I think I know what brought you here. You've likely Googled things like "how to build an online business" or "how to design an ecommerce website". Or the big question - "Can I build my own online business website?"
The answer to that last question is a big ol' YES!
If you love learning new skills and wearing lots of hats, it's going to be right up your alley! So, let's discuss the important aspects of an online store that you shouldn't overlook, and hopefully give you an idea of the things you'll want to take on by yourself, and the things you'd like to delegate.
Must-Haves When Building an Ecommerce Website
- User-Friendly Interface: Having a well-laid-out website with intuitive navigation is key. Pretend you're a customer who knows nothing about your product line. What would be your first move in navigation? How would you find a specific product or contact the store owner? Make it easy and utilize as few clicks as possible.
- Mobile Responsiveness: The majority of shoppers use mobile devices to look for products. They may check-out on the same devices, or opt to take it to the desktop or laptop. Regardless the method, it's important that your site is mobile-friendly. There are a lot of tools out there to check compatibility, and a lot of software that helps take the guesswork out.
- Secure Payment Gateways: Shoppers will drop like flies if they see a weird checkout process. Make it familiar, easy, and very obviously secure. Using a trusted payment gateway fosters trust and loyalty. Having a fast process and easy conflict resolution makes then return!
- High-Quality Images and Descriptions: Excellent product images will engage shoppers, especially on large purchases. They want to zoom in and see anything the description isn't providing. That's why it's also important to provid them with the written information they need to make informed purchasing decisions, like great descriptions and specs.
- SEO: If you haven't heard this term, you will. And for good reason! Search engine optimization (SEO) techniques will improve your website's visibility on the major search engines (Google & Bing are two) and drive organic traffic to enhance your chances of appearing in relevant search results.
While the idea of building an e-commerce website may seem overwhelming, especially for those with limited technical expertise, it's entirely feasible to go solo. I've done it multiple times!
Platforms like WooCommerce (our favorite!) are fantastic at empowering online entrepreneurs to design and customize their online stores. You don't need any coding knowledge, and you can use other free resources online to create the graphics you need - like Canva and Unsplash!
These platforms are the best in drag-and-drop interfaces and they often have detailed tutorials to help to streamline the website design process.
But it's important to remember - your website alone is not your business. While you're focusing on how pretty and, hopefully, functional it is, there are so many other moving parts. Make sure those don't go by the wayside.
If you're up for that challenge, great! If it sounds overwhelming and is sucking the joy out of your new idea, you're not alone. However, DO NOT GIVE UP!
Why Get Help Building Your eCommerce Website?
First of all, getting help makes good business sense. A very small percent of the population could actually do all of it alone, and that's because they love the process - like me!
The fact is, you don't have to love the process of building an online business. You only need to believe in your products and care about your customers' experiences.
Life is stressful enough. We're here to help. Whether you just need some comprehensive e-commerce services or you want to build an entire ecommerce business, we've got you. And it's really not as expensive as you may think!
Here are just a few ways we'll make your life easier.
- Custom Online Businesses: Company Bee specializes in building beautiful and unique e-commerce websites based entirely on your ideas. It won't be boilerplate because it's made just for you!
- Expertise + Experience: Have we mentioned we have a load of experience doing what we do? Team Bee has the technical know-how and industry insights to give you top-notch results. We treat every project like its our own. So, we don't just design a website - we'll help you with finding products, payment methods, site security, newsletters, social media, and other little oddities that may spring up. We've got you.
- Friendly Guidance: This is a big one. You can head over to Flippa and buy a turnkey ecommerce website for about the same price as we'll create a custom site for you. What you won't get from that purchase is help. Company Bee offers guidance and support every step of the way.
Are you ready to get started?
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We look forward to working with you and building your dream ecommerce business!