Myths make for great stories, but when it comes to creating your e-commerce presence these myths can really damage your business.
There are lots of commonly believed myths about e-commerce development. Many of these myths arise from a position of fear rather than genuine experience.
So as veterans in the field of e-commerce for over 15 years, let us dispel some of the top myths about e-commerce development for you.
Myth #1: “My customers don’t shop online.”
The crisis of the past two years has taught us that customers are willing to purchase everything they need online. If you’ve found that customers have moved away from online shopping post-pandemic, then it might be because your website doesn’t provide everything they need.
Your site should meet expectations in a variety of categories including convenience, security, usability, inventory visibility, customization options, and personalization. You should also make efforts to create social proof on your store in the form of custom reviews or your store’s rating to show that your store has a community of engaged shoppers.
When shopping online you miss out on the physical and personal interaction so you need to bring that sense of community to your store. Human beings are herd animals and if you can convey that to a large number of people shop online with you, others will follow.
Myth #2: “Customers only care about price.”
While it’s important, price simply isn’t everything to customers. Modern customers take a lot into account when making a purchase. The battle of prices will always exist, but there are more ways to deliver an advantage over your competitors.
Customers care about product availability, website usability, customer support, after-sales service, brand popularity, brand values, payment method variety, and more. Simply having the lowest prices isn’t enough anymore, and today’s customers want something more from their shopping experiences.
Myth #3: “I’m already making sales so I don’t need e-commerce.”
Charles Darwin said “it is the one that is most adaptable to change” who survives. This was never more evident for businesses than during the pandemic, when the retail industry had to completely change how they did business to stay afloat.
It remains true that your business needs to be adaptable and innovate wherever it can. Developing an e-commerce presence can help you weather whatever the next global crisis is. You simply need to have as many customer touchpoints as you can. Your store might be doing well now, but you never know what’s in store for us next.
Even the most developed brands need to stay agile and adaptable. Failure to do so can result in a sudden and drastic drop in customer traffic.
Myth #4: “E-commerce will kill my brick and mortar store.”
E-commerce has become an absolute necessity for the survival of many businesses over the past few years. But many small stores closed their doors because they couldn’t compete with the larger competition online.
E-commerce isn’t to blame for this however. It’s just that customers have changed their values. Offline and online store experiences need to be synchronized and the best way to do this is with an omnichannel commerce solution like WebSell.
Omnichannel brings your offline and online sales together. Rather than seeing e-commerce and brick-and-mortar as competing forces in your business, it’s time to start seeing them as part of the same strategy.
Offline stores aren’t going away, and neither is e-commerce.
Myth #5: “My products can sell themselves, so I don’t need to market them.”
No matter how unique your product or store is, people won’t find them unless you actively try to acquire customers. You need a digital marketing strategy to understand where your customers can find you and how you can get them to your site.
Tactics like Paid Search, Email, Content, and Social Media are some of the best ways to get customers with buying intent to your website. Word of mouth is powerful, but you can’t rely on it because you can’t control it.
With WebSell you can get an all-in-one solution, meaning you get a powerful e-commerce platform and access to all the services you could expect from a digital marketing agency. Talk to your account manager about our digital marketing services today.
Myth #6: “I don’t need to email my customers.”
We always tell our merchants about the importance of email marketing. It remains the best marketing tactic for Return On Investment, with a return of $44 for every $1 spent.
Whether it’s Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or a more advanced solution like Klaviyo, WebSell integrates with leading email services. That means there’s no excuse to not send your latest offers and products to your audience.
If you need help with your email marketing, WebSell’s digital marketing team can design your templates and create your weekly or monthly campaigns for you. Talk to your account manager to learn more.
Myth #7: “Selling through other channels is too much work.”
As seen with the importance of omnichannel, modern retail is all about having many places to sell your products. But it’s not as much work as many people think. Selling through marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or social shops like Instagram is easy when you have a WebSell webstore.
WebSell lets you automatically sync your online store with online marketplaces so you don’t have to do any manual editing. With one click you can get online on the world’s largest online marketplaces and expose your business to new customers.
Myth #8: “We can’t compete with online marketplaces.”
We all know about the power of Amazon. And your Amazon listings can complement what your store offers. But Amazon can’t create the memorable and unique experiences that you can. Your website can tell the story of your business in ways that Amazon never can.
Myth #9: “Website design doesn’t matter.”
Consumers will usually make a purchase within the first few minutes that they land on your site. One of the biggest motivating factors for this fast purchase completion is how easy it is to navigate and use your site. Layout and good design is essential. Customers want to see that you’ve put time, effort, and money into how you handle the digital journey.
Fast checkout and clean design are two important aspects of modern e-commerce site design. Next Gen E-commerce by WebSell is the best way retailers can respond to modern customer demands and deliver an unforgettable user experience. Learn more about Next Gen.
Myth #10: “I can just use the product images supplied by the manufacturer.”
Your site needs attractive product images to encourage purchases. To stand out from your competitors, take more interesting pictures of your products that stamps your brand on the products. Show different angles and use high quality photos.
You can read more about how to make the most of your product images here.
Don’t Believe the Myth
Everyone gets fooled by myths in every industry. When it comes to e-commerce, believing the myths can lead to a lot of missed revenue.
WebSell has helped businesses across the world spot and stop misconceptions from getting in the way of their growth. If you think something is holding your business back, talk to us to see how you can overcome it.
