Don’t let this happen to you – we did warn you after all!


There are the good, classy e-commerce sites and then there are the downright bad ones. The ones that make you wish you’d never seen an e-commerce site in the first place! Don’t want this to happen to your site? Then follow our tips given here.

10 hugest blunders of an e-commerce site
Here are the top 10 picks of all time:

• Not editing images: Large images take up the precious time of your customers. By not editing and optimizing pictures in an image editing software, you increase load times and reduce sales conversion rates. The next time you’re uploading product images, be sure to optimize them.
• Being confused on your USP: Your USP or unique selling proposition is what sets you apart from the crowd of e-commerce sites. Therefore not knowing who your target segment is can literally kill your business. Know what differentiates your company and your products from others – and then sell.
• Not having a privacy/Return policy: Your customers need to know what action they can take if they happen to receive a damaged product. They also have the right to know how their information collected is going to be used, and for what purpose. Not including a privacy policy or a return policy can mean reduced traffic volumes. After all, no one wants to deal with a site that doesn’t offer privacy of information.
• Using excess Flash images: Flash can be great if used in the right places – definitely not on the home page! Many sites do this but it can really slow down loading time and jeopardize optimization efforts. It’s because search engines do not recognize images – just text. Use flash as an optional feature – let’s say for viewing a product in 3D etc.
• Using the by default shopping cart: There’s a reason customized design studios exist. Having the same old same old shopping cart just shows your lack of interest in good presentation. It also shows you’re not bothered about a good design and layout on your site. It makes sense in shelling out a little extra for a good design on your site.
• Complicating checkout: It’s surprising how many e-commerce sites complicate a process as simple as buying. They’ll have pages of forms to fill out – before a customer can even get to the buying stage! Make it simple. Don’t ask for information you don’t need.
• Not having an SSL certificate: An SSL certificate assures your customer that it is safe to shop on your site. Not having it can actually scare customers away because they might be suspicious on shopping on your site! It costs just 50 dollars – definitely worth it – especially if not having SSL means losing out on sales!
• Not including product details: Many sites just have a picture of the product and maybe just a few words on the product. Customers need to know everything they can about your products – after all they never get to see the real thing, right? So make sure to include details like dimensions, features etc.
• Not having thumbnail images: Many sites have high-resolution images which just amount to slow pages and bad optimization. Not having good quality thumbnail images can make customers think you don’t have good quality products!
• Not posting contact details: Customers need to know how they can contact you either in case of a feedback, suggestion or even a complaint. Not having contact details on your website is a big turnoff as far as shopping experience is concerned. Besides, it makes you look like you’re hiding something from customers!