Running any kind of business is not easy. There are many factors to consider, whether you are running a business with a storefront, an online shop, or both. Competition with others is healthy, but there are avoidable and critical mistakes that will serve as pitfalls that will pull everything down under.
In fact, more than half of start-ups do not last for more than a year because of these mistakes. Calculated risks are great in the sense that the failure will teach you what not to do next time. However, not everyone has the patience to think their next moves through, and they would rather implement something impulsively, to the detriment of their own hard work.
You can learn more about critical mistakes to avoid. Read on to know more.
Selecting the Wrong Platform
It is a standard practice for most businesses nowadays to have a website to remain competitive. No matter if it is a mom-and-pop shop or a small side gig, a business should have an online platform where customers can go. An e-commerce website is the foundation of a business’s identity on the web, and it is important to choose the best platform to showcase products and even services.
There are e-commerce websites out there that are free, but they may not have the support that you need, especially when you do not have the technical know-how to operate the platform. Even the most budget-conscious businesses should shell out a reasonable amount for features to get the support they need to help scale the online businesses over time. With 24-7 support on your chosen platform, you have more control over the website, and if anything goes wrong, the help is there when you need it.
No Social Media Networks
In addition to a website, it is imperative to be on popular social media networks and be active there. Having one or two will help spread the word about your business. Reaching out to more people will mean more exposure and potential customers. Being on these platforms will also give you ideas about trending topics that you can use to relate to your business.
In the same vein, it is also important to show social proof to the target market. The customers of today are smart about products or services they want to get, so product reviews and testimonials will help. Word from satisfied customers will help push prospective customers to become actual buyers.
Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly
If your e-commerce website is built from scratch, it should have a responsive design. A responsive web design means that the website is accessible and functional no matter what device is used. Smartphones are frequently used to make purchases online, and the numbers grow every year. Make sure to test the website before it goes live—the biggest mistake is frustrating customers because their orders cannot get through since they can’t submit them through mobile.
Content Is Not SEO-Friendly
The most ideal scenario for every business is to go viral to get attention from customers. However, that is not always the case, and those who rely on organic traffic should make sure that their website content is written using the best SEO practices. Do not create content as an afterthought, but rather make it a priority to outline information that is useful to customers and your business.
Plagiarizing content is the easiest way to be penalized by search engines. Create content that is unique and relevant to your industry all while enticing prospects to buy your products. Choosing the right high-quality keywords will help optimize your site for better search engine traffic.
Ambiguous Product Descriptions
A product description is crucial, and one of the biggest issues with new e-commerce websites is using existing product descriptions. There is nothing wrong with selling the same products that others have; the issue is that the product descriptions are too similar and offer nothing new. Search engines like Google will likely label product pages as duplicates, and that would be a big loss for your website.
Remember that customers nowadays go out of their way to research and compare products, and ambiguous descriptions will do you no favor. Take special care in writing product descriptions such that even the most discerning customer will buy from you.
Final Thoughts
Starting an e-commerce website is a hard feat, but the biggest challenge will not be surviving. Rather, it is thriving in an already-competitive industry. Take whatever wisdom you can gain from those around you, and never cease preparing for the worst. It does not hurt to learn from the mistakes of others so you can avoid those in the future.
