If you’re already in business or about to start up, you may be considering setting up your own e-commerce website. Here are six steps to help get you started.
Buy your domain name
To be able to have a website, you need to buy your own domain name. This should be something that reflects your brand. According to the Economist, brands are basically a promise. They tell consumers what quality to expect from a product and show off its personality. You should also consider purchasing all variations of the domain, such as .com, .co.uk, .net, and others, to prevent people from confusing your business with others in the future.
There are many sites that you can purchase this from, and prices vary depending on the level of service you buy. For example, you may decide to add on emails and web hosting.
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Get some help
You don’t have to tackle all this on your own. There are many services who can assist you. As with any supplier, check references and ask for a predicted timeline if you have your own deadline in mind.
Register your business
Determine the status of your business – for example, Public Limited Company, Sole Trader, or Not for Profit – and then make sure it is registered with the right bodies and has the appropriate certificates of incorporation before you start out on your business venture.
Select a platform
You don’t need to build something from scratch unless there is compelling business reason to do so. Select a popular e-commerce platform. Talk to your developer about the differences between platforms and which ones they’ve used previously.
Find a theme
As with your domain name, this should reflect your brand and company ethos because it will give visitors to your site their first glimpse and impression of your company. You should consider fonts, colour schemes and style of writing, for example. Think about purchasing a template to save time rather than creating something specifically for you. This is where a Branding Agency Gloucestershire company such as Really Helpful Marketing could answer some questions and help you create a brand that will catapult your business in the right direction.
Go live!
Don’t wait for the entire site to be ready. Instead, agree on milestones for certain sections to be complete. Start with your homepage and About Us sections so that you can begin to promote your business to media contacts and clients.
