In this day and age, with the internet one click away from us, businesses have been somewhat forced to relocate or at least have opened up an e-commerce branch to stay relevant in the market. But, be careful with eCommerce pitfalls.

E-commerce can be a godsend for new business owners as it provides a low-risk business model, and for more extensive and more established brands, it can help give them a competitive edge.

Whether a business is big or small, the acquisition of an e-commerce website can open many doors. 

It is also commonly followed by intense disappointment when expected results are not there. Many of these business owners become increasingly frustrated when they are unable to figure out why their venture is unsuccessful. 

In many cases, there are no problems with the product itself, the marketing plan, or the sales market in general. It so happens, lower sales are due to the website.

Due to the website’s drawbacks, sales potential might lose, customers can lose faith in a brand, and your hard-earned reputation could go into the drain. There are at least five common mistakes made frequently by those running an e-commerce website, and being able to identify and solve them is what can help distinguish your business from success and failure. 

5 Ecommerce Pitfalls To Fix/Improve

1. Poor page design 

A significant part of actually possessing an e-commerce website is to provide the customers with an easy to understand and attractive page design. 

Good page design should be clean, pleasing, and appropriate for the products or services they are offering. On the off chance that a business owner is unable to produce these changes, a good tip would be to look at and compare websites of their current competitors. 

It is also a good idea to scour the internet and look for successful e-commerce websites to replicate or take inspiration from them.

The main takeaway from this is that the website’s design should not overwhelm potential customers. The main focus of the customers should be directed to the products as well as provide them with sufficient descriptions to make their experience as life-like as possible. 

As products sold online cannot be physically viewed or examined, providing multiple high-quality pictures is crucial. 

It is seen that most successful e-commerce websites tailored to have a focused and organized appearance. Once again we have to be careful with eCommerce pitfalls.

2. Minimal site responsiveness

One more thing we have to pay attention to eCommerce pitfalls is Minimal site responsiveness. Most shoppers using the e-commerce website most likely use the most straightforward available devices, which is a smartphone or tablet, and because of the simplicity of these devices, fewer and fewer people inclined to use a laptop or computer to use the site. 

One major mistake many people make while launching an e-commerce website for the first time make is that they do not take into consideration that many of their sales generated from smartphones or tablets. Hence, they often do not configure their site to cater to customers that use these devices. 

It does not provide a positive experience for the shopper, and most likely, they will not return.

One major issue is the load time. Websites that not configured for handheld devices tend to be slower and lag more. The loading time of an e-commerce website needs to checked regularly to ensure that it is running smoothly. 

Another issue that is quite common is that pictures may appear broken if not formatted for smartphones or tablets. Without proper pictures, an e-commerce site loses value. 

Another issue that observed is how fast a customer’s concern or feedback answered. Quick responses to their queries can dramatically increase the chance of sales and hence the customer loyalty. 

3. Product information

When people visit an e-commerce website, they quickly want to find out what sold. 

The page should be able to provide the consumer with fast and easy to understand information about the product or service. The more time it takes for the customer to figure out what sold, the lesser the chance of making a sale or the customer ever returning. 

Again as shoppers cannot physically touch the products, it is essential to let them know in as much detail as possible about the said product. It includes the dimension, materials used, specification, color, et Cetra. 

Other easily available information that should be stated is the company’s shipping and return policies. In most websites, the instructions are quite cryptic, resulting in lower sales.

However, too much irrelevant information can be off-putting. A buyer may not be interested in how a manufacturer funded the product or the inspiration behind it. It is crucial to find a balance between being relevant while also remaining concise. Carefully read product information so you don’t get caught up in eCommerce pitfalls.

4. Checkout process

It brings us another overlooked problem of an e-commerce website; The checkout process. 

When a customer visits an e-commerce website, there is a high chance that they have spent a significant amount of time picking out the products. 

When the time for the checkout process comes around, the customers are quite excited and want to be able to go through the checkout process as quickly as possible. If the process requires too many steps, the customer may lose patience and ends up abandoning the process, thereby decreasing sales.

It is vital to make sure the customer is not being asked too much personal information or have repetitive actions that can deter their interest. Credit card theft is also a significant concern. 

It is especially the case when the brand is not a big name, and consumers may be hesitant to use their cards. This is why it is important to have as many payment options as possible such as PayPal. eCommerce pitfalls can be seen from various aspects.

5. Personalization 

A brand needs to stand out amongst its competitors. A brand must continuously be putting up personalized products as well as customized offers and promotions that interest the customers. Incentives such as exclusive online discounts and sales can dramatically increase sales.

Syncoria is a digital transformation firm based in Canada and is an official Odoo Ready Partner.