online involves trust, especially for new customers, and they need to know that help is available if they encounter a problem.

Wrong sizes, delays and damaged goods are all problems that are costly to rectify and can make repeat purchases unlikely. Using e-commerce fulfillment options can help to prevent these problems from happening. Make contact easy by giving numerous options and making the details clear on every page. Using live chat can help remove barriers to a fast and efficient resolution of any problems.

5. Email marketing mistakes

Satisfied customers are usually happy to voluntarily sign up to your email marketing list and trying to trick them into subscribing or signing them up without asking is counterproductive.

Offering them some form of incentive can accelerate the process. Once they’ve signed up, don’t hammer them with emails. Give them regular updates on a consistent basis and make sure you have an opt-out link as this is required by law.

6. Suspicious reviews

Today all customers read reviews to find out more about a product. If your products have only 100% positive reviews, customers could find this suspicious.

Some businesses distribute free items to reviewers in exchange for positive reviews. Customers are aware of this practice and can often easily identify when reviews are overly positive. Don’t try to manipulate reviews as this is against Federal Trade Commission rules.

The solution is to encourage customers to leave honest reviews, even if they have a problem with a product.

7. Payment issues

Running any business that accepts online payments poses some unique challenges. Customers look for security, speed and convenience when it comes to payment. It doesn’t help to build trust through the shopping experience and then lose it right at the end with a slow, insecure, or inconvenient payment process.