Whether you’re just starting out or have been running an online store longer term, your choice of Ecommerce platform really can make or break your business.
Not only does it determine how you showcase your products and sell to customers, but it also plays a role in how you attract users and how you scale your business.
Understanding common Ecommerce mistakes made by other businesses could be key to your success in the online world.
Here are some of the most frequent mistakes the Air: Ecommerce team have seen…
Design over function
Site design should never rank higher than usability. A ‘beautiful’ site that disrupts the shopping experience is often disastrous to revenue, especially on mobile devices.
Some shoppers know what they’re looking for, others need guidance, so be careful about opting for design elements that hinder either one.
Use a tried, trusted and tested platform like Air: Ecommerce with an up-to-date, modern theme or template if design is not going to be the differentiating factor for your brand.
Complex navigation
Your Ecommerce site should always be a collaboration between design and functionality. Not only do you want your site to look good, but it needs to convert users into paying customers.
If your content and products are hard to find, your site navigation uses confusing terms or if some features aren’t working properly, users will get frustrated and go elsewhere.
To avoid this, work with experts like the Air: Ecommerce team to optimise your site for smooth navigation and an enjoyable user experience.
It’s important to not stray far from navigation best practices, such as:
- Anything clickable should be large enough to tap on a mobile device;
- Provide users with top-level categories that are accessible from the top menu;
- Allow the user to sort products by important features such as price, category, review scores etc;
- The shopping basket icon should always be in the top right of the page.
Slow load times
It doesn’t matter how beautiful or usable an online store is if it doesn’t load quickly. You have mere seconds to engage visitors before they’ll go elsewhere.
Focusing on lightning-fast page load times will give you a leg up on your competition.
Poor checkout process
Your checkout process needs to keep up with evolving consumer demands.
If a consumer has decided that they want to buy one of your products, you don’t want to put any obstacles in their way.
Some of the factors that could prompt a shopper to leave include:
- Collecting unnecessary information. There are dozens of little mistakes you can make in Ecommerce, but there are few errors more critical than the ‘Create Account’ button. Compelling your visitors to register before making a purchase makes the process unnecessarily longer and more complicated.
- Not accepting preferred payment methods. Introduce new ways to pay, such as mobile wallets and buy-now-pay-later installment plans. Also, think about streamlined processes, such as PayPal Checkout, which requires a simple login.
- Limiting shipping options.
No responsive design
It’s less common nowadays to find a website that isn’t using a responsive design, but it’s still a problem for some ‘legacy’ sites or those designed by less competent sources.
By the end of this year, mobile is expected to account for 54% of total Ecommerce sales, and your site needs to function well no matter what device someone uses to view it.
Not making your site scalable
Don’t make the mistake of thinking small – use website design that’s set up for future growth.
Make sure to discuss your options with your Ecommerce platform developer to ensure that your site evolves as your business grows. If you don’t, you may face some expensive and time-consuming obstacles in the future.
