How to Create an eCommerce Website
Jun 28, 2012, by admin
Are you at the point create an ecommerce website to begin the process of offering your products and services online? If the answer is yes then I have a useful guide to help get you started.
1.The process of creating an ecommerce website begins with the website itself. It is always best to select a website that gives you the aptitude to update your content, products, prices, etc., on your own rather than relying on the developer. Some popular CMS (content management systems) include WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. You will want to select the platform that work best with your shopping cart. We talk about that in just a bit.
2.The next contemplation when starting an ecommerce website is selection of a shopping cart. The shopping cart software allows you to set up your products and services for sale on the Internet. There are several commercially available shopping carts available to choose from. You will want to select the cart that offers the functionality you are looking for. You will want to look for a cart that offers merchant tools, supports many payment options, offers configuration for shipping and taxes, offers real-time statistics and reporting, and has the suitable security. You will also want to select a shopping cart that is attuned with your payment gateway. This will clarify the cost associated with integrating your shopping cart and merchant account.
3.Your next step when starting an eCommerce website is the hosting service. The hosting service provides a home for your website on the Internet and allows your customers to reach you. You will want to select a hosting service that presents the appropriate functionality for your site and shopping cart. Most services offer various packages for a monthly service fee. I like doteasy.com as the hosting is free and they let you upgrade as necessary for any functionality you might require.
4.So you have your website, your hosting service and your shopping cart all dialed in but the most important part of starting an eCommerce website is accepting payment. There are 2 pieces that need to be considered when starting an eCommerce website; The Payment Gateway and the Merchant Account.
5.The payment gateway is the application that connects your website shopping cart to your merchant account. The job of the payment gateway is to gather the credit card information from the customer, encrypt it and sent it to the merchant account for processing. When selecting a payment gateway you want to select one that is companionable with your shopping cart, offers good pricing, has the ability to facilitates all payment functions (payments, voids, refunds, etc), offers robust fraud protection, is PCI compliant and has an interface for you to run reports on your sales.
6.Next is selection of a merchant account. The merchant account’s job is to approve the card that is being used for payment and then deposit those authorized transactions into your bank account. It’s important to choose a merchant account that offers good rates on processing, has 24 hour turn around on settled transactions, offers live customer support, has high approval rates and low merchant abrasion. You want a processor that stands behind your account and consults you as to the very best way to set up your eCommerce website.
7.The last piece of the puzzle in starting an eCommerce website is your marketing. All of your efforts are wasted if no one knows your site exists. Make sure you design your site with all the current search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. You will also want to post your new site on all the most popular social networking sites.
