The e-commerce industry has witnessed a massive boom in the post-pandemic world. Several small businesses are taking their stores online to increase their sales. In such a scenario, it is important to pay attention to every small detail as a single mistake can leave you behind the competitors.
In this blog, we will explore some of the common mistakes in eCommerce website development that you can easily avoid. Look these.
Mistakes to avoid in e-commerce web development
Incompatibility with mobile devices
A study by The Drum finds that mobile devices account for 65% of all e-commerce traffic. This highlights the importance of responsive web design that is easily accessible on mobile devices.
Website developers always recommend using extensively tested themes to ensure the responsiveness of a website. You can opt for Google's mobile-friendliness test to find out if your site is optimized for smartphones.
Also, frequently review your website manually. Many times, a shopping cart looks perfect on mobile devices, but doesn't work when users place an order.
Complex navigation
Always adhere to best navigation practices, as too much uniqueness is not a wise decision here. Here are some points to remember:
- Anything clickable should be highlighted and large enough for users to touch with a mobile phone.
- Categories should be easily accessible from the top menu or hamburger menu.
- Allow users to sort by important features like price, relevance, popularity, etc.
- Keep provision for multiple unique filters for your product inventory.
- Make sure users can save their cart or wishlist for a set period. People usually don't buy something online in one go (except essential items like medicines). They will browse multiple sites, compare prices, read reviews, and review different products before deciding. Make sure your saved cart or wish list is not lost.
- A search feature with auto-correct and auto-complete features will instantly increase the convenience of users.
To ensure optimized browsing, we recommend that you contact a professional website development company. Experts will focus on intuitive navigation and improve user experience.
SEO mistakes
Without proper SEO practices, an eCommerce website cannot achieve success in this competitive landscape. Here are some common problems to be aware of and fix:
Duplicate page: Since an eCommerce website has many product pages, you need to ensure that one page does not have a duplicate version. This is usually caused by URL variables. You can use a canonical tag (“rel canonical”) to inform search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page. Using this tag will prevent problems caused by duplicate or identical content appearing on multiple URLs. It will also highlight which version of a URL you want to display in search results.
broken links: It is important to find and repair broken links. A broken link can mean that a web page is no longer available, that the page is moved without a redirect, or that the URL structure of a page is changed. It is important to resolve them with proper tags/redirects to increase user convenience. There are two ways to fix the problem: replace the links with active links and remove the links.
In addition to these technical SEO issues, you should invest in comprehensive SEO services that will help you promote your site and drive organic traffic to your site. Since reputation is a crucial factor for e-commerce websites, earning first place in search engine, creating brand awareness and promoting brand credibility play a paramount role in growing a business.
Too much or too less Product description
You know that the product description is important to tell people more about the product and gain their trust. But it is important to understand that a product description should provide adequate information without boring people. They may become exhausted while reading an endless product description with irrelevant details.
Point out what information is central to your product and highlight it. You can include a video of the product so people get a better perspective.
No upsell opportunities
These days, upselling has proven to have immense merits in boosting sales. If you want your customers to add more products to their carts and check out, upselling may be the right strategy.
Major eCommerce platforms like Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. They offer functionality that can display related products on the individual product page. A feature like “customers who bought this item also bought” can offer incredible opportunities to improve transaction rates and therefore increase average revenue per order.
Not defining a unique selling proposition
Every company has a USP, but many forget to display it on their websites. This is one of the worst mistakes you can make. With so many competitors around you, it is important to highlight your distinctive feature to stand out in the market and attract your audience. Plus, with big marketplaces like Amazon right around the corner, you need to give a compelling reason for users to buy from your website.
For example, do you offer a customization service? Can users customize the products they purchase? Do you offer free shipping nationwide? No matter if you belong to a B2B or B2C domain, highlight your USP on the site.
Of course, there are many other aspects you can optimize in your e-store, but these are the starting points you can't afford to overlook. We hope you found the blog useful. Share your ideas with us. For online store owners planning to redesign their existing website, also read our blog on eCommerce website pitfalls you can easily avoid.
