The 3 E-Commerce Mistakes Brands Must Avoid in 2021 E-commerce experts Farhan Munshi and Trevor Fey explore the mistakes that shouldn't be repeated in 2021

E-commerce is steadily becoming one of the most profitable digital ventures that an entrepreneur can undertake. For this reason, the market is now overcrowded with half-baked and underdeveloped e-commerce concepts that sink their brand before it can even flourish. Farhan Munshi and Trevor Fey are e-commerce experts who both own and operate their own successful e-commerce businesses. Munshi and Fey use their expertise to delve into the three e-commerce mistakes that brands need to avoid making in 2021.

Inadequate lead capturing

Having potential customers visit your website is no longer enough; each visitor to your website should be leaving contactable information so that they remain a viable lead.

Munshi shares, "In 2021, clicks need to be turned into dollars. Potential customers have sought you out for a reason; you need to retain their details so that you don't lose the chance of potential sales."

"There are many different features that you can equip your website with so that you can capture profitable leads. A lightbox overlay can be used on the homepage to encourage your potential customer to leave their details and subscribe to your newsletter," adds Fey.

Unresolved technical issues

As an e-commerce brand, your website is a digital version of a brick-and-mortar shop. You wouldn't lock the doors of your shop, so customers were unable to enter or leave a customer waiting for twenty minutes on the shop floor while you try to locate their requested product. Leaving technical issues that make your website impossible to navigate or create extremely long load times is just as damaging to your brand.

"The most common mistake that I see e-commerce brands commit is not optimizing their website for mobile devices. Transactions on phones and mobile devices are a hugely popular way of shopping, and brands should avoid missing out on the trend because of technical issues," asserts Munshi.

Fey maintains, "There is never an excuse to allow a technical issue to remain on your website once it has been discovered. Daily checks should be carried out to make sure that your website isn't concealing any hidden bugs."

Inconsistent design

In e-commerce, your website is your brand, and you want your brand and its aim to be clear and consistent. Consumers come to your website because they trust your brand and its image, so it's crucial to keep this image consistent. If your homepage embraces a minimal design, then don't use a chaotic layout on the pages displaying your product.

Munshi states, "For an e-commerce website, less is more. The platform that your potential customer is using to purchase your product is not the place to dazzle and impress them. Keep it simple, and keep your design consistent."

Trevor adds, "Inconsistent design is one of the biggest UX mistakes, and it can also affect the technical functioning of your website. Animation effects can have different page speeds on different devices and can even prevent a page from loading properly."

Due to the events in 2020, e-commerce has become an essential service in our modern lives. 2021 is predicted to see the use of e-commerce websites rise as consumers and business owners alike take their business online. For this reason, brands need to be aware of the mistakes that can ruin their e-commerce business before it has a chance to grow.