E-commerce helps a lot of new businesses gain more customer traction and reach a broader range of audiences. How can you build competitive e-commerce websites that do not only gain your online presence but increase revenue as well?
Online stores and marketplaces are becoming more and more popular among consumers. With a simple click, you can instantly shop for any item or service that you need. A 2019 report from Digital Commerce 360 stated that there are about $2.03 trillion in goods sold in the top 100 online marketplaces. The number has increased from a year before that, which means people are tuning more on online shopping.
It is safe to say that the rising popularity of e-commerce will continue. Why, with people always glued to their phones and relying on everything on the Internet, it is best to invest in building an e-commerce website for your business.
Before anything else, let us know more about e-commerce. What is an e-commerce website, and how can it lead to a startup’s success?
Business with E-Commerce Websites
Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a famous business model that a lot of companies and individuals use to buy and sell products and services over the Internet. E-commerce operates over smartphones, tablets, and computers; any technological gadget that can access the Internet.
E-commerce revolutionized the retail world. One of its strengths is its ability to operate in all four types of major market segments: business to business (B2B), business to consumer (B2C), consumer to consumer (C2C), and consumer to business (C2B).
Due to the booming demand of online marketplace and online stores, a lot of brick and mortar stores are going bankrupt. Some stores even ventured to e-commerce to stay in business.
The success of E-commerce Websites
Online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and Best Buy are the most visited e-commerce websites. They are akin to a mall department store; only they are on the web. Online marketplaces do not have their inventory. Instead, they present a seller’s goods and facilitate the transaction. The downside of online marketplaces is that it presents a lot of sellers. Product information is minimal, and the sellers do not control the delivery.
That is why some entrepreneurs opt to build their e-commerce websites. Through your business website, you can create an inventory of every product that you offer, complete with images and the entire product description.
Here are some of the reasons why it is best to have your very own e-commerce website.
Market directly to your customer by building an email list
One of the main struggles of a startup is not the selling part but the sales prospecting. How can you sell your product when you do not know who you are selling to. By building an email list through your online store, you monitor who visits your store, what they are buying, what they are interested in, and how much they are spending.
Once you create an email list, you can directly market products and promotions to your customers according to what they need. Marketing is one challenging task to do in a marketplace since you do not have direct access to your customers.
Establish your brand
A website is not merely an online store but a reflection of your company brand. Your website is the first thing your customers will see. It contains your logo, tagline, and overall brand. By this, you establish your own identity to strengthen your online presence. Your goal here is to make your website memorable in a way that they associate your product with your brand.
Create your own rules
Remember how a marketplace is similar to a mall’s department store? Well, these stores pay rent for their place and follow the rules set by the mall owner. Online marketplaces are the same. If you post your product in a marketplace, then you should automatically abide by their rules. But if you have your website, you set your own rules. You don’t need to pay strict attention to the number of words in your product description or the number of images to post.
You don’t just present your products but your company as well
By building an e-commerce website, you are not only presenting your products but introducing yourself to your customers. Though this is also a part of branding, an introduction gives customers a sense of assurance that your products and company are legitimate. There are a lot of fake things being sold online, and proof of business is just what the people need to make them trust your brand.
5 Quick Steps to Build an E-commerce Website
Now that you know the benefits of a business website, it is now time for you to know how to build an e-commerce website for your startup.
Choose a website builder
The right e-commerce platform is critical for successful website building. Some website owners don’t want to bother with personally coding their websites. Some indeed do not know to code at all. That is why you need to choose a website builder that you can use easily. If you want to manage your website personally, you need to be familiar with what software you need to use to alter some functions and edit content.
What are the Commonly Used E-commerce website builders
- Wix
- Shopify
- Squarespace
- Weebly
- BigCommerce
- GoDaddy
- 3dcart
- Volusion
Decide on what your website should look
Your website will decide the customer’s first impression of your brand. That is why the look and feel of your e-commerce should never be taken for granted. Make sure that you pan out your website logo, compelling content, and product listing. Keep in mind that you want your brand to be memorable.
Create and Connect your domain
Your domain also contributes to your branding, so it is recommendable to opt for a custom domain. Create a custom domain that can recognize your brand; say it has the name of your company. A custom domain also gives search engine optimization benefits, so your site is searchable.
Once you have a domain name, don’t forget to connect your domain name before launching. You can use an existing domain name that your company has or buy a new one.
Set up the site
Once you’ve chosen a website builder, theme, content, and domain, now is the time to set everything up. For retailers or product-centric businesses, make sure that you focus on setting up your product list, shipping regions, and payment methods.
Different builders have different ways of setting up the website. Make sure that you follow useful guides for the builder that you choose.
Launch your site
Once you are all set, it is time to launch your e-commerce website. Once your website is up and running, you can start spreading the word about the website. You can message a few friends and family to share the link to your website to gain initial traffic.
Build Your E-commerce Website with Full Scale
A lot of entrepreneurs think that building an e-commerce website is a simple walk in the park, partly true. However, building an e-commerce site that can stay competitive on the web is a walk in a park full of zombies. To rise above the competition, your site needs to have a fast loading time, clear and easy navigation, and a secure payment method.
For you to achieve that, you will need a team of experts in marketing, graphic design, content creation, and website development. All these experts you can find at an affordable rate at Full Scale.
Full Scale is known for its quality work in software application and website development that can help startups grow in their respective industry. This Kansas-based company focuses its operations in Cebu, Philippines, where they take top talent under their wing and produce high-quality software products.
Start building your e-commerce website. Tell us your ideas through a FREE consultation.
