While e-commerce appears to be a well-established
phenomenon, it is still in its infancy. It is important to understand and
address the differences between an online and physical store.
These are some common mistakes e-commerce
entrepreneurs should avoid in order to increase sales
v Choosing
the wrong e-commerce platform
Your ecommerce platform
can make or break your online business, no matter if you're just starting out
or have been operating an online shop for a while.
When choosing an
ecommerce platform, there are many factors to take into consideration
·
What products do you intend to offer?
·
How to scale your business
·
What tools do you need to integrate your
platform?
·
Your budget
v
Not defining and understanding your target customers
One of the
biggest mistakes a business owner can make is not clearly defining their target
customers and taking the time to understand what make them tick.
You will need to
take a deep dive into the market research to ensure that
Ø
Your
customer actually has a need for your products
Ø
You
know how to communicate your offer in language they will understand
Ø
Develop
the marketing strategy that puts your customers front and center
Ø
Addressing
what problems your products solve for
them
v Not
utilizing a scalable website design
Selecting the
right e-commerce platform lays the foundation for your business success. That
includes utilizing a website design that is set up for future growth.
To avoid this
Ø
Have
a vision of expanding into new market
Ø
Integrating
complex features
Ø
Offering
a wider range of products
Ø
Make
sure with your web developer to ensure that your website design can evolve as
your business growth.
v
Complex navigation and poor user experience
Your e-commerce website
should be a collaboration between functionality and design. Not only do you
want your WEB.to look good, but also want it to convert users into paying
customers
To avoid this
Ø
Work with a user experience expert to optimize
your website for smooth navigation
Ø
An
enjoyable user experience for your customers
Ø
Give
a brief description of your products
Ø
You
need to offer content that is on point for your target customers.
v
Complicated checkout process
If your customers are left to mismanage through the checkout process
they are likely to get frustrated and give up before making a purchase
To avoid this
Ø
Increase
conversions make the checkout process as simple as possible
Ø
Don’t
require that customer set up an account before buying a products
Ø
Website
copy should be clear, detailed and concise
Ø
Make
sure you are not hitting them with any unexpected terms or fees.
