Opening an online store is not a bed of roses, even though many people think it is. Without a doubt, immersing your business in the online world means finding new business opportunities, but everything will depend on how you plan your e-commerce. Getting into online sales also entails a series of risks that many ignore, leading to numerous failures.
Being present in e-commerce is essential to adapt to the new times, as the number of consumers who make their purchases online is increasing. But it is not enough to create a website where you can sell your products; you have to add more ingredients to the recipe that together will make everything work properly. Keep in mind that competition on the Internet is magnified and, therefore, you must find the most suitable way to stand out. We recommend that you take advantage of all the tools that the World Wide Web offers you.
And if you want your online store not to be part of the 80% that do not survive more than two years, keep reading because we will tell you the most common mistakes that make an e-commerce fail:
Obstacles in the purchasing process
Make the purchasing process as simple as possible. Your customers will go for the easy option, and if you make it complicated, they will directly look for the same product elsewhere. Optimize the purchasing process as much as possible so that users find a satisfactory and fast shopping experience. Don't ask for more information than necessary, or force them to register . You can use visual elements, for example, add a clearly visible shopping cart. All of this will make your site much more intuitive.
It is also important to include all payment options, let your customers choose the one they feel most comfortable with. Shipping information (price, shipping time, etc.) should be clear before the user decides to buy. Don't include it at the end of the process, this way you will avoid a large percentage of abandonment.
Not having a market or competition study
Market research is a mandatory procedure when opening an online store, otherwise you will not know the most effective way to deal with your competition. In addition, one of the objectives is to differentiate yourself from the rest, something that you can only achieve by analyzing and researching your competition.
Bad user experience
Your website should be designed with your customers in mind, as they are the ones who will ultimately decide whether to buy or not. When designing your website, we need to put ourselves in their shoes to make it attractive and easy to use . Another way to find out where the problem lies is by carrying out usability tests: ask people outside your business to try out your store and tell you about their experience. Don't hide important elements, such as the price or the search engine. Your customers will choose to leave your site if they can't easily find what they're looking for.
All the elements of your store must be in harmony and result in a satisfactory shopping experience. Having a messy and confusing website is one way to drive your customers away. Don't forget to adapt it to the mobile version, because more and more users are accessing it from their smartphone or tablet. And if you remember correctly, we already gave you the lowdown that Google began to "penalize" all those sites that are not responsive in SEO positioning .
Wrong positioning
And speaking of positioning, don't forget about it! Constant work on SEO will get you good results in the medium term. Don't give up if you don't get your work to bear fruit immediately, positioning requires a lot of patience. Make a precise analysis of the most appropriate keywords for your positioning, because making a mistake in this can have consequences. If your users are looking for a certain product and you haven't used the correct keywords, Google will show other pages.
False or insufficient information about the product
Since your customers cannot see the product you are selling, you should at least inform them in detail about what it is like: materials, size, features, functions, etc. This will generate more confidence in your customer. Also, add high-quality images that allow your users to get the most accurate idea possible of what the product is like in reality. Don't deceive them, because even if they buy once, you can be sure that they won't come back and, in addition, they will speak badly of you.
Lack of customer service
Your customers will feel more secure if they know that there is a person behind the scenes to solve any questions or problems that may arise. Take care of your contact information, make it visible and respond as quickly as possible. On the Internet, no one is willing to wait, so don't neglect this because during the time it takes you to respond, that potential customer will be looking for other options. The more time you spend serving them, the better conversions you will get . We recommend that you include a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, where all the doubts that may arise for consumers are resolved. Thanks to this, you will save time answering messages with very repeated and similar questions.
Not taking advantage of other tools
Your online store is not just the website where it is located. Once you have created your store, use other tools to promote yourself. Think about where your future customers spend the most time and make yourself visible.
Absence of content
An online store also has content, in fact creating interesting, useful and original content is a great ally to improve advertising within your website and positioning. We recommend that you create a blog associated with your ecommerce, where you can write about attractive topics related to the products you sell. Having a blog will help you improve positioning if you use keywords well. The same goes for product descriptions that are not a copy of those provided by retailers. Keep in mind that Google "penalizes" all content that is duplicated. Use email marketing with content that builds customer loyalty, calls to action, etc. Take advantage of all the possibilities that the Internet offers you, you cannot stay on the superficial.
Lack of a marketing plan
You may not be able to make yourself known without a good marketing plan. If you are not very familiar with these topics, we advise you to invest in a marketing agency, which will guide you and create a personalized plan for your e-commerce. At Línea Gráfica we offer you various marketing services with which your conversions will increase considerably. You can see all the information here and call us!
Ultimately, when creating your online store, think first of all about your customers, what will make them feel more comfortable on your website, and therefore, more willing to buy. The key to success is much simpler than you think: use common sense and keep it simple . And this is how Ricardo Lop, a farmer who has managed to achieve success with perseverance and sense, tells it. We leave you with his conference, because there is a lot to learn from it:
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