Building a website for e-commerce used to involve jumping through hoops of fire. It wasn’t a task any average person could handle; you’d need a team of IT professionals to do it. However, nowadays anyone can create a well-designed, fully-functional e-commerce site from scratch. You can even deck it out with cool features, from a simple website pop-up to a smart search function—even if you have zero knowledge about website development or coding.
How to Build an E-commerce Website From Scratch
Thanks to drag-and-drop website builders, app stores, and plug-in libraries like Powr.io, building a website is quick and easy. With the right strategy, you can even create a platform that can beat the average conversion rate for e-commerce, guaranteeing that your business not only achieves its goals, but exceeds them.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build a website for e-commerce the right way:
Do Some Research and Make a Plan
You need to have a solid strategy to build a great website. Even the best-looking, feature-rich platform needs a boost from marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) to perform well. Learn about these topics, gather best practices, and make a plan to apply them when you create your site.
Pick a Domain Name
A domain (also called a URL) is basically your brand’s online “home.” It’s your address on the Internet, and it’s what people type when they want to visit your website. This will typically be your brand’s name—make it simple and memorable, and remember to make sure that it properly represents what you do.
Once you choose a name, register it on a domain registrar service such as GoDaddy, Google Domains, etc. or in the website builder that you choose (more on that below!). If the name is already taken, you’ll usually see other options that end with .net or .org, among others, but it’s best to stick with a .com domain if possible.
Choose an E-commerce Website Builder
A website builder is a platform that lets you create websites from scratch typically without having to learn a single line of code. There are plenty of options out there: Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, etc. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Do some homework and decide which is best for you.
Customize Your Website
After choosing your website builder, it’s now time for the fun part: designing and building your website. Choose your theme, craft your pages, and add your media and text to set the foundation of your platform. You can also start adding some cool features like smart forms, social feeds, media galleries, and pop-ups from Powr.io’s library of plug-ins to make your site stand out.
Add Your Products
The product pages are the heart of an e-commerce website, so you must pay extra attention to setting them up. Make sure that you include high-quality product photos, detailed product descriptions, and all other necessary information that’ll help your customers make their purchasing decisions. Add search and category functions as well, to make the user experience even better.
Set up Payments and Shipping
Depending on the website builder that you choose, setting up payments and shipping can differ. You can either set it up automatically with the builder’s features or integrate payment features like Powr.io’s PayPal button yourself. Whichever route you choose, what’s important is that your check-out process is seamless as this step is essential for conversions.
Test Your Website
Once everything is set up, test your website to check if everything works as it should. All the designs and features that you’ve worked so hard on should be up and running, ready to attract, convert, and retain your customers.
Conclusion
Building an e-commerce website is easier than ever thanks to website builders and plug-in libraries like Powr.io. Now, with a plan, a few bucks, and a vision, anyone can create a great online shop that can bring your products and services to the people that need them.