Are you digital marketing efforts coming to nothing? Many companies struggle to make an impact, whether starting an online project or adding to a pre-existing business. The thing is, there are some common reasons why many websites don’t make sales. In today’s business guide, we’re going to reveal the top five factors that are affecting your online performance.

General design

Be brutal and honest - how does your website look? In fact, how does it ‘feel’? Is it easy to use for your customers, or are you making it difficult for them to take the actions they want? If the latter, you have a big problem on your hands, which will translate into a lack of sales. Industry experts, Sticky, suggest that great design isn't just about how your site looks. It's more about how it works. Make sure you are paying close attention to the user experience of your site. Get help from a UX professional or a reliable designer to help make the important changes.

Pricing

If you think pricing is competitive between your local supermarkets, wait until you see what it’s like online. The simple fact is that over a third of all online buyers will go for the lowest price, regardless of how great your site looks. So, make sure you are doing plenty of competitor research to ensure that you are, at least, aware of how much they are charging. Then it’s a case of squeezing your costs as much as possible to match it. If you can offer a better price, your sales should skyrocket. But, even getting close to matching can help your sales increase a great deal.

Added charges

People like businesses that are upfront with them about costs. They don’t like it when they fill their shopping cart and then realize they have to pay tax and delivery charges on top. It’s one of the biggest reasons for customers to abandon their carts, as they feel they are being ripped off. Be straight about your pricing - offer free delivery, and factor everything into your pricing right from the off. It will make a difference to your sales.

Checkout procedure

While we are on the topic of shopping cart abandonment, make sure your checkout process is smoother than butter. The more time your customer has to spend paying for their goods, the more likely they will just give up. Keep sign-up processes to a minimum - you can always collect details at a later date. Think about using PayPal, too. It’s such quick way of paying, and more people are using it than ever before.

Trust issues

Another big change in web users is that they are a lot savvier about online security these days. Make sure you have your security credentials posted everywhere on your site. It will give customers the assurance they need that they won’t have their details stolen. You should also be open about who you are - people like to put a face to a name, and it’ one of the first steps towards building a relationship. Honesty costs little in business, yet so few online ventures are prepared to be open in many different ways. Be different, and you will avoid failure.