In this series, xneelo will be helping those with a killer idea take their ecommerce business online.
In Part 1, we looked at how to make your business idea digitally compelling. In this article, we’ll be focusing on the nitty gritty aspects of starting an online store, from choosing a domain name and hosting partner to selecting the right pages for your website.
Choosing a hosting partner
Before you create your website, you will need to choose a web hosting partner, which is a provider that hosts your website on their servers and allocates your website resources such as disk space, traffic allowance and security. You also want a hosting provider known for their customer service, with technical assistance available to you 24/7 as well as self-help options.
If you require a lot of disk space or expect a large amount of traffic, you may want to rent an entire server – this is known as dedicated hosting. Whatever your initial needs, scalability is important so look for a provider that makes it easy for you to upgrade your hosting package as your business grows.
Finding the right domain name
Your domain name is extremely important. It is often your customer’s first interaction with your brand and their first reference to check your credibility.
Ideally, your domain name should be relevant to your brand or business name, and easy to spell and remember. If your brand name is taken, you can always use your company slogan or motto, or a unique sub-brand name, as long as it is relevant to what you do. Find out more on choosing the right domain for your business.
Internationally .com is the most popular domain extension but not always available. If you operate exclusively in South Africa, use .co.za or if you are an NPO, you can register a .org or .org.za. If it’s available, register it!
Having to buy a domain is a common business practice. As long as you feel it’s a fair price for the domain, there’s no harm in paying for it. You can also buy a domain name from the current registrant.
Creating your website
If your team is small, or you’re flying solo for now, a WordPress website might be the simplest option to create your website. You don’t need to learn HTML to use WordPress and you can choose from a wide range of themes and plugins to get the functionality you need.
Once you’ve chosen your website builder tool and the design, you need to create the core pages your website will need. These are:
- Home page: Make it clear who you are and what you do from the start.
- An About Us page: Tell your story – who you are and what makes you unique and trustworthy. Be authentic, as this lends credibility.
- Products/Services: A thorough list of the products or services you offer, categorised for ease of reference.
- Testimonials: Praise from existing customers or partners show that your business can be trusted.
- Contact Us: Include an email address, contact number and relevant social media links so that you don’t lose any potential customers.
Setting up your online shop
Once you have your core business pages in place, you will need to create ecommerce-specific pages such as a shopping cart, a checkout page and an area where returning customers can log into their accounts.
If you’ve chosen WordPress to build your website, adding a payment platform is as easy as installing a plugin such as Yoco, PayFast or Peach Payments. Most South African shoppers use credit or debit cards when shopping online. Just remember, the Payment Association of South Africa mandates the use of 3D Secure to prevent credit card fraud. This means your store must implement 3D Secure at checkout. Some shoppers may be hesitant to share their payment information online, so it’s also vital that you meet important security standards, including installing a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate.
Alternatively, you can process payments using a mobile solution like SnapScan. This popular app removes the need for cards and EFTs, which can positively impact your conversions and cart abandonment rates.
Next time we’ll be looking at building your brand online and choosing the right social media channels to get the word out about your business.