6 Common Mistakes eCommerce Store Owners Make When Launching Their Website

The successful launching of an eCommerce store can be the difference between endless growth potential and a site that gets lost in the rankings.

As displayed by the graph below, the eCommerce market continues to grow year on year, predicting that it is expected to increase by over $657 billion between 2024 and 2029. With so much opportunity to tap into an ever-growing market, eCommerce store owners need to ensure that their first impressions are positive ones.

(Image source: Statista)

In this article, we discuss some of the biggest errors made by businesses when launching their eCommerce sites to help store owners know exactly what to avoid.

6 Common eCommerce Store Mistakes to Avoid

Having an understanding of the various mistakes that can hinder the success of a site means they can be ironed out early on to ensure a smooth-sailing launch. Let’s discuss six of the most common mistakes that are made by eCommerce businesses.

1. Not optimizing product descriptions

When a shopper is browsing products on a site, the copy they read can make or break the sale. The product description is where they will be looking for any information about the product features, how it can solve a problem they have, or why it’ll improve their everyday life.

Many eCommerce store owners make the mistake of adding vague descriptions that are copied and pasted across the product category and don’t add much value to the reader. This is a missed opportunity that can make a competitor’s listing of the same product all the more appealing.

As well as hindering the user experience, not making an effort with product descriptions can damage SEO rankings. Since search engines need content to understand what a page is about, a lack of text can make it tricky to rank at all. Similarly, if multiple pages contain the same text, it can result in keyword cannibalization and cause pages to compete against each other.

To avoid this, the site should not be launched until all product descriptions have been created. Making sure each page is informative, engaging, and provides all of the information a customer would need on the product will help kick off a strong launch process.

2. Not choosing the right domain name

The domain of a website sets the foundations. Picking a domain name that represents the brand and is easy to remember is crucial, so if a business ends up opting for one that is overly complex or easily misspelt, it can have an impact on traffic and make it hard for customers to find the site.

When choosing a domain, picking the right provider will help establish credibility from the get-go. One of the biggest mistakes new businesses make is opting for the cheapest package, but this can cause problems down the line if there are restrictions and hidden fees involved.

By looking through the different options and picking the best domain deals, eCommerce businesses can secure a strong and memorable domain name with a reliable provider. Choosing the right domain early on means that a business can secure its online identity and create a solution with longevity, allowing it to focus its efforts elsewhere within the business.

3. Overcomplicating the checkout process

Once shoppers have added products to their cart, this is only half of the battle. If they arrive at the checkout and find that the process is too long-winded or confusing, they may well look elsewhere to find what they need. In fact, the average eCommerce cart abandonment rate is over 70% – a huge number of missed sales opportunities.

One of the biggest contributors to abandoned carts is shoppers being asked to create an account. Although eCommerce businesses see this as an opportunity to collect customer data and encourage returning customers, the process of having to create a new account and fill in personal details can be a huge deterrent from the shopper’s perspective.

Another common mistake is offering restricted payment options. If a customer’s preferred payment method is not possible or they are not familiar with the requested method, this can leave them not only inconvenienced, but also questioning the legitimacy of the website.

When launching a new eCommerce site, the checkout process should be thoroughly trialled. Ensuring that a purchase can be made quickly, easily, and without a hiccup will reduce the likelihood of cart abandonments.

4. Having a weak navigation layout

The navigation of a website acts as the main body – it defines how users interact with the site and how easy it is for them to find what they are looking for.

The navigation structure should be one of the first things that is established when launching an eCommerce website. Instead of focusing purely on aesthetics and fun features, the backbone of the website needs to be perfected.

As well as ensuring that the navigation menu makes it easy for users to find the category page they want, the subcategories must also be clear and logical to avoid the user getting frustrated. Each page should contain a number of relevant call-to-action buttons that predict their next move and direct them to relevant pages.

By investing time and effort into creating a navigation structure that not only helps people find what they are looking for, but also suggests further relevant browsing opportunities, there is a higher likelihood of conversion.

5. Using poor-quality images

For some new business owners who are looking to launch their eCommerce website for the first time, a crucial mistake is to cut corners on the product photography. Choosing to reuse supplier photos or take their own snaps can have a huge impact on the overall success of the launch.

High-quality imagery is a huge part of an eCommerce site, and a whopping 93% of consumers actually consider visual appearance to be the key factor in a purchasing decision. If people have a good idea of how the product will look and see enticing lifestyle imagery that brings the vision to life, there is a higher chance of them being persuaded to make a purchase.

Investing in a professional photo shoot is recommended before launching a website. Having experts with a keen eye for product photography snap different angles of items will instantly make the website appear more professional and high-end. A strong visual is the first thing a user will see when they arrive on a page, so ensuring they are enticing will help bring the online store to life.

6. Failing to optimize for mobile

When going through the website development process, it can be easy to forget about the mobile version of a site. This can be a huge mistake considering that 77% of all eCommerce website visits last year came from smartphones.

However good a site looks on a desktop, as soon as it adapts to a mobile device, the appearance can change drastically. All images, text, and buttons need to be scalable to suit the size of the screen without sacrificing their quality or readability. If the page isn’t designed to suit smaller screens, it can completely ruin the user experience.

Designing a mobile-responsive version means that the website should maintain its full functionality and ease of use, regardless of the device the user is accessing it from. For business owners with a limited development budget, using responsive website templates will help ensure the site is suitable for mobile users.

Before launching an eCommerce website, thorough testing should be carried out to identify and iron out any problems. Ensuring that it is free of errors or bugs before going live will help prevent damage to brand reputation and customer loyalty down the line.

Launching a Successful Online Store From Day One

Planning to start an eCommerce website is an exciting milestone, but the initial launch can make or break its success.

For those who are inexperienced in the eCommerce world and fail to carry out their research or those who are rushing to get their site live, it can be easy to fall into the trap of launching a website that isn’t quite ready.

By becoming familiar with the most common eCommerce website mistakes and staying clear of them, online store owners can utilize the best tools and techniques to create a fully-functioning site that keeps shoppers engaged right through to the end of the sales funnel.