Have you ever thought about setting up your very own eCommerce website? eCommerce has the potential to completely change your life by effectively being your business.
And don’t think for a second that you don’t have the logistical means of setting up one such website. We live in the 21st century and with that comes the added benefit of globalization. This means that you can sell anything to anyone in the world.
And that’s exactly why we’ve written this article. If you ever wanted a guide on how to set up your very own eCommerce website, then this is the guide for you.
Don’t go anywhere as we’ll start right now.
1. Choose A Platform
Since we’re creating a website, we will need a place where the website will reside. This is where a platform comes in handy. Namely, there are dozens of eCommerce website builders (also known as platforms) that will help set up your website with little to no effort.
From the ones that exist and are recommended, it will work in your favor to look for the simplest one out there. Unless you happened to be well versed in the arts of website development, it’s recommended that you go for Wix or Shopify.
These are the most popular ones, the most simplistic ones, and the easiest to overcome. You can completely build the website using drag-and-drop means that require no coding what so ever.
You should seriously consider these as they give you all the freedom you need to make it work.
2. Choose a Domain
Now that you’ve selected a platform to go with, it’s time to pick a name for your website. The name is very important for your new eCommerce website as it will be the first thing people see whenever they go online.
Thus, the name must be carefully thought out. We always recommend choosing a domain name that is catchy, simple, and one that people can easily connect with.
To do that, however, you will need to think long and hard. Go on one of the domain name purchasing sites, such as GoDaddy, and look for a domain name you like.
If a domain name is taken, you can either contact the owner for a chance to buy it from them or look for an alternative. This is a back and forth process that might take days before you finally come up with something you like.
3. Setting Up the eCommerce Site
Once you’ve found a domain, it’s time to connect it to the platform. This is easily done as the platform will tell you what to do.
When setting up the store, you will need to think of four things: adding products, setting up shipping regions, SEO, and payment methods.
Let’s start with the products.
Products
Adding products to your eCommerce website can be done multiple times and it all depends on the platform you’re using. While we won’t be getting into the technical aspects, we will talk about what you need to make it succeed.
So, the first thing you need is a product. Products are what your eCommerce website will sell. Thus, you will need to be careful about how you approach this. You will need a quality image to accompany each product, a vivid description that will captivate the audience, and price.
SEO
SEO is one of the most important things you’ll need to think of as it directly impacts your stores’ visibility. How would people find your store if you don’t have quality SEO? If you’re not particularly experienced or have little to no knowledge on the matter, then you can hire professionals to do your SEO.
SEO is very important so we suggest you visit Optimum7.com and learn more about these services.
If you know how to do SEO, then we don’t really have to explain why it’s important.
Shipping Regions
Whenever you go online to buy something, the particular store will tell you how much you need to pay for shipping. The shipping might be free or it might cost something extra.
This is all determined by the store owner (you). While setting up the shipping regions might be very different from platform to platform, do know that you can do it.
All you need is to simply go online and Google-search how to do it. Some platforms, like Wix, have a one-click feature that does everything for shipping regions. Others are more complicated but finding out how to do it takes no time at all.
Payment Methods
Payment methods are more complicated and you will need to focus more time on it. Choosing payment methods is very easy with every platform, but you will need to connect your accounts or even make new ones based on your eCommerce store name.
With most eCommerce builder platforms, you have the option of paying with credit/debit cards, PayPal, AliPay, and more. It really depends on what platform you’re using.
Certain platforms also charge a flat fee per transaction, while the payment method also takes a percentage from each payment.
Don’t expect to be given the full price, but you shouldn’t really worry about it as the processing fees for most payment methods are around 2%.
4. Publishing the eCommerce Site
Now that you’ve taken care of everything, feel free to publish the website. Again, it really depends on the particular eCommerce builder platform, but you will have no issues doing it by simply Google searching the matter.
We would also like to say that you won’t be able to publish the website without connecting the domain name.
Conclusion
Setting up your very own eCommerce website might sound like a lot at first, but you’ll quickly grow into it. With that said, you are embarking on a journey that might change your life completely. Owning a business is one thing, but selling goods around the world is an equally exciting proposition.
What we’d like to end this article on is you should always give 100% to make it work.
