| Starting an ecommerce website for your business can | | | | Make your site easy to navigate |
| help make your company go global and reach | | | | Your homepage needs to instantly make a good |
| countless new people. But it is not just about creating a | | | | impression on customers |
| website; there must be very careful and deliberate | | | | Keep download times short |
| planning behind your company's site. The idea of | | | | Look to your favourite e-commerce sites for ideas |
| building an ecommerce site may seem daunting at first, | | | | Step 3: Set Up Your Web Server |
| but with some helpful tips and instructions, the process | | | | It is possible for you to choose whether you want |
| can become much simpler. To take full advantage of | | | | complete control over your web server, or if you |
| all the opportunities that ecommerce can offer your | | | | would prefer to use an ISP or web hosting company |
| business, it is important to build your site on a solid | | | | to manage your site via their web servers. If you are |
| foundation. | | | | looking for a web hosting company, choose one that |
| Step 1: Build a Memorable Identity | | | | offers the right amount of hard-disk storage space, |
| The first thing you should do is come up with a name | | | | 100% availability, e-mail accounts, SSL encryption and |
| for your site. If your site is based off an actual | | | | support. |
| brick-and-mortar store, it is important to keep the | | | | Step 4: Minimise Customer Risks |
| names consistent. Otherwise, pick a name that is | | | | Once your site is built, you still need to win over |
| concise, memorable, and accurately describes your | | | | customers. In today's environment, one of the most |
| business. Once you have selected the right name for | | | | important ways to win over customers is to earn their |
| your business, register or purchase your desired | | | | trust by proving the security of your site. Authentic |
| domain name(s). | | | | SSL certificates are a crucial way to prove the |
| Step 2: Plan and Build Your Site | | | | authenticity and security of your e-commerce website. |
| Before you start to build your site, it is important to | | | | Step 5: Accept and Manage All Kinds of Payment |
| clearly identify and establish the goals for your site. | | | | Plans |
| These may include: generating leads, building a | | | | Enabling customers to pay you online requires more |
| database of customers, etc. Quantified objectives (i.e. | | | | than just having them send you their credit card |
| Increase sales by 12% over the next 7 months) make | | | | information. A connection must be established |
| it easier to measure the success of your website. | | | | between your company and financial networks |
| Once you have established your objectives and goals, | | | | through an Internet payment gateway. |
| you can begin to plan the layout of your site. There is | | | | First you will need to open up an Internet Merchant |
| some information that every ecommerce site should | | | | Account with an Acquiring Bank. A payment gateway |
| contain, including: an overview of your company and its | | | | is a service that will connect the merchants, customers |
| products/services, complete product/service catalogue | | | | and financial institutions. |
| with detailed descriptions and pricing, testimonials from | | | | Step 6: Test, Then Test Some More! |
| previous customers, and answers to frequently asked | | | | Before launching your ecommerce website, make sure |
| questions. | | | | you thoroughly review and test each aspect of your |
| While you are planning your site map, focus on making | | | | site. Use objective testers, and make sure to use |
| it easy for customers to navigate, and then purchase | | | | different browsers, internet connection speeds, |
| items from your site quickly and easily. | | | | operating systems, etc. in the tests. Then when you |
| To actually construct your site, you have the option of | | | | are ready, launch the site! |
| either hiring a professional web designer or doing it | | | | Once your ecommerce site is launched and open for |
| yourself using web site building tools. Whichever | | | | business, be sure to promote your site online, in person, |
| method you choose, remember these tips: | | | | and register with search engines to ensure the most |
| Keep the design simple | | | | traffic possible to your site. |