eCommerce is no longer a buzzing word. In fact, it has become one of the most commonly-used terms to succeed and gain immense profit in a short span of time. Not all eCommerce websites have the potential to turn your business into a multi-dollar venture such as Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, etc. Well, this surely doesn’t mean you need to lose any hope. The following post focuses on how to develop an eCommerce website from a scratch that can turn your business into a multi-dollar venture.
Before I start writing about the step by step guide of developing an eCommerce store there are certain things which you need to know in advance. First, not all businesses find the eCommerce realm interesting and worth their time. For them I would like to clear out certain misconceptions regarding the eCommerce sector.
Misconceptions Regarding eCommerce
1. Online Shopping
One of the basic yet crucial misconceptions or a myth is that much like earlier, customers tend to shop from a physical store. Of course, there are people who still prefer visiting a physical store instead of online but the amount of these people is pretty less in comparison to those who keep on shopping via the internet. I mean who doesn’t like the privilege of shopping whenever they feel like and receiving the product right in front of their doorsteps. Today right from apparels and accessories to home decor, electronic items, ordering groceries, food, movie tickets, booking hotels, everything single activity is conducted online.
With the increase in technological advancements such as AI, chatbots, machine learning, and IoT, shoppers can find a deep sense of communication and personalization as well which they used to find in a physical store. The AI assists shoppers with exactly what they like to purchase. So yeah, online shopping is pretty much in vogue!
2. Price
Of course, price is one of the major factors. However, gone are the times when price used to be the only factor here. Today’s well-educated and highly privileged customers tend to consider several other factors other than price before making the purchase. And it may quite interest you to know that price is not the only way out through which you can gain an upper hand over your competitors. Today’s customers do care about how the product is being delivered, in how much time, can they offer maintenance and support later on, how is their after-sale service, brand popularity, payment method, and a lot more!
3. eCommerce will replace my brick-and-mortar store
One of the most common misconceptions found across the globe is that the sudden rise in the eCommerce industry will finish the existing brick-and-mortar stores which is definitely not true. Change is inevitable, one has to keep on changing or else they may have a lot to lose but it certainly doesn’t mean that you need to replace things entirely. In fact, having a strong online presence can provide you quite an added advantage. Even during COVID pandemic, your ecommerce store keeps on working. All you have to do is take good care of all the relevant customer’s touch points. Staying agile and adaptable is the key to success especially in today’s times.
So I guess now you know why everyone is going gaga over the eCommerce industry and why you should be doing it too. Time to shift the focus on how to develop an eCommerce store and that too from the scratch.
How to Develop an eCommerce Store right from the scratch?
You see, most of the fear behind not creating an online presence or an eCommerce store is the unnecessary fear of complications and time-consuming procedures. Well, of course creating an eCommerce store is a big venture, it takes a hell lot of time, effort and money but the most important thing is to do it correctly. For that you can always consider hiring a reliable eCommerce development company that offers best possible services from their space. Make sure you choose a firm featuring skilled and highly-experienced professionals.
Down below I would like to mention a step-by-step guide on developing an eCommerce store.
● Think about the Products that you wish to sell
First and foremost, you have to decide what you are willing to sell the most. If you don’t know what you will be doing with your eCommerce store then there is no point in creating one. Make sure you choose products that consumers actually are willing to buy and not the other way around. The products featuring high demand are worth considering. If you still find everything clumsy and confusing, you can think why you thought of creating an eCommerce store in the first place. Try focusing on a specific niche and limit your competitors as well. Focus on your strengths, weaknesses and consider the same about your competitors.
● Create a domain name
The next step after determining what type of products you are willing to sell is create a specific domain name. Now when you create a domain name, just make sure that it turns out to be relevant with the products you are selling. You see when the domain name is similar or should I say familiar, it becomes way easier for your target audience to remember. A domain name is more like your Identity card through which your potential buyers can recognize you well. If it’s not possible for you to have your own domain, I mean if you have just started then you can consider sharing the domain name with a renowned company. You see, here buyers can reach out pretty easily. Though having a dedicated domain name has its own perks, you can gain easy recognition and organic traffic in no time.
● Choose a relevant eCommerce platform
Now when you decide to create an eCommerce store, fortunately there are tons of eCommerce platforms available including Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce. In fact, many of these are opensource so you can easily try each one out and find the best fit for your store. In addition to these eCommerce platforms, there are a wide range of eCommerce tools and technologies available which can assist in enhancing your website slowly and steadily. If you still don’t get it, you can consider hiring a relevant eCommerce development company featuring some of the best and most skilled programmers who have experience of conducting such projects for their valued clients.
● Time to pick a theme
Once you have chosen an eCommerce platform then it’s time to choose a relevant theme for the store. Now what is the theme? It’s basically a template that offers an amazing kind of look and feel. Now whenever you choose a theme just make sure to go through certain factors such as:
- Is the theme a good fit
- Does it offer quick loading
- Is it mobile friendly
- Easy to use
- Price
Much like different eCommerce platforms, you can consider applying a theme that fits well. So try and then buy! There are a wide range of free and paid themes available but you need to try in regards to fonts, colors and several other aspects. In fact, most of these themes are pretty much customizable.
● What about the other relevant pages
I am sure since the home page is the face of your website, you will focus on it pretty well but what about the other pages. Yes, I am talking about the About us page, contact us page, Shipping and returns, terms and conditions and so more. In fact, many eCommerce sites consist of an FAQ page and a blog page as well. Here you can find lots and lots of information regarding how to dress for a particular season or occasion, how to choose the fit, how to accessorize well and whatnot! Well-written articles even on eCommerce websites can boost high conversions and result in receiving more and more organic traffic. Try browsing as many eCommerce stores as you can, by doing so you can have a better idea of what needs to be done next.
● Think upon the payment processing methods
Now we are talking about conducting an eCommerce development project. Considering a seamless payment processing method is a must. Don’t choose any one option, I mean choose Stripe as well as PayPal and other built-in payment methods. Also, before you launch your store, just ensure you have double-checked the payment methods and see whether the system is functioning well or not. And now your store is ready to launch.
Conclusion
And this is it for now! I hope you did find the following post worth considering. If so, feel free to share this among your peers and help in making the eCommerce transition. The eCommerce realm is for the good. So better you start making the most of the profit-spinning realm.