**The rise of ecommerce has been pretty rapid in the past few years, and certainly shows no sign of slowing down.**
British fashion label French Connection, for example, has recently seen a (link: http://internetretailing.net/2013/03/french-connection-sees-significant-growth-online-as-group-profits-and-sales-fall/ text: surge in their online sales) despite a drop in their retail profits. This trend is something that is being repeated all over the high street.
In 2013 if you have a product to sell, you ought to be selling it online. The beauty of ecommerce is that it is convenient, hassle-free, and instantaneous. Your customers can browse your entire catalogue of products in the comfort of their own home, and make a purchase there and then.
If your business isn’t selling online then, you’re missing out.
Perhaps the most high profile casualty of the ecommerce age is retailer HMV. Stiff competition from online retailers saw the British institution (link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/15/hmv-administrators-4500-jobs-at-risk text: go into administration) earlier this year. The administrators have since stated that there is a future for the music store; but mainly as an ecommerce retailer.
Making the most of your ecommerce website
All this points towards a future that is mainly online. Whether you sell wedding favours, musical instruments, or accessories; an ecommerce website is certainly the way forward. But despite the boom in online sales, many businesses are still making mistakes when it comes to their ecommerce stores.
As will all types of web design, the simplest mistakes can completely hamper your online success.
This couldn’t be truer of ecommerce website design.
Here then, we take a look at 7 of the most common ecommerce mistakes your website is guilty of making; and share with you the secrets of combating them like a pro:
1. Complicated checkout process
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1-checkout.jpg alt: ASOS.com’s One page checkout)
According to (link: http://blog.crazyegg.com/2012/11/21/reasons-for-shopping-cart-abandonment/ text: Crazy Egg), 11% of consumers cited complicated checkouts as their primary reason for ecommerce basket abandonment.
For this reason them, this is one of the most costly mistakes your ecommerce website can make. We’re living at a time when people need persuading more than ever to part with their cash. By putting more steps in between then adding an item to their cart and paying for it; the more chances you give them to abandon the cart.
**The solution**
Ideally, your checkout process should just be a single page – much like ASOS.com have. You should only gather the relevant information from your customers, and keep the buying process quick and easy. Basically; give shoppers as few chances as possible to abandon their purchase. Where possible, combine your pages and use a two-column layout. This will make your pages appear shorter, but still enable you to capture all the information you need.
Drive down you abandoned purchases, and drive up your sales revenue.
2. Compulsory registration
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2-registration.jpg alt: Debenhams guest checkout)
Crazy Egg’s research also showed that 14% of consumers failed to make an online purchase because they didn’t want to create an online account.
Forcing your customers to register with you before they can buy is another obstacle in their buying journey. Sure, you want to capture email addresses for a mailing list; but is this more important to you than bagging a sale?
**The solution**
The answer here is simple.
Instead of forcing customers to create an account before they order, have a prominent offer for a guest checkout. This will allow them to proceed with their purchase without having to fill in any additional information.
You should also give customers the option to save their account information for future orders and track existing orders. This makes the customer journey much simpler, without adding any extra steps.
3. A lack of payment options
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3-payment.jpg alt: Payment options)
You might think that PayPal payments are the easiest option for your customers, but have you considered those that don’t have an account? Buying via a credit card might be the most secure option, but some consumers want to pay straight from their bank account.
If you don’t offer a number of payment options, you’re giving your customers an easy reason to abandon their purchase. The Crazy Egg research shows that 7% of shoppers said they abandoned the cart because their preferred payment method wasn’t available.
**The solution**
Use a payment service and ecommerce platform that supports secure payments from a whole host of difference services. Including a PayPal checkout will give your customers more choice, and is great for those visiting from a mobile or tablet device.
By giving your customers as much choice as possible, you make it easy for them to buy from you.
4. Poor search facility
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/4-search.jpg alt: Amazon on-site search)
Some customers will know exactly what they’re looking for when they land on your ecommerce website. In these instances, they will find your search bar and begin looking. But if you don’t have a search facility or it doesn’t work as well as it could, you risk losing valuable customers.
Customers need to be able to find exactly what they’re looking for, or they’ll go to one of your competitors. Even if you have a relatively small product inventory, you still need to offer this option to your customers
**The solution**
Ensure your developer has activated this option on your ecommerce site. You should also make sure you regularly test the search options, to check it brings up the right products. Another great way to maximise your website’s search is by auto-filling the box.
Much like Amazon does, this will help your customers find what they’re looking for. If customers can find your products quickly and easily, they are much more likely to part with their cash and make a purchase.
5. Uninspiring product images
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/5-images.jpg alt: Topshop project images)
Ecommerce purchases may be more convenient, but they have one major drawback: Your customers can’t see and physically handle anything before they order it. Why then, are so many websites guilty of using tiny images that just don’t do the product justice?
**The solution**
This is another mistake that is easy to solve – simply include better images. You could provide large images, or a zoom feature. This will give customers a much better idea of what they’re ordering.
More than this though, you should include a number of images. Aim for five pictures – all in colour and of different angles. These detailed pictures will give your customers peace of mind, and encourage them to make a purchase.
6. Lack of product descriptions
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/6-products.jpg alt: Djembe Drum Shop product descriptions)
When you make a purchase in a retail store, you have access to a wealth of information about the product. But just because the physical interaction is removed when you shop online, that doesn’t mean you should forget about it all together.
If you don’t have adequate product descriptions, your customers are left with more questions than actions. With clothes for example; customers want to know washing instructions, materials used, size guides and much more. If this information if missing, you will lose many potential sales.
**The solution**
Again, combating this issue is easy.
Make sure your product descriptions are really detailed, and give your customers all the information they need. Your product descriptions are your sakes pitch, so you need to make them count. This is your main chance to engage with your customers, so be sure you fill your product pages with facts and descriptive words.
You want to keep customers on your site, and make sure they buy from you. Don’t give them any reason to go elsewhere.
7. Poor customer service
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/7-service.jpg alt: Schuh online chat options)
Another thing missing from ecommerce stores is customer service. If you have any issues in a bricks-and-mortar store, there is always someone you can ask. Online, you need to make it easy for customers to contact you in event of an issue.
Failing to provide this information, or failing to offer adequate service, will just send your customers elsewhere. You can have the best designed ecommerce store and the best products, but if you don’t put your customers first they will find a company that does.
**The solution**
There are a number of options open to you here. Firstly, you should put all your contact and customer service information in a prominent place on your website. You should have an FAQs page that covers all your common questions, and a way of dealing with all your enquiries.
If you don’t have a phone number, an online chat option or ticketing system can help you quickly and easily manage your customer service. Giving you customers as many options as possible will help you offer improved levels of customer service.
Takeaways
While these mistakes may seem simple, they can be hugely damaging to your ecommerce store.
By following our action points though, you will be able to save your site and boost your sales. The primary goal of your web-store is to make money and sell products; don’t let silly mistakes like these hold you back.
Once you’ve fixed these issues, you might be surprised at how quickly your website picks up. For more top tips, check out our (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/10-steps-to-ecommerce-success/ text: guide to ecommerce success).
As a leading digital agency, we specialise in (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/digital/ecommerce-web-design/ text: ecommerce website design). Why not speak to one of our Account Managers today to see what we can do for you?