Why Create an e-commerce website?
First, let's look at some statistics:
Worldwide retail sales are predicted to increase from 14.1% in 2019 to 22% by 2023.
Despite additional e-commerce websites, the majority of this rise is due to changed shopping habits. By connecting foreign clients to multinational portals and delivery services, businesses can take advantage of this worldwide phenomenon.
• Low-cost: Compared to a physical store, an internet shop could be started with minimal expenditure.
• Wide target audience: Unlike a physical store, an online store can access a wide range of customers.
• No limitation of time: Your e-store can be open 24/7.
How to Create An E-Commerce Website: Step-by-step
- Choose your ideal e-commerce platform.
- Invest in a domain name.
- Contact a developer.
- Choose an e-commerce theme or template
- List and promote your products.
- Configure payment options.
- Sort out your delivery preferences.
- Preview, test, and then launch your online store.
1. Pick Your Content Management System (CMS)
A content management system is the core of any website. There are several content management systems to select from, ranging from open solutions like WordPress to complete novice all-in-one website builders like Shopify. Choosing your preferred one for your business will be determined by your budget, skill, and specific e-commerce requirements.
The following are the most widely used content management systems for e-commerce websites:
WordPress: The world's most popular CMS, as well as one of the most configurable.
Shopify: an excellent e-commerce platform for starting a dropshipping business. Know how to sell on shopify
Wix: a one-stop website builder that is both simple to use and extremely configurable.
2. Invest in a domain name
Avoid unusual spellings: Keep domain names simple, easy to recall, and easy to search.
Avoid using generic names: Generic names are forgotten by customers, or they will end up going to brands with bigger SEO ratings.
The shorter the sentence, the better: Your consumer will remember a domain name that is 6-14 characters long.
3. Contact a developer
Developers have the necessary technical knowledge to get you up and running swiftly, allowing you to begin marketing quicker.
When choosing a developer:
-Enquire about their timeframe so that you can decide upon your launch date (and even make the audience excited over the date).
-Request to check previous websites they've created and generate requests from those companies.
-Ensure the developer understands your idea and can build it within your budget.
4. Choose an e-commerce theme or Template
All subscription services offer a plethora of designs to select from, so even if you're establishing an e-commerce website using Shopify, Wix, WordPress, or any other platform, you'll have a lot of custom build designs and layouts to choose from.
Find a template or theme that fits the concept you have for your e-commerce website.
What makes a perfect theme? Smooth navigation, Homepage reflecting the style of the brand and Does the layout keep an ongoing connection with the audience?
Lastly, remember to check ratings and reviews of the theme you choose too!
5. List and promote your products
Product listings are essential for every online shop. So, once you've finished building your website, the following step is to establish your product catalogue, which will include all of your specific commodity ads.
During this method, be sure to arrange and classify your listings so they are simple to discover for your potential customers.
Product Description: This should entail all the exact details for your product (the usefulness, colours and accurate measurements). Make sure they are short and simple yet catchy.
Product Image: It should be of high quality, and visually pleasing to your visitors.
Lastly, product categories are preferred as customers can then easily find what they are looking for. Try enabling filters such as price range, etc. to make their shopping easier.
6. Configure payment options.
To make this part easy and safer, most online sellers use third-party solutions such as GooglePay or Paytm. If you are forwarding the consumer to another service, make sure the data is properly secured before transferring.
Razorpay has risen to prominence as one of India's leading payment gateways. This digital payment gateway processes customer payments and manages supplier and staff payouts. Razorpay supports debit cards, credit cards, nett banking, UPI, and wallets such as JioMoney and Mobikwik.
Depending on the payment method, the transaction charge ranges from 2% to 3%.
Other options include Instamojo, Paypal, CCAvenue and Cashfree.
7. Sort out your delivery preferences
Establish your shipping policy. Charges and couriers are covered under your shipping policy. Are you providing free delivery, a set charge, or a dynamic fee? With whom are you shipping?
8. Preview, test, and then launch your online store
Before pressing the publish button, double-check everything.
-Does the checkout process perform well?
Execute a trial run on an order. Could you put items in the cart? Is the payment completed? Have you received all of the confirmation emails you expected?
-Does the service support mobile devices?
Examine the shop with a smartphone. Are the measurements proper? Are the icons simple to use? Are the graphics visible on a mobile version?
-Test your business in several browsers.
Examine the shop using as many various browsers as possible, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Check that it works in all browsers, and if it doesn't, contact the developers to resolve it.
. . .
Selecting the best e-commerce platform and developing a marketing plan to launch a successful online business may put you ahead of the competition.
Make sure you keep the above pointers in mind. Read this blog to master selling your products!
Happy Launching!
