MISTAKE #1 – NOT COLLECTING EMAILS

Relying 100% on social media platforms for your marketing is putting all of your eggs in one basket. Social platforms change their policies and algorithms constantly and it leaves you without control. Start building your email list so you can reach your target market directly. The best way is by adding options to signup throughout your site. Our favorite spots are:

• In the header
• In the footer
• Adding a lightbox ( we love this shopify app )
• On your blog sidebar
• On it’s own landing page linked from your instagram profile ( something we have done to increase our email list ! )

You can do just one of these, or all of them. The more opportunities for them to signup, the better.

If you are on Etsy , you might consider switching to another platform like Shopify for this reason alone. Starting to market and connect to your audience directly is huge for increasing traffic, which means more sales and a more successful shop for you.

BONUS TIP: Offer a great incentive like a first time discount on a purchase, stock notifications or exclusivity. You need something that will incentivize them to signup and increase conversion rates. No one wants to sign up for the generic“ Signup for my newsletter” anymore. You have to make it worth it to them.

MISTAKE #2 – DIY BRANDING

With the online ecommerce market becoming increasingly saturated, it’s time for you to make your shop stand out. If you expect people to invest in you, you need to be willing to invest in yourself. Hire a professional to do your branding. One of our clients received their return on invest 48 hours after launching their new branding. It’s worth it!

MISTAKE #3 – USING A FREE THEME or CHEAP PLATFORM

It’s tempting to use themes that are free, but it will be difficult making your shop stand out since other shops will be using the same one. Buy a premium theme! Platforms like Shopify offer so many amazing themes that are a one time flat fee to purchase and are mobile friendly. There are so many more layout options and you can customize your shop and branding even more. Customizing your theme to fit your branding is something we will be covering in our upcoming Shopify course.

Also, we often hear shop owners choose platforms strictly because it was the cheapest. Be sure to compare and contrast the features of each platform to make sure it’s the right fit for you.

For a small difference you can have access to addition features that will create a better customer experience, help you grow your shop, and save you time. Also, choosing the right platform the first time will save you from the time and headache from having to switch platforms down the road.

MISTAKE #4 – NOT HAVING A MOBILE FRIENDLY SITE

Did you know over half of web traffic comes from mobile devices nowadays? Google has also started de-ranking sites that aren’t mobile friendly. Whenever I visit a site on my phone that isn’t optimized for mobile,  I get frustrated and leave. Time to make your site mobile friendly friends. If you aren’t making the user experience as easy as possible, you are losing sales. As simple as that.

MISTAKE #5 – DIYED PHOTOS

We still see shops with photos with bad lighting, crazy backgrounds, and photos with all different sizes. This reflects badly on their brand, and makes them lose sales!

Here are our top tips for creating better photos.

• If possible, hire a professional
• Choose one photo orientation ( square, vertical, or horizontal )
• Take your photos on a same simple background so they’re all cohesive
• Be sure to show 3-4 angles of the product
• Take your photos in natural light at the same time of day
• Have the product laid out and cropped similarly

What’s our favorite ecommerce platform for you to get started on?  Well Shopify of course!

[un_callout link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fshopify.com%2F?ref=october-ink%2F|title:Start%20Your%20Free%20Trial|”]