Good Ecommerce design is vital for online business success. Easy to navigate websites help users to find the product easily while clear call to actions (CTA) guide them to complete purchases easily which reduces their confusions and boost their interest as a result usability increases. And a well-designed site looks professional and safe as a result, customers are more likely to trust it with their money and data.
On the other hand, bad design can hurt a business so people may leave a site that is hard to use or does not look safe which leads to lost sales and a poor brand image. A study by Amazon Web Services revealed that Ecommerce businesses lose approximately 35% of potential sales due to poor user experience, amounting to an estimated $1.4 trillion in lost revenue. So investing in good ecommerce design is worth the cost as it can help a business grow and thrive.
This article delves into the Top 8 mistakes to avoid in Ecommerce. Avoiding these mistakes will help keep your good name intact, and help your ecommerce site achieve long-lasting success.
Top 8 mistakes to avoid in Ecommerce design
1. Lack of detailed Information:
Most of the online users prefer detailed information as they can’t physically check the product and mostly Desktop users spend more time on researching before making a decision as they often compare multiple products, read reviews, and then make informed purchasing decisions. So it’s important for businesses to provide details about the product to satisfy customers and to increase engagement.
Provide as much product information as you can like sizes, materials, weight, dimensions, and any other basic information that every customer needs. Also, highlight what makes the product valuable and Why should someone buy it? By answering these questions users’ frustration will reduce and will improve user experience.
For example, instead of just saying “Wireless Headphones,” businesses should give detailed information like “Enjoy immersive sound with our Noise-Canceling Wireless Headphones. Lightweight (250g) with memory foam ear cushions for comfort, they offer 40-hour battery life, active noise cancellation, and Bluetooth 5.0 for seamless connectivity. Quick-charge gives 3 hours of playtime in 10 minutes, perfect for travel, work, or gaming!”
2. Ignoring negative reviews:
A negative review gives businesses the opportunity to turn a bad situation into a great one and to gain customer trust as they feel that they are valued and if negative reviews are ignored then customers are more likely to leave the site and never visit the website as they think that business doesn’t care. A study by BrightLocal found that 89% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews, and 45% say they’re more likely to visit a business if it responds to negative reviews. This shows that ignoring negative reviews can drive potential customers away, while addressing them can build trust and improve retention.
Ignoring negative reviews can negatively impact the brands image as when the customers will do negative comments about the service or product so the potential customers will lose and new customers won’t trust the business because of negative reviews about the the brand so this will reduce the engagement which will lead to decrease in sales so businesses should respond to the negative reviews to show they care and are working to improve. This builds trust and protects the brand’s reputation. For example, JetBlue Airways actively responds to negative reviews and customer complaints on social media, addressing concerns promptly. This approach has helped them build strong customer relationships and maintain a positive brand image.
3. Poor customer service:
Firstly, businesses need to make it easy for customers to get in touch with them if they have a problem, question or they want to return so businesses can simply reach out them through email and ask that if there is something wrong with the shipping so they can reattempt, if customers want to return the product so offer them exchange offer or give them the refund and if customers want to buy something but currently they don’t have money so businesses can hold a product for them or they can provide money installment for 1 month this will satisfy the users and their will be positive reviews about the business which can increase conversions.
For example, Shopify, Jazz cash and Furor jeans these businesses provide money installments which reduce the stress of customers as they can easily pay the money in a month. And there is an online store called Temu, they provide return and refund offers till 3 months and also when customers want to return something which is not too expensive they give them as a gesture and also refund the money so this approach can turn dissatisfied customers into loyal ones.
4. Showing one product image:
Since customers can’t physically see the colour, fabric, length and details of the product so they need to see the full images with back and front of the product and if the images from multiple angles is not provided then they may abandon their carts and choose a competitor instead. After all we are also customers so would we buy a product if we couldn’t see its front, back, or a complete picture? In short No as we will go to competitors where we can satisfy ourselves by looking at the multiple images. This is how businesses lose customers and bounce rates increase.
If businesses don’t provide the videos so they should at least show the complete and multiple pictures as this will reduce hesitation of the customers and their trust will be built so they will complete their purchase. Additionally, after viewing the images from all the angles customers make informed decisions in purchasing so this reduces the returns and exchanges. For example, Zara provides high-quality images from multiple angles, along with zoom-in features and even videos of models wearing the product. This helps customers visualize how the product looks in real life, increasing their confidence in making a purchase.
5. Lack of payment options:
There are plenty of sites out there that only allow users to pay with Visa or MasterCard but there are mostly customers who are teenagers who want to pay online but they don’t have a visa or mastercard. What about the ones who don’t have a card but they directly want to pay from a bank account? So limited payment methods can lead to lost sales and abandoned carts.
Businesses can reduce the abandoned carts by providing the payment methods as much as they can as it will increase the choices for their customers and make them more likely to purchase. For example, Sada pay which is used internationally so customers from all over the world can pay through Sada pay and there are other payments methods also like payment directly from bank account or platforms like Paypal, Apple pay and Google pay so this can make the transaction convenient and accessible for everyone leading to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
6. Poor shopping cart:
A poorly designed shopping cart can lose customers as when there is a long and complicated checkout process so customers get frustrated like when they have to fill too many forms, create an account or deal with unexpected fees so they leave the site without completing purchase as a result sales decreases leading to decrease in revenues. For example, a study by Baymard Institute found that 69.99% of online shopping carts are abandoned, with extra costs and complicated checkouts being major reasons.
It needs to allow users to add multiple products, to revise the quantities and other options about those products also businesses need to make sure that their cart lets a user add an item and then return to the last page they were on so that they can compare or make changes in the purchasing decision and most important thing is that they should show the delivery and other hidden charges before the checkout the process as sometimes customers mind changes after seeing the high delivery charges or any other charges like tax so they abandon the purchase and turn the other websites where the taxes aur dc are low.
7. Little business contact information:
If a business does not provide clear and accessible contact information of business then it doesn’t look real or professional so this can create trust issues for customers due to this, they might not purchase from the brand as customers want to know that they’re dealing with a real company when they hand over their credit card information. Additionally, when customers have questions or face issues with their orders they need an easy way to reach out. If they struggle to find an email, phone number or live chat option, they may abandon their purchase and choose a competitor with better support. A study by KoMarketing found that 44% of website visitors leave if a company’s contact information is missing or hard to find.
To avoid this, businesses need to provide clear contact details, customer service representatives, and email options as a result, customers’ trust will build leading to higher retention and sales. The most obvious places to put contact information are either in the header, the top of the sidebar, or in footer. For example, Nike places its contact information in the footer of its website, making it easy for customers to find support options like live chat, email, and phone numbers. Similarly, Apple provides a dedicated “Contact Us” page with multiple support channels, ensuring a seamless customer experience.
8. Not including related products:
When businesses fail to display related products, they miss out on opportunities to increase sales and enhance the customer shopping experience. Customers often look for complementary or similar items, and if they don’t see relevant recommendations, they may leave the site without exploring more.
According to Barilliance, related product recommendations account for up to 31% of eCommerce revenue. Businesses that implement this strategy can encourage customers to purchase additional items, leading to higher sales and better engagement.
These were the common mistakes that businesses usually make. If you’re already committing some of these mistakes, most of them are easy enough to fix. When businesses focus on user-friendly navigation, clear product details, multiple payment methods, responsive customer service, and strategic product recommendations, they create a seamless shopping experience that boosts engagement, reduces cart abandonment, and increases sales. And it’s important for businesses to ensure that your ecommerce platform and your potential customers’ details are safe and your products are well researched to please your target audience.
In today’s competitive digital landscape, a well-optimized eCommerce platform is essential for long-term success.
