If you are running your own business, then you already know that having a consistent online presence is no longer a luxury – it is an absolute necessity. Customers will expect to be able to find information about your company online or contact you directly. If you are also selling products or providing services, then setting up your own e-commerce website can help you maintain a lot of control over the process. Here are three simple steps you need to take to make sure that you have thought of everything.
1. Pick the Right Domain Name
Choosing a domain name is like picking a name for your company: it is very important and will have a lot a tremendous impact on your business SEO, so you need to give it a lot of thought. Make sure to choose a domain name that matches your brand, so that your customers can identify it more easily. You also need something that will be unique and memorable, as well as easy to pronounce and to type – so that your clients can easily share it and you can increase sales through word of mouth. Make it short and choose a top-level domain that is reputable, like .com, .org or .net. Last but not least, do not forget to make it keyword-rich by researching keywords that are associated with your industry.
2. Choose a Reliable Hosting Provider
Next, you need to identify the perfect hosting company. Start by being honest about your needs and how you want your e-commerce site to evolve. Which hosting provider you choose will largely depend on how large you aspire your site to be and how many visitors you expect. Reading reviews will help you get a better idea of what you are looking for: this FastComet review rates the hosting provider according to reliability, pricing, support, features, and how user-friendly it is. In general, you will need power, speed, dependability, and good customer support – all within your budget, of course.
3. Set Up Your Shopping Cart Software
Every e-commerce website needs a reliable shopping cart with fast check-out times. You can achieve this by getting specialized shopping cart software services from popular providers like Wix or Shopify. Picking the right provider is of paramount importance, as it is estimated that $4 trillion are annually abandoned in online shopping carts every year – but luckily, 63% of that can be recovered by online retailers. In order to understand which features you are searching for in a service provider, ask yourself: what will your customers be looking for? A streamlined and seamless check-out process with secure payment is essential, as is being able to easily take a look at your cart and add or remove items. Do not forget upsell options, in order to maximize order value by offering your customers the chance to upgrade or compare their product to similar, more advanced ones.
There are many other aspects to think of for your e-commerce site, but as far as technical tasks go, these are among the top that you need to get sorted out. Always remember to choose options that will help you better connect with your target audience and stand out in your niche market.
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