In every online business, including ecommerce – mistakes can happen. No matter if you are new at dropshipping, or selling your own product, mistakes can be happen and avoided.
What’s both interesting and frustrating is that dropshipping businesses, regardless of the niche they operate in and the e-commerce platforms they use, are prone to making dropshipping mistakes every now and then.
Whether you have a brand new Shopify dropshipping store or had one but something led to an eventual downfall, we have got you covered. In case you are new, follow the link and try creating your first Shopify Store for FREE.
Perhaps you wish you did not run across that unfortunate experience. Or you wish you could go back in time and fix things. But just because you failed once doesn’t mean you are going to fail again.
First, let’s get inspired by some great examples of Shopify dropshipping stores that have reached unprecedented success. Here are additional 50 Shopify Stores that can help you during the dropshipping journey.
Then, we can focus on the Shopify ecommerce mistakes and how to avoid them.
Top 9 Ecommerce Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Your Shopify Dropshipping Store
In fact, there’s a paradox whenever a dropshipping business deals with mistakes.
Since mistakes are bound to happen, you, as a dropshipping store owner, should cultivate a constructive perspective and learn from your Shopify ecommerce mistakes.
However, it’s also equally important for you to try to minimize or eliminate errors while starting and running your Shopify online store.
Therefore, it is best to try to employ a combination of two tactics – error prevention and error management.
The former refers to reducing the possibility of making mistakes (avoiding making mistakes), whereas the latter refers to optimizing the positive consequences of mistakes (learning from mistakes if they occur).
This may seem hard for you. But, in this article, we will list some of the most common Ecommerce mistakes made on Shopify and help you figure out a way to avoid them.
1. An unattractive design
Some dropshippers rush to get their websites up and running without paying enough attention to aesthetics. However, it is one of the biggest Shopify mistakes to avoid.
Suppose you walk into a boutique and realize that clothes are not neatly ordered. The sales assistant does not greet you or make you feel welcome. Sure, the next thing you are going to do is walk out of the store.
The same goes for your visitors. Essentially, your website is the heart of your online presence.
And an unattractive design can elevate your bounce rates and decrease your conversions. This may cause your customers to leave your website and run to your competitors.
If you are new to dropshipping, here you can learn how to build an ecommerce website from zero.
You do not want the bad design to kill your sales, do you? So, here is what you need to do.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- Choose the right Shopify theme for your online store.
- Make sure your Shopify landing page points out the right message. Learn how to create the best-performing ecommerce landing page with expert tips.
- Ensure your website’s color palettes are attractive and enticing because color plays a fundamental role in how your visitors perceive your site.
- Do not risk overwhelming your visitors and customers with unwanted and annoying pop-ups. Your pop-ups should give off a welcoming vibe.
- Though Shopify is arguably the most user-friendly, flexible e-commerce platform on the market, you should hire a seasoned website designer or expert with proven, Shopify-specific skills if you are a non-tech person. They will harmoniously combine visuals and content, thus creating a professional and visually appealing Shopify ecommerce store. You can find Shopify experts here.
2. Poor-quality product images
This is also one of the Ecommerce mistakes you need to avoid.
It is impossible for your customers to try, taste, or touch your product because you have an online store.
Therefore, they will rely greatly on your product images to determine if they want to buy something from your store.
Using high-quality product images can help your visitors envision your products online and click the “Buy” button. But using poor-quality product images can make you look unprofessional.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- Let your potential customers see your products in context by using lifestyle product photography. That’s to say, show real-life scenarios where they can use your products.
- Use product images with white backgrounds.
- Choose the highest resolution setting your device allows.
- Do not zoom in.
3. Improper product descriptions
Bear in mind that having high-quality photos but improper product descriptions will not get you anything.
Good product descriptions can help boost your product’s appeal, improve Search Engine Optimization, and generate more sales. However, bad product descriptions can negatively affect your conversion rate.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- Do not copy and paste the exact product descriptions from the original manufacturer/supplier’s site. You do not want your site to seem identical to your competitors, right?
- Make sure you do not make spelling or grammar errors while writing your own product descriptions.
- Explain what each product is and why it is worth purchasing in a clear manner. And use relevant information!
4. Too many or just a few Shopify apps
Do not get us wrong – using Shopify dropshipping apps is great. It can considerably improve the functionality of your Shopify store since many apps are super-helpful.
But, installing too many apps on your Shopify store can lead to clutter as well as decrease your web page load times.
And installing just a few apps can prevent you from extending the functionality of your dropshipping store.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- We know it is tempting; all you want to do is install various apps and design your store just as you wish. But do not install every single Shopify app that you find.
- Adding a Shopify app must be a carefully considered business decision. So, find the right balance between too many and too few. Simply use apps in moderation and install those that are critical or absolutely necessary.
5. A complicated payment process
Some Shopify Ecommerce mistakes like a complicated payment process can cost you more than you may think.
Did you know that a complicated checkout/payment process is a major reason for cart abandonment?
This is why you must simplify that process to stop your prospective customers from abandoning their cart after deciding to buy from your store.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- There are limited customization checkout options on Shopify. But you need to customize your checkout so that it matches the rest of your Shopify store.
- Keep steps to a bare minimum and collect information that’s absolutely necessary.
- Test your checkout process yourself to ensure it is simple and easy. You can learn how to do so here.
6. Wrong payment gateways
Shopify offers various payment gateway options, including Shopify Payments and integrations with many other payment providers around the world.
Still, not using the right payment gateways is one of the Shopify store mistakes to avoid. Your payment gateways should not get in the way of your sales.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- Make purchases extremely convenient for your customers by connecting multiple payment gateways to your online store.
- When choosing your Shopify payment methods, consider things like:
- Your target market (where your potential customers are based, their payment methods of choice, etc);
- The size of your business;
- The payment methods’ reviews and their transaction fees.
7. A lack of trust and security
It is unquestionable that both trust and security are critical factors in dropshipping business success.
Namely, when someone is shopping from your store, they have to provide personal information to you so that they can receive their order. Needless to say, they also have to wait for a few days before their product gets shipped.
Thus, you will be making one of the biggest Shopify ecommerce mistakes if you do not appear trustworthy and build trust with your visitors.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- Display a few key pages on your Shopify store. These pages are as follows: Privacy Policy & Terms of Service; Shipping Policy; Return Policy; Contact page; About page; FAQ page; and Review page.
- Reduce uncertainties as well as live up to the product expectations of your customers. As mentioned previously, you need to provide detailed, accurate info about your products and shipping times to ensure the expectations of your customers align with what they receive.
- Share your achievements with your customers via a digital badge. This is usually recognized as a trusted validation of the Shopify store owner’s achievement.
8. A lack of brand identity
In essence, brand identity is a complex thing. It is much more than the first image that pops into a consumer’s head when they say the name of a brand. In fact, it is the entirety of associations people make with your brand.
And dropshipping is a fiercely competitive business model. That’s why a lack of brand identity can have a devastating effect on the success of your business.
How to avoid making this mistake:
- Design a professional logo for your Ecommerce store since it is the face of your e-commerce brand. If you do not know how to do that, do not hesitate to hire a seasoned logo designer.
- Do not overlook your packaging. To carve out a distinctive brand identity within your dropshipping niche, your packaging has to WOW your customers.
- Add a favicon to your Shopify dropshipping store. For those who do not know what a favicon is, here is the explanation for a favicon. Fortunately, most Shopify themes have the option to upload a favicon. And you can add one to your store by clicking “Theme settings” within the theme editor. Here you can find the entire process of adding a favicon to your Shopify store.
9. An ineffective marketing strategy
As we have already said in the previous section, the e-commerce environment is highly competitive, especially dropshipping. The e-commerce market is constantly growing. And this happens not only in the United States but also globally.
With a seemingly endless array of dropshipping businesses, consumers now have more options than ever. So, you must make your Ecommerce store stand out from the crowd with an effective marketing strategy.
This means that having an ineffective marketing strategy is one of the Ecommerce mistakes you need to avoid.
How to avoid making this mistake:
Just combine the following tactics into one marketing strategy:
- Content marketing
- E-mail marketing
- Facebook ads
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Influencer marketing
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Final thoughts
Advances in technology and low barriers to entry have made it easy for almost anyone to start a dropshipping business.
In addition, various e-commerce platforms like Shopify enable you to sell products online, with setup perhaps only taking several hours.
Here we cover our best dropshipping tips for everyone that’s starting his dropshipping journey.
But not every dropshipping business using Shopify succeeds. Shopify ecommerce mistakes are common. And that’s why we have created this article – to help you learn how to avoid them.
