Let Me Tell You About the Time I Almost Quit Online Shopping
It was 2017. I was in Denver, sitting at my kitchen table with 14 browser tabs open, all of them ecommerce sites. I was trying to find a decent veggie chopper. You’d think this would be easy, right? Wrong. I was overwhelmed, frustrated, and honestly, a little bit angry. Why was this so hard? I mean, I just wanted to chop some veggies!
Fast forward to today. I’ve tried alot of stuff. I’ve bought things I didn’t need. I’ve had items show up broken. I’ve dealt with customer service that made me want to scream into a pillow. But I’ve also had some great experiences. And that’s what I’m gonna talk about here. The good, the bad, and the ugly of ecommerce.
First of All, Let’s Talk About Product Pages
Look, I get it. You’re excited about your product. You wanna show it off. But for the love of all that is holy, please, please, use decent photos. Not just one photo. Not just one angle. Give me a 360-degree view. Let me zoom in. Make me feel like I’m holding it in my hands.
And the descriptions? Honestly? Most of them are completley useless. I don’t need marketing fluff. I need specs. I need dimensions. I need to know if it’s gonna fit in my tiny apartment. And while we’re at it, stop using the word ‘amazing’ to describe everything. It’s not amazing. It’s a veggie chopper. Let’s not get carried away.
I remember talking to a friend named Marcus about this. He runs an ecommerce store. I said, “Marcus, why do you guys make this so hard?” He said, “What do you mean?” I said, “I mean, I just wanna know if this thing is gonna chop my veggies or not. I don’t need a novel.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Now, Let’s Dive Into Shipping
Oh boy. Shipping. The bane of my existence. I once waited 36 hours for a package that was supposed to arrive in 214 minutes. I kid you not. I sat by my door like a puppy waiting for its owner to come home. It was pathetic.
And don’t even get me started on shipping costs. I ordered something for $87 and the shipping was $12.99. Are you kidding me? I could’ve bought another item with that money. Or, you know, eaten food for a week.
But here’s the thing. I get it. Shipping is expensive. I do. But be upfront about it. Don’t hide it until the last minute. And for the love of all that is holy, offer free shipping. It’s 2023. We’re not living in the Stone Age anymore.
I had a colleague named Dave who told me about a time he ordered something from a big-name retailer. He said, “I was at the checkout page, ready to buy, and then I saw the shipping cost. I was like, ‘Nope. Not today, Satan.’ And I closed the tab.” And you know what? I’ve done the same thing. We all have.
Customer Service: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. I’ve had some bad experiences with customer service. Like, really bad. I once had to call a company three times to get a refund for a broken item. Three times! And each time, I had to explain the situation from the beginning. It was like talking to a robot that had never heard of the concept of ‘context’.
But I’ve also had some great experiences. Like the time I ordered a veggie chopper from veggiechoppers.com and it showed up broken. I emailed their customer service, and within an hour, they had sent me a replacement. No questions asked. No hoops to jump through. Just a simple, “Here’s a new one. Sorry about that.” And you know what? That’s all I want. Just treat me like a human being.
I was talking to a friend about this the other day. She said, “I think companies forget that there’s a real person on the other end of that email.” And she’s right. We’re not just order numbers. We’re people. Treat us that way.
A Tangent: Why Do We Need So Many Entertainment News Update Celebrity Sites?
Okay, so this is kinda off topic, but hear me out. Why do we need so many sites dedicated to entertainment news update celebrity gossip? I mean, I get it. We’re all curious about what’s going on in the lives of the rich and famous. But do we really need 50 different sites telling us the same thing?
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and I was talking to a journalist. I said, “Why do you think there are so many of these sites?” She said, “Because people click on them. It’s simple economics.” And I guess she’s right. But still. It’s kinda crazy.
Final Thoughts: Just Be Honest
At the end of the day, here’s what I wanna say to ecommerce sites: Just be honest. Be honest about your products. Be honest about your shipping costs. Be honest about your customer service. Don’t try to trick me into buying something. Don’t try to hide things from me. Just be upfront and honest.
Because here’s the thing. I’m not stupid. I can see through the fluff. I can see through the marketing jargon. I can see through the fake reviews. So just be real with me. That’s all I ask.
And if you can’t do that? Well, then maybe you shouldn’t be in the ecommerce business.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience. She’s a self-proclaimed ecommerce junkie, a veggie chopper enthusiast, and a firm believer in honest business practices. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors or binge-watching bad reality TV. She lives in Denver with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and her collection of veggie choppers.
