Why Does Your Competitors Earn More Than You in E-commerce?

Today, the e-commerce market has a lot of niche and the competition is extremely high. Today, there is more than one option for customers that has important effects on their sales performance in e-commerce.

Thanks to all Internet marketing channels, promoting your product has become much easier yet you pay a high fee for it. All these efforts may cause you to forget some of the questions you need to ask yourself: Who is better than whom?

So let’s ask this: Why are my competitors better than I am? How can they sell more?

Here’s the answer: Your competitors are always asking themselves “Why do my customers purchase this product from me and not from the fancy store of XXX?”

Click on one of the products on your website now and honestly ask yourself this question. If you do not know the whys and the hows and if you are almost clueless about this fact, then, it means you have a crucial problem at your hands. Or let me answer it for you. There are certain factors that determine why your customer will be from you and not from your competitor the moment they enter your website.

1- Your Prices are More Affordable

Today customers are more informed and sharp so they carry out their price research more objectively. I can easily say it is your customers that decide how much you can earn in e-commerce. They may come across price advantages or promotions/best deals you offer. Again, the customers will also consider the other factors I will list and may purchase from you even if you are not offering the best price.

2- Your Website Assures Trust in Your Customers

There may be trust signs your customers may view as they first enter the site. You may be offering many checkout options. Thus, the customer may pick the suitable one for themselves and feel they are safe. Your accessible phone number may be included on your website and while this may not seem as an advantage it will definitely be a plus for you. They may see from your website that you are a legitimate initiative and certain corporate sites may verify your legitimacy.

All such data should be listed at accessible points. You may be a more respectable initiative than your competitors but if you cannot show these, naturally, your customers wouldn’t be aware. It makes no harm to brag a little :)

3- Your Website is Quicker than Your Competitors

Investing in the speed of your site and may be spending a bit more money on a better software/server is a factor that directly affects sales and also the rivalry with your competitors.

Customers like fast sites; they need to enter as soon as they click. Look at it from your perspective as well. Sometimes we all have tantrums because of speed.

4- Better Pre- and After-Sales Service

Pay attention to this, as the number of customers/orders on a e-commerce website increases, performances of certain departments may decrease. Today, many e-commerce initiatives complain about not being able to provide the required support to their customers. This is because this is more pricey and tiring than it looks. Yet, if you can turn this into one of your strong points as I have done with Petbesinleri.com.tr, you’ll be few steps ahead of your competitors.

If you don’t use the type of communication your customers prefer, don’t worry, your competitors will do :)

5- Positive Feedback on the Internet

And also such feedback to be written by real people! Do not pay r10 members or leave ads to forums. You should encourage your customers who prefer you to continue preferring you.

Not just on the Internet but all good/bad comments on your website are important (bad comments might sometimes be good because they offer a slice of reality to the customer who will make the purchase :) Your job increases interaction on its own. It’s like a natural ad.

6- Better Navigation and Search Options

Clear and distinct categories, finding the product easily, etc. I won’t go too much into this subject. You need to resolve an aesthetic/functional problem during designing phase. It’s not just about what your website looks like. So pay attention to these.

7- Easily Accessible Company

Here SEO comes in. I will give you one of the best examples I have seen lately: Petlebi.com Petlebi’s SEO is so successful and informed that they made a great leap within months of initiating e-commerce. And they achieved this without paying tons of money to SEO companies.

You have to options here: work with a company or hire someone who is an expert. It may be expensive but I prefer hiring people because it means your staff will only be concerned with the SEO of your website throughout this process.

If you consider these 7 possible factors and review yourself in this respect, you may steal some customers and reach new ones. However, what is more important is to ensure continuity in all these factors.

Good luck!

Barbaros Selim Büyükelçi

Written by

eCommerce Director @Petbesinleri.com.tr