Killing an eCommerce Business – What’s Holding You Back?

One of the biggest problems that come along with eCommerce websites is the way in which the line between huge success and spectacular failure if often a little on the fine side and always rather blurry. This is why it can feel as though you’re making all the right moves, when you are in fact doing one or two things wrong and thus stunting any chance of success.This is precisely why it’s important to occasionally take a step away from the standard rule book and look into the common mistakes holding back a million and one eCommerce businesses at any one time. Here at Pivotal Hosting, we come across some mistakes infinitely more often than others – the good news being that most are easily repaired.       Incomplete Product DescriptionsNailing a perfect product description isn’t easy – never has been and never will be. Still, it’s crucial to get across every single aspect of the product that would be taken into account were it being examined by hand in a store. Think about what you yourself look at when scrutinizing a potential purchase, take a look at the details the world’s biggest online retailers include and take inspiration.Hidden Contact Information We’ve all been there – looking to find the email address or phone number of a business only to be sent into a continuous and unbreakable loop of redirection. Hiding your contact information may help reduce your workload, but it will also kill your reputation as a retailer to trust.Long-Winded CheckoutsAn overly complicated checkout process is a bit like getting to the register in the supermarket and seeing a queue snaking around the whole store…you’ll seriously consider not bothering. You, of course, need to take essential information and details but therein lies the operative word – essential information and that only.Mandatory SignupsOne of the biggest turnoffs of all for eCommerce customers is when they’ve made up their minds and hit the ‘Buy’ button only to be told they need to first open an account. Some are happy to do so, some will simply leave and never come back – this is the kind of risk you really can’t afford to take. As such, our advice is to always make signups optional, never mandatory.Poor Payment OptionsA no brainer to add to the list – the more payment types you accept, the higher the chances the prospective buyer will be able to buy what they’re interested in.Ignoring Mobile BuyersOk, so here’s a newsflash – mobile web access has already taken over as the new standard and desktop access is on the decline…enormously so. As for what this means for the eCommerce site owner, it’s a simple case of realising that if your site isn’t optimised for access via tablet PCs, smartphones and all manner of other devices, you’re turning your back on more prospects than you’re welcoming.Poor Overall PerformanceAnd finally, there’s nothing quite like a slow, sluggish and generally poorly performing website to wipe out customer confidence. This is why reliable and reputable hosting services are essential, as too is an eCommerce platform you can trust…you’ll find a few of the best laid out in a previous blog post.