Creating an online shop is a process that requires not only ingenuity, but also a good deal of planning. In the heat of decision-making, it is easy to make mistakes that can cost you time, money and, even worse, customers. How can you avoid them? Find out what the most common pitfalls are when setting up an online shop and how to avoid them to make your shop a success.
In the age of smartphones most online purchases takes place on mobile devices. A website that performs badly on mobile immediately loses customers. And that's a straightforward path to shopping cart abandonment!
Responsive design is an absolute must. Make sure your shop adapts seamlessly to different screens. Check how it looks and works on smartphones, tablets and computers. It has to be fast, aesthetically pleasing and convenient!
A customer who wants to buy something has no patience for complicated forms and a million steps to finalise an order. A shopping process that is too long and convoluted is the shortest route to leaving the site.
Simplify the process! Minimise the number of steps - the customer should be able to place an order in a few clicks. Add a "purchase without registration" option, as not everyone wants to create an account.
Even the best online shop won't sell if no one can find it. Neglect SEO is one of the most common mistakes.
Start with the basics: well-written product descriptions, relevant titles and keywords. Use tools such as Google Search Consoleto analyse and improve your position in the search results.
No Security in an online shop is not only a technical problem, but also an image problem. If a customer sees that a website is not secure (no SSL certificate), he or she will quickly lose trust in it.
Remember that the SSL Certificate This is fundamental. In addition, make sure that payments are processed by trusted gateways (such as PayPal, Stripe), and customer data is adequately protected. Regular updates and backups of the website are a step towards stability and security.
If your website takes longer than three seconds to load, you can say goodbye to your customers. The modern user has no patience to wait for products to load on a page. A slow page means a low conversion rate.
Compress images and ensure good hosting. Find out what is slowing down your website with tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights and make corrections.
Creating an online shop is a challenging process, but by avoiding these five most common mistakes you will get closer to success. Take care of responsiveness, ease of shopping, visibility on Google, security i Page speedand your online shop will gain the trust of your customers.