Creating an ecommerce website is an exciting and invigorating experience that allows store owners to be their own bosses or make a little extra money on the side. Still, as with anything new, there is a learning curve for newbies as they look to build their site, entice new customers and provide a quality experience for their buyers. Below are a handful of rookie mistakes that hurt ecommerce sales and tips to improve your online store.

Lacking Product Descriptions: Since consumers can’t touch, examine or try on products from your online store, it’s up to you to provide the information necessary for them to make their buy decisions. Use descriptive words in your copy to allure buyers, but keep things brief enough to educate them at a glance. Bonus points for featuring customer reviews on each item as this provides unbiased context for prospective buyers.

Neglecting Sizing Information: Unless you want to process numerous returns and exchanges, you should probably include detailed sizing information about your products. Sizing specifications, such as inches around the chest or waist, provide better context for buyers than just small, medium or large.

Brandishing Low-Quality Images: ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’ it may be a cliché but it’s true. If you are creating an ecommerce website be sure to use plenty of high-definition images to show off your product. Consider shooting photos from multiple angles, in available colors or with models. If you are looking to take things to the next level, consider using video clips to demonstrate how to use your products or a video guide to troubleshooting issues at home.

Forgetting to Include Multiple Shipping Options: One of the conveniences of online shopping is that goods can be delivered right to your door. However, some ecommerce sites see rampant cart abandonment when they do not offer various shipping options for their customers. Be sure to offer additional shipping options such as two-day or next day delivery. This is especially useful around the holidays when buyers need gifts fast.

Ignoring of Payment Tools: Not every customer wants to share their credit or debit card information with your site. Don’t lose out on these sales, offer buyers the ability to check out using PayPal, Verified by Visa or other online payment service. This is especially helpful for processing foreign currencies.

Running Out of Stock Too Quickly: Sometimes products just seem to fly off the shelf. If you have a popular product that just keeps going out of stock, either work fast to restock it or provide option email reminders for customers in need. If you are regularly out of stock, buyers could jump to a competitor’s shop to fill their need.

Stocking Too Much: Conversely, stocking too much of a product can be troublesome as store owners will need to invest in storage facilities to house everything. Avoid overstocking perishable or seasonal items. These will decrease in value overtime.

Creating Clutter: Remember, creating a well-designed ecommerce website should always prioritize what is most important to a customer. Without having ever visited your site before, a prospective buyer should be able to see the search bar, cart, contact and about me pages within seconds of opening your page. Cluttered webpages frustrate visitors and rarely convert to sales.

Obscuring Contact or About Me Pages: It bears repeating… if your customer has an issue, they should be able to find your contact page quickly and easily. That’s just good customer service! Provide a phone number, email address or contact form and respond in a timely manner.

Overlooking CTA Opportunities: Store owners are likely to see greater conversions and more engaged customers when they take advantage of various calls to action (CTA). Featuring a hot deal? Use a CTA to drive sales (Buy now for 15 percent off). Did a customer complete their order? Ask them to share their news on Facebook or sign up for a monthly newsletter. Always look to drive visitor engagement for more loyal customer relations.

With these tips, you can quickly transform your ecommerce website into an online superstar.