Categories
Dropshipping Basics Marketing

7 E-commerce Design Mistakes that You should Avoid

If you are running an online store, a website will keep it open 24/7. An e-commerce store without a website is like a brick-and-mortar store without signage and billboard. Your customers will not know that your business exists.

A business website is vital for your online success. Thus, you must put effort and proper planning to use its advantage to the maximum. If you already have a website for your e-commerce store, track your traffic and conversion rates.

If you think your website is not performing well, then you should check if you have done website design mistakes. A poorly-built website that does not provide you enough sales might consider a revamp.

Here are the web design mistakes you should avoid:

1. Lack of responsive design

A responsive website means that it is adaptable to multiple devices. If your website is designed for desktops only, you are missing a lot of potential customers. Did you know that internet search queries are dominated by mobile phones?

Ensure that your website’s user experience is consistent across mobile phones, tablets, and other devices. 60% of online shoppers use their smartphones when looking for a product. If your website is not responsive, you are not expanding your audience reach. 

2. Poor Design Elements

The first impression lasts. If you want to capture the attention of your visitors, you need to create a recognizable brand image. Choose a clean and professional-looking theme and be consistent with the look and style.

Avoid using too many colors and choose fonts that are easy to read. Playing with complicated and mismatched designs will confuse your web visitors and give them reasons to not come back. 

3. Complicated Navigation 

Navigation means giving convenience to your visitors when surfing your website. If a customer lands on your website and has a hard time finding your product pages, clicking several buttons, and going to the wrong places, it will build a bad user experience. 

As much as possible, reduce your user’s scrolling and clicks just to find your product and read information. Do you have product categories and advanced search options? Not anticipating your visitor’s expectations can divert them from shopping and purchasing.

4. Boring Images

Images speak a lot about your product. If you are using low-quality and boring images, your customer will feel that your product is not worth giving attention to. 

Bear in mind that when shopping online, your customers cannot physically touch the product. They rely on pictures and videos. It may seem okay to use the product images provided by the manufacturer but if you can photograph the products and optimize them yourself, that could be better. 

Bad images allow your customers to think twice, making them leave your website – a loss on your potential sale. 

5. Not Enough Customer Support

In this digital world, people demand an immediate response. We do not want to wait for hours just to get information or assistance about a product.  It is not enough to post your email address on the website and have customers email you if they have a question or problem.

An FAQ section answering the most common questions is helpful. You can also integrate a chatbot to handle specific queries or even have a live chat to support your customers in their purchasing journey. Customer convenience is critical. Providing them with the help and assistance they need improve the credibility of your business.

6. Inefficient Shopping Cart Design 

One of the primary reasons why online shoppers abandoned their carts is becuase of the complicated checkout process. The shopping cart design should allow your customers to easily add/remove products, change quantities and variations.

An effective checkout process should include:

1. Checkout

2. Delivery Details

3. Payment Details

4. Confirmation

7. Lack of Payment Options

Offer multiple payment options to your diversified customers. Shoppers dislike too many steps and screen pop-ups at checkout. This is annoying and uncomfortable. If possible, do not redirect the payment option to a third-party site. Customers feel more secure making payments on your site.

Provide payment solutions that give flexibility to the users – whether they want to pay via PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, and other options. Catering to your customers’ different preferences leads to a hassle-free checkout. 

Categories
Dropshipping Basics Marketing

Top 10 Common Dropshipping Mistakes

Although dropshipping is one of the simplest business models to follow, the path to success is not always easy. Everyone makes mistakes along the way and they are not inevitable. Thankfully, you can reflect on the experiences of others and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Many online entrepreneurs assume that dropshipping business is a low-risk business. However, like any other business, one poor decision can be costly. To minimize risk and avoid suffering pitfalls, below is a list of common dropshipping mistakes to learn from.

1. Picking the Wrong Niche

A niche is a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service. Several dropshippers made this mistake early on as they thought that it was best to sell trending items. They sell hot products from different categories which ended up marketing to a broad audience. You can’t be selling electronics and baby’s clothing at the same time (unless it’s a general store).

Pick a niche, stick to it, and test it. If you are selling kitchen accessories, sell complementary items such as baking tools rather than adding women’s jewelry to the mix.

2. Spending too much time choosing a product

You have to keep up with the market trend and use time wisely. A certain product may be selling now but in a few months, not. Spending too much time choosing the best product can put you in a state of analysis paralysis.

By being too indecisive and seeking more information, you are letting go of the days that you could have made a sale. Once you’ve done enough product research, it’s time to take action and commit to the product.

3. Relying on one Supplier

So you’ve found a great product in Aliexpress and contacted the supplier. Then you both agreed to the dropshipping agreement and then you leave your entire business to them. That can spell a lot of issues.

There’s a high tendency that suppliers can run out of stock, go out of business, or have some difficulties. This can lead to a loss of sales on your part. You will be dealing with a lot of cancelled orders and fulfilment issues and left scrambling to find a replacement supplier. To avoid this scenario, partner with multiple suppliers for your products when possible.

4. Bad Website Design

Think of a website as your primary salesperson online. What do your customers see when they visit your website? Since your website is your storefront on the internet, it should be properly structured to attract customers.

Shopify is one of the best e-commerce platforms that dropshippers use to create an online store. Imagine your customers landing on your website only to be annoyed by pop-ups, complicated design, and incomplete information. A simple and professional-looking website gives credibility and a good shopping experience.

5. No Marketing Plan

Don’t assume that once you have built your website, customers will come instantly. With hundreds and thousands of stores out there, you need to create ways to stand out from the competition. Social media is a powerful channel to reach a target audience.

You can set up Facebook and Instagram pages for your online store. Set up a budget for paid ads and run promotions and advertisements for your business. Make sure that your audience can find you not just on your website but other channels as well.

6. Pricing Problems

It is a bad idea to underprice and overprice your products. It is important to keep an eye on your competitor’s prices and keep your pricing competitive. Determine the right mark-up and profit margin. The pricing should be comfortable for the seller and the buyer. In this way, you won’t push customers away while ensuring you have enough profit.

7. Not caring about SEO.

There are no shortcuts to online success. Many dropshippers invest little time to optimize their stores. SEO may require massive time and effort, but it will pay off in the long run. The information you put on your website must be unique and relevant.

When writing product descriptions, try not to copy them from the manufacturer’s provided data. Instead, spend time writing engaging descriptions and include keywords that your customers are searching for.

8. Poor Customer Service

You may have a winning product but if your customer service is poor, your sales will go down. Are you responsive to your customer’s queries? In a saturated e-commerce market, providing good customer service can give you an edge.

Providing necessary information about a customer’s needs on time makes them feel that you care about them. That experience will keep your customers to keep coming to your store and patronizing your products. Customer referrals work better than paid ads.

9. Poor Branding

Branding your store is crucial to getting people to trust your brand and buy your products. Since you have competitors who are selling the same product as yours, adding branding to your packaging and labels can make a big difference.

This makes your customer remember your brand. They recognize you as a reputable seller who handles their products with care and attention. You can contact your supplier to arrange a private label and create your own brand that people will not forget.

10. Having Unrealistic Expectation

Dropshipping is not a “get rich quick” scheme. If you are not patient, it is not for you. Understand that dropshipping is a long game and it requires a lot of learning experience. Some people who failed are the ones who just set up their website and wait for something to happen. They made a few sales and then quit the next month.

Categories
Dropshipping Basics Product Research

How to Manage Dropshipping from Multiple Suppliers

Dropshipping from a single supplier may seem good for beginners but if you want to expand your products, you might need multiple suppliers. However, the more suppliers you have, the more logistics problems you can encounter. It has its pros and cons but with a proper understanding of the dropshipping process, you can eliminate potential risks and headaches.

Having multiple suppliers can be challenging. You have to build relationships with many people, coordinate with inventory, order data, and navigate tracking to ensure a successful online store.

Here are the best ways to manage your online store when dealing with multiple suppliers.

1. Choose the Right Supplier

This initial step is the most crucial if you want to manage your online store seamlessly. Before you decide to stock the item, vet your suppliers based on their credibility and reputation.

There are two ideal scenarios here:

1. You already have a main supplier but need a plan B or backup suppliers in case there are availability issues.

2. You are connecting with other suppliers that complement your products.

Do your homework and check the reviews about the supplier. Speak to them or the sales representative about their availability and fulfilment deadlines. Make sure that your suppliers have at least a 95% positive feedback rating. They should also be responsive and have excellent customer service.

Bonus tip:

Try to pick a supplier that offers a wide range of products that you want to sell instead of finding suppliers to each of your problems. This will minimize your headaches in the future.

Drophippo works directly with manufacturers so you can save more money and focus on the important part of your business. You don’t have to worry about sourcing from China because they already did the heavy lifting for you – reliable suppliers, best prices, and excellent customer service.

2. Streamlining Communication Process

Once you have picked the right suppliers, it’s time to arrange a communication process with them. What communication channels will work best for both of you? Do you need 24/7 support if you have some questions and concerns?

With strong customer service from the supplier, you can feel confident about your orders and with handling any situation that may arise.

Drophippo, a leading product sourcing company offers multi-lingual support and fantastic customer service. They use an AI tracking system that monitors your order 24/7 and provides you with transparent updates.

3. SKU Differentiation

One common mistake that online sellers make is poor SKU management. Though your multiple suppliers are supplying you with the same products, it is vital to have a unique SKU.

This will allow you accurately track your orders, and not wonder which supplier delivered the product. With SKU differentiation, you can easily identify which suppliers hold the inventory and which supplier have you sent the product order to.

Tip:

Let’s assume that you are selling air humidifiers and you have two suppliers: Kevin and Stef. You can simply add the supplier’s name as a prefix to differentiate the two and avoid confusion.

Kevin’s air humidifier: KSKU456

Stef’s air humidifier: SSKU456

Create an excel sheet for each of your suppliers and import product data. Unique SKUs will also allow you to see what product from a specific supplier sells the most.

4. Data Synchronization

In addition to SKU management, you also need to deal with inventory, prices, availability, and order status. With a growing number of dropship suppliers, expect that your product orders and product lists will also grow.

Without the right tools and apps, it will be difficult to manage it all. This is why it’s essential to synchronize the data from multiple suppliers instead of dealing with them manually one by one. Data management platforms and automation are the best ways to go.

Drophippo has an app that provides you with a detailed dashboard that allows you to see orders, prices, tracking, profits, and all sorts of important data. The data connects to your store automatically; enabling order processing, fulfillment, billing, checkout, and payment without a sweat.

Categories
Marketing Social Media

Best E-commerce Advertising Tips to Drive More Sales

The internet is the heart of e-commerce. Since commercial transactions are conducted electronically on the internet, it is vital to building a strong online presence.

E-commerce marketing does not stop after you built your website. The e-commerce landscape is so competitive that you need to implement various strategies to make your brand stand out. 

With more business owners jumping to the e-commerce trend, the competition is going tougher. There are several methods that will help you build brand awareness and generate sales but there are also pitfalls that you should watch out for. 

Below are the best and most proven tips for a sound e-commerce marketing strategy.

1. Have an Impressive E-commerce Store

Your online store is a representation of your business. The way it looks and feels can attract or turn your customers away. Make sure that your website is built perfectly – the branding, content, and design elements are well organized. 

Leave a strong first impression on your visitors so that they will likely come back. Make it easy for your customers to view products, make a purchase, and interact with you. 

2. Build a Good Reputation

With thousands of online stores in the market, you need to have something that will make you credible and stand out from the competition. Reputation is one of the most important things if you want people to trust your business.

Customers look for reviews before they decide to make a purchase. If you have positive feedback from your customers, proudly display it on your website and social media pages. Share how happy are your customers when they do business with you.

3. Upsell your Products

Upselling is an effective way to get more sales and profits from your customers. By offering a more premium product or a product that can complement the products that your customers have ordered, you are giving them better options fit for their needs. 

When doing upsells, keep in mind that the additional cost is worth it. Your customers need to understand the considerations of the upgrade, the different price points, and how the products differ from each other. 

4. Launch Facebook and Instagram Store

Facebook does not only allow you to create and post content but to build a store as well. This feature is called, “Facebook Shop” where you can feature and display your product collections to the Facebook page and connect it to your online store.

This enhances the mobile shopping experience, driving social media users to your store, and interacting with them. They can view and save products on your page and place an order. Since the average person spends 2-3 hrs on social media every day, your social media presence can leverage your business. 

You can apply the same strategies on Instagram by sharing high-quality images and using hashtags strategically. Engage with followers who might be interested in your products. Share your products on Instagram stories and add links to purchase.

5. Use Google Shopping Ads

Online shoppers go to search engines when they are looking for products. They consult Google, the biggest search engine. Google Shopping Ads, also known as Product Listing Ads (PLAs) are an effective way to reach your customers based on specific-search queries. 

The product-based ads are displayed on top of Google organic search results. This puts your business in front of your target audience. A Google Ad consists of a product image, price, brand, and even reviews, shipping information, and promotions. It helps you drive traffic to your website fast and reach more customers.

6. Integrate Live Chat

Good customer service leaves a strong impression on your online visitors. A great way to handle this is through live chat. Customers who have inquiries and request information about a product demand a quick response. 

A live chat integration does the trick. This allows you to engage with your shoppers, answer their questions, inform order status, and provide customer support. 

7. Tap into the Power of Referral Marketing

You can use your most loyal customers to become ambassadors of your products. This is called “referral marketing”. It is a marketing practice where you offer incentives to your customers in exchange for promoting your products and their experience.

The idea is people buy from people they know and trust. When your customers promote your products, their family and friends will likely also buy because they trust them. Customer reviews can create a buzz and with the irresistible offer, you can attract more prospective buyers.

8. Get Creative with Offers

When it comes to e-commerce marketing, being generic will not give you an optimum advantage. There are many stores selling the same product as yours so it’s vital to get creative.

Offer discounts and offers to your customers. You can offer product bundles and packages with a % discount to attract your customers to make a purchase. Another effective strategy is to run contests and giveaways. This creates a sense of urgency to check you out and participate in the hope of winning the prize. And even if the others don’t become the lucky winners, they will likely remember your brand and keep you on their radar.

Categories
Marketing Social Media

How to Use social media for your Ecommerce Business

If you are running an e-commerce business, you want to get always in front of your target customers. You want to be where they are. In this digitally-competitive world, it is not enough to build a website for your online store. 

An average person spends 3 hours a day on social media networks. Being present in those social media spaces can boost brand awareness and attract sales. Social media marketing, when implemented correctly, can increase your customer acquisition and take you to the next level.

Below are some important tips on how to use social media to grow your e-commerce business.

1. Choose the Right Platforms

If you are selling products like toothbrushes, t-shirts, etc., it is ideal to post them on Facebook and Instagram rather than on LinkedIn and Twitter. Pick the right channels to reach your customers. 

Create professional-looking social media profiles and build out a content strategy. You can’t just post here and there without a plan behind it. Successful e-commerce brands create content that builds relationships and engages their customers.

2. Branding is Important

When it comes to posting and sharing content, consistency is key. Potential customers will trust you more once they recognize your brand’s unique identity. If you are not consistent with the look of your brand and the tone of your message, you can’t expect optimal success.

Your logo, color scheme, graphic format, and brand message you use show off your brand’s personality. The number of times you post per week should also be consistent. It’s ideal to have a content calendar to avoid wondering what you should post on a given day. 

3. Don’t be Pushy and Salesy

Understandably, your main goal is to generate sales. It is vital to interact and establish a strong connection with your followers. Bombarding your audience with too many promotions and advertisements can bring a bad impression to your brand. 

Don’t put customers to buy your products. Instead, post educational and informative content that relates them to your brand. Avoid sharing links to your products every day as people will assume that your sole reason for building social media presence is to grab purchases and sales. Be human and build a conversation with your customers.

4. Be Creative

Create content that sparks attention. People love to see a content variety. This means that you can’t just stick to posting texts and images alone. Utilize videos when introducing and marketing your products. Unleash your creativity and identify content that people want to see.

Here are some content ideas you can implement:

  • Customer reviews
  • User-generated content
  • Demo product videos
  • Social contests or giveaways
  • Product features and benefits
  • Sales and Promotion

5. Use analytics

You cannot track the performance of your marketing efforts without analytics. Track and monitor important key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify what strategy is working and not. This will help you find the gaps and see ways to improve your marketing campaigns.

Here are some of the key social media metrics that you should keep an eye of:

  • Post reach
  • Audience growth rate
  • Impressions
  • Shares
  • Clicks/traffic
  • Engagement rate
  • Conversion
  • Leads generated
  • Video views

6. Allocate a budget in Social Media Ads

To optimize your marketing efforts, you also need to invest in paid ads. This allows you to specifically target your audience and get your products in front of their social media feed. Customize campaigns to reach more audience and connect with potential shoppers. 

Paid ads are helpful particularly if you have just started and don’t have a huge social media following. You can also reach out to popular thought leaders and influencers to promote your brand. 

These influencers have already a wide customer base and a strong reputation. Getting your products recommended by them can significantly affect your customer’s buying decisions. This can lead to increased credibility, conversions, and sales.

Final Thoughts

If you are not adding social media to your marketing strategy, you are missing to catch a lot of fish in the sea. Start building your social media pages and connect with your target audience. 

By following the tips above and carefully planning your content, you can lead more people to your online shop. With a solid social media presence, your sales can go up and you can stand out from the competition.