Every day new ecommerce sites appear on the web. You can now buy everything from groceries to cars, to pets online. Last year, ecommerce had an impressive 14.8% growth rate over 2011 statistics, overshadowing total 5.3% retail sales. In just a few years, U.S. consumers will spend $327 billion online in 2016, Forrester Research says.
Sounds like a great endeavor to take on for the entrepreneurial-minded individual, right? Perhaps. Being in the digital business, we can identify what you are doing wrong before you even begin. We’re not psychics. We like to call ourselves digital gurus.
Top 3 Things You’re About to Do Wrong:
1. Identifying Your Target Market
Rule #1: To create a successful ecommerce site, you need customers.
“Our product is marketable to everyone.”
No it’s not, without a focus on a specific target market, all your efforts are ultimately fragmented. You need to know your target market inside and out. What are their typical shopping habits? How much do they spend in an average transaction? And what are you offering them that your competitors are not? This is your main differentiator, and it needs to speak to the most important people, your potential customers.
“We know our market. It’s X, Y, and Z.”
Oh you do? What are your main competitors in the market? Where does the whitespace lie, and how will you pull customers from competition, and/or create a need for your potential customers? How are you going to get the word to your target market? What are their channel consumption habits? Ecommerce websites must be audience-centric.
Did you know?
71% of shoppers believe they’ll get a better deal online than in stores. This means if your product is a high-end niche market, ecommerce may not work as well as brick-and-mortar.
2. Website Usability Must Be a Top Priority
Rule #2: Your website is your first (and last) chance to make a good first impression.
Your ecommerce site must be visually appealing and use web best practices. Your ecommerce website must be user friendly and have effective ecommerce navigation and site search, including drop-down menus. When it comes to the product pages, your ecommerce site must sell effectively, this means using great copywriting, high-res images and sometimes video.
Responsive design is another element to consider. You want to convey credibility from the get-go with your ecommerce website regardless of what browser or device your user is using. And lastly, mobile is becoming increasingly important for ecommerce. Your customers are not always at their desktop. You must be able to sell to them even when they’re on the go.
3. Ecommerce Usability Must Appeal to the Lowest Common Denominator
Rule #3: Keep your checkout experience as simple as possible.
Your job is to make your customers checkout experience as easy possible. The less friction you create, the more you will be able to lower abandonment rates, and ultimately increase sales. Depending on the type of ecommerce solution you use, the customization of this element can vary.
Your shopping cart process should be streamlined. When a process takes too long, it can decrease consumer trust and lead to cart abandonment. This is also the case with technical problems or slow load time for pages. Hidden charges and concerns about payment security are the top two reasons individuals abandon their carts.
Did you know?
Forced account registration accounts for 26% of shopping card abandonment online.
With so many challenges to navigate, let the digital ninjas at Sparxoo help. Contact us today.
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