If you are just thinking about how to start an online store, the following mini-guide will be of help. It will provide you with the necessary information on how to launch a profitable online store.
In addition, you will have a clear idea of what to talk about with an ecommerce software development vendor.
Step 1. Step one: Choose a domain name
Giving a name to your web store is one of the things you should be very careful about. Why? Because this is what your customers start learning about your brand.
To pick up the right name for your business, consider the following ideas:
- Choose a name that is easy to pronounce;
- Put notional words or meaningful elements;
- Make the domain name original;
- Give preference to the name available at the [.COM] domain;
- Don’t pick a name that is too long;
- Don’t pick a name that is linked to a specific product.
Step 2. Select an ecommerce platform
Selecting the right ecommerce platform may become a challenge even for experienced online merchants. Newbies need to consider this point with greater care. The choice of an ecommerce platform for your web store influences further business activities and the company’s budget.
Have a look at 4 widely used, robust solutions for online retail:
- Magento;
- BigCommerce;
- Shopify;
- PrestaShop.
Step 3. Find a web hosting provider
Not to make a mistake and to entrust your website’s activity and data to a web hosting service that is reliable and right specifically for your business, remember to consider the 4 S’s:
- Speed;
- Security;
- Support;
- Scalability.
4. Step four: Integrate a payment processor
You will have to integrate payment processing gateways into your web store’s main functionality to be able to seamlessly accept payments online.
Depending on the ecommerce platform you’ve selected for your web store, you choose payment gateways that suit it or can be allowed to integrate.
Magento platform is compatible with some of the most popular payment gateways such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Amazon Pay. Recommended.
If you need to integrate other payment options, you may go for an extension, a specially built plugin that connects you with any payment service that you wish.
5. Step five: Cooperate with delivery services
Consider the following tips to find the best solution for shipping-related issues:
Mind your competitors. Review shipping options your competitors use.
Make your shipping policies clear. Stating shipping costs and fees clearly will help to prevent “surprises” for the customers at the checkout.
Offer more than 1 shipping option. Consider various shipping options with different delivery terms.
Offer free shipping. Provide your customers with a free shipping option.
Try the BOPIS opportunity. If you are running a small business, try a BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) opportunity.
Conclusion
Even with a function-rich ecommerce platform at your disposal, creating a web store that will not become “just one more website” but a high-converting and a future-proof solution is a challenge. By making reasoned decisions, you remove the obstacles on your way to building an online store.
Your how-to start an online store question can also be answered by an experienced ecommerce development company.
About the Author
Dasha Korsik has spent over 5 years working as a business and marketing development specialist at NEKLO custom software development. She is passionate about writing technical content based on the experience gained. Tech advancement and the digital transformation of companies is her main focus.
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