Many people prefer to shop online these days, and the eCommerce industry is booming. As a result, more and more entrepreneurs are opening online stores, hoping their products will meet the needs of millions of online shoppers.
Although online shopping is convenient and easy for customers, it presents some unique challenges for the owners of eCommerce stores. For example, eCommerce stores must worry about providing brilliant products and impressive customer service while also contending with search engine optimization (SEO) if they want to pop up on top when customers explore their niche on Google.
If you own an eCommerce store, keep reading as we’re about to take you through the most significant challenges you’ll face and how to overcome them.
1. Shopping Cart Abandonment
One of the biggest challenges for eCommerce store owners is shopping cart abandonment. This happens when a customer can’t figure something out or the check-out process is cumbersome. To solve this issue, simplify the checkout process and work with an order fulfillment service specializing in eCommerce order processing. The less complicated the checkout process, the more likely customers are to finish it.
2. Fraudulent Orders and Accounts
Unfortunately, online shopping does not do away with shoplifting. Instead, “shrinkage” happens slightly differently in eCommerce. So as an eCommerce store owner, you’ll need to ensure your customers are legit people making genuine purchases.
To do this, you’ll need to verify your customers’ identities. For example, you could send an email that prompts customers to click a link to confirm their email addresses. Alternatively, an automated phone call could go out asking for verification. Lastly, keep your eyes open for suspicious activity, such as large orders for expensive items.
3. Outdoing the Competition
The eCommerce industry is highly competitive, making it difficult to outshine the competition. You could have the best product on the market and even the best prices, but if your competitor partners with a well-known delivery app, you may find that your sales dwindle simply because your competition has better shipping terms.
The best thing you can do is research your competitors and find out what they’re doing. This will give you a place to start when developing your digital marketing strategy. Also, invest heavily in customer service as visitors who don’t receive the assistance they desire will spread the word about their dissatisfaction.
4. Retaining Customer Loyalty
Consumers have so many online shopping options that it can take a lot of work to retain their loyalty. This often comes down to the fact that the seller and customer can’t see each other, making the transaction less personal.
Unfortunately, you can’t build customer loyalty and trust overnight. You’ll need to work consistently to provide excellent products and services. For example, you can incentivize customers to return to your online store by offering discounts, coupons, and a loyalty program to increase sales and build trust.
5. Staying safe from hacks and data breaches
If we’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that no business is safe from hacking attempts. Since they deal with banking and credit card details, eCommerce stores must be extra vigilant with their cybersecurity measures. After all, rebuilding customer trust can be almost impossible if you fail to protect their data. So, create a robust cybersecurity strategy, and consider working with a top IT support company to ensure you have round-the-clock coverage.
The eCommerce industry is fiercely competitive, which means plenty of challenges to overcome if you own an eCommerce store. While eCommerce entrepreneurs face more challenges than this list mentions, hopefully, we’ve given solutions you can use to overcome these common eCommerce challenges.
