Running an online business is easier than ever. And that is precisely why we see more people getting into the competitive and over-saturated e-commerce industry. While it all may seem very luring, it is important to know that more than half of the startups fail. If you are looking to start your e-commerce business, it is vital to avoid common mistakes that new e-commerce website owners often make. From confusing navigation to complicated shopping carts, this article will go over the biggest mistakes that you should avoid to increase your chances of succeeding.
Confusing Navigation
When building a new e-commerce website, your top priority should be to make it as user-friendly as you possibly can. Your website’s navigation and design should complement each other to convert visitors into loyal customers.
If customers are not able to navigate through your website easily and find what they are looking for, they will get frustrated and go somewhere else. This means you will lose potential customers, which is the last thing a business owner wants. If you aren’t experienced when it comes to user experience and website designs, hire someone who is. They will help you make your website easier to navigate. This will lead to a high user experience and, potentially, more sales. Here are a few things to note when it comes to your website’s navigation:
- All your categories should be accessible from the top menu.
- Allow users to narrow down their search results by different features such as size and price.
- Make sure the “buy” button is easy to find when a customer clicks on a product.
- Everything should be designed in a way that looks good and is easy to navigate on a cell phone as well. Many people use their cell phones to make purchases; hence, you should not miss out on the sales they can bring you.
Reliable On-Site Search Solution
According to a survey, 68% of e-commerce industry leaders plan to improve their on-site search functionality in 2021. This statistic is enough to know the growing role of a reliable on-site search solution for the success of an e-commerce website.
According to a Fast Simon article about internal search engines, a reliable on-site search feature not only allows your customers to find the products they are looking for more quickly but also results in higher conversion rates and user experience. Not only this, an on-site search engine collects useful data on what your customers are searching for and how they talk about those products. You can use this information to tweak and optimize your offerings for them.
Ignoring On-Site Search Optimization
One major factor that contributes to the success of an e-commerce website is organic traffic. To drive more organic traffic, you need to optimize your content for potential customers to find you through Google search results.
Make sure your product descriptions are original because Google will detect anything that is copied and will not rank your website. If possible, post original photos of your products. The more unique the content is on your website, the better. Try to add internal links to relevant pages where possible to build page authority of pages on your website.
All the content on your website should be your audience specific and written with SEO in mind to attract more organic traffic. If you are confused about how SEO works and how to find relevant high-traffic keywords, hiring an agency or a freelancer might be a good option.
Lacking Lead Capture Forms
Think of lead capture as simply acquiring the names and email addresses of your website’s visitors. This allows business owners to personalize their emails for their potential customers and potentially close a sale through their offerings. By using the person’s name in the email, you are trying to establish a personal connection that your audience is more likely to respond to.
Many websites do email marketing; therefore, it’s essential that you do it the right way to stand out from competitors and increase your conversion rates. There are different ways to capture leads:
- Landing page for gated content
- Wishlist generation
- In-Stock notification registration
- Offering a free trial
One thing to keep in mind is that when you ask someone for their details, you need to give something in return, perhaps something of a greater value. This will make your customers more open to giving you their details.
Complicated Shopping Carts
Your shopping cart process should be as smooth as possible. Eliminate any unnecessary steps to save your customers their valuable time. Make sure all the important buttons are bold and clearly visible.
Some e-commerce websites require you to make an account before making a purchase. This is a deal-breaker and pushes potential customers away. The shopping cart process should be a quick and easy way for your customers to make a purchase.
