You might have come up with that brilliant product idea and you want to bring it out there by building a Shopify store.
Shopify is a platform that's easy to use and navigate for new and experienced ecommerce store owners alike.
It's a great platform that allows you to create and launch your dream business.
You can reach and sell to your customers with Shopify wherever they are on the planet.
This means you can transact with potential customers not just locally, but globally.
Now that's amazing!
But there are things you need to be aware of while building your ecommerce site.
Maybe you have very little idea of how to start a Shopify store.
And maybe, you're afraid to make mistakes.
Well, there are indeed ecommerce mistakes to avoid.
And the good news is... I can help you avoid these common mistakes.
Yep! You don't need to be an expert. You just need to open your eyes and follow my suggestions.?
Let's dive right in...
1. Having No Idea Who Your Ideal Customer Is
This is one of the reasons why ecommerce businesses fail.
But this is crucial because Identifying your ideal customer is the first step.
Why? They're the ones that will benefit from your product.
You may have good products and high demand for your niche... but you will have a difficult time reaching your ideal customers if you don't know them.
And if you know who they are, it's easier to understand and meet their needs.
In running a Shopify store or any other ecommerce business, you should have a good understanding of your ideal customer.
Creating a buyer persona is a good idea.
Using buyer personas will help you focus on your audience's needs as you create content to reach them more effectively.
Sounds good?
Now, this is important…
2. Marketing Without A Solid Plan
Once you have your ecommerce site up and running, and you know who your customers are and where they can be found, creating your marketing plan should be easy-peasy.
You need to develop a marketing plan that defines your target audiences, your long-term goals, and even your sales method.
You cannot accomplish your business goals using only a 'numbers-based strategy' without a healthy and solid marketing plan.
Similarly, this next point is vital...
3. Not Paying Attention to Branding
Brand your business with a message that communicates how it aims to serve customers.
Branding is everything you do to establish the perception of your business in the minds of consumers.
You can think of it as the impression that comes to mind when they hear the name of your business.
Branding's purpose is to make it easy and clear for customers to understand what you do and how you differ.
By designing an ecommerce site that describes what you offer, choosing specific brand colors, creating a logo, and showcasing it across all your social media accounts...
Besides the logo and the colors, these are some ways that you can shape the perception of your customers about your business:
- Your store's look and feel
- Customer experience
- Product packaging
- The quality of the products you carry
- The price
- Advertising
And here are important branding tips...
To shape the public perception in a positive way, follow these steps:
- Strengthen your Unique Selling proposition. It's what sets you apart from the competition.
- Incorporate your brand identity. Your visual identity must be consistent across all of your marketing tools, including advertising, store themes, fonts, etc..
You see my point, right?
4. Poorly Optimized Images That Increase Loading Times
There are a lot of guidelines and rules for how images should be formatted for search engine optimization.
And finding the right image for your products is not always easy.
Nonetheless, selecting images that do not result in high loading times should be taken into consideration.
According to studies, websites should load within five seconds.
And ecommerce sites are no different.
So beyond five seconds, you may lose a lot of customers.
Therefore, you should choose images of high quality that won't slow down your site.
Do you see how huge this is?
Next, you’re about to find out how…
5. False Belief That Having An Online Store Will Bring Traffic
The worldwide web is congested and there are about 4.5 billion websites on the internet.
Your site is extremely likely to get lost. For this reason, your store needs to be launched.
You want to get your target audience to see you so soft-launching your Shopify store would be a good idea.
A soft launch is an excellent way for an ecommerce store to gain recognition via word-of-mouth and social media
This is equivalent to hosting a physical store. The big difference is, that you’d be doing it virtually.
I’m sure you’re with me on this one…
6. A Page Without About Us Or Company Info
Just like any other business, ecommerce stores need to provide addresses and contact details too.
Most brands stuff their product pages with dozens of products.
And yet they do not share important information about their brand.
Huge mistake!
Your brand will be trusted more if you provide your customers with pertinent business information.
It makes it easier for them to keep in touch and this builds trust.
Often, customers buy from brands they trust and are connected to.
Also, the power of telling a great online story about your mission and journey can be a great
advantage.
Next point, I'm sure you’ll agree with me on this…
7. Not Configuring SEO Correctly
It's common for entrepreneurs to leave SEO options set to default.
It can be another costly mistake.
Ideally, you should tailor each meta tag based on its content. Search engines use meta tags to locate your site on the web.
Make your meta tags more relevant and informative so you increase your product's chances of being seen.
You can also rank higher on your ecommerce site with better meta tags.
Stick with me here, because this is crucial...
8. Not Setting Up Payment Gateways Correctly
This is a no-brainer.
Any online store uses a payment gateway to handle all financial transactions. Your Shopify store won't be complete without a payment gateway.
It secures the customer's payment information and collects the funds from their account.
You will then receive the funds in your bank account and can withdraw the funds at any time.
Your first consideration should be what countries you will be offering your products to.
It is important to verify that your payment gateway supports those countries.
Ideally, you should choose one that's a popular payment method in a particular country.
You can choose one or both of these:
- Use Shopify's in-house payment methods. The service does require a fee, of course. Using the platform as a payment channel means you don't need to worry about integrating or customizing.
The platform makes it easy for you to do this and if you are just starting out, you'll need all the help that you can get from Shopify.
- There is also an option to add multiple payment methods. Having multiple payment options will impact your store because people all over the world may be able to access your store.
The next part is interesting...
9. Choose Themes That Look Good on Mobile Devices
We live in a world where mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives.
Today, many people shop online by using their smartphones.
This is the reason brands need to provide a better mobile experience.
And themes that are mobile responsive can be used.
Fortunately, Debutify can help you with this. ?Customers should also find it easy to scan your pages.
Many customers would leave a store if they found it tough to navigate.
Additionally, consider developing a mobile app for your store. Mobile applications will boost your business's popularity and help you to generate more leads.
Leads resulting from your mobile application are likely to become loyal customers.
And who knows? These leads will turn into raving fans and loyal customers.
As with any ecommerce store, you need to ensure that your mobile version has all the ecommerce store qualities, similar to the desktop version.
Here's a good example:
Starbucks did something phenomenal for its followers. They launched their mobile app making them accessible to all coffee lovers during the Covid-19 lockdown.
You don’t want to miss this next point…
10. Not Using Newsletter Subscriptions
Signing up for a Shopify store gives you access to your newsletter. Don't opt out of this feature.
- Send them your latest newsletters to send your customers the latest product and store information. It keeps them updated with all your latest offers and promos.
- Add a popup form to connect with your visitors. Build it around your brand. Include a special offer or discount to grow your audience and boost sales.
Fortunately, Debutify has Newsletter Popup Add-ons to help you grow your following and skyrocket your revenue.
An example would be a special promo or a business update.
Don’t stop reading now…
11. Unattended Cart Abandonment
Did you know that the average cart abandonment rate is 69.82%?
Yep, that's why you need to take a step. And here are some tips I have for you.
- As mentioned earlier, Providing multiple payment options is very important.
- Have a compelling call to action. Because a compelling CTA ensures good results.
It will help your business convert a visitor into customers.
Is that something you’d like for your business? I'm sure. So moving on...
12. Taking First-Time Visitors for Granted
A great deal of attention is paid to first-time users. They are important.
It is those users who eventually become future customers.
So, you need to find a way to impress them, whether by giving them a promo offer or a personalized email.
Check that the email pop-ups are working properly and that your home screen is engaging.
An ideal Shopify store should make it easy for a first-time user to navigate.
It is for the same reason that you need a consistent theme and minimalist design.
We're nearly coming to an end so hold on...
13. Not Taking Care of Accounting
In Shopify, many tools help you keep track of your ecommerce accounting.
It is up to you to apply them. Your effort is required in this area.
You should be able to track your earnings and expenses.
Good thing, Shopify provides several sophisticated solutions, including Quickbooks which can help in tracking and updating your account in real-time.
Next up...
14. Lack of Social Proof
Buying an item online has the disadvantage that you can't see, feel, or experience it before you make the purchase.
Hence, the importance of visual and written social proof to ecommerce brands
And Social proof across your advertising, store site, and emails can help customers journey from visiting to considering to buy and from considering to buy to buying.
Ultimately, increase conversion rates on your ecommerce store.
We've come to the last important point...
15. Lack of Customer Experience
Every interaction with your brand should be seamless, and memorable.
Ecommerce sites' design flaws such as poor site search or navigation, lack of consistency across platforms, and a lack of personalization will leave any ecommerce businesses behind.
And modern customers expect a seamless experience when going from one point of contact to the next - whether from phone to desktop or an email to chat interaction.
There you have it...
I have discussed the 15 Shopify mistakes to avoid...
While perfection does not exist, you can at least learn from these and move forward.
Learn it and apply it so you can absolutely...
Avoid These 15 Mistakes When Building Your Shopify Store
Fortunately, there's Debutify to help you avoid these ecommerce mistakes and assist you in creating your first Shopify store .
Starting with your Shopify store is easy.
Why? Because optimizing with Debutify goes beyond style and user experience. It optimizes revenue, too!
With over 50+ Add-Ons you can utilize... Debutify can help you shoot up your conversion rate, drive your average order value, and skyrocket your profits!
So what are you waiting for?
Create your Shopify Store Now and Optimize it Properly with Debutify!
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