e-commerce blog

If you are looking to begin the process of integrating your company into the business that is e-commerce and wondering exactly why some stores are so much more successful than others, I am about to tell you why and how to get you in that exact position you want to be.

Understanding the Customers

To start off, it is always a good idea to put yourself into the consumer shoes, and although you may already know all there is to know about your products, you need to think about how the customer is likely to browse your store and what is going to keep them interested in the products you have on offer.

Keeping things simple is going to be one of the easiest ways to stop customers leaving as losing themselves in your store can result in a lost sale due to frustration. By keeping your stores layout simple, it doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Integrating aspects such as product reviews, related products and ratings can make all the difference and influence the potential customer in only a positive way.

Pictures are a must and the better the quality the better your products look. Having the options to see a product in detail or at different angles can only benefit your product and put you above many other sites that do not have such facilities.

Product options can be a very simple affair for some companies whether it just be a size or color option required some businesses will require more complex mechanics. Perfecting these options can be tricky, but the simpler the better and planning exactly how the option will be structured is a must.

Last but not least is one of the most important parts of having your own online store, Marketing. Providing products online is completely different to how you would sell on the High Street or via Mail Order Catalogues. This is not as simple as a customer stumbling upon your store, you will really need to have a good think about your marketing strategies. One of the most successful ways off achieving your goals as a business is to pursue PPC and entering your desired keywords. However, PPC can be extremely expensive and also not provide your exact target market. Organic Listing is by far the best and more responsive way of marketing your store through the search engines. Click here for more information regarding SEO.

In my experience I have always found that breaking your online store down into smaller sections so you can review each element is the best way to progress with an e-commerce site. This will allow you to spot any potential problems and then rectify them accordingly. If you would like any further information or advice in beginning your online store then please do not hesitate to contact us.

As the importance of online shop design grows and functionality becomes more important than ever in a crowded market place, choosing the correct e-commerce platform and engaging customers can make all the difference.

Promoting your business is vital if you wish to survive online and if you have the right platform in place to start with you may already be off to a great start. So which e-commerce platforms should be considered when deciding to get your very own online store up and running?

Below are a few of the most popular e-commerce platforms available to help with your decision.

• Zencart
• Virtuamart
• Magento
• Dash Commerce
• Cube Cart
• X-Cart
• LiteCommerce
• Shopify
• Ubercart
• OsCommerce

Among many others.

There are many e-commerce platforms available as you can see above, however choosing the right product is essential as flexibility is extremely important as you don’t want to be stuck in an inflexible platform as an extending business.

One of the latest and most flexible open source e-commerce platforms for a online shop I have come across is Magento. This new e-commerce software has many features of which are very flexible and secure allowing full confidence in the product. We have many designers who can utilise this software to provide a great online shop for your business and mould the platform to provide the product your looking for. If you require more information regarding starting or improving an online e-commerce business we are more than happy to help.

The way we design and carry out the development of an eCommerce marketing shop design is very simple, there are a few stages we tend to go through to ensure the website can be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible and to your satisfaction.

1) Homepage Design - We design the initial page and you decide if you like it basically. The rest of the site will be based on this template then.

2)  Sitemap - Once you have agreed the homepage we will then need to decide on the backbone of the site. At this point you will also need to decide whether you want to add the products yourself (this will include training on how to do this), or if you want us to add all the products.

3) 1st Product added - Once you have agreed on the sitemap, we will then create the layout and backbone with one product in. We need to get the 1st product page looking right, so we can use this for each and every product thereafter so the information for all products is uniform.

4) Populate the site and set up all the payment features.

Alot of people are weary purchasing online, but it is actually very safe. Your credit and Debit card details are all done in a secure environment, so no-one can get these details. If you look professional, then people will buy from your shop. Alot of peoples buys are based on the branding, and building up an image, and so if you create a good enough image and design, people will buy your products.

We all know whats happening with the property market and the bills at the moment. Well if your a business that wants to get started with an eCommerce design then there is a way of being able to have a website without the one big payment. We can design your website and you can rent it. Once you have made enough money from your shop you can purchase it. Simple.

Question: Is an E-Commerce website appropriateif i only own a small business?

Answer: Having an E-commerce marketing website has a massive amount of benefits for both small and large companies - it gives you access to new markets and customers with only a small investment. Now people are purchasing more and more online because they know they will get a better price it’s an fantastic way for businesses to grow without needing to employ sales staff and other staff. Your website, if optimised for Search engines will be a sales person in itself.

The E-commerce shop we use is very search engine friendly. All pages are well titled, and yes it can be optimised. They can be optimised both onsite and offsite, and can gain fantastic results as there is a page for each product and therefore plenty of content for Google to get stuck into. For any e-commerce marketing, we can help you gain a great position for your chosen keyphrases by getting important links.

You may already be selling on Ebay, which is a good start if you are considering starting up your own online shop. You know how Ebay works as well as being familiar with the popular payment methods like Paypal. If not, then still having an online shop isn’t too hard.

So… Ecommerce Marketing Positives:

• All of the proceeds go to you with your online shop, Ebay take a percentage
• You are building up a brand which your customers will become loyal to
• The Design can be pretty much anything you want
• You can update your site and products instead of taking a long time to input them on Ebay
• No other competition is on your site, so people are more likely to purchase from you
• People can trust you more than someone on Ebay, as you will have your own policies

Ebay Positives:

• Ebay is a well known to almost everyone worldwide
• If you are the most competitive and can still make a return after Ebays charges
• A great start to advertise your bew online shop and its other products
• Easy to use and good to run alongside your business online shop

To really get your online shop to a head start, you need to get a niche product, that will sell. If you are selling a product that other well known companies are selling better, you probably won’t get a lot of interest. However, if you create a site that sells a niche product, then you cannot lose.

In Conclusion, having your own online shop will have more long term benefits for you, as you will have complete control, as well as gaining all the profits, however Ebay is perhaps a good method of advertising your online shop by adding a product to. It is also a good starting point to get you used to the way Ecommerce works, and how many orders you may get.

Question:

Is the payment method secure?

Answer:

All payment methods are completely secure and allow your customer to add their payment details with confidence. All payments can be accepted, and you can either choose from automatic payments, which are automatically put through when the order is made. Or when the customer makes the order, an email with their payment details can be sent. We can also incorporate Google checkout and Paypal payment options to the site so everyone can pay in thier own method.

Having an online shop can easily be ran from your own home. At the click of a button your customers can buy, and you can receive payment and sending details. Sounds too easy? We will design, set up and populate your shop for you - even easier. We will run a few tests, train you how to use it, and add any more products, and that is it. We can usually get your shop up and running within a month dependant on how many products you have.

How do i make money from this?

Many of our existing customers have found their online shops making more money than their actual shops. Alot of people purchase online these days as they know it cuts the cost down and so the market is evergrowing as the cost of lving rises.

How do i advertise my Online Shop?

Search Engine Optimisation is the key here. To get your e-commerce marketing strategy right and get it to the top of the search engines, we need understand your business market and find out exactly what keywords your customers would use to not only find your products, but buy them. We will the optimise your site for those keywords and your site will start to appear in good positions in the search engines. This will get your site seen and noticed. Together with a great design and a user-friendly shop - why would they NOT want to buy?

What do i do now?

Why not give us a call and have a chat to our team, so we can get a good idea of exactly what you want? After a breif has been decided, and the products all ready to add, you can just leave it to us! Fill out our online contact form for more information on E-commerce Marketing >>