E-commerce websites are the best because of their scalable nature. They reduce the workload of a merchant and allow you to sell more products without any extra effort. But, nothing comes without its set of problems. There will be a vast range of issues in an e-commerce website. It’s essential to identify the common issues with them and thereby keep them under control. Here are some of these common errors:
1. No Reviews
The most common mistake of e-commerce sites is the lack of reviews. This is the easiest thing to fix, but it’s also one of the most important. For example, free standing tubs can be quite expensive, as such, customers may need reviews to choose depending on the price, quality and style. Reviews are crucial because they help you improve your product line or service. They also show potential customers that other people have already bought from you and are satisfied with your products/services. It can be easier for someone to buy from an e-commerce site if they see there are already reviews and comments about the store’s products.
2. Showcasing Limited Products
The number one problem with e-commerce sites is that they don’t have enough products to sell. If you have a minimal product catalog, competing against larger companies with thousands of products will be challenging. This is especially true if you only sell one type of product or service and there’s no variation in pricing or features. If you don’t have enough products available, people won’t buy from you because they aren’t sure if they will find anything else that they need. Make sure that every category on your e-commerce website has at least ten items. Customers can browse around without searching through hundreds of pages looking for something specific.
3. Poor Product Pictures
Customers need to see what they’re buying before buying it, especially when shopping for clothing or other items with a visual element. If you don’t provide high-quality product pictures on your site, customers won’t be able to tell whether an item suits them. For example, quality pictures of standalone tubs are aesthetic and will attract customers to buy the product. Poor product pictures can also imply that your company doesn’t care about marketing its products.
4. Pricing Issues
This is a common issue with e-commerce sites. The product’s price listed on the website is different from that in the cart. This can be due to many reasons, like incorrect currency conversion or a simple typo error. And the most common is that the price of products is updated manually. For example, if a designer changes the price of freestanding tubs but does not update it on the server, you will see two different prices for that product. And for that, you need to have an automated system in place. This will update all your prices automatically without any manual intervention.
5. Mixing Up Contact Information
Contact information is crucial for any business, and it should be included on each page of your site. If customers cannot find the contact details, they will not be able to get in touch with you. They also can’t leave reviews about their experience with your products or services. Thus, you must keep this information consistent across all pages so that visitors can find it with ease when they are on your site.
6. Incorrect Product Descriptions
For meticulous products such as freestanding tub accessories, you must describe them in detail so that customers can understand what they are buying. Ensure there is no doubt in your description because it could lead to many problems later. People might start complaining about the quality of the product they received. Also, make sure that all the information provided on the webpage is correct and relevant. This will help customers make an informed decision while buying something online!
7. Difficult Checkout Process
Checkout has to be easy. We don’t want to slow our customers down and make them feel like they will have difficulty completing their purchases. Things like shipping costs, payment options, and promo codes can get tricky. Make sure your checkout process is clear and concise so that it doesn’t deter your customers from buying a freestanding tub faucet.
8. CTA Buttons Are Not Visible
If you’re using CTAs on your site to drive traffic to different pages or products, make sure they’re big enough for people to see. The last thing you want is for someone to click on an ad or button only to realize it’s too small and difficult to read! These CTAs must be visible across all devices so that no matter what device someone uses, they’ll still be able to find what they’re looking for.
9. Poor Search and Navigation Bar
Your e-commerce store must have a good search bar. Most people come to an e-commerce store with a particular product in mind and want to find it as fast as possible. For instance, they want to search for stand-alone tubs with showers, and if they cannot do this, they will leave your site and go to one of your competitors. So, if you have a small inventory and can’t stock all the products that people search for, you should consider adding filters to your search bar. Suppose someone wants to buy a black freestanding tub faucet, but you only have gold ones available. They can still use the filter to get to the right product category and easily find it. This is much better than having them give up on the shopping experience.
10. No Customer Support Option
Many people feel uncomfortable buying something online without customer service. What if something goes wrong or if they have any questions about their purchase? You should add a live chat option on your website for your customers to get help. Customers will have direct communication and get their questions answered immediately. This will make them feel much more comfortable about buying from you in the future.
In Conclusion
If you want to launch an e-commerce store, the best place to start is with a functional, successful website. But, many e-commerce websites suffer from typical problems. By identifying issues and how to avoid them, you can prevent costly mistakes. This will ensure that your website is functional and will remain so in the future.
