10 E-Commerce Mistakes That Are Costing Your Business Conversions

In e-commerce, conversion rates indicate the percentage of site visitors who buy products. The conversion rate is the total number of unique users divided by the number of ordering customers (Unique Users/Customers). A high conversion rate signals that your online business is impressing internet users. A low conversion rate is a red flag that your business marketing strategy or web design is failing.

Is your e-commerce conversion rate low? Then you're not converting enough online traffic into paying customers for your business to thrive. Dissatisfied people are probably leaving your page to visit your competitors. So, it's time to identify your errors and make improvements for better sales.

Here is our top 10 list of the most common e-commerce mistakes that are costing your business conversions, and how to fix them!.

POOR WEBSITE NAVIGATION

E-commerce websites that don't have a clear navigation bar are confusing. Online visitors don't know where to click or how to search for products. Even top-quality products won't sell if people can't find them. Split your e-commerce store into logical sub-departments, such as Women's Shoes, not just Women. Create a large, user-friendly menu with clickable internal links to each department. Give people options to search by size, colour, and style. Conversions are more likely when consumers can locate exactly what they desire.

LONG LOAD TIMES

Living in a digital age has created a reliance on fast and immediate gratification. Patience is definitely a virtue we do not hold our internet usage to. Slow, clunky e-commerce websites won't see good conversion numbers. Nobody wants to watch the pinwheel spin forever while a site struggles to load. E-commerce businesses must move at the speed of light. Websites should load within 2-3 seconds to avoid affecting the interest of your consumers. Respect each online visitor's time by speeding up your website. 

How can you get a faster website? Reduce your HTTP requests and redirects. Eliminate unnecessary images, videos, and scripts. Monitor your image file sizes keeping smaller images around 60-90 pixels and larger images to below 180 pixels in size. Use your favourite file conversion software to compress your essential files online, such as BeFunky.

"E-commerce businesses must move at the speed of light." 

NO CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Many e-commerce businesses don't enable reviews because they're afraid of potential bad press. However, publishing no customer reviews will damage your company's credibility. Online visitors won't know whether you can be trusted. Consumers often rely on the opinions of other people to make their buying decisions. According to ">Inc. magazine 91 percent of online shoppers regularly read reviews. So, accept user feedback in the form of ratings and testimonials. When bad reviews pop up, respond immediately with a friendly, apologetic tone. Read our other blog article for more tips on >How Your Business Can Effectively Deal With Negative Reviews>

INSECURE CHECKOUT PROCESS

Today's consumers have many legit reasons to fear identity theft online. Typing in personal info and credit card numbers to e-commerce websites is scary for many people. Cautious online shoppers won't hesitate to abandon their cart if your site is insecure. Failing to earn verified security credentials will cost your business conversions and can place your business in a scrutinising position, if your website is used to piggy back hackers or online identity theft. Give internet users peace of mind by bolstering your security. Select a web hosting service with a secure payment gateway. Earn a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate to switch to HTTPS.

"Cautious online shoppers won't hesitate to abandon their cart if your site is insecure" 

FEE PAYMENT OPTIONS

Imagine you're shopping online, and find the perfect pair of jeans. You instantly add them to your cart and race toward checkout only to be stopped in your tracks. The e-commerce website doesn't accept your credit card or offer Paypal. If this really happens on your site, your business conversions will suffer. Appeal to every consumer by taking a wide variety of payment options. Accept every major credit card, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Let customers connect to online platforms like PayPal and Apple Pay too. Make your payment process convenient and effortless, so you don’t miss that hard earned sales lead.

LOW INVENTORY LEVELS

Building up a big inventory is difficult for many startup e-commerce businesses. There are two outcomes that can result from this limited stock supply scenario. You can either roll the dice with customers, they’ll get frustrated and head elsewhere to purchase that product OR you can direct your marketing efforts into promoting scarcity as a sales tactic, which in turn pushes demand for that product more.

Either way, having a limited inventory can bite your business in the behind. Most online visitors like seeing an array of products available. You can improve your conversions by increasing your inventory based on demand forecasts. Run ABC analysis to find which products are performing well or not well. If products still run out, recommend other related products for customers to view, OR allow them to join a waitlist to be notified of when it is back in stock. Either way teaming up your inventory levels with your marketing tactics, can turn a bad situation into a good one. For assistance with this scenario, a href="https://marketingyourbrand.com.au/pages/contact-us">ask us how we can help.

WIMPY PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

Writing persuasive blurbs about each product is a must. Internet users shouldn't be left guessing about a product's features, or more importantly benefits! Confused online visitors won't lead to conversions. Take the time to beef up your product description pages. Clearly lay out what makes your product unique. Go beyond the specs with descriptive stories and crystal-clear images. Tell consumers the benefits of buying your product. Integrate descriptive power words, such as "mind-blowing" or "stunning." Use bullet points for product descriptions that can be scanned while reading. And always end with a Call To Action (CTA).

OVERPRICED PRODUCTS

Every e-commerce business strives for high-profit margins. However, depending on your business model, pricey products can limit your potential sales and buyers. People are rightly protective of their hard-earned money, especially in today’s economy. If being affordable is a marketing strategy you use, or wish to attract fast sales conversions, you'll need to set reasonable prices at fair market value. 

Compare your prices with your main competitor's rates. If you're selling expensive goods, entice buyers with promo codes or add on incentives. Provide tiered pricing levels to appeal to multiple shoppers, offer both a premium priced product and a marginally cheaper priced product. Offer free shipping for orders over $50. If possible, accept monthly payment plans on high-end items. And consider providing payment plan options such as, Afterpay or ZipPay.

MUTED CALL TO ACTIONS (CTA'S)

Call-to-actions tell online visitors exactly what you want them to do. In e-commerce, CTAs drive consumers toward the checkout process. CTAs must be colourful and prominent to attract people's attention. Play on your websites design and colour contrast combinations. Big call-to-action buttons in red, green, blue, and orange tend to perform the best. Steer clear of uninspiring tones such as grey, that will make your CTA go unnoticed. White CTA buttons tend to fade into the background. A good rule to follow, broadcast strong CTAs in vibrant colours with bold text, such as "Add To Cart” or “Buy Now”. Also, fill your side-bar ads with CTAs like "Shop Now" or “View More”.

NON-EXISTENT CUSTOMER SUPPORT

What happens when a potential customer has a question? E-commerce businesses don't have sales reps roaming the showroom floor, but doing business online shouldn't make your company humanless. Online consumers still enjoy connecting with a real person. If there isn't someone to help or their questions aren’t met, befuddled users will leave. Boost your conversions by adding a virtual chat widget to the footer. Configure your website so that people can easily speak to an agent live. Contacting your business to get questions answered must be a breeze. Take a look at easy to install chat options, such as a .

YOUR TAKEAWAY NOTES

Fixing these common e-commerce mistakes that are costing your business conversions is the first step.

Implementing proven e-commerce tricks that augment your sales comes next. For example, you could start a loyalty program where customers rack up points for discounts. You might start a money-back guarantee to make online purchases less risky. You can help customers build wishlists and regularly send email reminders about your products. You may also reach out to social media influencers who can plug and promote your product.

Developing a sound selling strategy can help your e-commerce business double or triple your conversions. Luckily, we take the guesswork out of planning and implementing your e-commerce marketing. Book an eCommerce Marketing Strategy Session: 2 hour video call with Marketing Your Brand, plan your e-commerce marketing strategy and start making conversions.

Which e-commerce mistake have you struggled with? Have you found a solution to it? Let us know in the comments section below.