Here’s Part 2 of my 10 Common E-commerce Mistakes You Can Avoid! I posted last week….

#6 Displaying out of stock products

Don’t disappoint your customers, get them all excited and list a product that you no longer have in stock. Have your inventory set up so it’s synced with your online store. Manage expectations of your customers, it makes all the difference

#7 POP-UPs Annoy

Lots of websites try and lure customers in with pop-ups, but they cause the opposite effect. It’s intrusive,
usually looks ugly, and slows down page load time. Don’t make your customers want to hit the back button or run away
from your site. Unobtrusive, easy-to-use, and friendly is a much better tactic.

#8 Asking for too much or unnecessary info

Sure, sometimes you are tempted to gather info from your customer for marketing purposes when they
are registering, but if you attempt to ask too much, they may abandon the whole process.

Just stick to the necessary details to complete the purchase which are-

Delivery Address
Contact Number
Card Details

#9 Poor Customer Service

Treat your customers with the golden rule. Listen to them and be there for them which
includes answering emails, helping with returns, returning/answering phone calls. Providing a FAQ and and a return policy on your website that’s easy to find can go a long way as well.

#10 Plan for Growth

Before you begin selling anything online, talk to your web firm and web hosting about
how to prepare for:

-high traffic on your website
-high sales

You might consider what the costs are to upgrade your current web hosting plan and know at what point in your business’ growth that you will have special needs. Plan for peak sales around holidays and sales and know how to avoid traffic and bandwidth problems. vLearning what your options are early on will help your business grow faster.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more mistakes to avoid. Let me know if I need to mention others mistakes that are just important to avoid.

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Below are some of the mistakes that commonly happen when a business sets up an online store. By being aware of them and focusing on what you should do, you are already on your way to a successful business.

#1 Not budgeting enough money for marketing

Build in a marketing plan and budget while designing and building your e-commerce website. No one will come and visit  your website if you don’t announce and optimize it for new and returning customers.

#2 Understanding the commitment involved for your customers to purchasing products

It takes a special experience to keep attracting customers to come back and purchase from you over and over. The experience is much more unique than someone signing up for a newsletter on a website. There can be a lot of steps in purchasing a product and it’s up to you as the business owner to make sure to keep it as simple as possible. Reduce obstacles, add value to the customer’s shopping experience, and build trust that it’s safe and easy to shop on your site.

#3 Remembering that your customers can’t feel/touch your products

Don’t forget to account for zoom-in photos, product descriptions, and other tricks to help your customers get to know your products. Pay close attention to your competitors and how they are marketing similar products.

#4 Ignoring how to set goals for the design revisions

It’s easy to want to keep tweaking the design layout or framework of your website since it’s less expensive than a print catalog to create and maintain. Don’t let yourself get caught up in that cycle. Be sure to work with your web designer or development firm on each step to know which would be the best plan and direction for your site. Don’t expect perfection, but aim to achieve your branding and personal touch as much as possible.

#5 Reusing print material  for online marketing

The same flyer you used for a trunk sale may not translate the same as an email newsletter online. Work with a graphic designer who can help you get set up or deliver marketing assets both in a digital-online and prin format that is appropiate for each distribution channel.

Check back next week for the final 5 tips!

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