If you aspire to create your own online success story like Pixie Faire, consider investing in ecommerce software development to build a robust platform. 

By leveraging cutting-edge technology, you can streamline your operations and enhance the user experience, propelling your business towards success like many other lesser-known but equally impressive online ventures.

The Time To Act Is Now!

If you've been toying with the idea of starting an online business, now is the ideal time to launch it. If you already have a brick and mortar store, then your time to launch its digital counterpart was yesterday!

Shopping online is the most popular digital activity across the globe. Ecommerce retail sales reached US$3.5 trillion in 2019. The prediction is that the amount will be US$6.54 trillion by 2022. Why miss the chance to be a player in a market with such stupendous growth potentials?

More importantly, building an eCommerce website with high conversion rate has never been easier. There are many DIY website building platforms that you can use to create your own eCommerce website. These are user-friendly platforms that don't need any technical knowledge.

Too Many Options Do Not Help

One problem you're likely to face is with the choice. Among so many available platforms, which one would be best for you? What are the features you should look for? 

Well, this post is not a review of the readily available website building platforms. However, the guidelines we present here about eCommerce website development will help you make an informed choice. 

You may still need some help with your brand new eCommerce site even after reading this step-by-step guide. Expertise, however, is just a click away.

Building An eCommerce Website From Scratch

There are free website building platforms that are quite good and handy if you want to start a personal blogging site. Or a personal website to share events, photos, mood pieces, etc. with family and friends. 

Launching an eCommerce website is a different ball game altogether. You need a lot more than just a good-looking storefront. It is critical to ensure easy navigation, facilitate cart resolution, integrate payment options, invite customer feedback, and so on. 

Step # 0: Finalize Your Business Plan and Growth Aspirations

This is step zero because you need this bit fixed before you start looking for a suitable platform for your online store. To make an effective choice, you need several questions answered in your head: 

  • The kind of products you want to sell, and how many.
  • The kinds of delivery and payment options you want to offer.
  • The customer segment you want to focus on. 
  • Whether or not you want customer reviews on your site. (We'll tell you that it's always a good idea.)
  • Whether you want blogging options on your eCommerce website. (Another good idea, as it happens, to attract more traffic.)
  • How fast and how far you want to grow your business. 
  • Basic – but definitely not something you should leave for the last moment: Think of a catchy name for your store. And a tagline. Both of these are particularly critical for your eCommerce site to have high visibility.

Step # 1: Choose Your Platform With Care

Your answers to the strategic questions above will guide your choice of platform. Search for the one that best matches your needs. 

  • Check the number of pages and products you can have. Different eCommerce platforms have varied limits on the number of products you can have per plan. Your needs will determine which platform and which plan you choose. 

A critical point to remember in this context is, a free plan is not a good idea, we believe. You can never have your own domain name in a free plan – whichever platform you choose. 

Also, most platforms will place their banner ads on your eCommerce website pages. Why carry someone else's name and ads on your brand new online storefront?

  • Choose a platform that has upgrade options to match your scalability needs. Your growth intentions should guide this.
  • Check for the kind of payment options you can offer. Not all eCommerce hosting platforms offer all the payment options possible. Some will support only payment through Square. Some only through PayPal.

Only a few platforms support multiple payment options, including payment through credit/debit cards. Remember that the more payment options you can offer the better. 

Also, paying through digital or mobile wallets is the most preferred payment method for online purchases. In 2019, 41.9% of payments in online shopping used these methods.

  • Read user reviews with care. Check the kind of stores that exist on that platform.
  • Utilize free trial options. Spend time trying out different platforms to make sure that you finally choose the one that's the best fit for your needs. 
  • Never ignore the security aspect.

Step # 2: Decide Which Plan You Want To Subscribe To 

  • Choose your plan and proceed to build your online store. Remember that you can always start with a basic plan and upgrade on the go as your business grows.
  • Prioritize UX (user experience). Pay attention to the bandwidth. That impacts loading speed and ease of navigation. Both are critical factors for satisfactory UX. 
  • Decide the kind of storage space you need for your inventory. That's also linked with the kind of plan you have. 
  • SEO support, business analytics, inventory management, etc. are all crucial functions that you will need. Check for all of these when you decide on the plan you'll subscribe to.
  • Do not ignore the support features of the platform and the plan. If you are new to eCommerce, you might need instant support to solve even a simple issue. 

It's not a good idea to spoil UX because you need to wait for that support.

Step # 3: Create Your Domain Name and URL

Ideally, you should already have the domain name ready in your head. You must choose a domain name and URL that easily identify your business. Potential visitors and customers must be able to know what you sell from these two. 

Also, keep it as simple as you can. A simple and focused domain name will increase your SEO functionality.

Step # 4: Choose and Customize Your Template

All eCommerce platforms offer a multitude of pre-designed templates for you to choose from. Select yours and customize it to your liking. The more pricey the plan, the more options you'll get, of course. Both in terms of template access and customization options, usually.

You need to remember that your homepage is your visitors' first impression of your store. So spend time trying out different template options before you settle on one. You must be 100% happy with the way your online storefront appears to your visitors. 

Check for how it looks across different devices: desktops/laptops, tabs, and mobiles.

Also, try and make navigation as easy as possible for your visitors. 

Step # 5: Build Your Online Store

This is pretty much like organizing your brick and mortar store, except that it all happens in the virtual space. Add your products to display them as you like. 

The difference is, instead of the actual products, you'll display photographs. This is where you need to pay special attention to image quality.

Always prioritize UX, though. 

  • Categorize your products so that it's easy for visitors to easily locate they're searching for. 
  • Add short and enticing product descriptions.
  • Make sure your price tags are clear and easily visible. 
  • Highlight special offers, if any. 
  • Integrate payment options. 
  • Mention delivery options and the places you'll deliver to. 

By Way of an Example: The Box Outlined in Red is the Navigation Bar

Step # 6: Preview Carefully

Once you've completed all the steps mentioned so far, you need to spend time previewing your eCommerce store with care and attention. Is everything absolutely the way you want it to be?

It would be great if you could get some family members and/or friends to review it, also. They could give you valuable feedback about the ease of navigation. 

Step # 7: Bingo! You Are Ready to Launch.

Yes, you are. Publish your eCommerce store and immerse yourself in the new experience of being a digital businessperson. 

Just In Case …

Feeling a little dizzy after reading through these detailed guidelines on how to build an eCommerce website? Are you wondering when to take care of the real world things like sourcing the products, making delivery arrangements, etc.?

Well, as we've said before, an experienced and expert solution for your eCommerce website building needs is simply a click away.