The e-commerce market was already booming, but the Covid-containment duo was a real boost for the field. A lot of e-commerce sites have been created in a very short time and continue to be created today.
Of course, many have not bothered to set up an e-commerce site that meets market expectations and end up with disappointing results.
This article focuses on the reasons why your e-commerce site is not performing well and guides you through advice to improve your e-commerce site and its performance.
1. An e-commerce site that is not user-friendly enough
A website is said to be user-friendly or not depending on user experience according to various criteria. These last are ergonomics of the site, its structurehis designI’navigation aidanything that improves or on the contrary deteriorates the usability of this site.
An e-commerce site is user-friendly when it is easy to use, when users can find their way around and navigate in a smooth and pleasant way, and when all the functions of the site run without technical problems.
It is possible to measure the usability of your e-commerce site through a usability test, otherwise known as a user test, which determines the degree of usability of a website. The tests are numerous, from the most simplistic, System Usability Scale, to the most complex and most convincing methods such as live tests, or user observation.
Standards of sufficient usability are independent of individual user preferences and tastes. The central points to take into account to develop a user-friendly e-commerce site are:
- the website clarity in what he offers,
- a structure allowing a simple navigation,
- a constancy presentation and content.
A attractive design is one of the last things to consider.
2. Too small a product selection to meet your customers’ needs
You have a user-friendly, fluid e-commerce site, and navigation takes place without a hitch. It’s good, but it’s not enough, the competition is just a click away. To retain your users and make them loyal customers, you need to have products to offer them. However, if your catalog is too thinthere is no doubt that you risk losing a good number of customers and a good share of the market.
The problem that surely arises for you, as for e-commerce sites in general, is the inventory management. Many find themselves in a situation of under-storage or over-storage. Without going into details, know that it is very important to learn how to manage your stocks correctly, to be able to satisfy your customers without finding yourself unable to sell perishable stocks.
The most convenient way is to renew your stocks from a certain fixed threshold, which means anticipating demand to a minimum. To help you fill your stock optimally, base yourself on the volume of previous sales, analyze market trends (with Google trends for example), define a forecast period, etc.
Manage your inventory better to drive away fewer customers, you can also go through an e-commerce agency to understand all these topics in more detail or simply delegate what is too much of a burden for you.
3. Prices too high compared to other e-commerce sites
The problem may indeed come from your prices. If for a similar product you are asking for more than the average of competing sitesso don’t be surprised if customers choose to look elsewhere.
It’s simple, but it’s important: always take the time to compare yourself to the market, to the competition. If you have no idea how to set a fair and attractive price, or are worried about asking too much, read these tips:
to calculate your selling price, add up the various costs associated with bringing your product to market, and add your profit margin. Remember that if your price is too high, you risk losing market share, and if it’s too low, it will be difficult for you to sustain your business and evolve in your field.
You must therefore set a profitable price, this by calculating the sum of your variable costs per unit, adding your profit margin, without forgetting to include the fixed costs.
Also keep in mind thata price is not immutableit may be readjusted as you go along: calculate your profitable price and launch it on your e-commerce site, you can modify it later if it seems too high or too low.
4. An e-commerce site that is not visually appealing
Another error that can be the cause of the poor performance of your e-commerce site is its design. One might think that it is secondary, and that as long as the technical performance of the site as well as the prices are there, then the visual does not matter much. It’s wrong ! A visual attractive has all its importance in the results of an e-commerce site. It encourages users to stay longer on the siteto keep a pleasant feeling of their browsing. Consumers will be more inclined to come back on your site, and to make purchases.
So remember to make your e-commerce site visually appealing, this can go through:
- a original visual, simplecreative: do not copy, create your own universe,
- a imagery relevant and significant: do not choose your images if they do not make sense with regard to your activity,
- a homogeneity of the colors : try to create a color identity that you are recognizable from afar, like the colors that come to mind when you think of certain famous brands,
- a sobriety chart : avoid overloading graphics, graphic areas should be used to support the text, not to decorate without another purpose,
- a presentation ergonomic : insert visual cues for navigation, create visual harmony, logical layout of pages, etc.
The visuals are really to work in depth so that your e-commerce site is attractive.
5. Not enough customer services and support
There is another point that should not be overlooked if you want to improve the performance of your e-commerce site: the service customer. It’s how you support customers at any point in their journey: before, during or after the purchase.
The objective is to satisfy your customers by responding effectively to their requests, and thus improve the experience of your consumers, impact positively the customer relationship and take care of your brand image.
To deliver effective customer support, here are some tips:
- prepare yourselves flawlessly internally : define a customer listening process, collect feedback, equip yourself with powerful tools, exchange, etc.,
- personalize relationships with your customers : adapt to each customer by opting for the communication channel of their choice, support your customer in their purchase choices, hold individual and not standard exchanges, etc.
- expand it self-care for your e-commerce customers: take into account the autonomy of customers and respond to this expectation by giving them the opportunity to manage their account, seek support information, etc., independently. It’s appreciated by customers and relaxing for your customer service.
- use them feedback customers: by collecting feedback from your customers, you can use it to improve your customer service. A proactive approach that brings customers closer.
- improve your reactivity : the reaction time of the company is one of the main reasons for consumer satisfaction or not.
There are still other ways to improve your customer service, just as there are other reasons that could explain the poor performance of your e-commerce site, this article is not intended to be exhaustive. However, focus on these five reasons above stated, put the advice into practice and see for yourself developments of your e-commerce site.