Building an eCommerce store can feel like walking a tight rope. There's so much to keep in mind and so many traps to avoid falling into, all the while watching your budget and trying to grow a business. To help you out, we've summarised our top 5 mistakes that we see all too often. While they might seem minor, they can be the difference between success or failure in this highly competitive and unforgiving industry.
1. You haven’t found the right niche
People who are new to eCommerce tend to make the mistake of selling too many different kinds of products from a variety of different niches. Attempting to cater to so many different customers can make it harder for you to differentiate yourself from other eCommerce stores. Hence, it would be more beneficial to find a specific niche and cater to enthusiasts in that area to begin with.
2. You don’t allocate your time properly
It is important to allocate your time and prioritise important tasks. Users can become consumed in creating a fancy logo or website when in reality they should be spending time on branding their products and optimising their website for search engines. Your time is valuable, and you can't do everything, so spend time where it's important and leave other areas for later.
3. You don’t market your brand
Stemming on from our previous mistake, branding your products properly is key to differentiating yourself from other eCommerce stores. You may have spent a lot of time and effort into developing your product and website, but does this matter if no one actually visits your website? With millions of other eCommerce stores out there, you have to develop an equally strong marketing strategy to become and remain successful.
4. Your customer service is lacklustre
Customer service is key to retaining current customers as well as acquiring new ones. By having strong and consistent customer service, consumers are more likely to recommend your store to others as well as use your store again. One negative experience can have a far larger impact than multiple good ones, so be sure to avoid upsetting your customers when providing customer service. It is important that you are there for your customers at every step of the purchasing process. Set up efficient communication channels so that you can easily communicate with your customers and don’t rely on automated email responses.
5. You don’t utilise social media
With the global presence of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it’s important to master the use of these platforms so that you are able to connect with your customers and draw them in. Interacting with prospective customers on social media draws their attention to your products and helps develop your brand image. In today's digital age, it's imperative that you make social media a core component of your marketing strategy. To not do so would be one of the greatest eCommerce mistakes you could make.
While these some top mistakes that occur all too often, there are plenty more out there to avoid too! At the end of the day, try to put yourself in your customer's shoes, and ask if something is a positive or negative factor for your store. Get feedback from those around you and iterate as you go.
Good luck,
The Easy eCommerce Team
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