In ecommerce, there is a window of opportunity for companies to capture customers’ interest. Simple mistakes, however, can ruin any hard work which goes into a successful business.
There are the obvious factors which should be correct for sales, such as competitive pricing, simple checkout processes, return policies and customer service. But when cart abandonment is still high and visitors are leaving your site, what are the next areas to improve?
These six minor aspects are often overlooked, impacting visitors’ overall experience.
1. Grammar and spelling mistakes
Spelling mistakes and poor grammar can prove damaging to any brand, reducing customers’ trust immediately.
Hiring a talented editor can reduce the likelihood of mistakes enormously, while improving the standard of written content. For a less expensive alternative, use spell check functions to remove any mistakes, or use websites such as Grammarly to check there are no obvious mistakes.
2. Long sentences
Online shoppers like to understand what a product is, quickly. Long sentences with no commas, full stops or semicolons quickly become difficult to understand, meaning content is often missed.
Use shorter sentences, focusing on essential details and making sure all necessary information is included. Use punctuation to make content easily digestible for readers.
3. Unsuitable product descriptions
Many retailers make the mistake of using manufacturers’ descriptions. These are often poorly written and designed to attract retailers to purchase products, rather than customers. If a product description comes across as a sales pitch, rather than an informative paragraph which aligns with the brand, it can negatively impact sales.
Create product descriptions to fit your own purposes, adding some personality and including information your customer base will appreciate. If you prefer not to write product descriptions yourself, you can hire a professional to do it. Test variations of product description to work out which is most successful.
4. Photo and video problems
Photos which do not obviously and accurately represent a product can deter customers. Low quality imagery which cannot be clearly seen will not attract potential customers to make a purchase.
Upload high quality imagery and videos, making them zoomable wherever possible so visitors can take a closer look. Make sure these accurately represent the product to reduce the likelihood of returns or unhappy customers.
5. No site optimisation
When sites are not designed for the device they are being used on, layouts can be confusing, unattractive, or even unusable.
Test your site across as many devices and browsers as possible, aiming to create a consistent look throughout. Examples of platform include iPhone, iPad, Android, Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge.
Follow CSS and HTML standards on your site, looking to make it functional for those using older versions of software and hardware.
6. Not looking to improve customer experience
One of the biggest mistakes in ecommerce is to not continuously improve.
Survey customers to ask for feedback, using this information to make improvements and reduce exit rates. There are also user-testing platforms such as Crazy Egg and Mouseflow, which enable businesses to track customers’ journeys and highlight the areas which require changes.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
