Being the owner of an eCommerce business is hard work. You have to deal with clients, providers, couriers, and a lot of responsibility falls on your shoulders. There is a lot of marketing research to be done if you want to be successful. Here we have listed 10 problems that are commonplace among eCommerce business owners and their solutions.
Problem 1: Your content and product descriptions are bad
If the name of your product is three lines long and your description doesn’t actually describe your product, you are in trouble. Your descriptions should not be written for the search engine, but for your clients. Avoid generic text, and spelling mistakes and typos. Remember that your content is how you show yourself to the world. Good content makes people trust your brand.
Solutions:
- Aim your descriptions at your clients. Your descriptions should be meaningful, and the details of the product should be accurate.
- Do not forget to include measurements (especially if you are selling clothes), available colors, part numbers or model numbers.
- Consider hiring professional writers to make sure your content and descriptions follow the highest quality standards.
Problem 2: Badly taken or fake photos of the product
When you buy online, you want to examine the product from every angle. If the images on your website do not show the real product, or if you cannot appreciate the details of the product, you are doing pictures wrong. All your products need more than one image.
Solutions:
- Showcase pictures of the product on every angle.
- Post pictures that let your prospective clients judge the product’s size.
- Feature high-quality resizable pictures that allow your visitors to zoom in and out.
- Avoid stock images and take original pictures.
Problem 3: Awkward webpage navigation
You must be aware that there are some characteristics that every eCommerce has, and as a result, shoppers will expect some things to be easily accessible on your webpage. A missing search bar or a misplaced cart icon can put your visitors off and make you lose money.
Solutions:
- Provide clear and user friendly-navigation.
- Compare your site to that of bigger companies – What do their websites have that makes navigating around them easier than around yours?
- Implement multi-tiered (that is, category based) navigation.
- Test your mobile site and optimize it.
Problem 4: Complicated return policies
Do not forget that online shopping entails a risk for your customers. Especially if they don’t know your brand, they are wary of being stuck with an item they do not want, either because it isn’t what they expected, or because it is damaged. If your return policies are too strict, even if they abide the law, prospective customers will be put off by them.
Solutions:
- Find a policy that is convenient for your customers but does not entail high costs.
- Avoid restock fees and strict time limits.
- Offer free returns.
Problem 5: Unconvincing Reviews
We all know that good reviews are key to increasing the chances of selling an item. However, if all your reviews are 5 out of 5 stars, your visitors will suspect there is something sketchy. If your reviews are suspicious and seem unnatural, your clients will be turned off.
Solutions:
- Encourage previous customers to leave reviews, even if they don’t like the product.
- Avoid at all costs paid reviews for your products. People know they are not authentic.
- Remember that writing fake reviews is penalized by the Federal Trade Commission.
Problem 6: Inexact stock and delivery dates
Predictable dates and accurate stock levels are essential to online customers. If that information can’t be trusted, your store can’t be trusted either. Many people buy things for special events and want their items to arrive in time.
Solutions:
- Never advertise stock that you don’t have.
- Use an eCommerce platform that automatically tracks your stock.
Take into account that if you show real numbers, and show your customers there is a chance of you running out of stock might induce visitors to buy an item on the spot.
Problem 7: Problematic customer support services
Customer support is the backbone of any eCommerce. People will ask you questions about their orders on a daily basis. An undertrained customer support team, or deliberately questionable customer service practices are a no-no if you don’t want to be seen as a scammer.
Solutions:
- Make contact with your customer support easy.
- Have multiple options available for people to contact you.
- Provide clear details about customer support on your website and your social media accounts.
- Incorporate live chat as one of your options.
Problem 8: Payment issues
If your customers do not feel their purchase is safe, fast, and convenient, they will run away. Payment should be easy, quick and secure.
Solutions:
- Incorporate an SSL certificate on your website in order to secure your client’s payment data
- Offer payment methods which your clients will find convenient (even if they aren’t for you).
- Make the payment process smooth, and avoid making your client fill out eternally long forms.
Problem 9: Shipping issues
Shipping is a key factor in your visitors’ decision making. If the shipping costs are hidden or not available, you are probably going to lose some prospective buyers.
Solutions:
- Always offer free shipping (at least with a minimum order).
- Be upfront about shipping costs. Especially if you offer international shipping.
- If you’re catering to an international audience, always display the price in the local currency.
Problem 10: Ineffectiveness in the fulfillment of orders
There is no point investing in social media marketing and marketing research if your orders are not effectively fulfilled. This is not only costly for you but extremely disruptive for your clients. If this becomes customary, any trust that people would have in your brand would be shattered.
Solutions:
- Improve your order fulfillment process. If you do it with an in-house team, think of upgrading to a warehouse.
- If you have problems with your current warehouse, find another way of fulfilling your orders.
We hope we could help you solve some of your problems!
