The Five Most Commonly Encountered, Off-putting E-commerce Errors

While getting less public handwringing than during holiday season, the "abandoned shopping cart problem" continues to wreak havoc on online sales. Recently I judged a raftload of sites for the Webby Awards (my second time) and for the Inc. magazine Web Awards, as well as for my own clients. Here are the five irritants and obstacles that most frequently disrupt the visitor's shopping experience at e-commerce sites.

  • Lack of quick orientation for first-time visitors. What does the site sell? I've had to poke around for several minutes sometimes to understand the focus of a site. Jargon is one culprit. Another is lack of context, like an airline site that sells tickets not giving a single clue on the home page in what countries or even what continent it flies.

  • Explanations that don't explain. What does the product do and not do? Another basic, but it happens often that a site doesn't explain whether their "Turbocharge VT27-Plus" is a one-time download, a subscription, a Web-based service or something else. An alternative payment system's site failed to offer a clear, systematic description of how it works.

  • Missing prices and shipping charges. How much? You shouldn't have to put something into a shopping cart or enter your credit card information to learn how much an item costs, including shipping. Unfortunately, you still find this mistake at sites that have had plenty of time to get their act together.

  • Unreadable text. Say what? Creativity gone haywire seems to be the hallmark of some Web designers. Orange letters on a blue background, olive green on black, light gray on white and blue on blue were combinations that sent me packing, as did lettering too small for over-40 eyes.

  • Inconsistencies. Huh? One site says, "To sign up, click on the Sign Up link at the top of every page." But the site does not have any "Sign Up" link, only "Sign In." Such carelessness wastes the time of earnest shoppers and gets them frustrated and fed up, never to return.

    Blunders are equally rampant at well-funded corporate sites and those from home-based businesses. The good news is that many of the errors are extremely easy and inexpensive to fix.

    About The Author

    Marketing guru Marcia Yudkin is the author of Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover: Improve Your Message and Turn Visitors into Buyers, from Top Floor Publishing (http://www.yudkin.com/mmakeover.htm) and numerous other books on marketing. She recently began offering Web site reviews for just $40 (http://www.yudkin.com/sitereview.htm).

    marcia@yudkin.com

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Online Lead Generation: Can it Work for My Business?

    Business-to-business service providers have a wide range of tactics they... Read More

    Your Site is all Direct Marketing

    This may not be a popular view, but I think... Read More

    Electronic Commerce Tax Jurisdiction and Principles of Permanent Establishment

    The principle of "permanent establishment" is very important for avoidance... Read More

    Expand Your Local Business Through the Internet

    To obtain more local customers for your business, consider expanding... Read More

    How Measuring Key Performance Indicators Can Improve E-Commerce Strategy - Part Three

    The first article of this series discussed page views per... Read More

    What Does It Take to Make Money Online?

    What a loaded question! Let's narrow that down a bit... Read More

    Accepting Credit Card Payments Online

    Being able to accept credit cards and other online payments... Read More

    The Webmasters Assistant

    There are many tools available to a webmaster to analyse... Read More

    Maximize Your Froogling for Increased Website Profits

    Are you familiar with Froogle? If you are an online... Read More

    Dont Get Ripped Off Getting A Merchant Account

    Far too many people get ripped off when setting up... Read More

    Prompt Delivery Rules ? Internet Product Sales

    The Internet is the fastest growing source of mail order... Read More

    The Five Steps of E-Commerce

    You set up a retail business, you advertise in your... Read More

    Is Your Website Credit Card Friendly?

    In my last column I discussed the process of credit... Read More

    Intranet Project Names - Some Ideas

    "What's in a name? That which we call a rose... Read More

    The Internet and Customer Care: Aid or Anarchy?

    It was reported in 'Marketing' magazine this month, that Britain... Read More

    Dont give up on your business!

    Summer must be when many work at home Mom start... Read More

    Set Yourself Apart From The Ordinary

    I have written at length about the need to anticipate... Read More

    Shopping Cart Features to Consider

    Often the simplest Web stores have the most success. But... Read More

    The Essential Christmas Web-store Makeover

    Ten great tips to turn online holiday shoppers into eager... Read More

    Looking For Free Advertising, Here It Is!

    There are lots of ways to advertise for free but... Read More

    Overcoming Frustration with Technology

    For whatever reason, when we get a new boost in... Read More

    E-Gold

    E-gold is a digital currency, used extensively on the Internet... Read More

    Ecommerce Solution for the Big and Small Business

    First off, you need to know what an ecommerce solution... Read More

    Chinas IT Industry to Maintain Fast Growth

    China's IT industry is expected to see a sales revenue... Read More

    7 Questions to Ask A Potential Internet Merchant Account Provider

    Recently I went looking for an online merchant account, with... Read More

    Is ECommerce Right for Our Business?

    If your business features products or services for sale, undoubtedly... Read More

    Intranet Portals ? Personalisation and Customisation

    The key difference between an (old-fashioned) Intranet and a PortalWhat... Read More

    Grow Your Business Using B2B Emarketplace ? Part II

    Selecting the right emarketplaceAlthough, IT spending has been staying flat... Read More

    7 Suggestions for an i-Mom Friendly Web Site (e-commerce news and statistics)

    The Internet began as a male dominated medium, but those... Read More

    Helping Your Visitors: a State of Mind

    What does "helping your visitors" mean exactly?It means writing your... Read More

    ECommerce Scenario in Pakistan

    Pakistan with highest growth rates in 1960s and bad politics... Read More

    Tell Them Whats in The Can!

    What does 'the can' mean? Well, its literal meaning relates... Read More

    The Five Most Commonly Encountered, Off-putting E-commerce Errors

    While getting less public handwringing than during holiday season, the... Read More