Are you interested in selling products over the internet? Although there are similarities between creating an eCommerce website and a standard website, the goal is quite different. Instead of traffic, business owners need conversions. In addition, there have to be tools and software that can process payments and complete purchases. Discover what initial things you should be thinking about when building an eCommerce website.
Selling products over the web is closer than you think! Learn what things you should have figured out before creating your eCommerce website. Click To Tweet
How to Have a Successful eCommerce Site
Unlike storefront businesses, online stores don’t have to worry about rent, time constraints, or product displays. In a matter of days, you can have a fully functional website that sells products online. There are, however, important steps to consider before you “go live” and start promoting your new online store. Take a look at these top three things needed for an eCommerce website.
- Research your market
- Plan the buying process
- Choose a payment processor
1) Research Your Market
Before you can have an eCommerce business, you need to find a product that could successfully sell online. To avoid spending too much time and money on something that may not work, be sure to research competitors and discover what they’re selling online. Ask yourself questions like:
- Is there a need in your target market?
- Which products are currently trending online?
- Do you have any pre-existing knowledge that will help you succeed?
- Do you have the resources necessary to sell, handle, and ship your products?
- What pain points are competitors facing?
2) Plan the Buying Process
Secondly, it’s a good idea to do some initial planning for what your buying process will look like. When potential customers visit your website, the last thing you want to create is confusion or overwhelming product pages. By mapping out the full buying process from start to finish, you can put your shoes in the user and work to create the best possible shopping experience. Steps in your buying process might include:
- Viewing product images
- Searching products
- Adding items to shopping cart
- Making changes to shopping cart
- Entering shipping information
- Entering credit card and billing information
- Reviewing the order
- Receiving a confirmation email
- Packing the products for shipping
- Shipping the order to the customer
- Receiving feedback after the order has been delivered
3) Choose a Payment Processor
Another important thing to consider when starting an eCommerce business is your payment processor. In other words, how are you going to accept payment for the products you’re wanting to sell online? Most eCommerce platforms have payment solutions integrated into the coding of the website, but it’s important to verify this information before moving forward with the actual web design.
Let’s Get Started on Your eCommerce Store
While there are a number of other things to consider when creating an online store from scratch, researching and understanding your goals for your business is crucial. Once these steps are out of the way, you can start thinking about what you want your eCommerce website to look like. This is where we can help.
Get in touch with our team for a customized website designed built with eCommerce in mind.
