Why Is My Online Store Not Making Sales?

Why Is My Online Store Not Making Sales

“Sales are to businesses, like oxygen is to humans.”

You need to generate sales to sustain your online store. As easy as others make it look, after you set up your store, list a product and run one ad, sales will start flooding in – in reality, it does not happen like that. 

There are many reasons as to why your store is struggling to generate sales. In this article, we will talk about three common mistakes beginners make that lead to their store making little to no sales. 

So, read on to find out! 

 

1. You Are Selling a Product That Has No Demand 

The product you are selling is the primary factor that will dictate the sales of your store. That is why, selling random trinkets and knick knacks won’t generate any. 

Remember: Demand = Sales

If you sell a product that has a demand, generating sales is easy. 

There are two types of products that are always in demand: 

First, products that are trending. 

Trending products are high in demand since it is human nature to follow the crowd to not get left behind.

But you have to keep in mind that trends come and go. And the demand is short-lived. 

Think of fidget spinners in 2017 – almost everyone from kids to adults carried one in their pockets. It became an everyday item. At the beginning of the year, fidget spinners rose to popularity but when the year ended, the craze had faded. 

Selling products that are trending will generate sales, but the trick here is to not miss the hype. You have to make sure that the trend is still relevant so you can ride the wave. It is pointless to be selling a product that is out-of-date because there will be no demand anymore. 

Second, products that solve significant problems. 

Unlike trending products that are only in demand for months, products that solve significant problems will have a demand all-year round. 

For instance, certain cities have hard water and if you are a resident living in one, nasty stains in your sink, bathtub and toilet bowl are common and are difficult to remove – that is a problem! We all value cleanliness and we don’t want to be embarrassed when guests come over our house. If you are selling a cleaning pumice stone, then there is always a constant demand for your product no matter what the season is. 

Selling a product that solves a significant problem is easier to sell because you have a clear customer avatar – you know who to sell to so crafting copies and targeting ads is easy. 

 

2. You Do Not Have a Persuasive Product Description 

You Do Not Have a Persuasive Product Description 

Having a good product is the first step to generate sales in your store. To convince visitors to purchase your product, you need a good product description. 

Product descriptions are essential for two reasons:

First, it helps your site rank higher in search engines. 

The higher you are in search engine rankings, the likelihood of your store being discovered first by customers increases, giving you an edge over your competition. Plus, it drives organic a.k.a. free traffic to your site. 

Second, it increases your store’s conversion rate. 

The copy on your product page does the talking to entice and persuade customers to buy your product. In other words, your copy is your salesperson. 

Well, there’s more…

In addition to the copy, images also play an essential role to make your product more appealing to customers. That is why, your product photos must be of high-quality since it influences the impression customers have on the product you are selling. 

And lastly, a tip – adding a GIF is one effective way to demonstrate to customers the features of your product. It is more eye-catching compared to a static photo labeled with text. 

In a nutshell, product description provides all the information customers need for them to decide that the product you are selling is the one they need and it worth purchasing. 

 

3. You Do Not Have a Business Plan 

Like all businesses, you need to invest your time, effort and resources for it to succeed. Your ecommerce store is no different. That is why it is very important to have a business plan to ensure all of your efforts will not be wasted. 

A business plan is a guide for the present and the future. 

Think of it as a map – why do you need one? To not get lost. To avoid circling back to where you started. 

If you want to know where you are and how to get to the place you want to go, a map is essential. Similarly, your business plan will help you navigate in the present so you can achieve what you want in the future. 

It will help you come up with a detailed strategy on how you will manage and grow your business so you can prepare all the resources you need ahead of time. 

Your business plan will help you set short-term and long-term goals so you can track the progress you are making. 

It will also help identify the weaknesses and strengths of your store so you can improve along the way. 

If you do not have a business plan to begin with, you will be all over the place – clarity is needed so that the actions you take and the decisions you make will be congruent with what you want to achieve.  

 

Final Takeaway

Generating sales for your ecommerce store is not solely based on one factor – it is a combination of three: your website, your product and your marketing efforts. 

Nailing those three is not an easy task, it requires constant work of researching, testing and refining. The process is rinse-and-repeat until you find what converts best. 

 

Category : Beginners Guide

Tags : Ecommerce