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Recent developments in eCommerce have opened industries to some fantastic revenue opportunities, breaking down the barriers that have previously limited the success of traditional shopping. Usually, online platforms have fewer overheads in comparison to retail in a more physical sense, however, a large number of eCommerce businesses are struggling to become profitable and survive in the current climate. This could be due to the sheer amount of new businesses that are being developed via the web. If you own an online business it’s vital to use the best eCommerce software to convey your messages and products to potential customers. If you own an eCommerce store or are planning to build one, here are nine more factors that could have a significant effect on the success or failure of your business.
Poor Quality Images And Inaccurate Descriptions
Whilst shopping online, potential customers are unable to look at or feel the product they desire. This means that they are solely relying on the images and descriptions supplied by your website, this, therefore, means that low-quality content will often result in a loss of sales. You should have faith in your products and want to show them off in the best possible light, with pictures providing a view from every angle and a uniquely curated description that accurately represents the product. It is counter-productive to be exaggerative here, as it could result in an increase in returns, but be sure to use positive semantic choices to encourage the unsure.
Long-Winded Checkouts
The simple purchase process pioneered by Amazon has revolutionised eCommerce. A complicated, multi-step checkout is likely to encourage basket abandonment, which you can read about avoiding here. Avoid the register-before-you-buy approach which is likely to lead to cancelled orders purely based on customer convenience. Adding the option to check out as a guest will make it more likely for transactions to go through and will ensure customers come back to your site again.
Hidden Fees
Refraining from disclosing all of the fees involved in the purchase of a product benefits no one and is probably one of the biggest reasoning behind cart abandonment. Hiding these costs until the last possible moment will only anger your customers, who had already accepted paying a specific amount for them. Provide an easy way to work out their shipping costs and be upfront and honest in the breakdown of what you charge and why.
Missing Contact Information
Much of the buyer-consumer relationship in eCommerce is based on trust and by not displaying all of the ways you can contact the business, or by hiding the contact details in a maze of landing pages only cements any pre-existing doubts about trust. Contact details show you are confident in the products and services you are delivering and that you care about customer satisfaction. Without this simple information, you are likely to be cast aside with all the other ‘untrustworthy’ websites, only to never be given another glance.
Mobile-Friendly
With recent developments in mCommerce, it’s integral to adapt your site to be mobile-friendly. Sites that haven’t been changed to accommodate mobile commerce customers are likely to lose sales due to the clutter and poor navigation around the site, creating a difficult user experience.
Confusion
With eCommerce sites, it’s vital that the customer knows where they are meant to click through to and what that action will result in. In order to avoid confusion, you must guide them through the purchasing process and not leave them to guess the next step.
Marketing For Dummies
You could have the best eCommerce site possible, with fantastic customer service but you are unable to reach your full potential if you have the inability to target your traffic. Knowing who your target is the first step to success, but realising how to reach out to this demographic via the most appropriate platform is equally as important and can be the difference between reaching,, or not reaching, your goals. By creating an inbound marketing funnel, you can take targeted audiences from your social media sites and direct them to the appropriate page for which they may have interest in. As soon as you establish this connection, you will soon reap the benefits of positive reviews and testimonials, further cementing your trustworthy reputation within the industry.
Poor Engagement
In order to create good levels of engagement with potential customers, you need to have the means to join the conversation and get your voice heard as much as possible. Keep an eye on social media trends, whether they be viral videos, memes or hashtags, and join in where applicable. This will help convey your knowledge in the area concerned, as well as an outlet for perhaps humorous and quirky content that will make you more relatable.
Wrong Pricing
Price is one of the most appealing factors about shopping online, but whilst it can draw people in, the ease of comparing pricing with competitors makes it more important than ever to make sure the price is right. Any suspiciously low prices will lead to doubts over the quality of your products, whereas any exceedingly high price tags will drive your traffic to other sites. Be sure to think about shipping here, and offering free postage and packaging when spending a certain amount is a great way to provide revenue.
If you’re thinking of starting your own eCommerce business, or would like to better your current structures, then be sure to follow these guidelines and avoid the mistakes that are made by so many. Don’t expect that with a witty name, a basic website and a tweet once in a blue moon that you can sit back, relax and watch the pounds roll in. You will need to be committed to the business, but as ever you will get out of your new venture what you put in. Good luck!