Having a good online presence is essential for any small business but for eCommerce startups it’s absolutely vital. If you’re thinking of setting up an online store, here are five common mistakes to avoid when starting your website.
Complicated design
If you’re creating a website then it may be worth getting a web designer or web developer onboard to advise you about ways to optimize your design and make it user-friendly. There are also lots of easy-to-use eCommerce platforms such as Weebly that enable you to build a website yourself and sync online and offline inventory.
Consider desktop and mobile users of your online store and make the design as simple to navigate as possible on all devices. Having too many pages, a complicated customer journey from the store to cart, or even just having a ‘messy’ site that is not aligned with your brand identity, can be a costly mistake.
Unsecure site
If you’re asking people to part with their hard-earned money and any personal data such as credit card information then you need to ensure that your site’s payment options are fully secure and compliant. If anything seems ‘unprofessional’ about your site, from the product photography to the payment gateway, then it could cost you a sale.
Expensive shipping costs
In a world where large companies offer free shipping and flexible shipping options, eCommerce businesses need to offer competitive and varied shipping options. Build this into your business plan and execute it well on your website. Integrated apps such as ShipStation can help you organize your website and offer services such as batch labelling and various courier services.
Lack of customer service
Have you got a customer service plan in place? If people are having problems online with orders etc then you need to make it clear how they can get support either via live chat, email or by calling someone. Today, eCommerce is a 24-hour business and while this might be impossible to maintain for a smaller startup, you need to make sure that your website makes it clear how, when, and where customers can get help if needed.
Not having a marketing strategy
Sometimes the biggest mistake made when setting up online is not thinking beyond the website. Even if you have a fully optimized and secure well-designed website with plenty of shipping options and robust customer support… you need people to know about it. Develop a marketing strategy that combines offline events/PR with social media buzz and online partnerships to give your eCommerce website the best chance of success.
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