Essentials to Consider When Building an Ecommerce Website
More and more retailers are using the web to sell their products and services, with online shopping being the main preference for most buyers. “Online retail revenue saw an 11 percent year-over-year growth rate for the first quarter of 2014, with online orders up 13 percent compared to the same quarter last year,” says Giselle Abramovich, senior and strategic editor at www.cmo.com. Building your own ecommerce website is accessible and affordable, but it is also competitive which is why it’s important to do some research and know your market. Here are a few things to consider when starting an ecommerce website.
Web Hosting
First things first, find the right web hosting service. There are loads to choose from so it is important to do some research. Now, with an ecommerce website you will need quite a lot of storage space, especially if you are selling a lot of different products, most hosting services will be able to increase the storage space to meet your needs, but it is important to work out how much you require. It is also imperative to find a user friendly web hosting service, and see what kind of support the web host offers in case there are any problems with your website. Read some more info about selecting the perfect web hosting service over here.
Web Server
Servers might seem complicated, but a web server is simply a computer that delivers the web pages on your website. When you look up a website in your browser a request is sent to the server, which finds the page and sends it to your browser. All computers can be installed with server software, but different servers meet different needs. Dedicated servers, virtual servers and cloud servers are the three main types; web building companies like 1&1 offer a wide range of packages for high performance servers. Virtual servers are the best for small online shops, while dedicated servers are more suited for large ecommerce websites.
Online Presence
Once you’ve built your website, you will need to think about your online presence starting with your brand name, company logo, and the general design of your website. Creating a strong online presence is essential for attracting new customers, you wouldn’t want to shop in an ugly store would you? The same applies online, if you have an attractive website, a catchy brand name and good content, then more consumers will want to use your website, which will increase your ranking in search engines and make your business more visible on the web. “Having a strong online presence is a crucial component of your marketing strategy, no matter what size your business is,” says outreach writer Lucy Godwin, find out more on ducttapemarketing.com.
Network
The next step is networking, get your name out there and broaden your audience. Social media is a great place to start; with sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, you can develop your brand and connect with your consumers, as well as reaching out to new customers all over the world. Think of social media as one big conversation, nobody wants to be the silent stranger in the corner, so share your site and connect with others.