If your business depends on eCommerce, you can’t leave anything to chance on your website. You need to create the best user experience possible in order to turn visitors into customers. While you know your eCommerce company better than anyone, maintaining a website can be a complicated and ongoing process. Here are four common mistakes that you could be making, and how to avoid them.

Ignoring mobile:

It seems that we are reminded of the increasing importance of mobile-friendly websites each and every day. While purchases are still more likely to happen on desktops and tablets, mobile devices are a prime source for information gathering. It is estimated that 77% of mobile searches occur at home or work, where a computer is present (Google & Nielsen). It’s simply easiest for many people to pull their phone out of their pocket and “Google” something they might want to buy. Google has recognized our increased reliance on mobile devices to surf the web, and has adapted its search algorithm in ways that penalize sites that are not mobile-optimized. This is significant, as many online buyers (44%) start their journey with an organic search. Your first step in becoming a mobile-friendly website is to test your site on the Google Webmasters Mobile-Friendly Test. We can help if you have questions about the next steps you should take.

Not having a strong “About” page:

Who are you? What is the story of your products? Why should I trust you with an online purchase? These are the questions visitors are asking the first time they land on your website. These questions, and more, can and should be answered in a content-heavy “About” page. This is almost always the first page a visitor clicks on after they land on your homepage; don’t skimp. It’s2rather easy to assume that your website visitors already have background information on your company and your products, but this can be a dangerous assumption to make. Some visitors might be new to the industry, while some might have never heard of your company before. Don’t waste this opportunity to make a good first impression with your visitors. Educate them on your company and open the door to the potential of turning them into customers.

Lack of product information:

It’s also important to provide sufficient information on your product pages. Again, you should never assume that your customers have background information on you or your products, so don’t leave the door open to the possibility of confused customers. Online customers are not able to engage with your product physically before making a purchase decision, which makes it important for you to leave nothing to chance with your product descriptions and images. The increased content also makes your product pages look more relevant to search engines and can help you rise up the search rankings in your market.

Not collecting or displaying product reviews:

Collecting and displaying product reviews gives you and your customers valuable information. First, it lets you know how your customers are responding to your products, informing you of successes, as well as potential problems. This is free feedback and an important step in ultimately improving your product quality. Second, it gives you “free marketing” from your customers. New leads read product reviews and take them into account before making a purchase decision. Leverage this “free marketing” so past customers can turn into promoters and future customers can be confident they are making a good purchase before they even receive their product.