Major Ecommerce Hurdles Of 2017

A few years ago, you created a site, added elements of eCommerce, and watched the money roll through the door. A few years later, though, and the sales are starting to drop, and the site and company are suffering. What, you ask, is the problem? In this case, the issue is the fact that the techniques you are using are old and outdated. ECommerce is like a living organism in the sense that it always evolves and changes, so you have to adapt with the times. If you don’t, the business won’t last long because it crumbles. To help transform your fortunes, here are the things to watch out for this year and into the future.

Customer Loyalty

Are your customers jumping from the site like sailors abandoning a ship? If so, it’s because they don’t have any loyalty. And, you can’t blame them for that because it’s your fault. Sure, some customers take their business elsewhere because of the price, but most are pushed before they jump. A range of issues from bad customer service to a slow website can make up the mind of the consumer in a matter of seconds. As a result, it’s essential to ensure that your eCommerce website provides them with a reason to stay. Customers have no time and no patience in 2017, and it will only get worse.

Online Experience

Because the company survives from selling services online, the online experience must be great. No, scratch that – it has to be perfect. You have to remember that this is your main source of income, so why would you settle for anything less than perfection? Yet, firms do it all the time, and some don’t even realise it because they are naïve. Take web design as an example. Instead of hiring an expert like Rouge Media, lots of firms take care of their design alone. The result is a basic, generic site that doesn’t add value. A tip: always hire a professional to create the site.

Returns

Not every purchase goes to plan, and that is to be expected. After all, the customers are looking at things online so will find faults when they see them in real time. The problem with returning an item is the shipping costs. A business like yours might decide to offer free shipping as an incentive. It is a wise decision because plenty of companies use this method and it helps you keep up with the competition. However, when a customer returns an item, the price of shipping doubles and hacks away at your profit margin. To stop this from being a problem, it’s essential to factor in the cost of shipping with the price of the product or service. That way there is no need to lose money.

 

There is no doubt that an eCommerce site can change the complexion of the business landscape in your favour. Still, it doesn’t mean that it will work outright if you don’t address the issues of the time. For now, all of the above will cause you problems, but that will change and so should the firm when it happens.

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