Technically Easy

Tag: eCommerce

  • Understanding Multi-Carrier Shipping APIs

    Understanding Multi-Carrier Shipping APIs

    If you are running a business and use an eCommerce model, you ship your customers products. Most companies do that these days, though some still use only brick-and-mortar store locations. Either option can work for you if you consistently come out with great products and have a strong market presence.

    You should always look into technology that can help your business succeed. We will talk about one technology form in this article you should know about if you’re not using it yet. APIs have existed for some time, but some business owners might not necessarily understand their potential.

    What Exactly is an API?

    API stands for application programming interface. It is a way to connect computer or computer programs. The software for each device or program communicates with each other using a simple language that they can all understand.

    You might also sometimes hear the term API specification. That is a standard or document that describes how to build one of these connections.

    What is a Multi-Carrier Shipping API?

    Automating your shipping is a great thing for a company to do. When you do it, it can save you both time and money.

    You can look into companies that sell or rent shipping APIs as ongoing services. It’s similar to SaaS, or software as a service. You can automate many shipping aspects and help your company run smoother.

    Having one API for 81 carriers or more is excellent if you can do it. The more carriers you can include as part of your shipping API, the easier it is to attract new customers. Your potential customers want easy shipping, and implementing this technology is a way you can provide that for them.

    How a Multi-Carrier Shipping API Works

    Say that you have a business website where potential customers can find all your products available for sale. They know they can order those products and get them shipped to their residences anywhere around the country.

    If you have a multi-carrier shipping API and someone puts in an order, that API instantly goes to work. It communicates seamlessly with whatever parcel service delivers to that part of the country.

    The API can communicate with the US postal service, UPS, FedEx, DHL, or any of the others you might know and recognize. You can see the new orders as they come in at a central hub that tells you everything about each shipment you need to know.

    You’ll see who placed the order and when they did it. You’ll see what carrier will pick up the package and drop it off. You can see the expected drop-off time and how much postage that company charged you, which you can then pass on to the customer as part of the purchase price.

    What Else Can a Multi-Carrier Shipping API Do?

    Multi-carrier shipping APIs can do a lot more than that, though. You might look for ones that can automatically generate shipping labels for you with bar codes on them that the carrier can scan to track the package’s location. You can get one that integrates and communicates with popular shopping apps like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.

    You can find one that you can set up within minutes if you’re reasonably tech-savvy. If you don’t handle this part of the business so much, that’s fine. You can get your IT department to do it if you have one. If not, you might contact an IT freelancer who can set up the API for you.

    You can get one that comes with 24/7 live technical support if you ever have a shipping issue you need to address. Your API can also handle international shipping if you’re ready to make that leap. If your products catch on very well in the US, you’ll probably want to investigate foreign markets if you feel like these items have worldwide demand or potential.

    You can use the API to look at shipping manifests whenever necessary. You can use it to cancel a label if a customer changes their mind before you ship something to them.

    Usually, the more you learn about shipping automation with APIs, the more likely you will want to do it. If you don’t automate your shipping with the proper API, you’ll need to spend a lot more time working on the shipping process.

    With the proper API in place, you won’t need as many employees, so you’ll save money on your payroll. You can then allocate those funds elsewhere within the business.

  • e-Commerce Ideas with the Most Potential

    e-Commerce Ideas with the Most Potential

    e-Commerce has certainly seen a lot of growth in recent years and it would seem that this trend is going to continue in the future as well. Given how many people are doing their shopping on the internet there is very little to be surprised about.

    But it is not just shopping. Those who believe that they can conquer a market should go for it. As they say, there is no good time to start a business. All you need is an idea you can build upon and become the authority of the industry.

    Feel like this is something you would be interested in as well? If so, make sure to continue reading and you will realize just how many potential e-commerce ideas are out there.

    Print on demand

    One of the biggest industries in e-commerce is print on demand. People love custom-made merchandise and plenty of individuals use it on a daily basis, not just for special occasions.

    If you want to conquer this particular niche, you will have to work hard on your designs rather than anything else. Marketing is a given, and there are platforms that automate the majority of the selling process, shopify print on demand being one of the prime examples.

    Your start will likely be slow, but if you are persistent and stick to the plan, you are bound to come out on top sooner or later.

    Groceries Online

    Groceries online

    Food delivery is becoming more and more popular. It is hard to pinpoint the exact reason for this trend, but it would appear that people are getting lazier overall. Sure, pizza delivery and such has been around for a long time, but now you have those who would have all the groceries delivered to them directly.

    Is this going to eliminate brick and mortar stores in the future? We will have to wait and see. If you want to profit from this, you will need to find a way to drive customers and ensure that your relationships with vendors are always in a good place.

    Social media consultancy

    Running a business that focuses on social media management is not a far-fetched idea. In fact, it is probably one of those with the most potential out of this list.

    It is no longer just Instagram and Facebook that people use. New platforms are popping every now and then, and brands want to get on top of those immediately. Hiring some outside help with the hopes of winning in the race of attracting the most followers is a natural option. And you could become the driving force in this fight.

    Graphic design

    Graphic design

    There is a high demand for freelancers as well as those who are willing to work under a contract. Finding a decent graphic designer is more difficult than one expects, even if you are looking to create something as simple as a logo.

    You could be the bridge, the middleman who would outsource graphic designers. In fact, you could do the same with every other type of freelancer.

    Customer Support Agency

    While it will take time to establish this idea and make yourself noticeable, there are a few agencies that offer various businesses customer support services. Because new ventures on the internet are popping every day, this particular is certainly worth consideration.

    Virtual reality

    If you are looking for a simple dropshipping project online, virtual reality equipment seems to be one of the hottest niches at the moment. What started out as a pretty expensive pastime activity continues to move in a positive direction from the customer’s point of view.

    The price is dropping as the technology continues to develop, making it much more accessible than it was at first. Add the fact that there are new games in development and you have a clear understanding that VR is a good investment.

    Crowdfunding sites

    Developing a website like Patreon or Kickstarter is a tall task, but not one out of the realm of impossibilities. If you have a team of people who would be willing to work on this, you could certainly create something special and see money coming your way.

    It should become quite clear that e-commerce has a lot to offer for everyone willing to take part and simply get started. Coming up with an idea and getting rid of doubts is always the most difficult thing, and it becomes even tougher when your first idea does not work out the way you thought it would. But as long as you are willing to push through and learn from your experiences, you will be able to land on your feet.

  • Must-Follow Tips for Creating an eCommerce Store Where People Actually Want to Shop

    Must-Follow Tips for Creating an eCommerce Store Where People Actually Want to Shop

    The design of any website is important. No matter how great your content, if the site itself isn’t designed well, people won’t want to return time and time again.

    That’s especially the case when it comes to ecommerce stores.

    It doesn’t matter how great your products, if your site doesn’t meet customer expectations, your virtual doors won’t be open very long. Here are a few must-follow tips that will ensure your online store is a place where people actually want to shop.

    Take your time on the mechanics

    Nothing is more important than getting the mechanics of your website right.

    Wise Merchant says, “A large part of the success of your store is actually behind the scenes. The code and design visible to search engines can make or break your store, and it’s best to get those details right from the beginning.”

    If you don’t have the mechanics of your site right, it doesn’t matter what it looks like or what you’re trying to sell. It’s no big deal if a link doesn’t direct readers to the right blog article, but it’s an entirely different story if a link doesn’t ensure what is being purchased ends up on your customer’s doorstep.

    To make sure you’re doing it all right, it’s a good idea to hire a professional programmer to help, even if they just get started and you take over once everything is established. It’s the best way to make sure everything works exactly the way it should.

    An intuitive, responsive design

    The code behind your site is important, but even the best code can’t make up for an ugly, hard-to-use website. That’s why an intuitive design should go hand-in-hand with good programming.

    A few tips to follow when designing a high-quality website include:

    • An easy-to-follow navigation bar.
    • Filter and search options.
    • A clean, uncluttered design.
    • Thoughtful color choices.

    An intuitive, responsive website design means making sure it works on desktop and laptop computers, but it also means making sure your site shows up properly on mobile devices.

    Less Is More When It Comes to Content

    The traditional advice when it comes to content is that more is more, as long as it’s high-quality content. Although this advice can be true, it’s also true that less can be more when it comes to content.

    Ecommerce sites are one example.

    Products should be accompanied by content and product specs, but that doesn’t mean people want to read hundreds, or even thousands, of words about a single product.

    Instead, ecommerce sites should go easy on the content. That means streamlining the content on each product page, but it means streamlining the products on the website as well.

    There’s no need to list every product you’ve ever made in an extensive catalogue that no one will look at anyway. Instead, only list products you’re currently offering, and look for ways you can condense product listings. For example, if a cardigan comes in three colors, list them together instead of creating separate pages for each one.

    More is more when it comes to images

    Less may be more when it comes to content on ecommerce websites, but that’s not the case when it comes to images. More is more!

    People want to know exactly what they’re ordering, and one way to make them feel confident is by posting plenty of high-quality images.

    The keyword is “high-quality.”

    That means following product photography tips that include:

    • Using diffused, natural light.
    • Using a neutral backdrop.
    • Capturing all the details, front and back.
    • Showing the scale of the item, if necessary.
    • Eliminating camera shake with a tripod.
  • The Must Have Security Features for Any eCommerce Platform

    The Must Have Security Features for Any eCommerce Platform

    The rapid growth in the ecommerce industry, in many ways, is also a result of the level of confidence that people have in the online payment mechanisms. eCommerce websites that are able to showcase their use of the best in class security features, in terms of payment processing, as well as customer data privacy, are on track for success at a scale.

    A bit on ecommerce security

    Regardless of the scale of any ecommerce enterprise, what makes them such an appealing target for cybercriminals are the volume and value of data they host. Hundreds of customers share their personal details, banking information, and other useful data (that is supposed to remain confidential) to register with, use, and get the best of ecommerce services.

    Thousands of ecommerce-related cybercrimes take place on a daily basis, with even giant ventures, like eBay, falling prey to these attacks. Online security is, thus, an aspect where compromises should never be made on. Sufficient resources should go into tightening the security of online business platforms to their utmost.

    The following is an elaborate list of some of the most quintessential security features that every ecommerce platform should possess:

    Go for layered security

    According to cyber-security experts, the best method to ensure that an ecommerce platform is safe from cybercrimes is by going for a multi factor authentication mechanism. Adding layers to the security protocol makes the security tougher to breach, and the violation endeavor more time-consuming.

    This, in turn, discourages hackers from targeting your ecommerce website.

    For instance, a firewall for the website’s server is common and necessary. However, it is wise to enhance its utility by preparing a detailed contact form and necessitating strong passwords from registered users that contain combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers.

    SSL certificates: a must have

    When sensitive information is being exchanged, the exchange taking place between the internet browser of the end-user and the website needs to be secured. SSL or Secure Sockets Layer encrypt these communications so as to secure them from unauthorized access.

    Installation of SSL certificates, along with other protocols mentioned in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, have been made compulsory for ecommerce entrepreneurs, who are lawfully held responsible for securing the information provided by customers.

    These certificates can either be availed for free or via paid subscriptions, depending on the agency in charge of installing these certificates.

    Adopting VPNs

    Public networks are accessed by large numbers of people, and hence, always on the hit list of cyber criminals. These networks might not be the safest option for operating an ecommerce platform.

    Adopting a Virtual Private Network that is equipped with offsite servers and secures communications via encryptions is a much smarter decision when it comes to safeguarding online transactions.

    Encryptions are of paramount importance because they do not allow external online parties from actively or passively involving itself in communications between websites and end-user servers.

    The cost of availing VPN services depends on the mode of services that you have opted for. Open-VPN and SSL-VPN are two cost-effective security options.

    Security auditing

    Frequent security checkups and audits are recommended for sustaining and bolstering your ecommerce website’s safety-net. Audits help weed out potential threats that may have found their way onto these portals.

    It is, thus, a good idea to eliminate records of past transactions, just like it’s done by new online casinos and apps. Since these portals deal with round-the-clock cash flow, they take security concerns rather seriously to ensure that their clients’ information is safeguarded properly.

    Their tech teams are always on guard regarding malicious attempts made on their servers.

    Protection against DDoS targets

    DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service, a form of cybercrime that has kept website security teams awake at night many times. Moreover, they keep adapting to more complex versions so as to dodge measures that are generally employed against these attacks.

    Cloud-based DNS facilities that come equipped with transaction provisions help guard websites against DDoS attacks by removing suspicious or unnecessary traffic.

    Investing in an efficient service that fights DDoS attacks is a much more pocket-friendly move than trying to tackle them on your own. Not only do DNS services safeguard ecommerce websites, but they also provide 100% DNS guarantees that enable more reliable communications between the website and servers.

    Concluding remarks

    In order to ensure long-term success for an ecommerce platform, its website security must be the first base covered during development. It is one of the most important pillars that hold these platforms up and should, thus, be updated, maintained and checked religiously.

    Whether it’s a multi-brand online retail store, an online service provider, or a thriving online casino, you need to ensure the best of information security, always.

  • 5 Things Can Boost Your eCommerce Business

    5 Things Can Boost Your eCommerce Business

    After days, weeks and even month of hard work, your ecommerce website is finally ready to conquer the online world. From an idea in the back of your heard, to the process of turning concept to the reality of a published site, here you are, ready for the next step: getting sales.

    Easier said than that in an increasingly competitive online world, but just because the road to success might require a lot of work, and a smile or two from lady luck, doesn’t mean your site won’t be among the few ones that will make it to the top.

    Here is a brief SEO guide for ecommerce websites including 5 tips that could help you along the way:

    1. Bring targeted traffic to the site

    It is important to make sure you understand what targeted means. If traffic is the key to a website success, qualified traffic is its holy grail. Whilst thousands of visitors to a website is what we all ultimately strive for, nothing is more important than ensuring that the visitors who come to your site are actually interested in the products or services you specialize in.

    That means that traffic for the sake of it is not sufficient. What you really need is qualified, targeted traffic!

    There are many ways qualified traffic can be brought into a site and they all fall under the category of internet marketing:

    • SEO or search engine optimization will ensure that the content in your site and the structure of your site is aimed at providing your user with an optimal experience and a wealth of information visitors are looking for. SEO is a complex process which requires a lot of work and an adaptability of thoughts some people possess more than others. For that reason, you might want to enlist the help of a professional firm specializing in SEO.

      If you choose to do this yourself, then be prepared to set aside time and effort in order to familiarize yourself with the requirements of SEO.

    • Advertising: A sometime expensive process, advertising represents the quickest way to bring qualified traffic to a site. There are many advertising platform you can choose from including google AdWords, Facebook ads, pay per click systems etc. The idea is to test the waters so to speak by going small, to see where any dollar you might spend in one platform will generate more traffic for your site in another.

    2. Upsell and cross-sell products

    An often-neglected area of online ecommerce sites, upselling and cross selling products within your site can be one of the best (and most economical) ways to maximize revenues.

    We all know how tough it is to not only bring visitors to a website but to turn them into customers and the idea that they should be able to come in, click on the BUY HERE button and then be allowed to leave doesn’t make any sense.

    You have worked hard to bring them to your site, you’ve convinced them that your product is what they are looking for and they have made a purchase. Now is the time to tell them about the other products or services you specialize in which might be of equal benefit to them. Say you specialize in health supplement and your customer has just selected a one month supply of one of your products.

    An upsell campaign might present him or her with the opportunity to earn discounts on a 3 month purchase instead. Another one might be to offer further discount if the order is marked as auto renewal.

    A cross-sell campaign might tell them that the particular product they have just purchased might work even better with this other one.

    Upselling and cross-selling is a unique way to increase sales revenues. Make sure you use this system in your own e-commerce site.

    3. Don’t let abandoned carts go to waste

    Customers, for a number or reasons often choose not to complete a purchase on sites. E-commerce sites will usually have the necessary tools to list abandoned carts and as a savvy business owner, you should at least try to find out why the cart was abandoned in the first place. The good thing about an abandoned cart is that you already know who the customer is and the details of his or her email.

    A simple set of recovery emails can go a long way in turning these abandoned carts into actual purchased. Here is a sequence of emails you could send:

    • Thank the customer for initiating a purchase and remind him or her of the products that are waiting in the cart.
    • Remind them how uniquely impactful these products can be and how they have made a difference in the lives of so many other people who are using them.
    • Offer an incentive, like a discount code valid for a number of days only.

    There are also specialized recovery tools which you can use. These tools come at a cost but claim that through their appropriate use, they can help you recover up to 50% of all abandoned carts.

    4. Work on your content, fine tune your descriptions, add photos, videos

    Make sure your SEO tags and titles are informative and accurate. Don’t rely on automated descriptions pulled by your e-commerce management software from the content of your products page.

    The idea that once a product page is up, there’s nothing else that can be done to improve it is false. On the contrary. Search engines actually like regularly updated content.

    5. Use social media

    Making used of social media is an important aspect of a successful eCommerce business.

    Recent research indicates that social media platforms such as Facebook generate more traffic than google. As the world begins to incorporate the use of social media in their online activities, so should you.

    Many companies with limited advertising budgets start on Facebook and for good reasons. Using FB ads has been shown to boost sales by up to 37 percent for some and it would be a mistake not to try.

    Facebook targeted audience can help define a customer base that is going to be highly interested in your products and services and the more targeted your audience the less money the ad will cost.

    Spending less for more qualified traffic is a win-win situation and considering social media is driving sales more than ever, it is an advertising platform you should definitely not pass.

    As final thoughts, it is important to remember that e-commerce sites have the potential to be highly rewarding in terms of revenues earned from sales. The mere fact of putting a site out there is not sufficient though.

    As a business owner, you will be required to apply both time and effort to ensure that your site becomes successful. If you are prepared to do the hard work, follow the guideline above, then you will give yourself the tools to succeed where many others have failed.

    It’s up to you!

    Author Bio

    Erica Silva is a blogger who loves to discover and explore the world around her. She writes on everything from marketing to technology, science and brain health. She enjoys sharing her discoveries and experiences with readers and believes her blogs can make the world a better place.

    Find her on Twitter: @ericadsilva1.

  • What to Look for When Shopping for eCommerce Stores

    What to Look for When Shopping for eCommerce Stores

    One of the easiest ways to acquire an online store is by searching an ecommerce marketplace platform like Exchange by Shopify. This platform allows you to shop for online stores or to list your own for sale.

    If you have been doing this for a while and now want to sell for a profit, you can do so on Exchange. If your journey as a store owner is only beginning, you can also find stores for sale on this platform.

    There are plenty to choose from in different industries and niches. In order to make the most out of your shopping experience, and to make sure that you find what you are looking for, make sure to inquire about the following details.

    What’s in the box?

    Buying a store won’t always result in the same kind of purchase. On top of the actual store itself, there are many other factors that pertain to the maintenance or profit generating abilities of said store.

    For instance, you can get the previous owner’s email list when you buy the store, or the previous owner’s physical inventory. This depends on whether or not they are willing to give it to you for the agreed upon purchasing price.

    Most of the time, a store listing will specify what else is included in the deal. This is so they can make the overall deal sweeter. Some even agree to offer their personal support after the transaction is made.

    A store for your own size

    You can purchase an established online store or acquire a tiny startup store. Depending on what kind of store you are interested in, you will find different price tags attached to the offers.

    Keep in mind that you don’t have to start from scratch, but you have the possibility of starting anew without the actual headache of finding a domain, setting up the website and everything else related to starting up the online business.

    You can skip all of these and get a startup store, which will allow you to create your own logo and rebrand it, making it yours completely. Alternatively, you could just buy an already established store that’s already doing well.

    If you eye a store that already generates a pretty penny, you can take it over and set yourself up for smooth sailing.

    Checking out the categories

    On Exchange, available websites are shown in categories that represent each store’s main trade. For instance, if you are looking to buy a store that sells beds, you might find them in the furniture section.

    If you want to invest in an online shop that trades in sports goods, you will mostly find all eligible candidates under the Sports category. The same principle applies for all other categories.

  • Easy eCommerce Mistakes – Could These Simply Mistakes Be Holding You Back?

    Easy eCommerce Mistakes – Could These Simply Mistakes Be Holding You Back?

    Web design is difficult enough for just a regular business website but for eCommerce websites, the task can almost seem impossible. Mistakes will happen when it comes to designing your eCommerce website, making a misstep here and there isn’t anything to worry about.

    But if you make a lot of little mistakes it can quickly add up, web design takes a lot of time to master but with eCommerce websites, you can easily rush and make mistakes and sometimes what you think is a great design can be the complete opposite.

    Let’s take a look at some of the easy mistakes people can make when designing their ecommerce website.

    If you’ve noticed your sales stagnating or new products aren’t as popular as you thought they might be then these design problems could be the causes. So, without further ado let’s examine some of the simple, easy to make, mistakes that could be holding your website back.

    Wordy descriptions

    When it comes to ecommerce websites, not all the mistakes you can make will be because of web design elements like colours, layouts or graphics. One of the most common mistakes people make is with their text, to be more precise their product descriptions.

    Long descriptions do have their uses and are sometimes needed but for the majority of your products, you should have a short and concise description that tells the customer everything they need to know.

    Long or wordy descriptions can look messy and will instantly turn off the majority of customers, writing for the web takes some practice but remember to try and be to the point.

    A confusing layout

    While it’s true that many ecommerce websites follow similar layouts there’s a good reason why they do, it’s because it is familiar and users will easily be able to find their way around your website.

    Web design allows you to be creative and sometimes you can get carried away looking for a way to stand out.

    This isn’t always a bad thing but can lead to some very strange design choices and will make it very difficult for people to navigate your website.

    So, before you implement any more unusual or quirky web design choices make sure you think about the customer’s point of view first.

    You don’t look trustworthy

    One of the hardest parts of web design is making your website look trustworthy there’s a lot of fake websites out there, especially amongst ecommerce websites.

    So, if you want your website to look trustworthy then make sure you take that into account when designing it.

    You can make your website look trustworthy in a number of ways, first of all, make sure you have a place for customer testimonials and reviews. You should also have an “about us” page and only use high-quality images and graphics.

    Ensuring your website design looks trustworthy is harder than you might think so take your time, you want to avoid looking amateurish but also want to avoid coming across as fake.

    Visit https://www.i3media.net/cambridge-web-design/ for some good examples of what a professional website should look like.

    You don’t make changes

    It’s important to get the balance right with this one, once you’ve got a good web design in place for your ecommerce site you will understandably want to stick with it and you should.

    At least for a while, but you shouldn’t be afraid of changing it because if you don’t your website could become boring.

    You could try tying in any redesigns with special events like sales or even public holidays and then switch back to your old design once they are over. The changes you make don’t even after to be big a small change to the design every now and again can make a big difference.

  • 10 Mistakes to Avoid for an Effective eCommerce Blog

    10 Mistakes to Avoid for an Effective eCommerce Blog

    More and more people are buying products online because of the convenience and cost benefits this gives them. If you are running an eCommerce website, you should consider complementing it with an effective eCommerce blog. This is because:

    • Search engines see blog pages as fresh content for your site, which is good for SEO since you will have internal links pointing to your site and your blog content will be keyword optimized.
    • A blog humanizes your website. You can express better what your team’s passion is and what you care about on a blog as opposed to an eCommerce website, where focus is on selling.
    • You will be able to advertise your wares to visitors who visit your blog just for the content (who had no intention of buying from you). You should, however, be subtle in how you market your wares.
    • A good blog will bring you out as an expert in your niche and build trust, factors that will improve conversion rates.
    • You can include social media badges that can be used by your visitors to share your content. This further increases your reach.
    • The comments your visitors leave will give you valuable feedback on what you need to improve.

    Creating a blog does not have to be difficult. You need not post daily and you can even invite guest bloggers. If your blog is to make real impact, it needs to be better than what your competitors are offering.

    You should know the common mistakes eCommerce business owners make with their blogs so that you can avoid them.

    Only writing about your products

    An eCommerce blog, unlike an eCommerce website, gives you freedom to express yourself. Avoid the common mistake of only talking about your products as this will bring monotony and readership will go down.

    Other than your products (what you are selling, where it came from, how it is made, and features that differentiate it from what is in the market), you can also blog about such things as:

    • Your story (the history, vision, and growth of your business).
    • Events that you are participating in or that you are running.
    • Tutorials on how your product is used.
    • Advice on related products that you may not be offering.
    • Updates on your company.
    • Major developments in your industry.
    • Announcements such as when you have a sale.
    • Something interesting that is trending and that would interest your readers.

    Lack of focus

    There is no contradiction with the previous point. Although you should write more than just about your products, do not deviate too much from the topic.

    Do not write about each and every topic that you think about as this will create disinterest in those who read your blog posts for specialized information.

    You do not have to produce a blog postevery day as this could lead to burnout, preventing you from finding something relevant to write about.

    Blogs that are hard to find

    You may have a very good blog but you will not get visitors if it is hard to find. In eCommerce websites where blogs are an afterthought, you would have to Google the blog to find it.

    You should ensure your blog is accessible from the main website and you should use it to link back to your site.

    Poor blog design

    Whilst many eCommerce websites are investing heavily in their main websites, little investment seems to be going to blogs. This leaves them with blogs whose design is inconsistent with that of the main page.

    Readers will notice when a blog seems to have been put up in a hurry. The layout, font, and other design elements should be consistent with those of the main site and if possible, have the same web design company develop both your site and your blog.

    Forgetting SEO

    One of the greatest benefits of blogging is that it boosts your SEO efforts. Avoid the common mistake of forgetting SEO rules such as keyword optimization and link building.

    You should only use White Hat SEO tactics since Grey Hat and Black Hat tactics could lead to the banning of your site.

    Mediocre title

    Some bloggers concentrate on the content and forget about the title. Your title is the gateway to the blog and you should ensure it is short, mobile-friendly and attention grabbing.

    A boring title will devalue your article. However, this is not to say that you should turn your title into the equivalent of a Vegas billboard.

    Neglecting the intro and the CTA

    If you have a good title that entices a reader, whether or not the reader will continue with the rest of the article will depend on the intro.

    Another common mistake is assuming that readers will visit your site if they find your content interesting. You need a CTA (call-to-action) to entice your readers to visit your site.

    Not having a target audience

    Face it, your blog will not be liked by everybody. You should write with a target audience in mind. What works for millennials will most likely not work for baby boomers.

    Your target audience should be based on what you are selling.

    Neglecting comments

    Enable commenting on your blog. Comments give you valuable feedback that you can use in product development and to make improvements to your current products.

    Answer questions raised in comments and do not delete negative comments as they humanize your brand.

    Doing it all yourself

    Join a blog community for content from guest bloggers. You should also consider getting content from your employees. This will give a fresh perspective to your blogs and eliminate boredom.

    Other common mistakes that you should avoid are:

    • Ignoring social media (through social media buttons).
    • Not promoting the blog through such forums as mainstream media, article submissions, and press releases.
    • Grammatical mistakes resulting from failure to properly edit the content.
    • Failure to use visual effects to add to the attractiveness of the blog.

    You would be surprised at just how many eCommerce businesses, including the most prominent names, make mistakes. Making these mistakes will make your efforts futile.

    You will not only waste time and money, but you will also miss golden opportunities.