7 Errors to Avoid When Starting an eCommerce Business
Hoping to run a successful eCommerce business?
It’s a lucrative choice but it comes with a few difficult areas to traverse. With so many factors to manage at the same time, it’s all too easy to make major blunders.
Fortunately, we’ve got a list right here of common mistakes you need to avoid. Read our guide below to learn what to avoid and how to improve your business today:
1. Not Conducting Research
Don’t launch an eCommerce business plan without doing some research first. That’s the biggest mistake you could make. Everything you do should work towards a goal and each step requires a good amount of research.
For example, who is your target demographic and which platforms do they frequent? Which days do they get online and engage the most with your promotional content? What kind of content clicks with the customers you target?
The data will shape how you run your eCommerce business. Study it first to get ahead of the game. Identify which metrics matter the most to you and then adjust your plan as those numbers change.
Consider video marketing as an example. A company might release promotional ads on TikTok only to later discover most of their customers spend more time on Instagram or YouTube. That business wasted time, money, and effort because they didn’t check where their audiences engage.
2. Not Sticking to a Niche
The last thing you want is inconsistency. Customers don’t like businesses that do things randomly. Pick a niche and stick with it.
Instead of running an eCommerce store that sells whatever you can find, focus on a specific type of product. You can prioritize video games, perfume, clothes, or pet supplies. Why not go one step further and sell only perfume for women or video games for the Nintendo Switch?
Defining your niche makes your eCommerce shop the go-to place for those kinds of products.
3. Wrong Platform
The strength and credibility of your eCommerce site lean on the platform you built it on. From Weebly to Squarespace and WordPress, picking a platform depends on what kind of online business you run.
Your needs also play a role, since some eCommerce businesses need better hosting plans or different plugins compared to others. You can check https://trustgeeky.com/web-hosting/weebly/, for example, for tips regarding hosting for Weebly users.
Some platforms are better for blogs and affiliate marketing. Others are obvious choices for building a robust shopping site. List down your eCommerce site’s goals and requirements and then pick a platform that caters to those needs.
Of course, your budget will also play a role in deciding which platform to go with. However, even a tight budget isn’t an excuse for the next mistake to avoid: a poorly designed website.
4. Bad Website
Never settle for a mediocre website. Don’t get stingy with your website’s budget, either. Building a website is no easy task and it needs as much time, money, and effort as needed to make it both beautiful and functional.
How do you determine whether or not you have a good site?
Judging a website goes beyond looks alone, although aesthetics will be a major factor to consider. Nobody trusts an ugly or outdated-looking website, after all. You also need to consider the UX (user experience), UI (user interface), and on-page SEO elements.
Don’t build a website on your own!
Given how complex building and designing a website is, it’s always better to refer to experts. Hiring professional designers can be costly upfront but it saves you money and effort in the long run.
5. Not Investing in Digital Marketing
An online store lives and dies based on its digital marketing efforts. A beautiful website selling the best products won’t succeed until people know about it and visit it. Digital marketing is how you’ll boost traffic, credibility, and visibility online.
Invest in SEO and paid marketing campaigns. The former focuses on good web design, keyword use, and content to generate organic traffic. Paid marketing, which can come in the form of ads or even influencer marketing, aims to increase conversion rates.
Similar to building a website, don’t conduct digital marketing without the aid of a professional agency. They have the experience, skills, and tools to get it done right and on time. Assuming you can handle digital marketing while managing a site and your business simultaneously is a formula for disaster.
6. Ignoring the Mobile Crowd
If you want your eCommerce business to succeed, you need to cater to the largest market. In this day and age, that means adjusting your business and your website for the mobile crowd.
After all, a majority of people in the US alone own a phone. 15% are smartphone-only, meaning they access the Internet with a phone and nothing else. That’s a large market that you shouldn’t ignore!
How do you cater to mobile users? There are several key methods such as utilizing a responsive web design. Web pages should load quickly and don’t forget to add convenient “buy now” links to images.
7. Ignoring Customer Feedback
Never assume that your eCommerce business is always at its peak performance. It’s never a perfect operation and there is always room for improvement. You can discover your weaknesses and areas that need adjustment by listening to customer feedback.
Ignoring reviews and criticisms will stagnate your business. Give consumers a platform to voice out their concerns and then use the information to improve.
Avoid These eCommerce Business Mistakes
Now you know which common eCommerce business mistakes to avoid. Don’t run a site or conduct digital marketing on your own. Don’t ignore the importance of diligent research and the value of the mobile crowd.
That said, avoiding these issues is only the start of running a successful eCommerce business.
If you enjoyed this post and found it informative, why not read more of our business guides? We provide a ton of useful tips and tricks so hop on to our lists today.