Let’s Talk About Your Crappy Online Store

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’ve seen a lot of e-commerce sites in my 20+ years as a magazine editor. And honestly? Most of them are garbage.

I remember back in 2008, this guy named Marcus (let’s call him Marcus because I can’t remember his real name) started an online store selling handmade soaps. He was so excited, showed me his site over coffee at the place on 5th. I took one look and thought, “Oh boy. This is gonna be a train wreck.” And it was. By Christmas, he was done. Poof. Gone.

So what’s the deal? Why do most online stores fail? Let’s break it down.

You Think You’re Special, But You’re Not

First off, you’re not special. I’m not special. Nobody’s special. There, I said it. (Which honestly nobody asked for but here we are.)

You know what I mean. You think your product is unique. Your branding is killer. Your website is gonna blow minds. But guess what? There’s a 99.9% chance that someone else is doing it better. Or cheaper. Or both.

I had this colleague named Dave—great guy, by the way—who kept telling me about his “revolutionary” pet rock store. Pet rocks! In 2015! I mean, come on, Dave. Come on.

“Dave,” I said, “have you seen the competition?”

He said, “Competition? What competition?”

Which… yeah. Fair enough.

Your Website is a Hot Mess

Let’s talk about your website. It’s probably a hot mess. I’m sorry, but it is. You spent $87 on a template, slapped up some product photos, and called it a day. Big mistake.

I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this woman—let’s call her Linda—was giving a talk on e-commerce. She said something that stuck with me: “Your website is your storefront. If it looks like crap, people aren’t gonna walk in.”

And she’s right. If your site looks like it was designed by a 10-year-old with a bad committment to aesthetics, guess what? People aren’t gonna buy from you.

So fix it. Spend the money. Hire a designer. Make it look good. Or at least make it look professionaly.

You Don’t Know Your Audience

Here’s another thing: you don’t know your audience. You think you do, but you don’t. You’re guessing. And guessing is a bad way to run a business.

I had a friend—let’s call him Greg—who started an online store selling high-end yoga mats. He thought his audience was “people who like yoga.” Which is a start, I guess. But he didn’t know anything about them. Their habits, their preferences, their buying patterns. Nothing.

So he failed. Big time. Because he didn’t take the time to understand his audience. He just assumed.

Don’t be like Greg. Do your research. Understand your audience. Then, and only then, can you start selling to them succesfully.

You’re Not Investing in Marketing

Here’s the thing about marketing: it’s not optional. You can’t just build a website and hope people show up. It doesn’t work that way.

I had this other friend—let’s call her Sarah—who started an online store selling organic dog treats. She spent months perfecting her recipes, designing her packaging, setting up her website. But she didn’t spend a dime on marketing.

“Why should I?” she said. “Word of mouth is the best marketing.”

Which, I mean, sure. But word of mouth isn’t gonna happen if nobody knows about you. You need to get the word out there. You need to invest in marketing.

So do it. Spend the money. Run some ads. Hire a marketing agency. Do something. Because if you don’t, you’re gonna be another Marcus, another Dave, another Greg, another Sarah.

A Tangent: The Time I Bought a Terrible Product Online

Speaking of terrible online stores, let me tell you about the time I bought a terrible product online. It was about three months ago. I was looking for a new coffee maker, so I went online and started browsing. I found this site—let’s call it CoffeeMakersRUs—that looked pretty decent. So I bought one.

Big mistake. The coffee maker arrived in a beat-up box, with a note taped to it that said “Handle with care.” Which, you know, maybe don’t put that note on the box if you’re gonna ship it like that.

Anyway, the coffee maker was broken. I tried to return it, but their return policy was a joke. So I was stuck with a broken coffee maker and a bad taste in my mouth. Literally and figuratively.

So don’t be like CoffeeMakersRUs. Don’t sell broken products. Don’t have a terrible return policy. Just… don’t.

You’re Not Taking Care of Your Customers

Here’s another thing: you’re not taking care of your customers. You’re too busy focusing on the next sale, the next product, the next big thing. But your customers? They’re an afterthought.

I had a friend—let’s call him Tom—who started an online store selling vintage vinyl records. He was great at finding rare records, but he was terrible at customer service. He’d take forever to respond to emails, he’d never follow up on orders, he’d just… disappear.

So his customers went elsewhere. And who can blame them? If you’re not taking care of your customers, someone else will.

So take care of your customers. Respond to their emails. Follow up on their orders. Make them feel valued. Because if you don’t, you’re gonna be another Tom.

You’re Not Using the Right Tools

Here’s the thing about e-commerce: it’s a competitive space. And if you’re not using the right tools, you’re gonna get left behind.

I was talking to this guy—let’s call him Jamie—who started an online store selling handmade jewelry. He was doing okay, but he wasn’t using any of the right tools. He was manually tracking his inventory, he was using a free email service for customer communications, he was just… winging it.

So I said, “Jamie, you need to get your act together. You need to use the right tools.” And he did. He started using inventory management software, he switched to a professional email service, he started using social media ads. And guess what? His sales went up.

So use the right tools. Because if you don’t, you’re gonna be another Jamie. And nobody wants that.

Oh, and by the way, if you’re looking for some tips on taking care of yourself—because let’s face it, running an online store is stressful—you should check out this diş sağlığı bakım rehberi. It’s not directly related, but trust me, self-care is important.

You’re Not Adapting

Here’s the thing about e-commerce: it’s always changing. And if you’re not adapting, you’re gonna get left behind.

I had a friend—let’s call her Lisa—who started an online store selling handmade candles. She was doing great for a while, but then she stopped adapting. She kept using the same old marketing strategies, the same old product designs, the same old everything.

So her sales started to drop. And she didn’t know why. Because she wasn’t paying attention to the changes in the market. She wasn’t adapting to the new trends. She was just… stuck.

So adapt. Pay attention to the changes in the market. Try new things. Because if you don’t, you’re gonna be another Lisa.

And nobody wants that.

So there you have it. The ugly truth about e-commerce. It’s not easy. It’s not glamorous. It’s a lot of hard work. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, if you’re willing to learn from your mistakes, if you’re willing to adapt, then you might just succeed.

But if you’re not… well, then you’re gonna be another Marcus, another Dave, another Greg, another Sarah, another Tom, another Jamie, another Lisa.

And nobody wants that.

About the Author
I’m Sarah, a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience in the e-commerce niche. I’ve seen it all—from the good to the bad to the downright ugly. I’m here to share my thoughts, my experiences, and my opinions. Because someone’s gotta tell it like it is.