Are you losing sales? Here are 15 reasons why

1. Price

Failure to maintain competitive pricing could be the number one reason you are losing customers. With over 30%of consumers stating they ‘comparison shop’ online (goecart.com), if you are offering a price that is higher than your competitors, they will simply go elsewhere to make their purchase. Nomis Solutions reports that customers are 7.4 times more sensitive to prices online than in-store, so competitive pricing is a necessity.

2. Product descriptions

One downfall of online ordering is that consumers cannot view the item in person. However with detailed product descriptions, quality photos, and product dimensions consumers can get a better idea of what they are purchasing. If your site lacks quality images and inadequate descriptions, potential customers will be driven away.

3. Size

Providing sizing charts goes hand in hand with product description. With detailed and accurate sizing information, customers can purchase with confidence and reduce the risks of returns.

4. Ease of ordering

An effective way to reduce the chance of lost sales is to make sure your site is easy to navigate. Having product categories, a clean layout, and clear call to action will help customers find and then purchase products.

5. Site performance

If your site runs slow or is prone to crashing, you are losing sales. You’ll want to ensure that page loading times are quick. Long loading times interrupt the impulsiveness of online shopping which will either stop the sale or cause the customer to buy the same product elsewhere.

6. Search capability

Search capability ties in with the ease of ordering. Having a search bar will allow customers to easily find exactly what they are looking for. Qubit recommends improving and expanding your site’s tagging system and adding advanced search features to maximize the efficiency of your search bar.

7. Coupons

Offering coupons is a good way to lure back shoppers who have abandoned their carts. A cart like Magento Enterprise has the functionality to easily create and apply coupons. The benefit to simple coupon creation, beyond its ease of use, is that the codes will be accurate. If your site does not recognize the code and the discount is not applied, customers will leave out of frustration. Offering coupons and ensuring they work will help you capture more sales.

8. Checkout process

First and foremost, do not force customers to register in order to complete their order. You must also weigh the pros/cons of having a single page checkout versus a multi-page checkout. If you do decide on going with a multi-page checkout, be sure to include a progress bar so customers can keep tabs on where they stand.

9. Shipping costs

A Deloitte survey discovered that 69% of consumers who shop online state that they are more likely to buy from an e-retailer if free shipping is offered. Whether there is guaranteed free shipping or a minimum purchase amount, the free shipping option is important for business. Also, consumers will be discouraged if shipping costs are higher than the cost of their item, so be sure to factor that in.

10. Stock availability

Displaying accurate stock levels is extremely important. Fewer things are more frustrating than clicking on an item only to find it is out of stock. Be sure products are clearly labeled as ‘out of stock’ and that there is a clear call to action. Recommending similar products and offering to send an email notification when the item is back in stock will prove credibility and you’ll have a better chance of capturing that sale.

11. Mobile optimization

With mobile commerce on the rise, there is a need for sites to be optimized for mobile devices. Making sure products look good off of a smart phone screen and that the checkout process is simplified will help you cater to the growing group of consumers who prefer shopping via their mobile devices. It is worth noting that only 18% of users would recommend a business if they had a bad mobile site experience (entrepreneur.com).

12. Security features

Your checkout pages should make consumers feel safe and confident in purchasing with you. Choosing to display security logos is a good way to reinforce that your site is both legitimate and safe. Also, 80% of online consumers feel safer after seeing trusted card logos (entrepreneur.com).

13. Hidden charges

If there are additional charges associated with a specific item, it needs to be pointed out early on in the item description. If the charge is brought to the consumer’s attention while in the checkout process they are more likely to abandon their cart. As we know, price is a sensitive topic to online shoppers and can make or break your sales. According to an infographic on entrepreneur.com, 56% of website visitors abandon their carts in regards to unexpected costs.

14. Chat options

If a potential customer has a question about a product they are looking to purchase, it’s important they are able to reach someone. Using a chat function for your site and having your phone number displayed in plain site will help customers reach you. Fostering this sense of expertise can help you combat the sales associates found in brick-and-mortar stores.

15. Return Policy

For store owners, returns may just be the most frustrating activity to deal with. Yet on the other hand, it is equally frustrating for a customer to receive an item that does not meet their expectations. Clearly outlining a fair return policy will let consumers know what to expect should they need to return their purchase. Keep in mind if the customer is given a good experience throughout the return, it is more likely they will view your company favorably and return or recommend to their friends.