Common Pitfalls to Avoid While Creating a Magento Store

Getting a business settled online these days can be tough. Not only is the market over-saturated, but retail giants like Amazon.com also have marketing budgets that small business owners just can't match. If you’re planning to launch a new shop, you can still succeed, though. Just ensure the online store you’re building can provide an outstanding user experience to visitors. If you make shopping with you an enjoyable experience, you can turn visitors into recurring loyal customers.

If you’re using Magento, here are some costly rookie mistakes you need to avoid:

Using default settings

Are you planning on using default descriptions for your products? Your store will take a nosedive in Google’s search engine rankings. Your store will have to be extensively customized for your business. It will also be a long-term effort - it takes anywhere from 6 months to a year to gain significant rankings.

Huge loading times

There’s no faster way to lose customers than to have web pages that take more than 5 seconds to load. Ideally, customers expect a page to load in under 2 seconds. Using layered navigation can make your site more accessible, but it negatively affects loading times. Strike a balance instead.

Terrible themes

Don't use a theme you like – use an idea your shoppers will like instead. There are plenty of free theme choices in the Magento store. Don’t use a stock theme, though, unless it’s right for you. Customize your store instead to get it to stand out.

Designing only for desktop users

The majority of the traffic (and, in some cases, over 70%) to popular eCommerce stores worldwide originates from mobile phones. If your eCommerce site isn’t designed to be responsive – or mobile friendly – you’re going to lose out on a lot of revenue.

It’s also a good idea to get private hosting, even if it’s a bit more expensive. Shared hosting can negatively affect store performance, especially during peak hours. You can improve your chances of building a great store by hiring developers who have made successful ones in the past. Dedicated Magento developers can be hired short-term or long-term at affordable prices.