Common Ecommerce Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Most e-commerce mistakes, whether marketing, technical, or business-related, can be easily avoided.
In some cases, you don’t even need to hire external specialists. In this article, you’ll discover the 10 most common e-commerce mistakes and get 3 practical solutions for avoiding each one.
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1. Not knowing your audience well enough
Most consumers expect brands to understand their individual needs. Think about how annoying it is to get spammy texts about discounts on Pilates classes at your gym when you’ve been exclusively doing CrossFit for eight years. It’s irritating and erodes loyalty.
How to fix it:
- Conduct market research. Ideally, this should involve a deep dive into your customers’ demographics, problems, needs, views, and interests. But if you’re tight on budget, no worries. Consider surveying existing customers (via phone, email, or social media) in exchange for a small bonus or even chatting with friends who match your target audience.
- Create buyer personas. Something like: “Max, 35, lives in the suburbs, loves gardening, DIY projects, and cooking. Reads thrillers and is crazy about cars.” This instantly clarifies who you’re dealing with, right?
- Use ecommerce web development services. Your website needs analytics — it’s the only way for you to make data-driven decisions. Integrate it to track which pages users visit, which ads they respond to, and which products they’re interested in.
2. Lack of product information
Vague descriptions, poor images, and a lack of expert posts undermine trust in your brand.
How to fix it:
- Describe your product so that no questions remain. Include technical specs, benefits, use cases, and FAQs.
- Add media. Add at least three high-quality photos for each item, plus a video overview. Also, consider 3D visualizations or panoramic images if they are relevant to your niche.
- Go beyond the website. Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms let you show your product in different contexts.
3. No social proof
72% of buyers only take action after reading positive online reviews. So, give them something to read!
How to fix it:
- Embed reviews and ratings directly on your website. Moderate them to avoid spam or defamation.
- Showcase social proof. Add elements like: “7,000 units sold,” “Top-rated,” or “Frequently bought with…”
- Integrate with review platforms. Trustpilot and G2 are among the most popular ones, but focus on trusted platforms in your industry and region.
4. Complicated checkout process
19% of shoppers abandon their carts if they’re forced to create an account to complete a purchase. The more complex the checkout process, the lower the chance they’ll follow through to payment.
How to fix it:
- Allow guest checkout. Let customers buy without mandatory registration.
- Optimize forms. Keep only the essentials: name, delivery address, email, and enable autofill.
- Introduce one-click payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
5. Limited delivery options
29% of users abandon their carts when they learn delivery is too slow. Another 39% leave due to extra costs, including shipping fees. Logistics issues are a major cause of lost revenue.
How to fix it:
- Offer multiple delivery options. Provide choices between different shipping services and shipping types, like standard, express, or self-pickup, plus free shipping for orders above a certain amount.
- Create a dedicated website section for payment and delivery details. Clearly list costs and delivery timelines.
- Integrate a shipping calculator. If delivery cost depends on many factors (weight, region, or product type), help users estimate costs right away.
The list doesn’t finish here. You should also work on strong SEO and marketing strategies, mobile optimization, the right e-commerce platform, and competitive pricing to stay ahead.
But even avoiding these five common mistakes will make your website better. So, try it! Customer-focused and trustworthy ecommerce sites always lead to higher conversions.
