It’s easier than ever to create an online store, and then sell it through established marketplaces. Your ability to attract new customers and increase sales through existing customers is key to the success of your eCommerce business. Each marketing channel is costly in time, money, or energy. It’s up you to determine the best balance for your company. Even for the most skilled eCommerce professionals, scaling up and growing revenue can be difficult.

Making mistakes is part of growth, and they can be a great learning opportunity. Despite this, most people would prefer to avoid making them. Avoid costly mistakes and miss opportunities by being aware of the most common pitfalls in eCommerce.

Printful invited me to speak to their customers this week about common eCommerce mistakes to avoid. I was thrilled to be invited to Printful threads to speak with customers about common eCommerce mistakes. This conference is for new and experienced ecommerce store owners who want to grow their business. Watch the video of the event, or download my presentation deck.

These are the top five eCommerce mistakes you should avoid to help your business avoid falling prey to the many pitfalls new sellers often make. I have used the Wix team’s experience in managing an eCommerce platform as well as that of our network of over 500k online shops worldwide to compile these tips.

01. You don’t know your target audience

A business owner’s biggest mistake is not clearly defining their target audience or taking the time understand the needs of your customers.

It is impossible to expect people to simply show up on your site because they see a product that interests them. It is important to tell them about your business, and to get them to notice your products. To do this, you must know their names and contact information.

You can’t know who your target audience is if you don’t have a clear understanding. Your audience will help determine which images and descriptions to use, what words to use in descriptions, and which social media channels to maintain aggressively.

Get incredibly invested in understanding your potential customers.

• What are their pain points or problems?
• What are they looking to find?
• What are their hobbies?
• Which subcultures or groups do they belong?
• Which values are most important to them?
• How can they interact with online content?

Understanding your target audience and creating a brand message that resonates with them will allow you to create a shopping experience that encourages them to shop time and again.

02. Uncertain of which eCommerce Channels you should choose

Knowing your target customers is not enough. You also need to know how best to reach them. Are they on Twitter? Are they shopping on Amazon and eBay? Are they reading email newsletters These questions will determine if your products are ever seen by the right shoppers.

Different eCommerce channels work differently and may not be able to reach the same audience. While some are ideal for shoppers who are actively looking for a product or service, others are better for shoppers who have already interacted with your store. It is a never-ending process of optimization, trial and error, and testing. Learn how different channels work, and don’t be afraid of trying new ways to reach potential customers.

Begin by setting the goals for your marketing campaigns.

Are you ready to:

• Attract potential customers that are actively looking
• Re-engage your past customers
• Reach out to completely new prospects
• Traffic quantity and quality can be increased

Based upon your goals, choose the best eCommerce channels to connect your business with potential customers:

• Search Engines can be used to target people who are actively searching for products. These shoppers are more likely to be interested in a product and convert faster. Bing and Google offer many advertising options. These include text ads, image ads and voice search marketing. Optimizing the SEO of your eCommerce website will help you rank organically for similar search terms, and increase unpaid traffic to your site.
• Online Marketplaces can also be a great way for shoppers to find products that interest them. They allow customers to browse through a variety of product categories and easily search for items. Popular marketplaces like Amazon and eBay can be highly competitive, while still providing exposure to many shoppers. Local or niche marketplaces may offer greater visibility and can generate more sales at a lower price.
• Email Marketing has great potential to reach customers and convert them. These customers are either current customers or potential buyers who are interested in your business enough to send you their email address. This makes them more likely in the future to purchase from you.
• Retargeting allows you to target shoppers who have visited your website. Although many shoppers abandon their carts, they are still likely to be interested in your products and will convert more often. You can remarket through Facebook and Google by adding a tracking pixel to your site so that visitors can see ads later. Automated emails can be set up for abandoned carts to remind customers about the products they are interested in from your website.
• Social Networks allow you to reach shoppers who may not be actively searching for products but are open-minded to new ideas and content. The social networks of Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are used daily by hundreds of millions of people all over the globe. They offer very precise targeting capabilities, based on demographics, lifestyle, and behavior.

03. Don’t invest in your product pages

Although potential customers may not physically touch your products before purchasing them, they will interact with your product pages. You must convince potential customers to purchase the product on your website and not from another source.

Design great product pages to entice customers:

• Give product descriptions that are accurate, appealing, and include features, specifications, and benefits.
• High quality product photos and videos can be used to display your products.
• Review and testimonials are important factors in converting customers. However, ensure that the reviews are authentic and valid.
• Optimize your SEO for product pages. Include all relevant keywords and don’t copy paste supplier or manufacturer descriptions. This will result in your pages being penalized by search engines.

04. Creating Poor Shopping Experiences

Once customers have completed the first steps of your sales funnel it is time to close the deal. Many eCommerce businesses are faced with abandoned carts at this time. Don’t make it difficult for a customer to decide that they want your product.

• Make it easy to use your Shopping Cart. Shoppers who struggle through the checkout process are more likely to give up and abandon their purchase. Make the checkout process as easy as possible. Eliminate as many steps from your shopping cart to increase conversions. Make buttons large and the text small. Remove any fields that are not necessary.
• Shoppers don’t need to create an account to purchase a product. Allow them to use a simplified checkout to make their purchases and to give you their money. Don’t worry about adding them into your CRM or brand community.
• Don’t surprise shoppers by charging unexpected fees. Buying a product is a major decision that requires trust. Potential customers could be turned away by unexpected fees such as shipping or taxes. However, this doesn’t mean you have to pay the shipping and tax costs. Simply inform shoppers about all the details before they reach the checkout page.
• Offer shoppers several payment options. You don’t want to lose customers because they are unable to pay you. There are many online payment options, including credit cards, digital wallets, and mobile payment solutions. While you don’t have to offer all options, it is important that you focus on the preferred payment methods of your target customers.

05. Providing Poor Customer Care

Your customers are your lifeblood. It’s easier and more profitable to retain existing customers. They will also be more likely to refer you business if they are satisfied with your customer service.

Poor customer service is a sure way of losing customers and preventing new customers.

Customer care can include many different things. Here are some ways you can help:

• Your website should respond to the messages of shoppers
• Comment and answer questions on social media
• Customer complaints can be addressed over the phone or via email

Offer your full attention to your customers and be there for them when they need you.

These eCommerce Mistakes Will Help You Sell More Online

It is crucial to understand the common mistakes that both new and established eCommerce businesses make in order to grow.

You’ll learn how to anticipate these mistakes and avoid them in the future. These mistakes don’t have to be your downfall.

Your business will grow and prosper if you recognize the mistakes you made and correct them. Your eCommerce website will be optimized for success. You’ll also build a loyal customer base that is eager to purchase your products again.

source https://www.wix.com/blog/ecommerce/2020/05/5-ecommerce-marketing-mistakes