Building an e-commerce website can be a big investment so it is crucial to choose the best and most appropriate option for your business. There are many choices available, from free software to professional, bespoke web design suited exactly to your needs.
When considering e-commerce platforms, make a list of the features which are important to your business. These might include:
- the ability to make the site match your branding;
- a user-friendly order process for customers;
- an intuitive and effective interface behind the scenes for staff to manage;
- a powerful database to control inventory effectively;
- the ability to track the customer journey through the website;
- integration with other services such as Google Analytics or your chosen payment gateway;
- SEO functionality built-in;
- the ability to offer coupons and voucher discounts;
- a mobile-optimised site.
Next, take a look at the options available to you which can provide the features you need. Something else to consider is that, as your business grows, you need an e-commerce platform which can grow with you. Even if you currently only stock a handful of products, choosing an e-commerce solution which can expand as you do will pay dividends in the future.
Some popular e-commerce platforms are:
Q-Cart
Cost: $80
Features include: profit charts; sales reports; PayPal and 2Checkout integration; fully customisable.
Shopify
Cost: Starts at $29 per month
Features include: templates; customisable design; an iPhone app; coupon codes.
Vendio
Cost: Starts at $99.95 per month
Features include: integration with Facebook, Amazon and eBay; inventory control; drag-and-drop features; optimised for Apple iOS devices.
It is not unusual for pre-built e-commerce platforms to only meet some of your business’s requirements. Compromising on any of the features you consider to be necessary can lead to frustration and an interrupted service later on, so if your needs would not be met by these ready-made solutions, the obvious answer is to hire a web designer to create a bespoke solution for your website.
What makes this a superb solution is that the site will be built to your precise requirements. You won’t be paying for functionality that you don’t need, and the features you do need will be customised to suit exactly how you work. Social media sharing tools can be integrated, SEO can be personalised to your site, and your favourite payment gateways can be accommodated.
Rather than making indefinite monthly payments, a business can save money by making an upfront investment in a professional web designer to create their e-commerce site. A web designer can customise existing platforms or build their own from scratch, depending on the size of the site, or the functionality that you need. With a professionally built e-commerce site, your designer can also ensure that the website’s appearance fits your brand, looks attractive and is usable and accessible to site visitors.
