Nowadays, having an online store is a possibility -and practically an obligation- for any business, no matter how big or small. And although at first glance it may seem simple to create an ecommerce, many brands do not get the expected results. Bad practices and underestimation of the work often lead to frustration, a waste of time and money, and even to the termination of projects that under other circumstances could have been very successful. So, what are the mistakes to avoid in an online store? From Teipe Digital we share them with you in this post.
Advantages of an online store
The benefits of having an online store are many. The first and foremost is that it requires less investment than setting up a physical store (at least initially). It allows us to increase our area of influence, internationalize our products and services, sell 24/7 365 days a year, experiment with different strategies to increase our sales in an agile way and obtain metrics of our results minute by minute.
However, having an ecommerce is not enough to sell, continue reading this article and find out why!
#1 False expectations
Working on frustration tolerance is very important to start a business. Many entrepreneurs believe that by "publishing" their ecommerce they will receive hundreds of daily visits and will not stop selling. And that is why 85% of online stores close before they are two years old.
Ecommerce requires good planning and between three and five years to obtain significant results. It is necessary to understand that we are not the only ones who want to sell on the Internet and, therefore, it is crucial to accompany our ecommerce with relevant content for our audience, traffic campaigns and ensure an excellent user experience so that search engines understand that we are a page worthy of appearing in the top results.
In short, an online store is cheaper than a physical store but requires the same dedication and strategy to be successful.
#2 Underestimation of content marketing
Establishing a subtle relationship with our potential customers is essential to boost sales. Why? Today, before buying, we do research on the Internet to find the most suitable option for us. We watch tutorials, read blog articles and consult the experience of other consumers to be sure we are making the right choice.
Then it is essential to avoid fake news and provide the service or product we promised. The more complete our online store is, the better our sales performance will be. And we will also have a longer customer retention on our site, which will improve our organic positioning in search engines.
#3 Not having a good definition of the target audience for your online store
Wanting to address everyone is probably not the best alternative for your online store. Knowing deeply how our ideal customer (or our ideal customers) is in order to achieve a tone, an aesthetic and a message that suits our target audience will be very useful, both to sell and to improve your product.
#4 Lack of stock planning
When a customer wants to make a purchase on our site there are two things that cannot happen. The first and most important is to sell something that we do not have, so that it does not arrive in time and form. It is preferable to give the user all the information and be realistic with the expectations we generate. Otherwise, it is very likely that we will lose a customer forever, that we will get a bad rating and that the image of our brand will start to be tarnished.
The second thing is to make a good planning to avoid the word "sold out". Let's take an example: we send a newsletter promoting a product. Our customer clicks with the intention of buying but is unable to do so because the available stock was too low. What will happen in 99% of the cases is that they will go to your competitor to look for the same product. So, believe it or not, you will have done the advertising campaign to your competitor.
#5 Not giving enough value to images and descriptive contents of your online store
It is not enough to have a quality product: it is necessary to show it as such to take full advantage of it. To do so, it is necessary to find the perfect balance between text and image, and to offer the information the user needs.
Investing in a good photography session is an excellent idea. We are not selling a product or a service: we are selling experiences, dreams and fantasies.
So, if you are hesitating to invest in quality photos and videos, don't hesitate any longer! Unboxing, explanatory videos, photos of details and of the product in use will be very profitable for your brand and will also contribute to improve the SEO of your ecommerce.
#6 Neglecting navigation optimization
Our users are impatient and want to find what they need quickly and conveniently. That is why it is essential to think about the design of our site with usability in mind.
Be sure to strategically segment all the information to find what is needed at the first glance. Incorporate advanced search engines that know how to interpret what our users are looking for (in spite of spelling mistakes) and that will show different alternatives when a product is not available.
#7 Slowing down payment processes
It has been proven that two out of three shopping carts in online stores are abandoned when the potential customer had everything ready to pay. So much effort to lose them at the last second!
But why does this happen? Although the reasons are diverse, there are some common mistakes that your brand should not make to strengthen the bond with users:
Require to fill out forms or create a user account
Not having a security certificate
Adding unforeseen expenses at the last minute
Did you find this article useful? At Teipe Digital we work to create effective online stores that boost the performance of your brand, contact us now for more information!