Starting an online business can be frustrating at first, and overlooking things that are important to your customers can make things even more difficult.
In the first half of this series we talked about usability, organization, improving page load time and content overload. Today, we share more common mistakes that will cost your online business sales.
Unclear intentions
Be completely clear about what your website is about, what it is you do, and what they can expect to find. When your visitors first land on your website, they want to be reassured that your website has what they are looking for.
Doing this will help keep your visitors on your website longer, increasing your changes of a sale.
Hidden charges
Nobody likes additional charges, but customers are more willing to accept them if you tell them about it up-front. Too many additional charges can also confuse your customers, and consumers won’t buy from someone if they aren’t sure what they’re getting.
Don’t try to squeeze blood out of a turnip when it comes to shipping either – high shipping rates turn customers off these days. A popular option it to offer free shipping on orders over $50 or $100.
You will have to compare your options for your particular business.
Unclear product descriptions
Another way to lose out on sales is not providing enough details about your products. Give your customers all of the information they need to make a decision to purchase your product or service – and be honest! If the product has a scratch, say so. It’s better to tell your customers up-front than let them find out when their product arrives.
Wrong product
This subject goes hand-in-hand with unclear product descriptions. If you sell X-Men comic books, be clear in the description that it’s a comic book. This will bring your online business more comic book fans and less irritated customers looking for X-Men bed sheet sets.
Contact information
Not providing a method to get in touch with your business creates mistrust. Making it as easy as possible for your customers to contact you provides reassurance to your visitors that they can get in touch with someone if there is a problem.
Marketing
There are many benefits to e-commerce over running a brick-and-mortar store, but taking it easy and not putting forth effort isn’t one of them.
You have to market your website online and offline to have a successful e-commerce business. Use free services like Facebook, Twitter and Google+, and consider using inexpensive targeted advertising to help boost your business even more.
Another way to promote your online business is to connect with bloggers who write about topics related to your business. Many professional bloggers have reading audiences in the thousands and can help get your name out quickly.
No sale events or special offers
Frugal customers like sales, and many people shop only for sale items. It’s a good idea to have a sale or even schedule for your online business.
Make sure your are consistent with your sale and event schedules too. If you tell your visitors that your shop will have a sale the first week of every month, then make sure you run that sale every month. Even if it doesn’t always feel like people are paying attention, consistency always pays off in the end.
Security concerns
Personal privacy is a major concern among consumers these days, and if you’re not protecting your customers’ private information then you’re putting them at risk.
Always make sure your checkout is secured with an SSL certificate. All NuggetWeb Merchant Shops are protected by our 256-bit wildcard SSL.
Avoiding mistakes like these will help your online business be more successful. Do you have tips on avoiding online business mistakes that you would like to share? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!