Four Common eCommerce Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

As anyone who runs an eCommerce business can agree, running a store is not an easy job. A lot of time, effort, and mistakes go into learning the ropes, even for seasoned employees. Learning from other people’s mistakes can help steer you on the right path, without having to go through all of the same struggles as your peers. While there are plenty of mistakes and learning curves with learning an eCommerce business, here are four of the most common ones people make, and how to avoid them.

Not Choosing A Target Audience:

You can’t make everyone happy, and having an audience that is too broad is going to hurt your sales. Unless you are going to try to compete with giant companies like Amazon and Walmart, you don’t need to sell everything. Focus on what groups need your product, want your product, and can afford it. Target those groups to drive sales and repeat customers. Just because you have one target demographic doesn’t mean that you cannot expand in the future, but trying to please everyone at once is a recipe for disaster.

Not Having A Content Plan:

Even if you have a boring business, you still need to put out content if you want to attract customers. Think of ways you can creatively make content that will benefit your customers and your brand. It is fine to write about your products sometimes, but show your customers new creative ways to use them, or write about news in your industry. Getting customers involved by asking them questions or running a contest is a great way to grow your audience and see what they are responding to, and what they do not like as much. Your content plan should go hand in hand with your marketing plan. Be consistent with posting new content by finding a balancing of posting regularly without over-posting and annoying customers.

Not Setting Up Webpages:

By the time your site launches, you should have all of your pages done, or close to done. It is frustrating for customers to click on a page only to find that it is empty. Making your website more personable encourages customers to shop with you. Complete all of your pages, from About Us to Return Policy to product pages before advertising your website. Not only does this make you look put together and reliable, it helps customers find the solutions they are looking for on your site without them seeking elsewhere. It is also a good idea to test your website speed, and overall usability on a website such as Website Grader.

Not focusing on customer retention:

Gaining new customers is expensive and time consuming. While it is fantastic to grow you customer base, do not forget about those that are already shopping with you. Offer a one time coupon code if they sign up for your email list, or run special sales for members. By giving them even a small discount, customers are encouraged to check out your website for new products, or replacement items. Keeping a solid customer base also helps with your social proof. New potential customers who are in the market for what you are selling are more likely to listen to reviews from other customers, or the suggestion of a friend than what you have to say about your company. Show your customers that it is worth it to stick with you, and you have the best solution to their problems.

All of these mistakes, as well as the many other common mistakes, are easy to make without realized it. However, being aware and educated on why they might hurt your sales will help you make the best decisions for your business.