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4 mistakes all ecommerce websites need to avoid

More than half of ecommerce startups fail because of big brands like Amazon or eBay. Read on to learn more about four of the most common ecommerce pitfalls.

More than half of ecommerce startups fail because of big brands like Amazon or eBay that have  the product range and price advantage. If you want to be successful in this competitive industry, you need to avoid the common mistakes that cause other sites to crash and burn. Remember, mistakes are learning opportunities, but avoiding them in the first place is even better. Read on to learn more about four of the most common ecommerce pitfalls.

1. Technical SEO errors

Ecommerce sites are generally more prone to SEO errors than other types of websites, and these issues can be a major obstacle to search engine traffic. Common errors to look out for and resolve as soon as possible include links to web pages that don’t exist (404 errors), duplicates of the same page, and links to redirected pages (301 or 302). Redirected pages can actually diminish your Google PageRank, which is important for determining where your site places in search engine results.

2. Confusing shopping carts or checkout processes

To improve your conversion rate and customer experience, make the checkout process as simple as possible. Don’t add any obstacles or unnecessary steps that could prevent your customers from completing their purchase, such as forcing them to set up an account or unexpected delivery fees. Also, remember to remove any irrelevant fields and keep text simple and short.

3. No “About us” page

This is a common mistake made by many ecommerce websites as they believe it doesn’t bring in a lot of referral or search engine traffic. However, most visitors to ecommerce stores visit the ‘about us’ page before they leave, so it’s an important place to get your unique selling propositions (USP)  across. Customers will also avoid buying products if they don’t trust a brand, so take the opportunity to provide context and address how your services can benefit them.

4. Ignoring mobile users

More people than ever before are now accessing the internet on smartphones and tablets, which means they’re also buying products on their mobile devices more frequently. This is why having a responsive website (or even an app) is incredibly important for any ecommerce business that wants to retain customers and prevent them from purchasing similar products from competitors. It’s important to remember that Google also boosts search rankings for mobile-friendly websites.

For more advice on creating effective ecommerce websites, or for help navigating these potential pitfalls, contact the team at iFactory today.

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