Do you know that over 2.14 billion consumers in the world buy items online? That’s 27% of the world’s population. This is one of the reasons why a majority of businesses are bringing their operations online. If you are also willing to build a successful business online, you need an eCommerce platform first.
An eCommerce website or online store allows customers to browse and buy their preferred items from the comfort of their homes. With a well-designed website and an effective digital marketing service, you can build a brand for your business. Here’s how you can build an eCommerce website.
Steps to Build an eCommerce Website
To build an eCommerce website, you need a hosting plan and a domain name. There are numerous options to choose from. After acquiring these two things, you need to follow the steps below:
Step 1: Select the Right Content Management System (CMS)
A content management system is the foundation of a website. While there are several options available in the market, you need to select the one that suits your budget and fulfills all your unique eCommerce needs. Some of the most popular CMS platforms in the eCommerce landscape include:
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Wix
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- BigCommerce
- Squarespace
- Drupal
Do your own research and find out which one is the right choice for your eCommerce requirements.
Step 2: Pick an Interesting Theme or Template
Once you choose a CMS platform, you can find a wide variety of templates and themes for your eCommerce website. You need to carefully choose a theme or template that aligns with your brand voice and identity. While most CMS platforms offer free templates, some platforms may have paid templates and themes.
It is important to note that free themes and templates usually have generic designs and elements that are available across most platforms. On the other hand, premium themes and templates offer more unique designs, which can give your eCommerce platform a distinct look. Also, you do not need to spend too much time personalizing the selected theme.
Step 3: Customize the eCommerce Site and Create Web Pages
After selecting the right theme or template for your new eCommerce website, you need to customize it as per your business needs. You will have to configure the site’s navigation, update the header and footer, and develop pages regarding issues like refund and return policy, about us, contact page, products page, etc.
If you lack experience designing eCommerce websites, it is better to hire an experienced professional for the job. Then, you can work closely with the person to ensure everything is properly executed.
Step 4: Build Product Listings
Product listings are an essential part of an eCommerce store. Once you have developed your website and the necessary pages, you need to create a product catalog with all your product lists. You should always organize and categorize your listings. These practices make it easier for your future site visitors to find the necessary products. Also, it becomes easier for you to manage.
Step 5: Integrate Shipping, Payment Processor, and other Features
The next step requires you to integrate shipping, set up a payment gateway, and configure other necessary features for your eCommerce store. If your chosen platform allows it, you must integrate shipping with your online store for a hassle-free experience. It will simplify operations, and you can focus on selling more products.
You will also need to choose and set up a payment gateway on your eCommerce site to make online purchases easier and more secure for customers. You can opt for trusted third-party tools such as PayPal or Stripe. Before transfer, you need to ensure the data is completely encrypted. You also need to add features like a sales tax calculator, social media share buttons, etc., to improve your customers’ shopping experience.
Step 6: Test the Site before Its Launch
You must thoroughly check your eCommerce site before the big launch. Make sure every button and link on the site is working properly. You must also ensure that all the pages, including the 404 error web pages, are designed according to the chosen theme. Make sure that a user can add products to the cart and process the payment on the eCommerce site.
You also need to check that the website looks and functions properly on mobile devices. Since most of your customers will access your website from their smartphones, this test is essential. Lastly, make sure that the website sends order confirmation emails to the right inboxes after every purchase. When you are done double-checking all these aspects, you should announce the launch of your online store on social media and through emails.
Integrating Digital Marketing Strategies to Drive Traffic and Sales
Setting up an eCommerce website is just the initial step. You need to market your business to the right people to drive the sales. That is where digital marketing comes in. Here are some effective digital marketing strategies that can help drive traffic to your online store and boost sales.
Put User-Generated Content on Your Product Pages
If positioned strategically, reviews, testimonials, and other user-generated content (UGC) can help promote your products and services. You can integrate customer videos and social media posts about a specific product from your brand on the specific product page to boost its sales.
Optimize Each Website with SEO
To drive organic traffic to your eCommerce website, you must ensure that all your product pages are optimized for search engines. You can achieve a higher ranking on the search engine results pages by using the right keywords in the content, making all the pages easy to access across all devices, and link-building.
Publish Relevant and Informative Content
Having a blog section on your website can be a great way to drive more traffic. You can create relevant articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, or any other form of content where you organically promote your product or service. When someone consumes that content, they learn about your offerings and visit the product page.
Create a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs are an excellent way to make sure the customers stick with your online store. You can create a tiered loyalty program based on how much customers spend on your website. Once they spend a certain amount, you can give them rewards or discounts on the next purchase.
Wrapping Up
An eCommerce website is the face of your brand. While your digital marketing efforts can help bring more traffic to your website, it is the accessibility and user experience of the website that will decide whether the visits are converted into sales. Once you set up the website, you need to review it periodically and come up with new ideas to improve the user experience.
