It is easy to make mistakes when building an online store.
There is no doubt that the number of e-commerce sites has been increasing in recent years, and the trend is that this market will continue to grow and develop over the years. Large businesses and many networks have already realized the potential inherent in this world. Alongside physical stores in malls and shopping centers, many businesses have decided to establish an online store, which provides a comprehensive alternative for all those who are not interested in going on a tedious and sometimes lengthy shopping trip.
Even small and medium-sized business owners are already showing interest in the new market segment and are moving towards “technological advancement” in the form of an online store. But it is important to remember that building an e-commerce site is not a simple task, nor is it something that can be marked as “done” just so your customers can make online purchases. Just like a physical store, an online store requires proper planning, time, advertising, maintenance, and experienced professionals in the field.
So what should you be careful of? We have surveyed for you the 5 most common mistakes to avoid:
Logo
A logo is one of the first things a user sees when entering a website, and it often sets the impression that the user has of the website. That is why it is surprising to find that this is a common mistake in building an online store.
Many business owners are content with just displaying their store name in plain text, without investing in an impressive and well-designed logo. This is usually due to the fear that it involves high costs and a long wait, but this is not the case.
Today, there are many websites that offer logo design for free or at very low costs, so there is really no reason to settle for a simple text that does not create any differentiation between you and your competitors. Create a unique and well-crafted logo that will make users remember you.
About and Contact Pages
Many business owners underestimate the impact of these pages on their potential sales.
A quick referral to the analytics of your website will show that your “About” page is in one of the top three places in terms of the number of visitors. Although it is one of the most important pages for your users, there is a tendency to give little attention to this page and not write enough about it.
Many online sites do not provide sufficient information about their brand – Who are you? What is the story that led you to work in the field you have chosen? What are you selling? How long have you been in the field? What sets you apart from your competitors? There is no need for a thick and full page with details that are not really interesting, but it is important to write a few paragraphs that will allow visitors to get information about you and know that they are dealing with a serious and stable business.
As for the “Contact Us” page – business owners do not always provide the business address and phone number, as well as other ways to contact them, such as email or a contact form. It is important to make it easy for potential customers to contact you and get answers to their questions.
SEO
New online stores often fail to attribute significant importance to a wonderful and efficient advertising tool for their website – organic promotion. Many businesses ignore this advertising method or do not know how to use it properly.
SEO is essential for your website – how will customers find you and purchase from your site if you don’t appear in the top search results of search engines?
In addition, it is one of your most powerful tools, as it continues to bring targeted traffic to your site every day, unlike paid advertising on Google Ads or Facebook, where traffic stops as soon as you stop paying for the ad.
Customer service
Despite being an online store where purchases are not made face to face, but rather online, customer service is essential and important for your business, and perhaps even more so, given the fact that the user completes the entire purchasing process himself, and therefore may need a customer service representative who can assist him if necessary.
Online store owners make a mistake when they assume that there is no need for customer service to assist their customers, because it is a “self-service” service. The opposite is true. Help users and make the process easier for them – provide them with customer service representatives who can be contacted by phone or chat, answer their questions, and assist them with a variety of topics such as shipping, refunds, or product replacements.
Shipping
Consumers appreciate having choices, and this is especially true when it comes to shipping.
Allow your customers to choose their desired shipping method. Offer them a number of options, detailing the delivery times and costs involved. Many customers are hesitant to make online purchases because they are not willing to pay too much for shipping or wait too long for delivery.
Variety in shipping options will also benefit you, the business owner, as different providers offer different benefits. This way, you can work with multiple suppliers, enjoy various offers, and seek help from different companies when faced with high demand, severe weather conditions, or problems with an existing shipping company.
