As an industry that is continuously growing, it is easy to see why so many people start their own online stores, but most quickly find that it is not quite as easy as it seems to find success. There are a few obstacles that every eCommerce store owner will face, and you will only be able to find success and compete with other stores when you know how to overcome these challenges. Read on to discover what the main challenges facing eCommerce store owners are and how they can overcome these to find some success in this highly competitive industry.

Lack of Traffic

Lack of traffic to an eCommerce store is the most common problem, and this is easy to see why because it is so competitive and hard to compete against the much larger stores. Using SEO is essential for climbing the rankings, but there are a few other options to use in combination with this, such as:

- PPC

- Influencer marketing

- Referral programs

- Guest blogging

- Social media

Lack of Conversions

If you can get people to your store, but you are struggling to convert these visitors into customers, then it can be highly frustrating. This is another common issue that many face and often has a relatively simple solution, which will most likely be one of a few of the following:

- Make the website mobile-friendly

- Improving loading times

- Better store layout

- Selling trending products

- Adding live chat

- Better product details

Lack of Brand Awareness

A lack of brand awareness is a key challenge and one which every store faces when they first start out. This is problematic as it is hard to acquire new customers, develop a connection with your target customer, and build a positive reputation without increasing brand awareness. There are a lot of helpful tips for building strong brand awareness online, including advertising, social media, and referral programs. Still, you must also make sure that you are also creating a positive association between the brand and specific characteristics. In essence, it is not much help increasing brand awareness if you are not forming a positive connection. 

Abandoned Shopping Carts

Abandoned shopping carts are the most frustrating challenge as an eCommerce store because you get so close to making a sale. Usually, a shopping cart is abandoned either because the shipping costs are too high and/or the checkout process is complicated. Therefore, offering cheap or free shipping and simplifying the checkout process should help you to overcome this issue.

Difficulty Building Reputation

Having a positive reputation is vital for attracting retaining customers and competing with larger brands. Creating brand awareness is essential for this, but you must also take steps to impress your target customer, such as:

- Creating high-quality content

- Showing your expertise on social media

- Going the extra mile for customers

- High-quality products

These are the most common challenges that an eCommerce store faces. It can be difficult and disheartening, but the above advice should help you to overcome these issues so that you can go on to boost sales, attract new customers, and compete at a higher level.