A lot of people want to open their personal business on the Internet. And there are a lot of those who have already begun. But for some reason, some people have a lot of profit and customers, and there are those who are trying very hard but without success. We would like to show you some standard mistakes that can delay or even kill the development of online business. Of course, each company has its own unique approach and its own mistakes but these are the most common mistakes in online business:
1. Business is not a hobby.
Many people may not take their business seriously. They say “My business should bring me pleasure, it’s my hobby.” Yes, if you love the business you’re doing, you won’t be tired of it and will do your job perfectly. But still, you need to understand the difference between business and hobby. Business helps you to make money and hobby helps you to spend it.
2. You don’t have the business plan
The business plan allows you to understand what is the essence of your online store. You don’t need an official, formal, well-written, multi-page plan. You just need to determine what you will sell, who your customer is, what he is willing to pay, what your cash flow is, in what period of time you expect to see the result and what the result is, etc.
3. You don’t have enough contact information
If you are going to buy something, you want to know everything about the seller. We want to know who he is, how long he/she is in business, whether you can trust the seller, etc. But a potential customer can’t meet you in person, but he or she can get this information only if you provide it on your pages. Therefore, you can’t ignore things like company information, history, location information and corporate email address.
4. Your customer service is poor
Since you are not able to provide your product in person, but only on the Internet, your customer service should be even better than in a regular store. This is the key to your reputation and buyers’ attraction. It is important that the client feels that he can trust you, that you have a relationship. Therefore, the system of reviews, questions, even complaints is very important. Just attach your contacts, mail or number for communication. Customers will be able to feel more alive communication.
5. You don't know your competitors
You won’t be able to achieve great success in online business if you don’t know who your biggest competitors are. For example, you can lose money and customers if there is someone else who sells the same product, but much cheaper, and you do not even know about it. Therefore, be prepared.
6. You don’t pay enough attention to SEO
Search engines are the place where your potential customer will find you or… not. It depends on you: how interested the keywords, that you choose, are and how interesting your company is among thousands of others that are highlighted on the screen.
7. You don’t care about branding
The logo is the first thing that will attract the attention of customers and build their understanding of you. It is very important to have a quality brand logo because that is what shapes your brand. This is what reminds the customer of you every time he sees your logo or even something similar. But don’t underestimate other parts of branding: business cards, print materials, etc.
8. You are constantly ignoring negative reviews
It is very important to listen to all feedback. Moreover, it helps to know the consumer better, to improve your product or to develop a better customer service. Statistics shows that most visitors to your page rate you through reviews. Therefore, such social proofs as the trust of other customers and their praise or negative feedback, which was answered positively, affect the credibility and on status of the company.
9. Your legal foundation is weak
Some companies may miss this point because it doesn’t seem so important in online sales. But this is not wise, because there can be a lot of situations in your business when an appropriate document may be required. You also need to be legally savvy, not to suffer negative consequences as a result of some operations.
10. Your website is not optimized
The speed of loading of the site also affects your sales on the Internet. Most consumers expect the page to load in a few seconds. If your site is very slow – you may lose the profits. No matter how qualitatively it is made, or what good service you have – it will be inconvenient for customers. Also, your site should have a call to action, in order for customers to make decisions immediately.
If you just have a website, it does not mean that you have a great business. You need to try to be open to customers and be able to manage your business in such conditions. We hope this information was useful for you. If you have any questions, please, contact us. Also, feel free to share this post with your friends and post the comments.
