Ever feel like a black cat crossed your path and took up residence on your website? You’re not the only one! Luckily for you we’ve put together a list of reasons why your sales might be down and also solutions on how to remedy that. This supposedly “cursed” day doesn’t have to be all bad!

1. Non-Mobile-Friendly Website

In this day and age not having a mobile-friendly website is almost certainly impacting your sales. The majority of your customers are most likely viewing your site via mobile which means they expect your store to fit typical mobile functionality. Unsure if your site fits the bill? Learn more about optimizing your site for mobile.

2. Lack of Social Media Presence

With how popular social media is having no presence on any of the platforms is just as harmful to your business as having negative reviews. If you’re not updating/advertising on ANY social media then you’re missing out on a huge chunk of your target audience. Check out the in-depth reasons why you should care about social media.

3. Not Utilizing Abandoned Cart Emails

Reviewing your abandoned cart stats is never fun but it is necessary. Studies show that sending an abandoned cart email 20 minutes after the initial abandonment resulted in conversion rates averaging about 5.2%! Get detailed instructions on how to write effective abandoned cart emails today!

4. Slow Loading Website

Ever heard the phrase “speed kills”? Well it’s no myth when it comes to e-commerce. Google recently announced that loading speed will now be weighted as a ranking factor in your search results which means it may be time to make sure your site is up to date and loading as fast as possible. Still have questions? Find out more details about Google’s announcement.

5. Poor Content Marketing

What is content marketing anyways? Content marketing is a strategy that focuses on delivering unique, useful and shareable content to a specific target audience. Why should you care about it? Well for starters, effective content marketing can raise your brand awareness and SEO rankings as well as help build your audience. Get the rest of the 411 about content marketing now!

6. Inconsistent Branding

Did you know 75% of online customers have reported judging the credibility of a brand based on the design of a site? If your online ads (whether they’re on Google or social media) don’t match the branding on your website, or vice versa, how are potential customers supposed to find you or trust your brand? Find out how to make sure your branding is consistent and effective.

7. Unsecured Website

HTTPS and SSL come into play more than you might think. Did you know the major browsers display SSL icons (the little padlocks that appear letting the user know the site is secure)? Seeing that little ‘secure’ icon puts your customers’ minds at ease which means they’re much more likely to place an order from your site. Still a little fuzzy on why HTTPS and SSL matter? No problem! Learn all about them both and find out how we can help you set them up!

8. Poor Product Photography

The care you put into your brand and your marketing is reflected in every aspect of your site, especially the photography. A picture is worth 1,000 words, right? Quality photos improve the “perceived value” of your products which means your margins will also improve. Here’s some examples of good product photography vs. poor photography.

9. Ineffective SEO Efforts

We all know that ranking in the top 5 slots is key for any Google search relating to your industry, but sometimes getting there can be a bit tricky. Relevant and engaging content will help get you there but that’s not all it takes. Luckily for you we’ve put together 5 easy SEO boosts to help you out. Check out the list!

10. Lackluster Call to Actions

Common CTA mistakes include boring text, low-contrast color schemes and lengthy button text. If a user can’t figure out where they’re supposed to click to get to the next step they’re likely to get frustrated and close the tab. Make sure all your call to actions are clear, easy to find, and easy to read.

11. Ineffective or Confusing Navigation

Similar to making sure your call to actions are clear and easy to use, the same thing goes for your navigation. Streamline the process of navigating your site for your customers and make finding what they’re looking for an almost thoughtless process – they should barely have to think about how to end up where they’re trying to go. If you’re confused about how to go about this send us a message! We’re here to help.

12. Ineffective or Lack of Email Marketing

Just like your social media presence having a consistent email marketing strategy is important to your customers. When it’s done correctly, effective email marketing campaigns have been proven to increase conversions and strengthen the integrity of your brand. However, you need to have a strong email list to market to before getting started on any campaigns. Read all about setting up/growing your email lists and learn how you can get started!

13. Stagnant Content

Changing out content on your site on a regular basis will help improve your Google ranking and make it easier for potential customers find out. Some great ways to accomplish this are keeping an updated blog, swapping out front page banner images and also posting other short content paragraphs on various pages on your site. The easiest of these is updating your front page banners if you don’t already have a blog in place. Here’s 5 reasons we strongly recommend changing your front page banners today.

Hopefully now you’re feeling a little less unlucky! If you have any questions or are interested in any of the information we’ve listed above please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us – we’re here to help you grow!