In the next few years, e-commerce will surpass $2 trillion in sales. Are you planning on capturing the potential audience in the most valued industry?
When you shop online and have a pair of your favorite earing delivered conveniently to your doorsteps after paying the amount at checkout, you may think the process is not complicated and you can work around it with ease.
But…
Brands need to actually grow through e-commerce. Therefore, it is vital to understand what it takes to launch an online store from scratch.
If you are looking forward to launching your e-commerce store, it is vital to start the preparations beforehand. However, you can always seek help from professional web development company if you feel stuck.
One Year Strategy
Starting an e-commerce business from scratch takes up a lot of time and effort. When looking at an e-commerce site, have you ever thought about the fact that someone had actually crafted content around each item and individually load each and every product?
Apart from the time it takes to build your fully functional website, it is also important to attract the attention of potential customers who are actually interested in your services and products.
Here is a list of things you need to consider before having a fully functional website.
Purchase a Domain
The first and the most important step to set up your online store is to purchase a domain. Choose a domain that identifies your brand. However, don’t overthink the process. To buy a domain, you can use websites like GoDaddy and choose a .com domain for global appeal.
Find A Trustworthy Developer
The next step is to get in touch with a reliable developer if you want to launch your website in a short time span and in a professional manner. Ask for references from your friends and family who might have got a website developed.
Never settle for the first web development company you come across. Do your research and settle for one you think is the best fit for your brand. Sometimes entrepreneurs choose to move forward without a developer. If you are a novice in coding, don’t let this happen to you.
Get All The Paperwork Done
After you have purchased a domain, make sure to register your business and get a vendor’s license. Also, look into other important legal business matters to make sure you have your hands on all the paperwork you need for a legitimate business.
Check with your state to determine the filings requirements. You can also, contact an attorney to learn more about the licenses and fillings that are required.
Select Website Hosting Platform
To save your time and money, you can choose to host your website on an open-source content management system. Most developers are familiar with WordPress and make it easy to integrate plugins to increase the website functionality.
You can also select a popular e-commerce platform such as BigCommerce, Shopify or WooCommerce to design your website.
Find a Theme
WordPress offers a host of free and paid themes for you to choose from. Choosing pre-designed themes will help you save time and get your website up and running in a shorter period of time. You can also purchase a theme from ThemeForest to find a layout you feel more comfortable with.
So instead of building the website from scratch, download a template and customize it according to what you need. This will save you from quite a headache.
Launch Your Website
As soon as you are done with the designing and development process, make your site live. Ask the developers to create a home page for your business, an about us page and a contact page. Having a functional live site can be helpful for numerous reasons.
It allows businesses to establish legitimacy when negotiating with vendors. It adds credibility to your presence. It offers a place to sources to link back to your website.
Generate Exposure
It is vital to generate the interest of your targeted audience if you want your e-commerce business to be successful. Opt for SEO services by professionals to catch the attention of your audience. This will help your business gain exposure and can be a real game-changer.
Personalized Outreach
It is important for the success of your online business to create personalized relationships. If you have a well-established SEO strategy, you understand the importance of personalized relationships with vendors.
Do your research before you pitch your website story. Share your expertise through articles to teach your readers and grab their attention. The vendors are the ones who dictate sales and promotions. They can keep you up with the latest trends that will help you bolster your sales.
Moreover, they know about the product more than anyone else, thus, it is vital to establish a relationship with them. They will appreciate your efforts.
Get a Payment Gateway
Have you ever wondered how payments work on e-commerce websites? It is through the payment gateway. You must have heard about Stripe or PayPal. However, if you are going to accept credit cards, you need a gateway like 2checkout.com.
However, remember getting approved for a payment gateway is not an easy task. So before you take the step, do your research and make sure you are prepared.
Before you apply for the payment gateway, you need to set up a secure checkout process on your website. Also, remember to create return policies and privacy policies. Figure out the shipping and delivery method, also have a working customer service phone number and email address.
Make sure all the above-listed information is visible on your website. Setting up a payment gateway can take up some time. So make sure you are not waiting until the last minute to start the process.
The Bottom Line
Following this checklist will ensure that you are taking the right steps in the right direction to get your website launched on time and offer your customers the best user experience.
Need help with the designing and development process? Get in touch with experienced professionals.
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