Creating an e-commerce site is a process that should interest you, whether or not you are a merchant in the traditional sense.
If you have a physical store, you can increase your sales potential tenfold.
If you want to get started in entrepreneurship, you can get started quickly and inexpensively.
In this article, we explain how to create an e-commerce site in eight simple steps.
We show you the different pitfalls to avoid and answer some burning questions, such as is it possible to create an e-commerce site for free or what should a homepage contain?
Why create an e-commerce site?
There are several reasons that should convince you to consider creating an e-commerce site.
As we have seen, e-commerce statistics show that the sector will continue to grow in the future, so it is in your best interest to position yourself now for this opportunity.
In addition, there has long been a tendency to oppose traditional commerce with online commerce, but it is now obvious that companies have every interest in combining the advantages of both strategies.
This is all the more true for merchants with a physical store, who will necessarily increase their sales potential thanks to a limited investment. Indeed, the creation of an e-commerce site can be done inexpensively, and even for free.
Online Store
Think about the fact that if you’re doing well, the sales from your online store might even pay off the rent of your brick-and-mortar store.
How to create an e-commerce site
Buy a domain name
The domain name is the name that appears in the internet address of your site.
For example: www.domainname.fr
It is with this address that potential customers or your partners will find you.
Here are the important points to consider when buying a domain name for the creation of an e-commerce site.
Avoid names that are too complicated
Remember that your domain name will be referenced by search engines driven by algorithms. In other words, robots. Robots are designed to understand clear and meaningful things. It is therefore important to spell your domain name consistently and avoid puns or complex spellings.
Moreover, you will not be able to use any special character for your domain name. For example, H&M’s domain name is not www.h&m.com but www.hm.com.
Avoid the opposite excess by choosing too generic names such as clothesfitness.com or dishescuisines.fr. At first, it is very unlikely that such names will be free or they will be for sale at an exorbitant price.
A short and concise name.?
As you will have understood, brainstorming will be necessary to find a name that is meaningful, easy to remember and powerful. You can think of a term that represents your activity, such as Decathlon, which refers to the sport or a brand name, for example La Redoute.
To help you, feel free to use business name generators .
- Find the right e-commerce platform
There are several types of platforms that will allow you to create an e-commerce site.
Types of e-commerce solutions
If you want to go quickly in creating an e-commerce site, we recommend that you use an e-commerce platform such as Shopify, which offers you a turnkey online store, with which you can start selling in a few hours. .
Sell your creations in Print-On-Demand. Become an entrepreneur and create your online store.
DISCOVER THE POD
If you want to spend more time, technical knowledge and more budget on it, you can turn to other solutions such as a self-managed site with the WordPress open office platform and a partner like Prestashop.
You can also go through an independent developer hired on a freelance platform like Fiverr or hire an agency for an even more ambitious result.
E-commerce hosting
If you want to develop your site yourself or if you go through a developer, you will need to choose a host for your domain. This is a service that hosts your site’s servers, for a monthly fee.
Hosting is included in turnkey solutions like Shopify.
Point to consider when choosing your e-commerce solution
To choose the best e-commerce formula that suits you, consider the following points, essential for the customer experience.
How much does it cost to create an e-commerce site?
At this point in the process, many people wonder if it is possible to create a free e-commerce site. Let’s be honest, the answer is no, and that’s good news, because if you could create a free e-commerce site, it would necessarily have major technical or aesthetic shortcomings.
However, it is quite possible to consider the creation of an e-commerce site with a small budget. You can indeed opt for either an all-inclusive e-commerce platform in the form of a subscription, for around twenty euros per month.
- Website performance and traffic capacity
Creation of an e-commerce site
Make sure that the chosen solution offers a sufficient level of availability to accommodate the number of customers you are targeting, at all times. Unlimited API calls make it easy to manage your site, and fast-loading pages give customers the best experience.