Before you even think of launching an online store, there are some important things you need to do, believe me, the cost is the least important. You have to be sure that you are launching an online store in a way that guarantees success.
From my experience as a web developer and an eCommerce expert and running my own web development and digital agency called Edensdigital, a lot of people who are struggling to make sales in their online stores ignored some of the most important factors before they created their website.
I am going to be telling you the following in this post –
- Choosing the right product
- The best platforms to launch an online store
- Best practices as a beginner to guarantee success
- The average cost of hiring an expert to build a “Success Guaranteed” store.
Before Launching An Online Store
(1) CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCT
This is probably one of the most important factors you have to get right if you want your online store to be set up for success. Over 7 billion people are searching for products and services that will solve their problems!
The big question is WHAT PROBLEM DOES YOUR PRODUCT SOLVE? You have to select a product based on the market’s needs and not your interest. The game of selling online balls down to you understanding what people are constantly and consistently searching for, and positioning a product that solves that problem right in front of the audience.
Get this right and your e-commerce store is already set up for success.
(2) THE BEST PLATFORMS TO USE WHEN LAUNCHING AN ONLINE STORE
There are several platforms you can use to launch an online store. You need to pick the right one! If you pick the wrong platform, it might have a huge impact on your success as an online store owner. I will give a list of some of the most popular and reliable ones in the order of my personal preference.
- WordPress Woocommerce
- Shopify
- Esty
- Bigcommerce
- Opencart
- Magneto
- 3Dcart
- Ecwid and so on
The above-listed platforms are my recommended platform to launch your store. However, I will recommend WordPress Woocommerce as a first to use while launching an online store. This is because it is one of the most popular and widely used platforms, it has tons of features that will enable you to build a professional and successful store. Plus it is completely FREE, with no monthly subscriptions, hidden charges, or credit card details required. You can also set up a free mobile application as a store owner to monitor your online store on the go!
(3) BEST PRACTICES AS A BEGINNER TO GUARANTEE SUCCESS
After several years of being a professional software engineer and an eCommerce store developer, this is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you: DO NOT HIRE AN INEXPERIENCED DEVELOPER AND DO NOT TRY TO SET UP YOUR STORE BY YOURSELF!
I cannot over-stress the importance of getting this right, It takes more than just designing a product page and posting products to create a successful online store. There are a lot of online store owners who are struggling and seriously heartbroken because of a lack of sales.
To launch an online store that will be successful, you must do 3 important things for your buyers;
- Inspire trust: For strangers to open their wallets or bags and whip out their credit cards to pay for an item in your store, there has to be a level of trust and confidence they have in your brand to deliver value. The best way to communicate this trust to your store visitors is through your website. Something as little as the font and colour of buttons on your website can be a determinant of the success or failure of your online store. There is a reason why most BUY NOW buttons are green, there is a reason why a female store’s website has a stylish feminine font. There are a lot of other important factors that only an experienced developer like myself can put into consideration!
- Create a Unique Experience: There are a lot of platforms that offer you to launch an online store for free and every store on their platform has the same template, the same look, and no uniqueness at all – My advice is, Stay away! The internet is filled with a lot of information from several people, your store should have a unique brand design that will not only connect with your audience but will also leave both a striking first-time impression and a memorable life-long experience. This way, you have separated yourself from the crowd and you have created a uniqueness about your brand in the minds of your buyers.
- Inspire Action: The overall goal is to get them to open their purses or wallets, draw out their credit card and pay for your product. If they trust you, and you have a unique impression in their mind, they will definitely take action. Even if they are not going to buy right away, when they are ready to buy, they will be looking for you even if your competitors are pulling their attention.
It is also important to set up a support system where people can have a quick chat with you. When I build online stores for my clients, I add a LiveChat function, so that even if the customer is confused and needs clarification, they can get help immediately.
Research has shown that businesses that have a Live Support system perform 3 times better than those that do not. This is because people want to do business with other people, they want to be sure that if they need anything or run into any problem, there is a support system that has their back always.
This is also important, have multiple payment gateways for your store and make sure Paypal is one of them. This is because PayPal is one of the most widely used payment gateways. There is a 70% chance that a person shopping on your website wants to pay with Paypal (This is another PRO – TIP to guarantee success for your online store).
(4) THE COST OF HIRING AN E-COMMERCE EXPERT DEVELOPER
To be candid, the cost of launching an online store varies depending on the requirements and the experience/skill level of the developer. Ranging from hiring a $100 designer on FIVERR (but you already know that is a bad idea) to hiring an agency to charge you a sweet $10,000.
Essentially, If you want to hire me to create your online store the perfect way, my agency, Edensdigital, will charge an average of $2,500 – $5,000 depending on the requirements.
However, I offer a super huge discount of up to 50% – 60% if you are starting your project and making an initial payment within the first 7 days of reaching out to me.
If you will like to start your next project with me and my team at Edensdigital. CLICK HERE to visit our get started page or send a WhatsApp message to Edensdigital Admin HERE
