WEBSITE CHECKLIST FOR ECOMMERCE

We have created this essential checklist from what we have learned as leading web designers and eCommerce developers. Ensure you have covered all these steps to maximize your chances of success.

1. Plan your eCommerce strategy

Be aware of what you are selling

It's imperative that you decide first what you're going to sell. Products, services, or even a range of products can be sold online. A critical component of success is researching the product you plan to sell.

Establish your business model

Identify whether the product will be manufactured yourself or imported from third parties. Are you going to compete on price or quality? What is the best product or service you sell that gives you the greatest profit margin? Are you offering a money-back guarantee, a warranty, or express shipping? If you become a business expert, in theory, you will be more likely to succeed in practice.

Identify your target market

You should research the market to determine if people would actually buy your product. Google Adwords Keyword Tool, for instance, allows you to see how many people search for specific terms or products each month, giving you an idea of the demand for your business.

Be aware of what your target customer audience needs and who they are. Your product can help your company differentiate itself from the competition when it understands your target audience's problem (and how it solves it). Ensure your eCommerce website clearly identifies itself as a solution to increase your chances of selling.

Make a business legal decision

You need to establish your business information after you have selected your product, your model and identified your market. Which name will you give your store? Which company name will you adopt? In order to prevent nasty lawsuits down the line, you should set up your business as a professional, legal entity. Establish a merchant account for the business that is strictly separated from your personal account so you can effectively manage your business finances from the start.

Set up your eCommerce store policies

The final step to getting your store up and running is to decide on your policies. Make sure you know how long your customers will have to return items if they decide not to keep them. Are you able to ship internationally? Will there be a shipping pricing structure?

If a customer orders a product that is unavailable, ensure you have proper inventory management in place. Would you consider selling customers' information to a third party? Your privacy policy should be clearly stated on your website. Precautions taken in the beginning can prevent surprises in the future, where the customer tends to prevail in legal situations over companies.

2. Things you should set up

Domain and hosting decisions

Domain names and hosting are essential for any website. If you want visitors to find your store easily, then your domain name should match your eCommerce store name. Do not include strange spellings, numbers, or symbols in your domain name because these can be difficult to understand and type in an address bar.

If you have an eCommerce website, you can either manage your own hosting or let the website design company manage it for you. Self-managing hosting will provide more flexibility and will typically be more affordable. You should avoid incredibly cheap hosting as this can often indicate shared servers which can cause slow website speeds and negatively impact your SEO (your site's ranking on organic search engines).

Establish a phone policy

Establish a phone system that users can use to contact your business. Plan for international callers and set a time of day when you will monitor/answer your phone in case they call.

If you choose not to have a phone and only wish to receive contact by email or online, beware that the quality of customer service may be reduced, but it will be easier to manage. Think about what is the best option for your business and ensure the appropriate processes are in place for your customers.

Decide where you will store your inventory

The majority of your stock will likely come from suppliers or distributors unless you are manufacturing your own products. The inventory you have to store will need to be stored in a warehouse or storage facility. Choosing options for your business should consider the future, as well as the present. When deciding how much storage space you may need, you should take into account how much your business will grow.

Decide whether to drop-ship

Drop-shipping, in which a third-party distributor ships directly to the customer who made the purchase, is an alternative to holding your own inventory. Drop-shipping allows business owners to avoid holding and storing inventory. In a world where there are many products that are affected by "seasons" and trends like fashion apparel, this technique can prove particularly useful and cost-effective.

Open a business bank and merchant account

You should always create dedicated bank accounts for your business when you start it. It is best if they are in the name of your business. Mixing business and personal bank accounts can have tax and accounting repercussions. You should separate your expenses and earnings as soon as you can. Any business that succeeds must do this.

For an eCommerce website in Australia to accept credit card payments, you will need a merchant account. Compare the fees charged by different institutions to find the best deal. You can accept payments via PayPal, but you will be charged a percentage for every transaction made via your store.

Decide on a pricing model

As a next step, decide the prices at which you will sell your products. At a base level, however, you will want to aim to break even - that is, make enough money from each sale to cover your costs of stock, marketing, and other expenses.

Depending on your pricing model, you may face a loss on some sales if you are competing on price within your market. You may also have products that are “high margin” products, meaning that you make an enormous profit from each sale compared to what you bought the stock for. Once your site goes live, don't be intimidated by amending your pricing to find out what works and what your customers are willing to spend without affecting your sales numbers.

3. Website information

Designing your store

It is important to understand that your eCommerce store stands as your storefront when creating it. Conversions of eCommerce websites are highly dependent on the flow of the design. Make sure your policies and contact details are easily accessible. To entice customers to purchase, advertise your strengths like an extended return policy or free shipping options. In addition, your web designer can offer you advice on how to enhance user experience and increase conversion rates.

Platform for web development

Before selecting an eCommerce website development company, know what functionality you will need in the future as well as now. Consider using a Content Management System (CMS) platform, whereby you can manage the content and your products without paying a web design company. It is imperative that the design is responsive to all mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Ensure that mobile devices can easily use the checkout process.

Descriptions of your products

Online, you have a better chance of success if you put more effort into displaying your products. A good customer experience starts with a tidy, informative and easy-to-find eCommerce store, just like the shelves of a physical retailer. Describe all the products you are offering for sale and include quality images of them. If applicable, include weight and measurements. The more information, the better!

Obtain an SSL certificate

Websites that collect personal information from their visitors need an SSL certificate to encrypt the data. You prevent third-party (and scammers or fraudsters) from taking advantage of your customers' sensitive information, especially credit card information. For eCommerce businesses, SSLs are essential. Compare prices from numerous SSL vendors, just like you would with a merchant account.

Publish your privacy policy

A privacy policy must be included after collecting sensitive data, such as personal and credit card details, from your customers. There is a widespread fear online that personal information may be sold and used for spam, marketing, or fraud. Selling a customer's personal information is never a good idea, as it will negatively affect the customer experience. Rather than just telling them what you're going to do with their personal information, draft a privacy policy that outlines exactly what you'll do with theirs as it is a contract between your business and them.

Develop a marketing plan

If you want your store to gain visitors after it is live, you need to have a strategy. It is essential that you optimize your website in order to appear higher in search engines for relevant keywords. Search Engine Optimization is one of the most critical aspects of traffic generation. If you're looking to market your business online, there are a few options available to you. If you use Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, you can have your business appear at the top of the search engine results for relevant keywords. When you receive a visitor in this way, you are charged. When established businesses need traffic, PPC is an effective way to acquire it at a lower cost.

Using analytics, measure everything

Analyzing a store's performance is an incredibly under-appreciated tool for improving website management. Google Analytics (which is free) lets you monitor how visitors use your site, including what pages they view, how much time they spend, and which products they are most likely to purchase. Also, you can use it to track which marketing efforts produced the greatest results and decide how to invest in future marketing campaigns. A well-developed eCommerce developer will be able to help you install the tracking code on your web page, once you launch your store.

4. Sales Management

Website with pre-sale information

Before a customer purchases anything, there can be a number of questions that they have, including shipping questions, payment options, and stock availability. Your store can include a FAQ page to save you time by answering frequently asked questions. To handle all customer service requests, you might need a dedicated support center.

How do you plan to accept payments

Choosing the payment options you will offer will allow your customers to actually purchase from you. It is easiest to use a credit card since it is instant. When the transaction is completed, your order is ready to ship right away. Checks, wire transfers, and purchase orders are examples of alternative payment methods. Before selecting which payment methods to accept, understand their implications.

Orders shipped internationally

The appropriate processes must be in place so that you can collect payment and ship overseas when you accept international orders. In addition to domestic shipping costs, you will need to add the cost of international shipping. Depending on the country, import and export restrictions are also in place. Make sure your policies address these restrictions accordingly.

Resolving customer complaints

Any business will unfortunately experience unhappy customers from time to time. Include as much information as possible on orders so that any conflict can be avoided (such as updates on the shipping status of an order). Keep your return, shipping, and store policies clear and up-to-date and make sure that you adhere to them regardless of who the customer is.

Making sure that you have a solid plan in place and following this checklist will enable you to set yourself up for success.

We are happy to provide you with an obligation-free quote when you are ready to discuss your needs further.

ECOMMERCE DIFFERENCE AT BVT

OVER 10,000 COMPANIES & LEADING BRANDS TRUST US

ECOMMERCE SERVICES

The best websites are those that sell, not just those that look pretty. BVT is a website design company that provides both - high-quality web design and results-driven results.

Extensive experience in creating eCommerce websites

More than 2,000 client websites have been built by us since 2016. Since then, we've built thousands of successful eCommerce websites, making us Australia's go-to e-commerce development company. Each of our clients receives a product that takes into account their business, customers, and competitors. We use the data-driven methodology to create e-commerce and mobile websites. We help our customers build the best online stores by giving them advice and guidance.

eCommerce Designed to Sell First

E-commerce platform designed specifically for businesses to help them run successful websites. A top-of-the-line content management system - WordPress - underpins this system. WordPress software development allows you to control your products with a click of the mouse. From sales data to analytics, product management, and promotion, e-commerce software provides everything you need to run a successful online store. To create an online experience that sells, you can access every detail of your store without a web developer.

Make sales, attract visitors, and achieve your goals

The home page and order confirmation is designed with results in mind. BVT designs and develops every website with SEO in mind - after all, web traffic leads to website sales. In addition, our eShop platform integrates with recognized payment, shipping, and marketing solutions to create a customer experience that encourages immediate purchases.

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