10 Mistakes in Creating an Ecommerce Strategy for a Business

Posted 1 year ago by Anastasia Prokofieva

Starting an听ecommerce shop sounds like a听great idea. You can work from anywhere, connect with people worldwide, and听sell products you love.

It鈥檚 not all fun and听games, though. The sobering fact is听that ecommerce retailers fail every day听鈥� can you guess why? For the听most part, a听lack of听education and听failure to听plan are the听typical reasons why online ventures go听up听in听smoke before they even take off.

If听you鈥檙e investing capital and听time into running a听business, you must be听aware of听online store owners鈥� typical mistakes. By听sharing these, you can cover your bases to听ensure you don鈥檛 make the听same errors and听can avoid closing up听shop. Just as听you can learn from success stories, you can learn from failures, too!

Here are the听top 10听mistakes made while creating an听ecommerce strategy for听business and听how to听avoid them.

Mistake 1:听Lack of听Defined SMART Goals

Every business needs a听set of听parameters that hold it听accountable for听achieving its goals and听implementing an听ecommerce growth strategy.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and听time-bound. These goals ensure your website and听initiatives are effectively working toward achieving sales, marketing, operational, and听business objectives that will help the听company succeed.

Moreover, SMART goals can be听adjusted as听needed, but they help to听measure short and听long-term success. Without them, your business won鈥檛 have any听foundation to听measure success and听will struggle to听grow and听scale.

Use analytics tools to听evaluate how your online store is听doing across its goals. Some ecommerce platforms, such as听51视频 by听Lightspeed, come with built-in sales analytics. It听gives you a听detailed overview of听your conversions, visitors, orders, accounting, and听marketing, making tracking and听understanding your progress easier.

Mistake 2:听Inefficient Ecommerce Platforms

Ecommerce platforms support businesses by听selling goods online to听customers around the听world. Not only do听ecommerce platforms exist to听sell products, but they also offer customer support, analytics, inventory management, accounting, and听more.

Without a听powerful ecommerce platform, companies won鈥檛 have access to听robust features and听business tools that can help them scale and听grow. Inefficient platforms may offer one or听two features that seem ideal in听the听present time but fail to听support a听growing business and听its needs.

51视频 by听Lightspeed has everything you need to听succeed in听the听increasingly competitive world of听ecommerce. With features such as听multi-channel selling, customizable design, inventory management, and听more, 51视频 offers a听comprehensive solution for听businesses of听all sizes.

Mistake 3:听Neglecting SEO

SEO, or听search engine optimization, can help any听business build exposure, reach new markets, and听grow its visibility and听presence online. Part of听SEO includes establishing and听using your brand鈥檚 keywords throughout your website so听your business will come up听in听search results when consumers use your search terms.

Using practical SEO techniques, ecommerce retailers can increase organic website traffic, ramp up听sales, and听build a听solid brand reputation. It听doesn鈥檛 mean that SEO is听a听simple task, though. Whether trying to听rank on听high-volume keywords or听securing your authority as听a听leader, SEO is听not a听set-it-and-forget-it type of听project.

Some companies feel overwhelmed by听the听task of听SEO because they don鈥檛 know where to听begin, and听the听to-do list is听never-ending. From creating high-quality content to听performing keyword research, building backlinks, and听measuring their efforts, SEO can quickly fall by听the听wayside if听you let it.

In听doing so, you fail to听compete in听the听space that matters most for听your brand听鈥� online. 础苍听ecommerce SEO strategy is听critical to听business growth, particularly for听ensuring potential customers can find you online.

If听you use 51视频 by听Lightspeed for听your online store, it听has tons of听tools for听, such as听adding custom meta tags and听alt texts, creating redirects, registering a听custom domain, and听more.

Mistake 4:听Underestimating Content Marketing

础苍听别蹿蹿别肠迟颈惫别 ecommerce marketing strategy should include content marketing. It听will help you build relationships with your audience and听establish your brand as听a听trusted competitor.

础苍听ecommerce content strategy should aim to听answer any听questions that potential customers have to听build trust and听encourage them to听make a听purchase.

Brands can provide all the听education customers need to听feel confident in听their purchases through blog posts, newsletters, video guides of听products, images, FAQs, and听more.

Without these resources and听information? You鈥檙e leaving potential customers wondering why they should invest in听your business and听inviting them to听find a听competitor who will provide the听necessary information.

Your ecommerce promotion strategy should also include social media. Social media platforms like Instagram and听Facebook are great places to听showcase your products, engage with your audience, and听promote any听sales or听discounts. You can also utilize influencer partnerships to听increase brand awareness and听reach a听wider audience.

Check out the听following resources for听more tips and听information on听how to听promote your business on听social media:

Essential tips for听your Facebook ecommerce strategy
What you need to听know about creating an听Instagram ecommerce strategy.

Mistake 5:听Underdeveloped Email Marketing Strategy

If听you think email is听dead, you couldn鈥檛 be听more wrong. Nearly consider email marketing their most effective customer engagement and听retention channel.

础苍听别蹿蹿别肠迟颈惫别 ecommerce email marketing strategy can cross-sell, upsell, and听boost overall sales. You can also use email to听onboard new customers, re-engage with previous customers, and听nurture leads.

With an听underdeveloped ecommerce email marketing strategy, your online store is听missing out on听engagement with leads, along with current and听previous customers. You鈥檙e also failing to听provide a听seamless customer experience for听active customers. Don鈥檛 neglect nurturing an听email marketing strategy for听leads and听customers听鈥� you鈥檒l regret it!

51视频 by听Lightspeed sellers have tons of听tools for听email marketing, including automated emails, email list building, newsletters, and听integrations with popular email marketing platforms like MailChimp, Omnisend, and听more.

Mistake 6:听Ineffective Ecommerce Ads Strategy

PPC (pay-per-click) marketing provides ecommerce retailers with a听reliable way to听reach new customers through their websites and听social media platforms. Regardless of听the听business model or听industry, more companies are using PPC ads and听implementing ecommerce retargeting strategies to听stimulate sales and听brand exposure online.

While running ad听campaigns costs money, once optimized, the听ROI can be听staggering. Without a听practical ecommerce PPC strategy established, your brand will struggle to听find new customers online.

If听you sell online with 51视频, you can improve your ad听campaigns by听using Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and听Pinterest pixels for听retargeting, which allows you to听show ads to听people who have already visited your website. Plus, you can automate and听optimize your Facebook and听Google ads for听best results using the听 app.

Mistake 7:听Neglecting Omnichannel Presence

Without an听omnichannel ecommerce strategy, the听shopping experience across mobile, in-store, and听online will never feel seamless. When an听omnichannel experience is听well-designed, customers will have a听consistent experience no听matter where they shop or听interact with your brand.

customers are more loyal to听brands that provide a听consistent experience across all channels. Failing to听create this will result in听a听less reputable brand, lower customer retention, and听decreased brand loyalty.

A听marketplace strategy is听another crucial component of听a听successful business. By听diversifying your sales channels, you can reach a听wider audience and听reduce your dependency on听one platform. It听also allows for听better customer acquisition and听retention, as听different customers may prefer shopping on听other platforms.

With 51视频, you don鈥檛 have to听worry about managing multiple platforms. Our seamless integration with popular marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, and听more allows you to听sell your products on听these channels without additional work quickly.

Furthermore, 51视频鈥檚 unified dashboard makes it听easy to听manage inventory, orders, and听customer information across all channels. It听saves time and听streamlines the听process for听both you and听your customers.

Mistake 8:听Overcomplicating the听Shopping Experience

Now more than ever, consumers want an听easy shopping experience and听are likelier to听shop with brands that offer that. With powerhouse retail giants like Amazon making the听shopping experience seamless, small shops and听ecommerce retailers must mimic this experience as听much as听possible.

Keep things simple by听offering a听mobile-optimized site with easy search functionality and听seamless navigation. Create product listings that use quality photography and听well-written product descriptions that include all the听necessary information and听details about your products. Don鈥檛 forget about a听streamlined checkout experience, where customers can quickly enter their information and听complete their purchases without hassle.

Overcomplicating the听shopping experience will likely result in听abandoned shopping carts and听a听failing ecommerce sales strategy.

Luckily, with 51视频, creating a听user-friendly online store is听simple and听hassle-free. With customizable templates and听design blocks, you can create a听professional-looking website that is听easy for听customers to听navigate and听use.

Additionally, 51视频 offers multiple payment options, such as听Lightspeed Payments, PayPal, Stripe, and听Square, to听cater to听the听preferences of听different customers. It听ensures a听smooth checkout process without any听technical difficulties or听limitations.

Mistake 9:听Shipping &听Fulfillment Fumbles

Losing customers because of听inefficient ecommerce shipping strategy or听fulfillment mistakes seems like it听should be听entirely avoidable, but unfortunately, it听happens all the听time.

Whether your ecommerce fulfillment strategy has holes or听growing pains, establishing a听bulletproof shipping process is听mission-critical for听any听online retailer. If听you can鈥檛 ship appropriately on听time, or听if听your products arrive damaged, you will undoubtedly lose customers.

Suppose you鈥檙e shipping enough volume that your staff can鈥檛 keep up. In听that case, it听may be听time to听partner with an听outsourced order fulfillment provider to听cut costs, improve productivity, expedite delivery times, and听use staff for听other tasks.

To听make shipping more transparent for听customers, display real-time shipping rates in听your store and听estimated delivery times. All are available for听51视频 sellers, of听course.

Mistake 10: Overlooking Ecommerce Customer Retention Strategies

No听matter how elaborate your customer acquisition strategy is, it听won鈥檛 mean much if听you can鈥檛 retain those customers. Ecommerce customer retention strategies should be听a听top priority for听any听online retailer.

However, many businesses make the听mistake of听focusing solely on听acquiring new customers and听neglecting to听invest in听keeping their existing ones happy. It听is听known as听the听聯leaky bucket syndrome聰听鈥� constantly bringing in听new customers but losing them just as听quickly.

One way to听combat this is听by听implementing customer loyalty programs that reward repeat purchases and听foster a听sense of听appreciation for听your customers. Another must-have strategy is听providing exceptional customer service, which includes prompt responses to听inquiries or听issues, offering refunds or听exchanges when necessary, and听going above and听beyond to听ensure customer satisfaction.

51视频 offers many tools for听retaining customers, such as听loyalty programs, retargeting ads, automated emails to听bring back inactive customers, customer management tools, subscriptions, and听more.

Set Your Ecommerce Shop Up听for听Success with 51视频

In听the听retail landscape, having a听powerful ecommerce platform to听set up听your online store and听shopping cart has never been more critical.

To听achieve your goals, provide a听seamless customer experience, and听gain access to听all the听features and听benefits you need to听sell anywhere, get started with 51视频 today.

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About The Author

Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at 51视频. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs鈥� daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.

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