Online shopping has become a standard procedure for many people today, and most people opt for online shopping instead of traditional brick and mortar stores.
The recent pandemic intensified it, making it more convenient and easier to shop online. As a business owner, that means that most of your target audience is online. Having an online presence is quickly becoming a prerequisite for success with most businesses. It is the right time to create an eCommerce platform! It will go a long way towards establishing your brand and increasing sales. Here is how to create an eCommerce shop for your business:
Table of Contents
Domain name
The first step in building an eCommerce shop is finding a domain name to identify your business. Your domain is your business’s home on the internet, and the web address is what potential customers type into the browser when they want to visit your site. It is, therefore, crucial to have a domain name that will contribute to your business’ success, and it should relate to the products or services you are offering.
Use descriptive keywords so that anyone visiting the site can know what you are selling upfront. A descriptive key phrase will also help your ranking with search engines which is very important for driving traffic. Buying a domain name is very straightforward and opt for reputable vendors like GoDaddy, Namecheap and the likes to buy an affordable domain name.
Ecommerce Hosting
Web hosting is what holds all your data. It is crucial since it plays a role in your security and the cost of the site. There are several options at your disposal. There is cloud hosting where the hosts are offsite. SaaS and other eCommerce companies offer Cloud services. The platforms handle updates, uptime, and patches and ensure that the site is secure. Some open-source solutions also have cloud services but expect the security to be in the merchant’s hands. There is also on-premise hosting. In this case, the host is the business’ server. If you opt for on-premise hosting, you will need to have adequate space for the server and take care of the installation. You will also need to get a team to ensure it remains up and secured.
Web Developer
Hiring the wrong developer could throw a significant spanner in the works. That is why finding a reputable web developer is a crucial step. Ensure that you work with an experienced developer like Charlotte Web Design to craft a user-friendly and secure eCommerce. Ask to see other sites they have built to boost your confidence in them. The developer you choose should have some graphic design background to ensure that they create a beautiful masterpiece for your business.
Test and launch
The final step is testing to see if it works as expected. Perform some pre-launch test orders, and connect them to your payment processor to see how the system functions. Have a professional handle all the bugs you notice while navigating the test order. After you are satisfied that everything is okay, get ready to launch.
Final remarks
Starting an eCommerce shop is a brilliant way to have more people see your offerings and consequently increase sales. There is a vast customer base in the online space, and you can also partner with a courier service to remove geographical barriers and sell internationally.
