Reasons E-commerce Businesses Fail

E-commerce, without question, represents one of the easiest ways to go into business ever devised. However, your success depends heavily upon how you get in and what you do once you’re in.

In other words, being a member of the club doesn’t automatically entitle you to  benefits. You have to earn them.  

Let’s take a look at the most common reasons e-commerce businesses fail.

Posting a Janky Looking Website

We realize that term might be new to some of you,  so we’ll  break it down.  Just as itsounds;  “janky” refers to an item or an experience exhibiting  poor or unreliable quality.  It’s also  used to describe  anything  considered undesirable in some other way.

To avoid this, your site must reflect professionalism when shoppers arrive. Your layout should please the eye. Photography has to be crisp, well lit and informative. Copy should be vividly descriptive and free of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. 

In other words, the site should say you care.

It’s also important to  demonstrate trustworthiness. Earn trust  seals from companies like PayPal, the BBB and McAfee. Include testimonials from satisfied customers.

Give your  contact information and return policies prominent  placement so they’re easily found–ditto customer support.

Trying to Appeal to a Wide Audience

Here, it’s important to understand  what is the difference between ecommerce and ebusiness.  Shopify, one of the leading ecommerce platform providers  defines  ecommerce as  the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet.

E-business, on the other hand, refers to the processes underpinning those transactions.

Knowing what ecommerce is  about  helps you determine the best audience to go after,  given your product line or service.

The design of your site, the tone of your communications and the nature of your marketing  efforts  must be tailored to a specific demographic  and aimed  to  reach that  customer where they live.  

Along these same lines, you’ll gain far more traction if you specialize in a particular area. Find a niche within which you can operate happily.

Sure, Amazon can get away with selling everything. But if you think you’re going to be competitive with them doing the same thing?

Yeah. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Ignoring Competitors

Some  of your best business ideas are likely to  be  “borrowed” from your competitors, ifyou look around and see what they’re doing.

By the same token, if you operate in a vacuum, trends will get past you and you’ll  find yourself  languishing in the backwater instead of flowing in the mainstream.  

Further, if you make the effort to look your rivals over carefully from time to time, you’ll find things you can do–which they aren’t doing–to set yourself apart when it comes to providing value for your customers. 

Ignoring Customers

Sure, you advertise and you have all the right social media presences, but do you participate when customers try to communicate with you?

Failing to engage your customers is the kiss of death. Too many other people are willing to give them the attention they want and truthfully–deserve.

You have to give your patrons the impression you care, if you are to earn  repeat business. The easiest way to do this is to–well–actually  care.  Social media  is a two-way street.

Use it that way. You’ll find out how your customers really feel, you’ll learn more about what they  truly  want and you’ll let them get to know and love you.  

Failing to Embrace Mobile

Any ecommerce site not optimized for mobile devices these days might as well be a  mail-order catalog. People no longer  have patience for designs that don’t present well in  a handheld environment.

The good news is most ecommerce platforms embrace responsive design now, so those sites  look  wherever  they’re viewed.

However, if you’re breaking off big bucks for a site coded from a blank screen and your designer overlooks this–that’s going to be money wasted. The majority of online shopping is now conducted on mobile devices. 

In fact, if you’re faced with an either/or decision between mobile and desktop, go mobile and don’t look back. 

These five factors will sink your  online  endeavor faster than you can ask for reasons why ecommerce businesses fail.  While far from being the only  causes, if you can at least get these five correct, you’ll have a fighting chance.

Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers  of Self-Acceptance,  Appreciation, and Personal  Achievement.

We ask that every contributor and expert answer  the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the  current article they have written.  In that way, and as a team, we hope to  encourage  and motivate  each other, thus inspiring  you to Get All A’s.

1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.

The challenging life of Entrepreneurship

2. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?

I appreciate my work and the opportunity to collaborate with others.

3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.

Building my own career.

4. Of course, we all have imperfections, or so we think. In truth, we are all perfectly imperfect. What are your not-so-perfect ways? Likewise, what imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?

My laugh is one of a kind.

5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to appreciate and express all the positive traits that make you…well…YOU! In fact, sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (We assure you!) Therefore, Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”

I love my career and my life.