3 Scary eCommerce Website Mistakes to Avoid
by November 1, 2020
October may be a month notorious for being filled with spooktacular chills and thrills, but if there’s one thing all eCommerce business owners can agree on it’s that the scares shouldn’t make an appearance on their website.
What kinds of scares am I talking about here, exactly? They go bump in the night — or sometimes during the hour where traffic to your site is at its heaviest. And while a few of these areas are beyond our control, like an issue within a social platform such as Twitter that is internal to the site and not solely affecting your account alone, more often than not these are simple mistakes that are accidentally made on eCommerce sites. Nevertheless, they’re still pretty hair-raising! We rounded up the most spine-tingling examples of mistakes that you can avoid making on your website now — read on to find more about them, if you dare…
Not updating your current contact information page
If you have visitors fill out a form to get in touch with you, is it redirecting to the proper place? How about information about your staff (if you have any) — is that up to date? And if you run your business from a storefront and moved, is your new address up or do you still have your old address listed?
If the answer to any of those questions above is that you’ve discovered cobwebs on your contact information page, it’s time for an update. Adjust anything that contains incorrect information or seems stale. Be on the lookout for spelling or grammar errors too! Beyond this page, update any other websites where refreshed contact information may be necessary such as your social media profiles or review communities you’re part of like Yelp.
Failure to set 404 redirects
Moving to another website or shutting down altogether, but forgot to set your 404 redirect? Truly terrifying! If you’re looking to direct traffic elsewhere to another location, do a 404 redirect to keep from losing anyone along the way. Give your audience and subscribers a heads up about the shift by adding a quick note about the move on the homepage of your eCommerce site, mentions via social media, and in your company e-newsletter, if you have one.
Leaving your social media profiles dormant
Few things may be as spooky as finding out that the eCommerce site you’re visiting has social media handles that have not been updated in months… maybe even years. Make it a point to establish an editorial calendar for posting on your social media accounts, even if it’s just a couple of times each week. This reminds your fans that you’re still active and have plenty of information and news about your company to share with them — no ghosting here.
Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best. Follow her on Google+ and on Twitter @mycorporation.
