Last Updated on December 22, 2022 by Arif Chowdhury
It is a digital era, and every brick-and-mortar store is now converting its business to an eCommerce shop. But, most of them don’t know how to make their online store free or use a paid service.
The process of developing and launching a business concept requires a considerable amount of time and effort. So here’s an easy solution: create an online store using a website builder and then sell products online.
These days, you can quickly develop a personalized website for your online business using current eCommerce platforms, which are both cost-efficient and famous worldwide.
Since most eCommerce platforms provide plug-and-play options for essential services such as outstanding payment methods, international shipping rates, and online and offline marketing, creating an advanced eCommerce site doesn’t need coding skills.
Do you want to learn more? Then, follow our step-by-step eCommerce website setup instructions if you’re going to start your small business right now.
How to build an eCommerce website step by step?
It’s possible that creating an e-commerce website is easier than you thought. Although e-commerce systems perform most tasks automatically, it is best to learn everything from scratch. An intelligent businessman always tries to know everything.
A great site that develops and grows with you is possible if you make wise judgments.
- Identify a suitable eCommerce platform
- Pick a domain name
- Hire a professional developer
- Choose a professional template
- Add products to sell
- Setting up a reliable payment processing (for credit cards)
- Set up your shipment options
- Finalize and publish
Step #1: Identify a suitable eCommerce platform.
Before you begin building your eCommerce website, choose the best platform for you to create it on. Choosing one that can suit your items’ demands and the business’s needs are essential.
There are several e-commerce platforms (choose wisely).
Because each sort of eCommerce platform is tailored specifically for a certain kind of company, it has its own set of capabilities. The following is a comprehensive guide to everything you should know:
1. Open source platform.
Open-source systems enable anybody to use the source code since it is freely available. As a result, it’s easy to use and can be customized to meet your requirements. On the other hand, open-source solutions often need substantial coding skills to work correctly.
2. SaaS.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a subscription-based e-commerce platform. These systems’ most common characteristics are simple, scalable, and safe.
3. Headless commerce.
E-commerce sites using headless commerce decouple the display layer from the shopping cart. The back end will be powered by an eCommerce engine, while the front end will be handled by a content management system (CMS).
With headless commerce, companies can easily alter their customer-facing websites, offering them creative freedom. As a result, enterprises can access the market sooner and at a lower cost by outsourcing developers.
Recommended Reading: Which Is the Best E-commerce Platform for Beginners? Top 10 Reviewed
Quick Note: One of the most significant benefits of an eCommerce store over a traditional brick-and-mortar store is that eCommerce only requires a small workforce. It can run almost automatically, requiring much less investment than a conventional shop.
Step #2: Pick a domain name.
You may move existing domain names to your new eCommerce shop. However, if you don’t have a plan, follow these suggestions.
Simple and easy to remember.
Avoid utilizing unusual spellings in domain name selection. Remembering and typing these names is a hassle. After all, before the search engine behemoth created it, the term “Google” didn’t exist. People will remember it better if it’s simple to spell.
Keep it short.
Your domain name should be as short as possible to simplify for your customers to remember. In addition, the shorter your name is, the more likely someone will discover your eCommerce shop from an organic search.
Step #3: Hire a professional developer.
Having a developer help create an e-commerce website is possible even if you’re beginning from scratch.
Thanks to their technical know-how, your company will be ready to launch. Always ask developers about their availability while doing interviews so that you can schedule your launch correctly.
Recommended Reading: Stripe vs. Square: Which One is Best for Your Business (Review)
Step #4: Choose a professional template.
Customize templates, also known as themes, to match your product and brand and make your website more aesthetically attractive without needing design or coding expertise. If you’re picking a template, keep these things in mind:
The navigation must be frictionless to provide customers with a good experience. If they can’t locate what they’re looking for, they’ll find it elsewhere.
Professional homepage.
Is the home page of the template consistent with the branding of your business? What is the best place to put up my photos, movies, and slideshows? Absolutely.
What page(s) on the website can visitors find your story? By glancing at your template, customers should be able to identify what kind of company you run.
Options to customize.
Can you modify the components of the page? For example, what is the logo and color palette of your business? What is the maximum number of photos you can upload at one time?
So, how can I change the way things are shown if that’s the case? Is it possible to integrate social media?
Quick Note: Remember, you must make your eCommerce store as attractive and easy to navigate as possible. You will often lose customers because they can’t find what they are looking for, or it is hard to see from your navigation panel.
Step #5: Add products to sell.
The product pages on your website are critical since they display precisely what your business is all about to your clients.
Showcase your goods in the best possible light using engaging and valuable content such as descriptions, images, videos, and readily accessible categories.
Specifications and information about the merchandise.
The product pages of any eCommerce business must have comprehensive descriptions of the items they offer. Crawlers from search engines may acquire descriptive information about the content of your website, such as the product’s value.
When writing product descriptions, avoid clichés, lengthy sentences, and jargon terminology.
Enough images to visually show your products.
When there is visual material on a website, visitors are more inclined to remain on it.
Include high-quality pictures in your products.
Using images, you may convey your product’s perceived worth and quality to potential customers. In addition, your items will stand out from the crowd by using high-resolution and custom images in your marketing material.
The graphics are far more appealing, with vibrant imagery that entices users to stay on the site longer.
Goods classification.
You may help shoppers locate what they’re searching for by adding goods to categories like fashion, literature, and movies. In addition, people may utilize categories and filters to limit their search to just things within a specific price range.
Step #6: Setting up a payment gateway.
When completing the deal, choosing the most appropriate payment option is essential.
A complicated or inconsistent process may cause your consumer to leave their cart and never return. For this reason, be assured that you can meet your payment processing requirements.
Payment gateways types.
You will find three distinct payment gateways, each with advantages and disadvantages. Be sure to consider the security precautions you’ll need to take when choosing a payment gateway.
Redirects to payment site.
The consumer is sent to another website to complete the payment. PayPal, Skrill is the best-known case.
Offsite payment.
When you use this gateway, you’re using an offsite payment processor. Stripe is one of the processors that provide this service.
Onsite payment.
It’s a significant advantage to control and be held responsible for payments made on your property. Large organizations with huge sales profit the most from employing it since they have enough resources to keep it that way.
Recommended Reading: Benefits of Digital Marketing for Your Business in the Post-Pandemic World
Step #7: Set up your shipment options.
Shipping is critical to the success of e-commerce. You must pick your delivery options carefully to meet your client’s expectations of prompt service.
Choose a suitable shipment policy.
Fees and carriers are detailed in your shipping policy. Are there any restrictions on how much your client may order? How many days will it take to ship the products? Are there any additional fees?
Regarding shipping, think about whether or not you want to ship abroad. If you decide against it, the information should be immediately apparent, so overseas consumers aren’t disappointed.
Choose the best shipment option.
Decide how the message will be delivered—using a drop shipper or doing the packaging yourself.
Which option do you prefer? With shipping software integrated into your workflow, you may streamline the shipping process while focusing on other elements of your company.
Quick Note: Your shipment options could be your best friend or worst nightmare. Simple reason, if you cannot ship your products in due time, even one day delay can ruin your business reputation.
Step #8: Finalize and publish.
Perfect functionality throughout your website is a need for a successful launch. Customers may leave your site because of a faulty link, an error with their payment, or a bad mobile experience.
If you have to go back and repair errors, this might cause a delay, but it is worth it. Do a last check of your work before publishing it to avoid making mistakes and creating wrong impressions.
Verify your payment process.
If so, is it doable to run a test on a particular request? For example, can multiple products be added to the shopping cart?
Is everything ready to go at this point? How many emails were you anticipating receiving as confirmation? Then, do some test shopping to verify your payment process.
Check full online store functionality.
Once you’ve gone through each button, add a link to your website. The links and buttons on this page should all be functional.
There aren’t any search options or categories to choose from, are there? Do you have 404-page redirecting readers to your site if a link doesn’t work?
Responsive template.
Use your mobile device to explore the shop. Are you sure the measurements you gave are correct? Is it easy to push the buttons? Is it possible to see photos well on a small screen?
Conclusion.
Before I wrap up my guide, I hope you understand how to build an eCommerce shop online like a professional.
An eCommerce online store is not only a marketplace for buying and selling goods. Companies may use it to provide better customer service that enhances their brand, attracts new consumers, and builds a loyal client base for long-term business.
If you pick the right e-commerce platform and develop a strong marketing plan before opening your shop, you may get an edge over your competitors.