Mattias Handley, my Facebook friend asked a question on osCommerce group:
What are the common mistakes new online store owners do when starting a new webshop?
I gave it some thought and I think that the most worst thing is “Sticking to default“
What does it mean?
I believe that over 75% of store owners install osCommerce because it is a cheap solution and they don’t have to invest a lot of money. After the installation, they stick to default options and default functionality. The shop becomes the same as any other similar shop and there is nothing extra. After few days, it starts generating income which hits its top monthly income after 2-4 months when Google index it properly.
I worked with many clients who didn’t invest in their shops a penny after initial development. They have steady income and they are happy with it although the shop itself could generate much more if the client is eager to invest a little.
For example. I have a client who is selling a specific hand-made products. They are quite expensive and I don’t see how he can sell, but he does. He has 5000-7000 GBP monthly income (only via registered online sales, but he is also selling offline). I suggested Google Adwords, Newsletter, Discount Coupons for loyal customers, but the client didn’t want to change a thing. His comment was: “Why should I change the shop while it works quite well”.
So, this is why I think that “Sticking to default” is the worst osCommerce mistake. 
