It used to be hard to set up an ecommerce website but not it’s insanely easy. All you have to do is pick a platform, install it, and you’re ready to start selling. The challenge now is sifting through all the different services and their packages to choose the right one.
Ecommerce platforms come in all shapes and sizes but they usually have the following features:
– Site templates
– An integrated shopping cart
– Search engine optimization features
– Email marketing integration
– Inventory management
– Analytics
Before you start looking at platforms, decide which of these features is most important and exactly what you need it to do. Some platforms offer more advanced analytics, for example, while others give you all-in-one SEO features. If you’re selling digital products, inventory management may not be an issue for you, and so on.
Content Management
You’ll have content to put on your ecommerce site and choosing a platform that makes it easy is essential. Know beforehand what kinds of images (for item descriptions, for example) and other content you want to put on the site and choose one that allows you to do it. The key is for it to be easy. When you have a new item to list, for example, it shouldn’t take long to get it on the site.
Price Points
Each ecommerce platform has its own pricing scheme. You’ll be charged transaction fees or percentages. Consider what you’ll be selling through the site to assess whether or not it suits your needs. For example, if you’re selling low-ticket items that only cost a dollar, a fifty-cent transaction fee isn’t going to be suitable.
Design Features
Finally, it’s important to decide on design features. What does the platform offer and how flexible is it? The design of an ecommerce site can have a major effect on its profit margin. A crazy colour scheme that isn’t easy on the eyes will drive people away. So will flash videos and other fancy effects that take too long to load.
Take Your Time
Choosing an ecommerce platform isn’t something you should do hastily. It’s just as important as designing your site, writing your content or anything else that you do. Some people are unhappy with theirs and decide to jump ship, only to choose a new platform too quickly. The grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence. Make up your mind about what you want first (if you’ve run an ecommerce site before, this will be easier) and then shop for a perfect match. Don’t settle for anything less.
Tony
