GizmosDomains’s Weblog

The Five Most Commonly Encountered, Off-putting E-commerce Errors

Are abandoned shopping carts continuing to wreak havoc on your online sales? If so, perhaps it’s your Web site that’s driving your visitors away.

Marcia Yudkin, Internet marketing expert and the author of Poor Richard’s Web Site Marketing Makeover, knows what makes or breaks an e-commerce Web site. Having recently judged a raftload of sites for the Webby Awards and the Inc. Web Awards, her first hand knowledge of e-commerce blunders and how to avoid them can help you convert more visitors into buyers.

If you want to be a successful online retailer, Yudkin suggests you avoid these five common irritants and obstacles:

Lack of quick orientation for first-time visitors
What does the site sell? “I’ve had to poke around for several minutes sometimes to understand the focus of a site,” Yudkin says. “Jargon is one culprit. Another is lack of context, like an airline site that sells tickets not giving a single clue on the home page in what countries or even what continent it flies.”

Explanations that don’t explain
What does the product do and not do? “Another basic, but it happens often that a site doesn’t explain whether their “Turbocharge VT27-Plus” is a one-time download, a subscription, a Web-based service or something else,” notes Yudkin. “An alternative payment system’s site failed to offer a clear, systematic description of how it works.”

Missing prices and shipping charges
How much? “You shouldn’t have to put something into a shopping cart or enter your credit card information to learn how much an item costs, including shipping,” says Yudkin. “Unfortunately, you still find this mistake at sites that have had plenty of time to get their act together.”

Unreadable text
Say what? “Creativity gone haywire seems to be the hallmark of some Web designers,” Yudkin charges. “Orange letters on a blue background, olive green on black, light gray on white and blue on blue were combinations that sent me packing, as did lettering too small for over-40 eyes.”

Inconsistencies
Huh? One site says, “To sign up, click on the Sign Up link at the top of every page.” But the site does not have any “Sign Up” link, only “Sign In.” “Such carelessness wastes the time of earnest shoppers and gets them frustrated and fed up, never to return,” Yudkin comments.

What’s a Retailer To Do?

By making sure your site isn’t creating any of these obstacles, retailers can reduce shopping cart abandonment and create happier, more satisfied customers.

“Blunders are equally rampant at well-funded corporate sites and those from home-based businesses,” notes Yudkin. “The good news is that many of the errors are extremely easy and inexpensive to fix.”

Yudkin also offers tips for small retailers who want to makeover their Web sites to stand out from their competitors. These inexpensive ideas can make a big difference in your online success and help drive business to your physical store:

1. Take advantage of your Mom & Pop status, if you fall into that category, and make the site reflect your personality and your geographical location.

2. Add community-oriented, local features that the national retailers wouldn’t be able to compete with.

3. Be responsive and personal to people who email you – something the big sites usually can’t manage well.

4. Include your phone number and a map to get to your store. Some people finding your Web site won’t be familiar with your city or town.

5. State your store hours and make sure they’re up to date. You’ll make people angry if they show up when your Web site said you’d be open and you’re not.

For more information on Marcia Yudkin or Poor Richard’s Web Site Marketing Makeover visit Creative Marketing Solutions.

Copyright © 2002 Marcia Yudkin. All rights reserved. Used with permission.