It’s always an exciting time to start an eCommerce Brand. You’re full of ideas and visions about what your eCommerce website should look like.
But, did you know that among the ocean of choices when it comes to customizing your eCommerce website there are always norms to follow in order to get what matters most – Traffic and Sales?
As Shopify Plus Partners in Singapore and a leading Shopify Plus development agency, we talk about the top 11 mistakes eCommerce Brands make and how to avoid them when creating your dream website.
1. Not knowing who your target audience is
Without knowing who your target audience is, going about trying to sell your product is a waste of time and energy. Always know what it is you’re selling and how it solves the customer’s pain points. It’s the best way to be sure about your sales.
2. Not relying on average order value
Your business is only as good as its profit margin. It’s impossible to keep hosting a website indefinitely without any money coming into your business venture. Always, always, always know the minimum average order value that the customer needs to purchase in order to keep your eCommerce business alive and running. No eCommerce expert can help you there. You must have business sense.
3. Incorrect or missing product descriptions
Product descriptions are a must for your products to be sold. Not only does the buyer understand what they are purchasing but it helps Google and other Search engines understand what you are selling and thus promote your products better when a customer searches for them. Don’t just write beautiful lines about the product. Be specific and technical about it.
4. Inability to communicate the benefits of the products you sell
Your products won’t sell if the customer doesn’t understand what it’s used for. Be sure you write what you sell on the home page and how it caters to the customer’s needs and desires. This encourages sales and increases traffic just like product descriptions.
5. Not having a social media presence
Having a social media presence in today’s day and age is absolutely mandatory. Everyone has it. So don’t be left behind. Not only does social media act as a shout-out for the products you sell and the latest inventory but also acts as proof that you’re a genuine brand and that you can be trusted with your business.
Word of mouth is still the fastest medium of creating sales. People trust people.
6. No marketing strategy
Without the right marketing strategy, you can never have sales. Create lead generators on the home page such as newsletter subscriptions. This informs the customer of the latest inventory and updates. Without the right marketing strategy, any kind of sales and events that you hold might go wasted.
Keep an eye on data and statistics to plan your marketing strategy. There are plenty of tools out there that help observe customer behavior and create reports for you so you know exactly what is happening when a customer visits your website.
7. Thinking marketing will solve everything
Granted marketing brings in traffic. But there’s no promise that this particular traffic will convert to sales. Always keep a website that firstly is capable of bringing in organic traffic. If these costumes convert, then marketing is only going to improve sales. But, if your website can’t hold on to traffic, marketing will be of no use. All your money will probably be wasted.
8. Bad User Experience and User Reviews
The customer once having landed on your eCommerce website must feel in control of their journey while it lasts on your website. Keep the right formatting so everything is legible and organized properly. Keep the customer informed about any product they might want to purchase from your store with regards to what the previous customer had to say about it. This is the customer review. At all times the site must feel cozy and secure. Keep the customer review visible on every product you sell on the product page.
9. Trying to do everything by yourself
Shopify has introduced the opportunity to help out merchants who are running on a skeletal crew. This is called Shopify Flow. Shopify Flow is an automation tool that helps automate all the repetitive tasks that your team might be busy handling so they can now focus on the more important aspect of your business – Sales. This option is available to all merchants from the Shopify Advanced Plan upwards.
10. Not using apps to promote sales
Take advantage of the plethora of Apps that Shopify provides for their merchants (Free and Paid)! There is pretty much an App for any requirement that you as the merchant might have. Starting from Apps that change the look of your store randomly to Apps that help improve sales.
Example: Having a discount app running for all your products and offers is another great way of increasing sales. If you have discounts that will be running, consider using the Coupon Discount on Cart App that helps the customer choose a discount code of their choice from the popup mode that the App comes with. No more the worry of how your customer has to remember discount codes. It’s all shown!
11. Neglecting customer service
Never ever leave the customer helpless when they are in need of assistance. Your sales journey doesn’t end once the product has been sold but extends even further if you do right and provide the customer with any service they might require. This turns the customer into a repeat customer if done right!
As an eCommerce Shopify agency in Singapore and a Shopify Plus design company, we have helped set up and scale up more than 1800 Shopify Stores including Fortune 500 companies.
At any point time in your eCommerce journey, if you are in need of professional help, do get in touch with us and we will be there to serve you the best!
