The internet is having a massive impact on our daily lives. It is not restricted to entertainment but has reached far beyond work and research. One thing that has recently surged on the internet is online shopping. While you’re focusing on building an eCommerce website to meet customer needs, ensure your business is legally covered by learning how to file for llc new york, especially if you’re operating in this state. Businesses are finding the answer regarding how to create an eCommerce website.
Today, Gen-X prefers shopping online as the world they prefer to live in is the internet world. They find new ways to earn and spend money on eCommerce as they grow. As per a report, 43% of people go to the internet to research the product they want to buy before heading to the eCommerce site. Also, the revenue of the eCommerce industry will surge to $476b billion by 2024. These numbers are whopping and tell you about the seriousness of the issue.
Why Is Creating An Ecommerce Site Essential?
The growth of eCommerce gives you the impression that your bottom line will surge significantly. However, it’s not only about the profits. You need a robust online presence as a business to create and grab opportunities to entice customers and connect with them for sustainable success.
1. Acquisitions
It is tough for startups and new entrepreneurs to explore and reach customers and showcase what they have to offer. eCommerce is a big deal here, and you can reach a lot of people because most of your potential customers have smartphones and can get on the Internet. Streamlining effective customer onboarding processes can significantly enhance your engagement with these tech-savvy users.
2. Give unique buying experiences
Unlike physical stores, online stores can bring customers through social media and email marketing. Finding buyers without hassle is a luxury brick-and-mortar stores can’t provide. Additionally, online stores can employ an SPF checker to authenticate their sending domain, improving email deliverability and expanding customer reach beyond what brick-and-mortar stores can offer.
There are different online marketplaces on the internet, such as Amazon and eBay. People list their businesses and products there and start to sell. However, they cannot create their brand individuality, and that’s where building an eCommerce site can help a lot. You can make your brand visible and engrave it in the customers’ minds. Also, it is possible to control your product presentation.
How to Set Up an Ecommerce Store
Building and maintaining a WordPress eCommerce website appears to be a herculean task. However, the reality is the opposite. Today, there are multiple solutions for building an e-commerce site that can make your life easy.
There are various companies in the market that can help you build a flawless ecommerce site. One of those reliable companies is WPExperts. The Ecommerce development service of WPExperts offers premium development services that include WooCommerce and BigCommerce.
So, all you need is to understand what solution you prefer and what your store’s demands are. With ample research, you can create an e-commerce site that will keep evolving with your customers’ expectations.
1. Find a Suitable Platform
A reliable website builder is the stepping stone with regard to how to create an eCommerce website. Get a complete understanding of what your products do and what your brand is all about. Also, consider the following kinds of eCommerce platforms to build your eCommerce system:
- SaaS
Software as a service (SaaS) is a platform that works on a subscription model. You get ease of use, scalability, and optimal security here. Checkout and logistics become easy for your eCommerce store in the SaaS platform. One issue that remains a headache is pricing. You need to bear transaction, subscription, and plug-in app fees. You also get some restricted branding services that break your creativity.
- Open Source
Self-explanatory! Open-source platforms where coding is easy to access. Customization is easy, and installation is free. However, you need to have strong coding knowledge for proper usage.
A significant problem here is security. Security breaches are common in open-source platforms, which can outweigh the benefits over time.
2. Ecommerce Hosting
The place where your data resides is called “eCommerce hosting.” It would help if you understood this well, as it involves security and costs.
- On-premise
On-premise e-commerce hosting means that you will host your website. You need to have server space, take care of installation, and seek the help of experts to maintain it. This type of hosting is preferable for creating an eCommerce website and is ideal for large-scale companies.
- Cloud
Ecommerce sites hosted off-site are called cloud hosting. For building an eCommerce site, cloud platforms can manage your uptime, patches, updates, and upgrades to secure your eCommerce website. You can have an open-source solution with the cloud one. However, you need to have a separate merchant for security maintenance.
3. Considerations for Choosing an Ecommerce Solution
It would help to consider various factors before opting for an e-commerce solution. The following are some of the areas that demand your focus to ensure you are creating an eCommerce website that is seamless and optimized for future use:
- Mobile-friendliness
Mobile devices have become convenient for shoppers these days. Thus, you must have a platform that can be optimized for a flawless mobile encounter. It is also important that you need to find ways to improve visitor and client experiences using mobile technology, such as geolocation that helps shoppers find the store near them.
- Traffic
When choosing an ecommerce platform, ensure it meets your traffic requirements, as this is an important consideration for setting up an e-commerce store. Traffic drives business in this industry, and the platform must be capable of handling your traffic with expansion. For example, events like Black Friday and year-end sales should be handled efficiently.
- Site Performance
The most crucial part of your online store is your website performance optimization. Make sure your platform has an enviable uptime record. It will help your customers see your website every time. If your site is loaded quickly, your customer experience will automatically go up.
4. Buy a Domain
- No need for creativity
Yes, that’s true. Avoid using fancy names with creative spellings, as they always create confusion. Passing the spelling test is not necessary because Google was always invented! Make sure your customers can share your name with their friends. Moreover, avoid numbers and hyphens as it becomes difficult to share their website addresses. So, simplicity over creativity.
- Avoid common names
Generic domain names offer confusion in two ways. First, it’s easy to forget the name; second, your name can be similar to another company with better SEO. Make your name brandable so it can easily stand out in the crowd.
- Make it Short
Make sure your domain name is short and concise. Customers find it easy to remember short names like Nike. Also, you can market and optimize your eCommerce site easily with a short domain name.
5. Hire a Developer
Irrespective of whether you are a startup or an established business, take help from a developer, as he can streamline your process of creating an eCommerce website. Developers know all the technicalities and know-how concerning building an eCommerce site. Additionally, they can optimize your website for search engines, enhancing its online visibility and potentially attracting more organic traffic through effective SEO services.
When hiring a developer, know their timeline and plan your website launch date accordingly. Ask about their previous website experience that they’ve developed and seek references from those who have used the developers’ expertise. Make sure your developer has the vision to deliver your needs with the minimum amount possible.
6. Pick a Relevant Theme Template Consistent With Your Vision
Themes, or templates, are ready-made pages that are customizable as per your brand. They make your site presentable without any additional coding and designing skills. Consider the following factors while choosing the theme:
- Navigation
Customers want smooth navigation. Making navigation seamless is key to a pleasant visitor experience. Make your customers’ lives easier by making them easy to shop for. Make the navigation bar easy to grab, as your customers will start reading from the left and right.
- Homepage Style
Answer the following:
- Does the homepage match your brand?
- Can you make some areas where you can include photos, videos, or slideshows?
- Have you given enough space to share your story with your website visitors?
- Customization
Consider the factors, such as how many parts you can customize. Moreover, ensure that your color and font match your brand style, the capacity of images to be included, and the number of products you can display or change. Customization also demands connecting your social media links to your website.
7. Add Products
A product page is a make or break while building an e-commerce site. Product pages determine what you are selling to your customers. So, you need to set aside time to ensure your products are of the highest quality by including SEO-friendly product descriptions, luring pictures, and easy-to-find categories.
- Product Description
The significance of e-commerce sites heavily relies on the descriptions of their products. Products’ measurements, usefulness, textures, and values all make your customers’ minds clear and make it easy for algorithms to index your web pages for SEO. Cliched and wordy sentences can hurt your cause when explaining your product. Instead, use short descriptions while creating an e-commerce website and ensure you have the answers to the following:
- What’s the product’s use?
- What are its details?
- How to find and get your products?
- Timings of using your product?
- Product Photos
Images are important to engrave your product in your audience’s minds. Consider some crucial aspects while building an e-commerce site:
- HD Images
The perception of your product and brand depends upon the images. High-quality images help you stand out. Ensure your product photography is of high quality with vibrant and appealing colors.
- Maintain the same image size
It is necessary to keep each image size the same. Photos of different sizes can misalign your product gallery. Also, use any reliable image editor for picture adjustments as per your website settings.
- Product Categories
Uploading products in different categories makes it easy for your customers to get what they want. It also helps you track your inventory. When customers see the brands category-wise, they rate the website highly. It increases your chances of getting noticed online because people will share these easy-to-use eCommerce sites.
8. Payment Gateways
Keeping the transaction process easy is among the foremost tasks while building an eCommerce site. An easy-to-use and well-integrated payment method is key to completing a transaction. Customers can cancel their online cart if their payment method is complicated or untrusted. Make sure your payment gateway meets your needs.
- Payment gateway integrations
The integration of a feasible payment gateway is crucial. Choose a secure payment method that can encrypt and transmit credit card data to the payment processor. Your payment gateway is your pathway to success in the eCommerce world.
- Easy to integrate
Choose a platform for your eCommerce site that you can get and install easily. A seamless platform can assure swift lead conversion.
- Consider reviews
Read online comments from other eCommerce sites and ensure the gateway’s trustworthiness. Also, ensure its consistency and try to figure out from reviews whether people had issues sending/receiving money.
- Transaction fees
Transaction charges, including payments and refunds, are a major step in building an eCommerce site. Understand the total cost and analyze whether it would be fine for you in the long run.
9. Shipping Policy
Shipping is the backbone of any eCommerce platform. Make your shipping settings prompt and easy to understand. Make carriers and charges part of your delivery system. Free shipping, flat-rate shipping, or variable-rate shipping; decide and choose wisely. Who is your shipping partner? Find the answers to these.
Make the information readily available for global shipping. Otherwise, overseas customers would return before checkout.
Wrap Up
A quality e-commerce website is more than a showroom for goods. It’s where a company can design an encounter that builds brand equity, attracts new clients, and turns infrequent customers into ardent advocates. If you choose the right e-commerce platform and make a good plan for marketing your online store, you’ll be ahead of the competition.
