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March 20, 2009

Five Critical E-commerce Mistakes

The internet is booming with business and everybody wants in on the action.   Before launching your e-commerce site, it is important that you know what not to do so that you may elude the grim reality of failure.

Mistake #1: Offer Something People Have No Interest In

It is common for aspiring business owners to get enthused about a product or service without first determining if there is actually a market for it.  This is why you should always do your homework and find out what's in demand before heading out into the competitive waters.  Doing so can help you save a lot time, money and effort.  Research the market from every angle and find out if others have implemented a form of your idea on the web.  How are they doing?  Are they seeing traffic and sales or on their way out the door?

Mistake #2: Go for the Power Hit on the First at Bat

Don't go for the big bang with your first e-commerce site.  Start out small and offer visitors all the basics they need to navigate and access the information on your website.  This will help you get set up faster and work on ways to build up interest and bring traffic.  Once things take off, start budgeting for an upgraded version and then work on implementing features that meet the needs of both you and your visitors.  One too many businesses spend so much time draping their site in flash before learning if such designs will appeal to their audience.

Mistake #3: Not Hiring an Experienced Web Designer

If you don't have experience in web design technologies, you will probably need an expert to build your website.  Web designers and developers have varying levels of experience so you definitely need to be selective here.  Keep in mind that someone who excels with CSS style sheets and HTML in WordPress may not be skilled with the technologies required to build a professional e-commerce site.  To avoid this issue, spend some time talking with the designer and getting familiar with their background.  If they are truly an expert, they will have a few sites you can check out to get a feel for their work.  Hire an inexperienced web designer and it could take light-years to get your e-commerce site off the ground.

Mistake #4: Throwing Away Money on Website Administration

Even though web hosting services are relatively inexpensive, maintaining a website can get very costly if you're not careful.  For this reason, you should invest in a hosting solution where you don't need to pay a professional webmaster to maintain your site.  Look for a package where making edits, uploading files and incorporating software can be done with general computer knowledge.  You don't have to be a seasoned vet to effectively manage a website these days.

Mistake #5: Blowing the Business Budget on Advertising

After the site is done and your store is ready for the World Wide Web, you may want to consider setting a definitive advertising budget.  Google and Yahoo Search Marketing are quality programs but think wisely before making an investment.  By moving too fast, you could end up blowing your monthly budget by overbidding for precious clicks.  Take a little time to determine what you have to spend and focus on advertising methods that will hit you for as less money as possible.

Tags: advertising,  web hosting services,  web designer,  market research,  experienced web designer,  e-commerce site,  e-commerce