Online sales: know the 6 main mistakes in e-commerce and how to avoid them

In 2024, Brazilian e-commerce grew 10.5% compared to the previous year, totaling R$ 204.3 billion collected. Altogether, the number of online buyers in the country reached 91.3 million, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Electronic Commerce (ABComm). This scenario shows us that sales through the internet are a booming market, where there is opportunity for growth in the most varied segments. However, the adoption of the wrong strategy can compromise the results of sales via e-commerce. 

Major mistakes in e-commerce 

A survey by Baymard Institute points out that the average cart abandonment rate in e-commerce is 69,57%, with the main reasons including high extra costs (49%), the need to create an account (24%) and a complex checkout (18%).

Treating website as a parallel sales channel: this is the most common mistake among companies.“Muitas treat e-commerce as a parallel channel and not as a real business, which leads to strategic failures, such as lack of investment in traffic, little attention to the user experience and absence of a clear positioning of the” brand, he details.

Wrong technology: when making the investment, some companies opt for cheaper platforms, which end up costing them in the medium term: “They end up being limited and requiring dozens of additional integrations, increasing the real cost of the” operation, Hygor evaluates. 

Lack of audience investment: many brands build a digital trajectory totally dependent on paid media, without investing in audience and recurrence, which weakens the business and leaves it unsustainable. “The truth is that selling online requires a professional approach, with customer acquisition strategy, a well-planned structure and an efficient shopping experience. Those who ignore these factors end up turning e-commerce into a problem, and not a solution to the growth of the” brand, concludes the expert. 

Hide extra costs: this is the main reason for cart abandonment. Unexpected extra costs, such as high freight or additional fees, should be present from the beginning of the consumer journey.“O is ideal to be transparent from the beginning, informing the total cost on the product page or offering freight simulation before the” checkout, adds Hygor. 

Need to create account to buy: this drives many consumers away. Checkout should be fast and fluid.“Consider offering the checkout option as a guest, this can significantly improve the” conversion, he explains.In addition, it can hinder the payment process, it can also generate cart abandonment.“Simplifying forms, reducing the amount of required fields and offering multiple payment options are effective ways to reverse this”, says the expert. 

Lack of well-designed information about the product: “Oonline consumer can not touch the product, try or ask questions to the seller at the time of purchase. All he has to make his decision are the descriptions and images of the site. If this information is vague, generic or incomplete, the chance of abandonment increases considerably”, explains. It is important to invest in detailed descriptions, which answer the most common questions of customers and highlight the differentials of the product. The images must be of high quality and present the product in different angles. If possible, include videos. In the descriptive part, the company must bring all relevant technical information. “ concludes more information the brand provide, less objections the consumer will have and will be the greater conversion. 

Assessments that must be made before investing in e-commerce

Although most companies are directed to an expansion of business through online sales, not all businesses are ready for this step. Before launching an e-commerce, it is important to assess whether there is demand for this online purchase of brand products, if the company has structure to carry out inventory logistics and real-time service, and evaluate the remaining profit margin if you need to make investments for sale via e-commerce. Even analyzing all these points, after starting, many companies make mistakes that can compromise results and profitability, if they are not well calculated.