8 Common Ecommerce Mistakes and What We Learned from Them
December 6, 2024
With insights from a Head of Growth and a Managing Director, this article highlights crucial lessons learned from early mistakes. The first expert reveals how over-indexing on performance marketing hurt retention, while the final takeaway shows how generic product descriptions frustrated customers. Discover these eight insights that could save you from common pitfalls.
One of the biggest mistakes I made early in my eCommerce journey was over-indexing performance marketing at the expense of brand building. I was laser-focused on immediate metrics—return on ad spend (ROAS), cost per acquisition (CPA), and conversion rates—thinking that scaling aggressively through paid channels alone would sustain growth. While we saw impressive short-term results, cracks in the foundation quickly appeared.
The issue? Without a strong brand identity, our customer retention suffered. We were acquiring users but failing to build loyalty or long-term relationships. Customers didn’t feel connected to the brand because we hadn’t invested in the storytelling, community-building, or strategic positioning that creates deeper emotional ties.
The Biggest Takeaway is that success in e-commerce comes from finding the right balance between branding and performance marketing. Performance marketing drives immediate revenue, but branding keeps customers coming back and turns them into advocates.
Here’s how I adjusted my approach:
Performance marketing can ignite growth, but it’s like gasoline—it burns out quickly if there’s no foundation to sustain it. On the other hand, branding is the engine that drives long-term success. Combining the two creates a flywheel where short-term wins feed into lasting brand equity, ensuring immediate impact and enduring value.
Mike Demson, Head of Growth, Demson Consulting
When I started my first online store, I focused all my energy on the tech and marketing side—building a beautiful website, setting up ads, and creating great customer support systems. But I completely underestimated the complexity of inventory management. I learned the hard way that having a gorgeous website means nothing if you can’t reliably get products to customers.
I had products listed that I couldn’t source quickly enough, which led to delayed shipments and frustrated customers. The biggest takeaway was that ecommerce isn’t just about the digital side—it’s equally about managing real-world logistics.
Master the entire process—from ordering inventory to shipping—before scaling up. The “boring” backend operations are just as important as the flashy frontend.
Vincent Schmalbach, Web Developer, AI Engineer & SEO Expert, Vincent Schmalbach
I underestimated the importance of high-quality product photography. I focused heavily on copywriting, descriptions and SEO but overlooked how crucial visuals are for building trust and driving sales. When I invested in professional photos that showcased UK Seed Paper’s texture, seed distribution, and unique features, our conversion rates nearly doubled overnight. In e-commerce, customers can’t touch your product, so clear, professional imagery is essential to tell its story and convey its value.
Edmund Meredith-Yates, Co-Founder, UK Seed Paper
In a business prior to Custom Neon, I was facing unprecedented growth at a pace that just wasn’t sustainable. I absolutely should have applied the brakes, to take stock, but I didn’t. I was eager to push on and we faced the unfortunate consequences of hiring reactively.
In a bid to keep up with unprecedented demand, I went on a hasty recruitment drive, which led to some poor hiring decisions. Candidates were hired without being thoroughly assessed for cultural fit, skills, and long-term potential.
This reactive approach to hiring led to several challenges. The wrong hire not only affected team dynamics but also resulted in decreased productivity and low retention rates. Some new hires struggled to meet expectations or lacked the necessary skills for their roles. As a result, we experienced delays and sometimes even failure in order fulfillment, dissatisfied customers, and a decline in revenue.
On a related note, another regret we encountered was the onboarding of agencies without prior due diligence. In our eagerness to expand, we engaged the services of an SEO agency without thoroughly vetting their capabilities and expertise. They promised number 1 rankings, but we soon realized their methodology was unscrupulous and while short term, we got a few small, quick wins, long term their strategies were detrimental.
Reflecting on these experiences, we have learned valuable lessons about the importance of proactive hiring and scaling. Taking the time to thoroughly assess candidates, conduct interviews, and check references ensures that we make informed decisions that align with our company culture and goals.
We have also realized the significance of conducting due diligence before engaging agencies. By thoroughly researching and evaluating potential partners, researching the right questions to ask, and actively seeking out reviews, not just what the agency provides, we can mitigate risks, align expectations, and ensure a fruitful collaboration.
As new business owners, it is crucial to prioritize long-term success over short-term expediency. Investing time and effort in hiring and scaling decisions will save both valuable resources and potential headaches down the road.
Jake Munday, CEO/ Cofounder, Custom Neon
One mistake we made early on was not fully understanding our target audience’s preferences. Initially, we focused on offering a wide range of designs without clear messaging about our unique value—timeless, high-quality bathroom and kitchen fittings inspired by British heritage.
This confused customers and diluted our brand. Once we recognised this, we shifted to emphasising our core strengths: modern and period-inspired designs combined with practical functionality. We streamlined our offerings, highlighted our craftsmanship, and communicated our commitment to both quality and style more effectively.
The biggest takeaway? Know your audience and refine your brand positioning from the start. Trying to appeal to everyone often means appealing to no one. By understanding what makes your brand unique and clearly conveying that, you build trust and loyalty.
Dimitri Zobnin, Managing Director, House of Enki
Biggest mistake was not running automated email funnels early on. We could have brought back many customers, if we simply utilised those tools that were available to us.
Modestas Mankus, Founder, Talks Grow
One of the early mistakes we made in our ecommerce journey was failing to properly optimize our product pages for search engines. We assumed that a visually appealing site alone would drive traffic and convert visitors, overlooking the importance of SEO-friendly content and metadata.
The takeaway? Visibility is key in ecommerce. We learned to balance aesthetics with functionality by integrating keyword-rich product descriptions, detailed metadata, and user-friendly navigation. This change not only improved our organic search rankings but also boosted conversion rates as customers could find exactly what they were looking for.
Harmanjit Singh, Founder and CEO, Origin Web Studios
Early in my eCommerce journey, I underestimated the power of detailed product descriptions. Initially, I listed my bouquets with generic titles and minimal information. Customers frequently emailed asking about flower types, sizes, and care instructions, which slowed down the sales process and frustrated buyers.
Realizing this mistake, I revamped my product pages with vivid, emotional descriptions, highlighting the unique aspects of each bouquet. For example, instead of “Red Roses,” I wrote, “A timeless arrangement of velvety red roses, perfect for romantic occasions.” This simple change not only boosted conversions but also reduced customer inquiries by 50%. My takeaway? A well-crafted product description acts as a silent salesperson.
This experience taught me the importance of anticipating customer questions and addressing them proactively. It reinforced my belief that transparency and attention to detail are critical for building trust and improving sales.
Sophie Marasco, Founder, Thanks A Bunch Florist
More great content:
4 Effective eCommerce Email Marketing Software Tools Recommended by Experts
© 2024 eCommerce Manager. All rights reserved
