You are probably thinking, my website is not that bad. But it can be. It is the online equivalent of the secretary who plays games on the computer all day and neglects to take your calls. This can result in poor results, poor sales and a website that just chugs along, doing nothing.
It does not work on this browser.
There was once a bank website that only worked on Internet Explorer-you know how the story goes. People cling to their favourite browsers with an almost irrational love. So if it does not work in Firefox or Chrome or whatever they choose to use, chances are you have already lost a sale.
Website designers should code your website for optimization regardless of what browser your customer uses. The problem is this is a hard thing to do. Seriously, many designers love to skip this step, especially if you have filled with eCommerce site with elements that are hard to test but look great. On some browsers.
Um, we do not have a mobile-optimized site.
This is a big reason why you do not have sales. Mobile traffic can account for up to 50% of traffic these days.
You saved that $1000 extra fee when your website designer casually mentioned that it cost that much to optimize your website for mobile or tablet viewing. You pat yourself on the back. What you did not know is that you lost over $50,000 in potential sales, because everybody and their grandmother shops online using a mobile these days. Everybody and their grandchild has an iPad and you have decided to close yourself off from that market.
Mobile optimized websites make more money because they are easy to navigate using a smaller screen.
Wow, I must be on...the competitor's website. Oh wait, no.
Because you decided to copy some other website, completely. Because you used a template that everybody else used, and now your customer is confused because your branding is too similar to everybody else's branding. So you do not make an impression. So they forget about you, because you look like everyone else.
Remember, the basic elements of an eCommerce website are all the same. You need a catalog, a shopping cart and a nice looking website that your customers can spend hours on. But not all websites are created equal, so invest in yours.
Sorry, but I will bombard you with advertisements.
Advertisements are a necessary evil of the Internet - the same necessary evil that pervades the daily consumer's life. But you do not have to remind them of that with incessant ads and banners whenever they click. Ads can tend to take over eCommerce sites, since many rely on affiliate marketing and mutual links to create traffic. But if the ads take up more space than your product, then you have a problem. Find a way to balance your ad content and your actual content and do not bombard your customers with it.
Treating Customers like Walk-Ins
Old Mrs. Kennedy purchases a scarf from your website. You let her. She inputs her credit card number. Then she walks away. You never see her again. Old Mrs. Kennedy forgot to bookmark the website so whenever her niece asks her when she got that wonderful scarf, she shrugs and says she cannot remember.
The last mistake many eCommerce websites make is to treat customers like one-time walk-ins. Create a simple way to get them to come back. Have them sign up for a newsletter or create an account. Send them thankyou notes, birthday greetings, promotions and discount offers. Make them want to come back to you.
