Without a doubt, virtual stores offer a series of advantages over physical stores: you can sell products and services in an easy and convenient way for your customers, their service is 24 hours a day and they reduce costs compared to setting up a physical store.

But, believe it or not, many virtual stores close before their first anniversary, why does this happen? Well, even in virtual stores a series of mistakes can be made that hinder the user experience.

It is mistakenly believed that “if there are visits, there are sales” but this is not the case.

You may receive a lot of visitors to your online store, but if your potential customers don't find what they are looking for, feel like they are being asked for too much information, or don't feel secure, they will immediately leave your store without buying.

It's normal to make mistakes, that's why below we'll show you the 8 most common mistakes when creating virtual stores. If you think you've made one, don't despair! Identifying them is the first step to finding solutions that will improve your virtual store.

1. Design and user experience 

One of the most common mistakes when creating virtual stores is that people decide to create it on their own, to reduce some costs.

Knowing the basics of a programming language or using some online store plugin will not guarantee that your online store will be a success.

The pages must be attractive and functionalIf you take this into account, people will not only find what they are looking for, but they may also be interested in other information that is hosted in your virtual store.

Very important, in this era people use mobile devices more to search the Internet, it is highly recommended (not to say mandatory) that your site is adaptable to different mobile devices (what is known as responsive design).

This way, your target audience will be able to access your virtual store from these devices and find what they are looking for as easily as if they were entering from a computer.

2. Not having contact information

Providing contact information generates trust in customers, they will feel that they have someone to contact when they have questions about the products or problems with shipping and many other situations that may arise.

It is not necessary to fill the entire website with forms, the best decision is to leave basic data such as telephone number, email and social networks in the footer and header of all pages and what cannot be missing, a contact page.

3. Not having a search engine (or one that doesn't work)

It is normal for many people to enter a virtual store with an idea of what they want. If your virtual store does not have a search engine, or the one it has is not optimized, you will lose that customer.

A good search engine is one that can correct spelling, understand plurals and synonyms, and make suggestions as you type, all with the goal of making your customers' search easier.

4. Not conveying security to the client

People's fear when shopping online is whether their personal information will be safe. If a site doesn't convey security, they won't want to leave their details, much less buy.

As mentioned above, it is good to have contact information, but it is also good to see the different payment methods, shipping policies, frequently asked questions, returns management and other information that generates security for our potential customers.

Regarding payment methods, try to use the ones that your customers use, when a customer sees that they can pay with a payment method that they use or that is affordable for them, it will encourage them to buy what they have wanted so much and that they have found in your store.

5. Not including information about shipping costs

Not showing information and approximate values about the shipping cost is another of the most common mistakes when creating virtual stores, since if a person does not know anything about this and before completing the purchase finds out that the product is worth more for this cost, they will immediately cancel the purchase (and possibly not enter your virtual store again).

It is up to the company to decide whether to charge shipping costs, and to offer free shipping with or without restrictions. Regardless of what applies, you must inform your potential customers about these terms, thus increasing the chances that they decide to purchase your products.

6. Little information about the product

Having a good description of your products, features and images that illustrate what they look like, increases the chances of purchase.

The information in the technical sheet is subject to the product: a shirt is not the same as a cell phone, both products require specific information and the images must show different qualities and perspectives of each one.

So, take the time to fill your product listing with as much valuable information as possible, and if you can place several images of the product from different angles or showing different details, it will be better.

7. Neglecting customer service

Just because you're an online store doesn't mean you have to stop serving your customers.

It is not enough for your customers to know where and how to contact you. It is very important to respond to all the messages they send you. This will reduce the risk of refunds or dissatisfaction with the product, and will also generate trust and reputation among your customers and the sector in which you operate.

Good customer service is one of the most decisive and differentiating factors that your virtual store can have, so don't neglect it.

8. Not measuring and reviewing different data

Google Analytics, is a tool that will allow you to measure different data about your virtual store, such as number of visits, where the visitors come from, how they find you, bounce rate, etc.

Knowing all this data will allow you to analyze how your online store is working, what is failing and what is working, so you can better optimize your online store to offer a better service.

Don't just focus on the number of visits, as we already said, visits do not translate into sales.