Avoid These 7 Deadly Ecommerce Sins

How good are you about not committing any of the seven deadly ecommerce sins? Running an online store can be a rewarding experience, that’s assured. But if you break any of these critical rules along the way, you could find yourself swimming against the current as you try to get back on top. Keep reading to learn about seven things you should not ever do when trying to realize success with your e-retailing endeavors.

Many shoppers are moving to mobile to make their purchases. Namely, people like to shop and browse on the go – sometimes when they are in a brick and mortar store weighing a purchasing decision. A related Forbes article, citing research studies that were conducted by Forrester, noted that mobile retail sales are increasing at a shocking pace.

According to the study:

• 56% of consumers have made a purchase from a mobile device while at home over the past year.
• Over 37% will use their mobile devices to check up on the availability of products in a store’s inventory locally (while they are headed to the store to make a purchase).
• 34% will actually research a product while they are at the store.
• According to comScore, 55% of shoppers spend more time using their mobile devices than their desktop PCs.

Well written copy – like product descriptions, landing pages, resource sections, blogs and so forth – is an essential component of your ecommerce success story. However, make sure you don’t overlook the value of using visuals to drive sales. But just how effective is visual marketing?

According to a Simply Measured report, brands that advertise on Facebook using videos and pictures improved engagement by over 64%. According to AnsonAlex, using infographics has helped companies grow by over 10% in the past year. And a study by Marketing Pilgrim found that Pinterest sites netted a 66.5% increase in website traffic and referrals from clicks generated from that site.

We are all well aware of the mighty force that social media comprises. It has grown by uncanny measures in the past decade alone, and will continue to be a dominating marketing force in the years to come. Wondering just how potent a force social media truly is?

In a 2013 Mashable article, they underscored the notion that social media was the driving force of at least 1% of all Black Friday traffic for online sales for the 2013 holiday shopping season. Maintaining a plausible presence on social media is not just a consideration any longer – it’s should be a mandatory aspect of running your online store. With the availability of Facebook plugins, you can now host your entire online store there, and you’ve got a plethora of options that you can consider with other social platforms, too.

According to think tank Chitika, over 33% of all organic clicks that occur on Google go to the number one position. If you are not optimizing your website to be found online, you are missing out on a ton of traffic that could be coming your way.

Considering that the average ecommerce conversion ratio ranges from 2-3%, that’s a few sales for every hundred clicks that you get. If you are not on page one for your ecommerce keywords, you’re missing out on over 70% of all organic traffic that’s generated by Google. Plain and simple: SEO is necessary to gain the visibility and traction that you need in the online world of the present day.

Customers will tell other people about their experience at your online store. If you are not offering adequate support, you are making a dire error. Such a grievous mistake could cost you big time in the form of lost future sales.

A Dimensional Research survey found that over 90% of people rely upon online reviews to make their purchasing decision. Furthermore, the same study found that 86% of online purchases are influenced by a negative review. Case and point: good customer service will generate positive reviews, which online consumers rely upon to make their buying decisions.

Brick and mortar stores have a one-up against online stores because returns are entirely different. A customer can just take back an item they don’t want for a return or an exchange on the spot, whereas they have to ship back an item to an online store and often pay return shipping as well as any associated restocking fees.

So just how effective is offering a “free returns” policy such as big stores like Zappos do? A CNBC article noted, culling information from various studies and reports that have been conducted over several years, that offering free returns increases sales by 357%. Even if returns cost you money out-of-pocket upfront, they ultimately increase and improve your bottom line in the form of repeat customers later on, and are best viewed as a form of reverse marketing.

The shipping options and prices that you offer will ultimately impact your sales streams. A USPS study on this subject matter found that shipping prices were the ultimately determining factor in shoppers either abandoning their shopping cart or making a purchase.

In 48% of shopping cart abandonment rates, the study found that consumers thought the shipping was too costly. By exploring your options with discount postage providers, you can affordably offer low-cost shipping for your customers.