Useful Tips for Building an eCommerce Website
Creating an e-commerce website can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and advice, it can be a breeze. In this article, we will outline the basics that you will need before creating your website. We will also provide tips on designing an efficient and user-friendly site. By following these guidelines, you will be well on your way to having a successful online store.
Build a website
Creating an eCommerce website can be a daunting task. However, if you are using Magento, it can be pretty simple. There are more than one million free plugins available to use. These plugins allow you to create your blog, forum, image gallery, and more. With these plugins, you’ll be able to create the website that you need for your business in no time at all. Preparing some materials can be done in advance, especially if you hire someone to do part of the work for you. With the help of a Magento development agency, you can be sure to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Make sure to be as detailed as possible when communicating your ideas to any associates, as it will impact the outcome of the project.
When choosing a web host, you will have to choose what is known as Shared or Dedicated Hosting. There are benefits and drawbacks to both of these types of hosting. The main benefit of shared hosting is that it is much cheaper than dedicated hosting and also allows your website to be accessed by more people since there are other websites on the server. The downside with shared hosting is that if too many people are on one server, then your website may be slow, unresponsive, or even offline since there isn’t enough room for everyone.
Now, dedicated hosting is when you have a whole server to yourself. This will allow more bandwidth and disk space, so there won’t be any interruptions with your site. However, this does cost more and is not recommended for beginners.
Design your store
Now that you’ve got your web server and website fully set up, it’s time to design the layout of your website. This step requires a lot of planning, so we suggest sketching up some wireframes beforehand. By creating wireframes, you can visualize how the website will flow. Also, make sure to keep your target audience in mind. Since they are who you will be selling to, your site must cater to them.
Now that you’ve planned out all of the functionality of your site with wireframes and have planned out how the design will flow, it’s time to customize the design. Here are a few things you should do when designing your site :
- Limit the number of fonts used, so navigation remains consistent throughout.
- Customize each page with attention-grabbing images and titles.
- Keep the home page clean by only putting high-priority information there. Not everyone will look at every page of your website, so make sure to put the most important information where people are more likely to see it.
- If you wish, you can create a blog for your store as well! This will allow customers to get a first-hand perspective into your company as well as show some personality.
To increase conversions, we suggest doing some A/B testing as well. This means that you will have to create multiple versions of each page and then test them against each other to see which one performs better.
Elements of a good e-commerce website
There are many elements that a good website should have. However, here is a list that can help you fast check whether or not you may have missed some important steps:
- easy navigation for customers
- high-quality photos and descriptions
- responsive design
- reliable payment system
- secure checkout process
- fast delivery
- live chat option
- customer reviews or ratings
- hassle-free returns
- competitive pricing
- wide selection
- detailed product
Find products to sell
Now that you have a design for your website, it’s time to make sure there is something for customers to buy. Since you’ve already researched what types of products will be best, have a list ready with links and editing information. If you’re going to outsource the creation of the products, then this won’t apply to you. If you plan on creating your products, then make sure to use reliable suppliers, so you can get the best quality for the lowest price. Make sure each product has a high-quality photo as well as a detailed description. You can also include a price, so customers know how much they’re spending ahead of time.
Promote your store
Creating a social media presence is important for eCommerce businesses’ promotion strategies because it allows you to connect with customers on a more personal level. This can be done by hosting contests, giving away free products, or even just providing valuable content that people will want to read. You can also create blogs to promote your products. This is a great way to show personality and give potential customers a sneak peek into what they can expect if they buy from you. Additionally, make sure to keep your website updated with the latest news and promotions.
Collect payments and ship products
Now that your website is set up, it’s time to start making some money! As eCommerce businesses expand, they will have to learn how to manage the different aspects of running a business. This means collecting payments online and shipping products out. Payment options for customers are fairly simple, as most people already have credit cards that can be used for paying. Shipping products out will require a shipping company, so make sure you are informed of the legislative obligations your company has when it comes to shipping products abroad.
Running an e-commerce site takes time, trial, and error to get the right balance of marketing strategies in place. To start with your customer’s brains at different stages in the purchasing process or lead funnel may be able to drive more sales with less effort. The neuroscience sales tips we’ve provided should help you get started thinking about how you can leverage the power of the human brain in your digital marketing strategy.