4 Steps to Building Your Ecommerce Website
Building your own ecommerce website may seem like a complicated and daunting task, but it is actually not that difficult at all, especially with a number of different types of ecommerce software tools for you to choose from.
When it comes to ecommerce software, you can choose between self-hosted and hosted software. If you go for a self-hosted option, you are choosing an open source that you will install and configure, as well as maintain completely on your own. If you opt for hosted software, you don’t need to worry about the hassle of installing and maintaining software and servers, since the completely hosted service you chose will handle everything for you.
Regardless of what type of ecommerce software you choose, there are certain steps you need to take in order to build a website for your ecommerce business and ensure you attract your target customers, so read on to learn what those steps are.
1. Choose Your Domain Name and Hosting
If you plan on using a hosted ecommerce platform, such as Shopify, for instance, you can feel free to skip this section, since you will get both your domain name and hosting package once you start setting up your ecommerce website on such a platform. However, if you opt for an open cart, you will need to setup your domain name manually and find a web hosting provider on your own.
Every website needs a domain name and a server to be put on in order to become accessible. When choosing your domain name, make sure it has something to do with your business. If available, the best option would be to match your domain name with the name of your business, as it will be easier for your customers to find you.
When it comes to choosing your web hosting provider, you need to make sure it is reliable and offers high-quality services. You should read reviews online before choosing one, since customers’ reviews can help you choose the best web host to fit your business needs. Many web hosts include a free domain name in their packages, so if you have a tight budget to work with, you may consider that option.
2. Choose an Ecommerce Platform
There are a lot of ecommerce platforms to help you create your ecommerce site in no time. When choosing the best one, you basically need it to be flexible and very easy to use, so that it can help you create a website from scratch quickly and easily.
If you already have a website, you can easily embed your ecommerce store on any page of your website you want, as well as add widgets and buy buttons. In order to do that, you need to choose a platform that will easily integrate with your website and allow you to customize it any way you want.
Once you choose an ecommerce platform to get your online store up and running, you need to design your store to make it look professional. Choose the layout and theme that will make it look appealing and make sure it is easy to navigate through, since you don’t want your customers feeling lost and unable to find what they are looking for. It’s also important to include “Contact Us” and “About Us” sections, as well as set up a live chat in order to always be available for your customers.
3. Set up a Payment System
You can use PayPal, which is the easiest option when you’re just starting out, but you can also set up merchant accounts with every credit card company in order to enable your customers to pay for their purchases with their own credit cards.
Every ecommerce website needs to have an SSL Certificate, which is used for the encryption of sensitive data, such as credit card numbers and personal information. Some ecommerce platforms have an integrated SSL, so if you choose one of those, you don’t have to worry about payments, as you would be provided with secure payment handling at all times.
4. Add Products to Your Online Store
The last step before you can get your online store off the ground is, of course, to add your product catalogue. Apart from adding a name and description of each product, you need to add high-quality images of the products and set the price for each of them.
Depending on the type of products you offer, apart from images, you can add audio files and videos, as well as enable previews for every product.
Since there are quite a lot of different ecommerce software solutions, you should take the time to research them online before you actually buy one for your online store. Make sure you read ecommerce software reviews based on the user’s first hand experiences, since that will provide you with all the necessary information you need for choosing the right ecommerce software for your needs.
