Online Store Promotion: What Should Be Corrected
Online stores on promotion, in our experience, are both more promising and more problematic projects than regular sites. And if you see a contradiction here, then welcome to the cat, where I will tell you what is at stake. And at the same time I will prompt you what can be foreseen in advance, so that you do not pay later.
Oh, there is something to tell:
The cool thing about this is that it is possible to discuss the service in the language of business and in terms of its economy. So, communication theoretically should take less time, and its effectiveness should be higher.
Unfortunately, in reality, online shopping has to be developed together with the owners, because the first thing we face is a huge amount of ill-considered aspects and trivial flaws. And this automatically increases the budget for the work that is needed to correct them.
I will try to list the problems that are best inexpensively solved already at the design stage, so that you do not have to order them from us separately.
The owner does not see that the loading time of the pages exceeds the norm, as an inexperienced eye will not notice. But the numbers show: as soon as 300 users simultaneously land on the site, it will immediately fall down, and you can stop talking about sales.
The owner may even realize that it is important to count visitors and goods in a basket, but ...
I will not argue that they do not have quality, but ... I did not come across these. Especially among those that imply online commerce. And the matter is not even in acquiring or modules for displaying headers (although in them too). It's a shame when a store arrives, which has already been gaining a customer base for two years, and it cannot even be properly unloaded by segments.
Almost no one builds a system of catch-up and trigger mailings (with the exception of basic ones serving the order), advertising by segments, retargeting. The banal lack of knowledge about their existence, and the previous paragraph, also have an effect.
To a greater extent this applies to old sites and sites made "on the knee." Owners tend to literally fall in love with the look, even if it is endlessly outdated. This is especially pronounced if the online store has a scanty regular audience. On the one hand, this tells the owner that the current look of the site is “working”, and on the other, that this very audience will be very upset after seeing the changes.
There are goods that you want to love, and goods that you do not want to love. In areas where products are harder to describe, they are usually not described.
This happens rarely, but it happens. It is typical for online storefronts, where you can not pay, but you can create a request.
I know that there are disputes about the influence of online consultants on behavioral factors, but I have not seen any real negative consequences of using them. But I met real cases of leaving the “Question - Answer” page, when there was no answer.
On smartphones, the site turns into some kind of unbelievable mess, and working with it is absolutely impossible.
I have listed only those factors that you should consider, even if you are not going to order promotion right now. SEO doesn’t even start on them, it’s rather a reduction to a basic level at which it makes sense to start work in order not to do it in vain.
If you can relate to any of the above, then we recommend correcting the shortcomings and improving your online store today.
What we like in online stores
Oh, there is something to tell:
- First of all, it is a question of direct trade, therefore the customer will feel the very “effect of promotion” on the growth of sales. And this is a huge plus when you talk about the feasibility of investments and the possibility of expansion.
- Secondly, online stores work with a “hotter” audience, so you can count on a higher conversion than from a regular site. Here, of course, there are a lot of components of success, but all other things being equal, this is exactly the case.
- Thirdly, other measurable indicators that the customer is focused on are formal and understandable. This is not a group in VK, where likes and reposts may not mean anything.
- Fourthly, besides SEO, other tools are relevant for online stores, if you have them, of course. Aggregators, context, but at least arbitration traffic. Everything that creates leads, is sold or donated as a nice bonus, and from the first month of work. And it gives effect.
- Fifthly, the owners of online stores usually already have some trading experience and better understand the logic of advertising investments, because they are more open to your offers.
The cool thing about this is that it is possible to discuss the service in the language of business and in terms of its economy. So, communication theoretically should take less time, and its effectiveness should be higher.
What we don't like in online stores
Unfortunately, in reality, online shopping has to be developed together with the owners, because the first thing we face is a huge amount of ill-considered aspects and trivial flaws. And this automatically increases the budget for the work that is needed to correct them.
I will try to list the problems that are best inexpensively solved already at the design stage, so that you do not have to order them from us separately.
Unwillingness to load
The owner does not see that the loading time of the pages exceeds the norm, as an inexperienced eye will not notice. But the numbers show: as soon as 300 users simultaneously land on the site, it will immediately fall down, and you can stop talking about sales.
“Yes, we do not have such loads, what are you talking about! Attendance will begin to grow, then we will resolve the issues: as they become available. "No, we will not bring this to the end, if only because a badly rebuilt server prevents normal indexing. And believe me, you do not want to know from your own experience what a fallen site is at the height of the next “Black Friday”, when literally everything is bought, including your car oil with a 10% discount.
Complete or almost complete lack of metrics
The owner may even realize that it is important to count visitors and goods in a basket, but ...
“What is there to count if there are 100 of them per month, of which 80 are permanent? Yes, we know them all in the face and find out by voice. ”We all love customer focus. It’s a pity that the owner is not bothered by those who pass through the site and do not buy anything. But they also have something to offer. We ask passwords from analytics systems, we go in, and usually, apart from basic reports, there is nothing there. And this is very sad, because this knowledge, accumulated over a couple of years of not very successful work, would be useful to us now. Well, you have to customize them just now.
Free CMS
I will not argue that they do not have quality, but ... I did not come across these. Especially among those that imply online commerce. And the matter is not even in acquiring or modules for displaying headers (although in them too). It's a shame when a store arrives, which has already been gaining a customer base for two years, and it cannot even be properly unloaded by segments.
“We have put this one up for overclocking, it’s free. The volumes are small, everything can be done in Excel, why spend money on a boxed expensive CMS? ”Then, when the site starts to generate 30–40 orders per day, it becomes obvious how much the chosen tool does not meet the needs. And so that this does not happen, we will offer you a better option in order to save on development in the future: to invent endless “crutches” every time your CMS is not capable of something, it will be much more expensive.
The lack of scenarios for working with segments
Almost no one builds a system of catch-up and trigger mailings (with the exception of basic ones serving the order), advertising by segments, retargeting. The banal lack of knowledge about their existence, and the previous paragraph, also have an effect.
“If the action, then we do the newsletter, but in order to send our proposal to each one, we simply do not have such data for clients!”The reason is the same free CMS and inability to work with metrics. What is bad for SEO? For example, the fact that the obvious leads will simply not be brought to the funnel properly. And such questions will interest us if you want to pay for leads.
Design conservatism
To a greater extent this applies to old sites and sites made "on the knee." Owners tend to literally fall in love with the look, even if it is endlessly outdated. This is especially pronounced if the online store has a scanty regular audience. On the one hand, this tells the owner that the current look of the site is “working”, and on the other, that this very audience will be very upset after seeing the changes.
“Customers like, why change? We conducted a survey: they say that everything is fine. "This is a typical case of a “survivor’s mistake”: an audience that did not like the site will never tell what exactly was wrong. For this you need A / B tests. But when we hold them, then be prepared that some buttons may “move” to the other edge of the screen, and you will have to get used to the new structure.
Careless attitude to own goods
There are goods that you want to love, and goods that you do not want to love. In areas where products are harder to describe, they are usually not described.
“I understand if I would sell teddy bears: I would write what they are cute, kind and cool. But I sell wrenches! What about them in general, you can write, except that they are 12 or 9 ?! "In fact, it is possible, although it will not be easy with spanners. Descriptions, photos, characteristics - all this will need to be created from scratch, if it is now empty in the catalog.
Lack of communication with the warehouse
This happens rarely, but it happens. It is typical for online storefronts, where you can not pay, but you can create a request.
“If we run out of steel stock in the warehouse, then we just call the customer and say that he does not have it. Every time something on the site to change the information? Yes, we'd better offer him something else than he just won't leave a request. ”Yes, every time, but not manually, of course. It is done very simply: we need integration with 1C. Do you like to know that you were hoping for something? No one likes it. Do not force potential buyers to experience such emotions. And it is better to offer “something else” by means specially developed for this purpose.
Lack of communication with people
I know that there are disputes about the influence of online consultants on behavioral factors, but I have not seen any real negative consequences of using them. But I met real cases of leaving the “Question - Answer” page, when there was no answer.
“We simply have no one to answer, better let them call by phone. And so they will write, they will not answer, and it will be even worse. "If they do not answer, yes. But today this is not a problem at all, and it is even not always necessary to hire an individual employee. Modern CRM already includes the ability to integrate all possible forms, including appeals from social networks. Incoming calls are processed as leads instantly, and then the script selected for each type is connected. Although, if we are sincere, then working without an operator is somehow disreputable for a company focused on results.
Non-adaptive execution
On smartphones, the site turns into some kind of unbelievable mess, and working with it is absolutely impossible.
“For now, we are only counting on those who log in from the computer. All the same, it is inconvenient to fill in the form in the basket from the phone, let them make out of the house. ”Too bad it is inconvenient to fill out a form! From a mobile phone it should be possible to do everything in one click and with SMS confirmation. Now there is a lot of mobile traffic, and you are not only cutting off a huge part of the potential client audience, you are also increasing the percentage of refusals on the site. In general, again, behavioral, plus the exclusion of social signals from mobile phones - very bad for both SEO and sales.
What should I do with this information?
I have listed only those factors that you should consider, even if you are not going to order promotion right now. SEO doesn’t even start on them, it’s rather a reduction to a basic level at which it makes sense to start work in order not to do it in vain.
If you can relate to any of the above, then we recommend correcting the shortcomings and improving your online store today.