4 Common eCommerce Mistakes

Running a successful eCommerce business takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. There are products to promote, social platforms to run, and statistics to track. With so many things to keep up with, it is easy to overlook small mistakes that might be hindering you from reaching your full potential. Here are some of the most common mistakes eCommerce businesses make, and how you can avoid them.

Failure To Understand Your Audience:

It doesn’t matter how fantastic your product is- if you are not marketing it correctly to your audience, it is not going to be successful. Finding your target audience is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure success in your business. When creating your business and your product pages, think about who you want your buyers to be, and how your products will benefit them. Find out what your audience is looking for, how other options are not satisfying their needs, and how you can offer them what they want.

Not Researching Pricing:

Pricing can be a tricky thing. On one hand, you don’t want to price your products so high that customers feel as though they are getting ripped off and opt to go with one of your competitors. On the other hand, you don’t want to go so low that they assume your products are poor quality. Pricing your products without doing any research is an easy way to fall into one of those categories. When pricing your products, the first thing to keep in mind is your target audience. What is the number one thing they are looking for when purchasing a product? Are they looking for a luxury item that comes with social currency, or are they looking for something that fills their needs while remaining affordable? Once you’ve determined what your audience is looking for, research your competitors to see how much they are charging. While you don’t need to copy their prices, staying in the same range will help you draw customers in.

Not Having Reviews:

It doesn’t matter how honest you are- your audience is going to trust reviews from other customers over what you are telling them. If you are a newer business, getting reviews is especially important. With so many scams, customers have become wary of blindly trusting businesses and their products. If you are just starting out, one way you can get reviews is by offering your product to a select number of people in your target audience in exchange for a review. It is important to ask them to be honest- even if you get some negative feedback, that will help you improve your product and gain trust with your audience. Many successful brands have changed things due to customer feedback and announced to their audience they heard their suggestions and acted accordingly. If you already have an established business, make sure to read and promote your reviews! After customers make a purchase, send a follow-up asking them to leave you a review on Google or another platform. You can also ask them to comment on specific social media posts about what they like about your company or products! There are some bots that will give your fake reviews or followers for a fee- avoid these at all costs. While reviews are important, you want them to be genuine.

Poor Quality Product Media And Descriptions:

It might not seem important to have high-quality photos or videos, or spend much time on your description, but it can make or break a customer’s decision to purchase from you. Having poor quality photos makes it hard to see what your product looks like, and also gives the impression that you do not care enough to take the time to photograph or edit. It also takes away from your brand personality. Same with product descriptions- even if it seems obvious what your product does, write a description to explain why your product is a better option than your competitors. Take Quip for example. The brand is known for its electric toothbrushes but has since expanded to other oral care products. Although an electric toothbrush is nothing new, Quip demonstrates how easy it is to travel with their brushes and offers a refill subscription plan at an affordable price. Because of their clear message paired with high-quality photos, they have been very successful.

Everyone makes mistakes, but putting your customers first, correcting your mistakes, and doing your best to create a smooth shopping experience for them is the best way to success.