So you want to build an eCommerce store for your business, right? Great choice because the eCommerce market is expected to touch $5 trillion this year.
It is definitely easier to build a website now than a decade ago. That doesn’t mean all eCommerce websites are the same.
With tons of DIY website builders, software and web design agencies, finding the right way is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Not to worry. This article is your ultimate eCommerce website checklist: the 9 things that every eCommerce website needs to be complete and ready for customers. Let’s jump right into it.
The Ultimate Ecommerce Website Checklist
These are not tips but the basic requirements for the development of ecommerce websites. Can you launch one by skipping one or two?
Yes, maybe. But it will be far from perfect.
In fact, it might slow you down in the long run. Here’s the ultimate ecommerce website checklist:
- Get A Domain Name For Your Ecommerce Website
- Choose A Hosting Plan For Your Ecommerce Website
- Decide The Right Platform To Create Your Ecommerce Website
- Construct A Solid Design Layout
- Create Web Content That Communicates With Clarity
- Make Your Ecommerce Website Captivating With Images
- Add The Popular Payment Gateways For Your Ecommerce Website
- Opt For The Right Shipping And Logistics Providers
- Offer Options To Track Shipment
What do people notice before seeing your homepage? Of Course it is the domain name. It is what every user uses to see your website.
It might be a simple phrase for business owners but users and search engines view it differently. Users find domain names with hyphens and underscores complicated and Google doesn’t prefer them either.
That means a simple domain name makes it easier to navigate. You need to stand out from your competitors and your domain name is part of your business identity.
Now choose the extension for your eCommerce website. Everyone knows .com but there are other options of .shop, .store, and .boutique that are gaining momentum in the market.
Are you ready to buy a domain name? Check out Namecheap, a great pick for small eCommerce websites.
Now that you have a domain name, it’s time to launch your ecommerce website with the right hosting plan.
You cannot get your website online on your own. You need the right hosting plan with the best features that suit your business.
Picking the right hosting plan depends on two things:
- The storage space
- The type of server
Apart from that, you need to make sure your ecommerce website is SSL certified. This encrypts your website’s data, making it safe and secure from external threats.
Customers expect this too. 78% of customers will not engage with a website that is prone to attacks.
From full-fledged CMS like WordPress to DIY website builders like Wix, the varieties don’t stop.
Check out my article on how the top website builders square off. On the other hand, for eCommerce websites, a professional website builder should be the first choice.
Out of all the options, I would avoid DIY website builders at all costs. Even though they cover most of the points in the checklist, they cannot go toe-to-toe against professional websites.
You can choose WordPress’s WooCommerce or Shopify, a CMS which is the complete package for any online store. If you want a customized option, leveraging PHP frameworks would be a great option.
Every top website you know started off as a blank page. That’s right.
A white canvas can be made into anything and the same applies to your ecommerce website. What matters is how you make it because 94% of first impressions depend on it.
Every website consists of multiple pages for multiple reasons. The web layout is how you place the content in a way that it is easy to navigate and attractive.
We narrowed down on the web design mistakes that designers stumble upon. Check that article out and play it safe.
On the other hand, check out The Souled Store’s website.
This ecommerce website is a good example on how you can mix things up and create a layout of your own. Unlike other websites, they have a complex layout with grids of various shapes and sizes. This makes them unique to their theme and brings more eyes to their brand.
For ecommerce websites, follow a grid of cards or boxes pattern. This works all the time but you can step out and experiment a little with your own imagination.
Alright. Now your website is not a blank page anymore. I see you got the grid right and the type of pages you need.
Now for the important part: content. In other words, it’s time for you to speak the language of the internet.
For eCommerce websites, content covers the web pages, product information, about and contact pages, FAQs and benefits. If you nail these, your eCommerce website would have covered the essentials.
What many failed eCommerce websites do is they do not customize according to their niche.
Do not pick online templates. Your visitor may not notice them right away but not for long. After a few pages, they will find out that you are not special and offer the best.
So the solution?
Hire a content strategist. Let them formulate the right plan for your eCommerce website. This could turn out to be the best investment you will ever make.
A great design offers better navigation. No doubt about that. Well-written content can offer all the details that the visitor needs.
But do you know what makes humans so special? Our emotions and decision making are strongly tied to what we see.
If a website looks boring, nobody would want to buy anything. Plain text without any images and color scheme is not appealing. In fact, for eCommerce, a proper color pattern is highly essential.
Here’s a great example for you. Check out Nike.
I want you to check out the font style and color. They’re consistent and it’s all black and white. Notice the header and footer? They’re the same.
Open a product and check out the product description, the buttons and the size options. Did you figure out the pattern?
The overall design is minimal but strong images and a consistent color pattern is what makes it stand out.
Credit cards, debit cards, PayPal and many more. All these are what we consider as payment gateways.
Do you know why every eCommerce website has them?
Source: Finances Online
Payment gateways secure the transaction between you and your customer. The bank or the wallet provider is the middle man here, making sure the transaction is safe and secure.
So, what are the options? The three obvious ones are credit cards, debit cards and net banking.
Apart from that, you should include eWallets supported by big tech like Google, Apple, and Amazon. $41.8 billion dollars worth of transactions were made through eWallets in 2018 alone.
And the numbers will continue to improve. PayPal is a well known P2P payment gateway. Other than that, you have Razorpay and CCAvenue that are leading names in the business.
Now orders are placed and the payment is successful. You need to deliver the package now. This is where the big factor of logistics comes in.
When we speak of shipping, shipping charges are a prime factor. Not just that. Customers always prefer free shipping over a hefty charge in the bill.
Apart from that, here are other factors:
- Disclose the returns and refund policy on your website. Every customer has to know what your stance is.
- The delivery period matters as well. Some take a week while Amazon offers overnight delivery for its prime customers. In short, the sooner the better.
- The warehouse size and placement matters. The closer they are to the customer, the faster the delivery.
You and your customer would want to know how your package is travelling. It’s better when you always have an eye on every single package that gets dispatched.
This is where a tracker comes in.
By tracking a package from the warehouse to the end user, you can eliminate all errors in between the delivery.
97% of online customers want to track their package until it reaches them. This is called customer loyalty. Offering the ability to track the package increases the trust in your brand.
Before Wrapping Up
Alright. That brings us to the end. You are ready to get started. But do you know the best way to create an eCommerce website?
Every successful ecommerce website is created and maintained by a professional ecommerce development company. In that space, Gyan Devign Tech Services has a reputation of its own.
If you make it to the end, you are determined to start your dream online store. Contact us now and let us discuss your dream project, shall we?
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Rahul Gulati
Rahul Gulati is a founder and a web strategist at DevignTech. He helps small businesses make professional websites and apps that follows minimalist design approach. To tune up your small business website, contact him on rahulg@devigntech.com or reach out on Linkedin
