Selling Online Will Be Easy, Said No-one, Ever: Here Are 7 Pitfalls to Avoid When Starting Up

So you have decided to start selling online. You have done your due diligence, negotiated favourable deals with your suppliers and acquired a website domain. Now what?

Building an online business and customer following takes time. If you have an established brand or if you are starting out selling products online, it would be to your advantage to read this article. This is simply because no one ever said selling online is an easy endeavour. To prepare yourself, here are 7 common mistakes you need to avoid:

1. Fail to fulfil customer needs

People make the mistake of thinking that if they offer amazing products; customers will naturally flock to their website. However, the first thing you must ask yourself is whether you are actually fulfilling a need in the competitive market that will allow you to attract customers and grow. If your answer to this question is yes, read on.

2. The road is long, love what you do

Successful websites are not born overnight. They take hard work and dedication. Before you venture into selling online, make sure you love and are knowledgeable about what you are selling. You will spend a lot of sleepless nights working on your business so you better be passionate about what you do.

3. Failing to Market Your Product

Your product may the best on the face of the planet but how are you going to sell it if people do not even know it exists? Make sure you have resources put away for marketing your website. Presentation goes a long way towards the way your customers perceive you so make it count.

4. Not optimising your website

This is probably the most overlooked aspects of selling online. Think about when you look for a product. You see that blank search bar and you type a few key words right? Well, your customers will do exactly that. The higher up you are on search results the better the chance of someone finding your website, clicking on it and buying your product. There are plenty of resources online that can guide you through the process. If you are not knowledgeable about SEO, find someone who is. It is a small investment that can yield a potentially high return.

5. Failing to convert

Turn your visitors into customers. Make sure your website loads quickly. Go right into selling your products. Do not overburden your site with extra padding. People are there to buy your products. Make it easy for them to click on a few buttons and purchase them.

6. Listen to your customers

This may seem like quite an obvious statement but it bears emphasising. Not listening to your customers is like driving in the night with no headlights. No business is perfect. Running an online business, whether big or small, needs direction and your customers will serve as your compass. Create social media pages for your customers to express themselves and create a section for reviews and comments to help your business grow and meet the needs of your clients.

7. Not setting realistic goals

An online business, just like any other business, is a marathon not a sprint. Set realistic goals and meet them. You can reach for the stars but work your way up inch by inch. According to companies like CB Online, this is one of the most important lessons you have to learn when running a business. Otherwise, you may find yourself discouraged when you fail to see the progress you expected. If you set realistic expectations, you will realise that slow but sure progress is better for your business to thrive.