7 mistakes e-commerce businesses make

Running an e-commerce business can be both rewarding and profitable. However, many businesses make mistakes that can cost them dearly. Here are 7 mistakes made by e-commerce businesses and ways to get back on track.

1. No Logo

Having a recognisable logo helps to build brand awareness. A good logo will be memorable and will boost your visibility. There is a common misconception that logos need to be designed by a professional and come at a hefty cost, but you can easily create a free or inexpensive logo yourself.

Remember to create something that says something about your business and reflects the ethos of your brand.

2. Poor Website Layout

When creating an e-commerce website, its layout should be one of the main considerations. The most effective websites have a clean and simple design that grabs visitors attention and shows the products to their best advantage. Overly flashing designs, on the other hand,  can be off-putting and may also draw attention away from the featured products.

3. No About Page

Don’t underestimate the sales potential of an About page. The About page tends to rank within the top three most visited pages of your website, which means it needs to be valuable to the customer.

Have you featured your story? I hope so.

Customers like to know about your business. Set out your mission, define your USP. A human story that is relatable will have the most impact and will resonate with your target audience.

Where are you? It’s a trust thing.

Customers enjoy knowing where their products are coming from. Yes – you may be an online store, but where are you based? Where are the products or services coming from? Rather than appearing as some anonymous online outfit, giving these details helps to build trust and reassurance with your potential customers. Furthermore, shipping and customs duties are a common consideration for customers, so it really is important to have this information available.

4. No Contact Details

Providing contact details for customer service issues is essential. Not being able to address pre and after-sales issues will ultimately result in loss of business – and might even give rise to some bad reviews.

You could have a dedicated Contact page or, alternatively, place your email address and phone number in your website header, which appears on each page.

Do you have an email address that includes your domain name? You should.

As a business, you obviously want to have a sense of professionalism, and this includes having the right email address. Unfortunately, a generic email address will not cut it. An email address that includes your domain name looks consistent with your website branding and will help to reassure your customers about the credibility and reliability of your company.

5. No Social Proof

Giving social proof means providing evidence (usually in terms of customer feedback) that other people are buying and like your product or service. Social proof can massively boost conversions and brand awareness. Unfortunately, many businesses are not taking advantage of social proof and don’t even provide the right mechanism for gathering it. Here are some suggestions of ways to gather social proof effectively:

• Use testimonials on your website, social media platforms, paid ads etc.
• Optimise your review content to drive search traffic and keyword rankings
• Use case studies on your website
• Use beta-testers and get them to write reviews
• Request reviews from customers

“50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates“
BigCommerce

I always check the review section. Do you?

That’s right, we’re talking about that feedback that can make your conversions soar or plummet.

Wait until you have customers who you can ask for feedback before putting a feedback/review section on your website. Potential customers may see the lack of reviews in a review section as a negative thing – their thoughts may be “why are there no reviews?” or “has nobody bought this before” which can lead to the customer questioning whether to buy from you or not.

6. No Strategy for Search Engine Optimisation

Do you currently know how much exposure your business is receiving and how you can improve your position in search engines?

Think who are you trying to target in the long term. Can you list the top 10 keywords that will attract this audience?

Spending some time on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is essential. Although SEO can take time to show signs of success, this gradual process can become one of your most powerful tools. SEO helps drive targeted traffic to your site. Furthermore, it can be done without spending a penny, or you can invest some money into help to give your e-commerce website a boost in the rankings.

7. Limited services and products

Offering only a limited selection of products and services may mean that visitors purchase from you on their first visit, but do not return. Repeat traffic is vital to your business. Without it, you face an uphill struggle to find an increasing number of new customers. Adding subscription sign-ups will help to encourage repeat visits to your e-commerce website.

We specialise in e-commerce sites of all types and sizes, including B2B sites. Need some help? Get in touch.