29/07/2015
5 Errors in the eCommerce Universe
The ecommerce business is a tough enough industry on its own without making menial mistakes. Hopefully, this guide will prevent you from making the errors and common mistakes which make many ecommerce store owners falter rather than prosper.
Mission Objectives:
1. Don’t underestimate the ecommerce universe.
You know how whilst watching one of those documentaries on space and time you become submerged within it and suddenly feel all small, insignificant and inferior? Well, that’s how you should feel when launching your ecommerce business for the very first time.
There are over 1 billion websites out there and you are only adding to that ever-growing list. So how do you expect people going to find you? Building a beautiful site and plastering it in prestigious products won’t make the customers explore it, you have to build your business up and make your brand the go-to galaxy people want to be a part of.
2. No-go Logo
The reason why some ecommerce stores launch without a logo is definitely an idea form another realm; it makes no sense for our planet. The myth that a logo has to be expensive and at the peril of an affluent graphic designer is another mystery; nowadays you can source one for cheap or even design your own.
An ecommerce site should be recognisable by its brand, the instant it opens! The idea of having no branding or logo is alien. Don’t frighten and spook your visitors by giving a bad first impression; they’ll leave and never want to stay.
3. Making Contact
Establishing contact and opening the door to communication is as important as the oxygen supply valve in a space suit - without it it’s going to be tricky and spiral out of control quickly.
An ‘About’ page is often one of the most popular pages on any site because it allows external visitors to begin to absorb information about who you are and what you do. Making this story personal, yet not elaborated, is a great way to allow others to relate to you and realise you’re not super-human or from another dimension.
Winning the trust of an ecommerce explorer is sometimes as simple as having location details from which they can calculate shipping costs or pinpoint customs to. An outlandish or unfamiliar email address (one that’s not associated to your ecommerce business) can stifle a customer’s confidence in your store too. A generic Gmail address can make your business seem temporary, when you should be in it for lightyears to come.
4. Social Proof
We’re a species who crave acceptance. This is no different in the ecommerce world. There are quite a few ways to use social proof to influence visitors and we all know how that can contribute to conversions. However, sloppy errors can result in a failed mission, so pay attention!
The infancy of any project is an exciting time and you may get carried away with wanting a review section on your store. Initially this seems like a ‘must have’ accessory, but when you’re starting out, you may want to reign it in a little until you have a solid customer base you can request positive reviews from. It can be argued that having no product reviews sets off alarm bells as to why. Does it show an unpopular product or ecommerce store? Should they not buy it? But, surely, no reviews are better than negative reviews?
Much like the reviews, many online shoppers see social media as a beacon of trustworthiness when exploring a store for the first time. Now, it’s all well and good being on every single social media platform but if you have very few followers, show inactivity or engagement, you’ll be frowned upon and dismissed accordingly. Like an asteroid plummeting towards your planet, a poor social media profile will do more harm than good. The solution?
Start with one or two social accounts and work on establishing them before you flood the social scene. What’s more is that testimonials and expert mentions can have a meteoric impact on social accounts or ecommerce stores, if you can get them, that is!
5. Flight Paths
It’s not advisable to take on too much too soon, however, strategising the right routes to take is definitely recommended.
There are a Milky Way’s worth of marketing channels to consider but the earliest errors occur when you are not dedicating enough time, energy, effort or cash to each.
Probably the most common problem with new online stores is not doing any SEO or not doing it properly. It’s not rocket science but it’s not easy either. It takes a while for the gravitational pull of SEO to show any signs of success but this shouldn’t be a reason to make it an afterthought. Start considering your Key Word strategy and drive traffic to your site.
Opportunities for social media advertising are also worthwhile, and just because you‘ve seen no return off the £20 invested, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. You have to consider the copy, design and audience and try again. It may even mean digging a little deeper in your pocket.
Prioritise and tackle one channel at a time. Choose the channels that you believe will have the most impact for your business and take the time to understand the inner technicalities of each before you launch yourself into an unknown atmosphere.
Mission statement:
Starting out can be daunting and the ecommerce world can seem a little Extra Terrestrial at times but if you evade the errors, we’re sure you’ll want to stay on our planet and make it your own.
If you have any questions about e-commerce, buying and selling online, building effective websites and other online services, get in touch with Studioworx either via email ([email protected]), telephone (+44 (0)1603 274285) or the website (https://www.studioworx.co.uk).