How to build an eCommerce site? What makes an eCommerce website successful? Are you looking for ways to increase revenue and boost sales? Your answer lies in this detailed guide on “things to consider while developing an eCommerce website”. From domain, hosting, features, and functionalities to marketing, you have to consider everything. 

The eCommerce landscape is rapidly evolving and businesses are now having to adapt their websites to suit new trends. If you want your eCommerce site to succeed, it’s important to consider these top things while developing an eCommerce site.

Things to Consider when Building an eCommerce Website

How to get started?

To start, you need to have a domain name and hosting account set up. You can then purchase any type of template (theme) that suits your business. Make sure that the theme includes a responsive design and an SSL certificate (if you want to sell products securely). 

  1. Website Platform 

There are many types of platforms available today to build eCommerce websites. From simple WordPress sites to complex Magento extensions, eCommerce developers have a wide range of options. If you use a third-party platform, such as Magento or Shopify, make sure to know who you're dealing with. Is it reputable? Are they going to take care of your site? Do they provide 24/7 support? There are also several free tools offered by various companies that enable anyone to create their own eCommerce website. However, choosing the correct tool is essential.

An eCommerce platform is a software application that enables people to buy products online. An eCommerce platform provides many features including order processing, inventory tracking, user account management, marketing tools, shipping management, payment methods, and much more.

2. Features & Functionalities

Which features should be prioritized in eCommerce website development? Whether you are setting up a basic store or redesigning a complex site, you will need to consider a range of features to ensure your website maximizes its potential.

It is important to select the features that add value to your target audience and provide them with exactly what they want. This will allow you to increase conversion rates and generate more leads.

You'll want to add some basic functionality to your store, including inventory management, shipping options, product reviews, and maybe even a customer-friendly payment system. 

There may be times when you want to add additional functionality to your site. An example would be adding a blog to your site, or perhaps a shopping cart. Many platforms allow for plugins that enable users to install extra apps. Plugins are just pieces of code written specifically for your site. They extend the capabilities of your site and can be easily installed or removed. That way, you don't have to worry about setting up your own and can focus on selling instead.

3. Does your site have a good design?

The front page of your site holds a lot of power, and it doesn’t get any more powerful than the first impression. Make sure your layout is clear, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to navigate. Your site shouldn’t look like a jumbled mess; instead, it should look professional.

4. Mobile Responsive Design

Mobile responsive design ensures that your website looks good and works well across different devices. More than 50% of users access the internet via mobile devices. Therefore, using a mobile-responsive site will make sure that your site loads correctly and displays properly on smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

With the emergence of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, the way customers view websites has changed dramatically. Today, more shoppers prefer shopping from their smartphones or tablet. This has led some businesses to develop apps instead of creating full-fledged websites. 

5. Online Payment Gateway

An online payment gateway is a piece of functionality that connects businesses to customers who pay via credit card, debit card, or PayPal. The software allows merchants to accept payments securely without having to worry about merchant accounts, fraud protection, PCI compliance, or third-party fees. You can set up an online payment gateway, and they're very reliable. Merchants simply upload the necessary files and let users choose a preferred method of payment.

6. Security Measures

Security measures are important to protect your business. Here are some tips to keep your eCommerce site safe. Set strong passwords for sensitive parts of your site. Limit access to critical parts of your site. Use a firewall to block malicious traffic. Keep backups of your data. Choose secure hosting providers. Make sure that your internet service provider follows best practices. Monitor network traffic. Update antivirus software regularly.

7. Selling

This is probably the hardest part of the whole deal. Once you've built your store, you'll want to figure out how to sell. To begin with, you'll need to decide whether you want to sell physical goods or digital content. Both of these require different methods and strategies. 

8. Content Management Systems (CMS)

A content management system makes editing and publishing content simple. A content management system (CMS) is designed to help maintain websites and blogs. A CMS helps website owners control how their site looks and works. A CMS lets you add, edit, organize, and publish content from almost anywhere. You don't need any programming knowledge or experience in creating an eCommerce site and blogs.

Most websites use some kind of content management system. Your CMS should allow you to add images, videos, documents, text, email, links, and any other information you want to share with visitors. You'll need to decide if you want to build your own custom CMS or use a pre-built solution that's ready to go. 

9. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

CRM helps businesses build stronger relationships with their customers by providing sales and service information at the right time. CRMs keep track of current customers' activities, interactions, preferences, and history.

10. Data Analytics Tools

Data analytics tools provide details about how visitors interact with your website. This data can be used to identify what features work best and where user interest lies. Once you have collected data, you will want to use data analysis tools to find out which changes you want to implement.

11. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO is the practice of making changes to improve how search engines display websites that match keywords. Search engine optimization is free. But there's a catch. There are many companies offering SEO services. So how do you know which ones are legit? Look for SEO audits. An audit checks your site for errors or flaws. Then, an SEO company will fix those problems.

Make sure your site is optimized for SEO. That means making sure that your links are relevant and unique, and that you haven't posted duplicate content. Also, make sure that keywords are included throughout your text.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing the visibility of a webpage — and thus its SEO score — using techniques such as link building and keyword research. In addition to helping Google find your page, well-optimized pages also improve the search rankings of related pages, making them easier to find. 

Conclusion

Developing an eCommerce website is not an easy task. It demands processes and activities that might also be expensive. You will need to hire professional and experienced developers, designers, or a web development agency to help you out. Keep all the above aspects in mind during eCommerce website development, as it helps you to offer the best shopping experience to your customers.

If you need any help or have doubts about how to get started developing an eCommerce site for your business? You can simply hire certified Magento developers to maintain your eCommerce website.