Torben Baumdick – Founder & CEO of BAUMDICK GmbH
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Covid-19 has drastically changed the way many people shop, resulting in more and more important purchases being made online. That’s why many retailers have made it their New Year’s resolution to set up their own online stores. Sounds simple, but it isn’t necessarily. There are actually a number of obstacles to consider.
As an expert in online stores, I know how many retailers underestimate the importance of clearly guiding users during the online shopping process. In addition, I often see poor quality images, marketing errors and unconvincing product descriptions. In the following, I’ll reveal the nine mistakes I often see online retailers make when they first set up their own store.
1. No Free Shipping
Very few customers are willing to pay money for shipping these days. Retailers should therefore be sure that they offer free shipping. In order for the whole to pay off, it is advisable to adjust the product prices so that the shipping costs are already included.
2. No premium shipping
The option to have items shipped via premium shipping should also be available in every online store. It is important that online retailers not only include the cost of premium shipping themselves, but also a small amount in the profit. This way they can sell extra through the shipping costs.
3. Hidden Shipping Information
Information about the delivery time should not be missing in any store. It is best placed at the top of the product page above the Add to Cart button so that the customer does not have to search for this information.
4. Lack of a section that is often bought together
Many online stores only display products separately – a mistake, as an extra section of products that have often been bought together in the past can boost business significantly. In addition, it can be integrated quite easily through common store software.
5. No guarantees
When shopping online, customers face a very decisive disadvantage; unlike in retail, they have no opportunity to hold the product in their hands before buying it. For many consumers, shopping online comes with a degree of skepticism. Retailers must therefore offer a minimum 30-day guarantee.
6. Lack of Discount Offers
For many customers, a simple phone call to sign up for a newsletter is no longer enough. With a discount code as low as 10%, consumers are encouraged to sign up for the distribution list – an ingenious way to acquire new customers.
7. Mandatory Registration
Registering a customer account should not be mandatory in any online store. It can have a bad effect on the conversion rate, the number that indicates how many visitors to the store actually bought something. In the worst case, mandatory registration can lead consumers to abandon the purchase process at the last step.
8. Unnecessary Checkout Fields
Many stores ask for information at checkout that is actually not necessary. Unnecessary information includes, for example, the company, the floor of the building and the telephone number. Online retailers looking to improve the user experience for their customers should omit these fields.
9. Wrong payment methods
A mistake many online stores make is that they don’t offer enough country-specific payment methods, for example, selling to Germany, but not Austria. In addition to the classics such as credit card, instant transfer, Google, Apple Pay, PayPal and Klarna, payment by EPS transfer should also be possible.
Any mistake can hinder the progress of your online store. That’s why it’s important to avoid as many mistakes as possible so that you can continue to grow your business quickly.
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