Build Your Online Shop: A Step-by-Step Guide to Webshop Creation

Introduction

Starting an online shop is a lucrative business venture in today’s digital age. With more people shopping online, it’s never been a better time to launch an e-commerce store. However, building an online shop can be a daunting task for those who are unfamiliar with the process. But don’t worry, we are here to guide you through the process of webshop creation.

Build an Onlineshop: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Identify Your Niche

Before you start building your online shop, you need to determine what you want to sell. This is called finding your niche. Your niche should be something that you’re passionate about and knowledgeable about. This will not only make it easier for you to run your online shop, but it will also make your store stand out.

Step 2: Choose an E-Commerce Platform

Once you’ve identified your niche, you’ll need to choose an e-commerce platform that best fits your needs. Some popular e-commerce platforms include Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. There are also several online store builder by different SaaS (software as a service) companies. The platform you chose for setting up an online store is crucial for your success.

Shopify

Shopify is a user-friendly e-commerce platform (in detail: an ecommerce website builder) that is ideal for small to medium-sized online shops. It offers a wide range of templates, plugins, and customization options, making it easy to create a unique online shop that fits your brand. Shopify also provides 24/7 customer support and a secure checkout process, making it a reliable choice for your webshop creation.

Magento

Magento is a powerful e-commerce platform that is ideal for large online shops. It offers a range of advanced features, including custom product options, multi-store management, and marketing tools. Magento is also highly customizable, allowing you to create a unique online shop that stands out from the competition.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform that is built for WordPress. It is easy to use and provides a wide range of customization options, making it a great choice for small to medium-sized online shops. WooCommerce also offers a range of plugins and themes, allowing you to create an online shop that is tailored to your needs.

A quick overview of other common onlineshop platforms:

WooCommerce:

• Free of charge (open source)
• Small to medium sized online stores
• Relatively easy to implement with a basic understanding of WordPress, but can become complex with advanced customization.

Shopify:

• Monthly subscription-based pricing
• Small to large online stores
• User-friendly and easy to implement, but may require additional development work for advanced customization.

Magento:

• Free of charge (open source)
• Medium to large sized online stores and companies
• Complex to implement and manage, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

PrestaShop:

• Free of charge (open source)
• Small to medium sized online stores
• Relatively easy to implement with a basic understanding of web development, but may require additional development work for advanced customization.

OpenCart:

• Free of charge (open source)
• Small to medium sized online stores
• Relatively easy to implement with a basic understanding of web development, but may require additional development work for advanced customization.

BigCommerce:

• Monthly subscription-based pricing
• Small to large online stores and companies
• User-friendly and easy to implement, but may require additional development work for advanced customization.

Shopware:

• Free of charge (open source)
• Small to medium sized online stores
• Relatively complex to implement, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

Spryker:

• Custom pricing based on project scope
• Medium to large sized online stores and companies
• Complex to implement, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud (formerly Demandware):

• Custom pricing based on project scope
• Medium to large sized online stores and companies
• Complex to implement, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

Wix eCommerce:

• Monthly subscription-based pricing
• Small online stores
• User-friendly and easy to implement, but may require additional development work for advanced customization.

VTEX:

• Custom pricing based on project scope
• Medium to large sized online stores and companies
• Complex to implement, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

Oracle Commerce:

• Custom pricing based on project scope
• Medium to large sized online stores and companies
• Complex to implement, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

SAP Hybris:

• Custom pricing based on project scope
• Medium to large sized online stores and companies
• Complex to implement, requiring technical expertise and a strong understanding of web development.

Volusion:

• Monthly subscription-based pricing
• Small to medium sized online stores
• User-friendly and easy to implement, but may require additional development work for advanced customization.

3dcart:

• 3dcart is not an open-source platform and requires a monthly fee.
• 3dcart is designed to fit a range of businesses, from small online shops to medium-sized businesses.
• 3dcart has a user-friendly interface and offers a range of features that are suitable for different business needs, but can require a moderate level of technical knowledge to fully implement. It may also require additional customization and development to fully meet the specific needs of a business. However, 3dcart offers 24/7 support and resources to help customers with their setup and operation of the platform

Step 3: Set Up Your Domain and Hosting

Once you’ve chosen your e-commerce platform, you’ll need to set up your domain and hosting. Your domain is the web address of your online shop, while hosting is where your website is stored. There are a variety of options available for both domain and hosting, including Shopify’s own hosting and domain services.

Step 4: Design Your Online Shop

The design of your online shop is crucial to its success. A well-designed website not only looks good, but it also helps to increase conversions and build trust with your customers. When designing your online shop, you should consider the following:

Layout and Navigation

When creating your online shop, it’s important to keep in mind the user experience. A well-designed layout and intuitive navigation can greatly impact the success of your webshop. Here are some key considerations for layout and navigation in your online store:

Layout Design

The layout design of your webshop should be clean and uncluttered, making it easy for customers to find what they are looking for. This can be achieved through the use of negative space, clear product categorization, and consistent use of font and color.

Easy Navigation

Your online store should have a clear and easy-to-use navigation menu. This should include categories, subcategories, and product filters that make it simple for customers to find what they are looking for. Additionally, the navigation should be consistent throughout the site, allowing customers to easily return to previous pages or categories.

Product Pages

Your product pages are the most important part of your webshop. They should provide detailed information about the product, including images, descriptions, and specifications. Additionally, make sure to include product reviews and ratings, as this can greatly impact a customer’s purchasing decision.

To sell products online it’s important to have product descriptions which are self-explaining. Don’t forget a high quality product image (find the right mix of quality and file size) and most important: Take care to not use the original product description from the supplier as is. Otherwise you might suffer from duplicate content penalty by Google.

Search Functionality

Incorporating a search bar into your webshop can greatly improve the user experience. This allows customers to quickly find what they are looking for, even if they are not sure of the exact product name or category.

Payment and Shipping

When it comes to payment and shipping options, it’s important to offer a variety of choices to meet the needs of your customers. Here are some key considerations:

Payment Options

Offer multiple payment options, including credit card, PayPal, invoice, and other popular payment methods. This allows customers to choose the payment method that best suits their needs, increasing the likelihood of a successful transaction.

Calculate the transaction fees before you start selling on your ecommerce platform. When you build an online marketplace take care about several transaction fees. (client, merchant/vendor, your fees)

In short: Plan and calculate the different payment methods wisely when you start an online store.

Shipping Options

Provide a variety of shipping options, including standard shipping, expedited shipping, and international shipping. This allows customers to choose the shipping method that best fits their timeline and budget.

Order Tracking

Include an order tracking system to allow customers to easily track the status of their order. This can include real-time updates and notifications, making it simple for customers to stay informed about the delivery of their products.

Customer Service

Excellent customer service is key to the success of any online store. Here are some key considerations for providing excellent customer service through your webshop:

FAQ Section

Include a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section to provide customers with quick answers to common questions. This can help reduce the number of customer service inquiries and improve the overall customer experience.

Live Chat Support

Provide live chat support to allow customers to get quick answers to their questions. This can greatly improve the customer experience and increase the likelihood of a successful sale.

Contact Information

Make sure to include clear contact information, including a phone number and email address. This allows customers to reach out with questions or concerns, improving the overall customer experience.

Marketing and Promotion

To maximize the success of your webshop, it’s important to engage in effective marketing and promotion. Here are some key considerations:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Optimizing your webshop for search engines will help it rank higher in search results when people are looking for products similar to what you’re selling. This will increase your visibility and drive more traffic to your site. Some key strategies for optimizing your webshop for search engines include:

• Researching keywords related to your products and incorporating them into your site’s content and meta tags.
• Creating high-quality, original content that provides value to your customers.
• Building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms offer a great way to reach your target audience and promote your webshop. Consider creating profiles for your business on popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can use these platforms to share updates about your products, engage with your followers, and drive traffic to your webshop.

Email Marketing

Email is a powerful tool for reaching your customers and promoting your webshop. You can use email to send newsletters, promotional offers, and other updates to your subscribers. Make sure to get permission from your subscribers before sending any emails, and always include an option to unsubscribe in every email you send.

Paid Advertising

Paid advertising can be a quick and effective way to drive traffic to your webshop. Consider using platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads to reach your target audience. Make sure to target your ads to the right audience and test different ad formats and targeting options to find what works best for your webshop.

Analytics and Optimization

Once your webshop is up and running, it’s important to track its performance and make optimizations to improve its performance.

Data and analytics play a crucial role in the success of an online store. With the right tools, store owners can track their website traffic, customer behavior and sales data to make informed decisions about their business. Google Analytics is a popular and free tool that can be easily integrated into the website to track various metrics.

By analyzing data, store owners can identify which products are popular, which marketing campaigns are effective, and which areas of their website need improvement. This information can then be used to make changes and optimize the website for maximum sales and customer satisfaction.

A/B Testing

A/B testing allows you to compare two versions of a web page or email campaign to see which one performs better. This is a great way to optimize your webshop and improve its performance. Some common elements to test include headlines, images, and calls to action.

Customer Feedback

Collecting feedback from your customers is a great way to understand what they like and dislike about your webshop. Use tools like surveys or customer reviews to gather this information and make improvements to your site based on their feedback.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful webshop. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking to improve an existing site, the key is to focus on your customers and provide them with a great shopping experience. With a little effort and the right strategies, you can create a webshop that stands out from the crowd and attracts customers for years to come.

One example: One of our clients had no option to delete products in the shopping cart. During our user experience tests we realized that especially women use this feature, while men usually directly checkout.

Ensuring Safe and Secure Transactions

When it comes to online shopping, security is a top priority for both the customers and the store owners. In order to ensure the safety of the transactions and to build trust with the customers, it is important to have a secure payment gateway. Some popular options include PayPal, Stripe and Square. These payment gateways are secure, easy to use and provide quick and reliable transactions.

Another important aspect of ensuring a secure transaction is having an SSL certificate. This certificate encrypts sensitive information such as credit card details and personal information, protecting it from being intercepted by cyber criminals. A website with an SSL certificate is also more likely to rank higher in search engine results, as Google now considers security as a ranking factor.

Customer Service and Support

Providing excellent customer service and support is crucial for building a successful online store. Customers should be able to contact the store easily for any queries or support they may need. This can be achieved through multiple channels such as email, live chat or phone support. A helpful and responsive customer service team can make all the difference in converting a potential customer into a loyal one.

It is also important to have clear and detailed FAQs and return policy pages to provide customers with all the information they need. This can help to reduce the number of support queries and ensure a smooth customer experience.

Comprehensive Conclusion

In conclusion, building an online shop can be a challenging task but with the right strategy and tools, it can be a profitable and successful venture. It is important to consider the platform you choose, the design and navigation, and your marketing and promotion efforts. The more effort you put into building a strong and user-friendly online shop, the more likely you are to succeed in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

EEI can assist you in the creation of your ecommerce stores or platform, from consulting to the actual building and launch. Our network of experts and resources can help you with any questions you may have and provide support in your journey to success. In addition, our education program can help you gain the knowledge and skills necessary to run a successful online shop.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you build an online shop that is optimized for both customers and search engines. Our team is dedicated to helping you reach your e-commerce goals and achieve online success.

Key Takeaways & Summary:

• Building an online shop can be challenging but with the right tools and strategy, it can be a successful venture.
• It is important to consider the platform, design and navigation, and marketing and promotion efforts.
• EEI can assist you in building and launching a webshop, with our network of experts, resources, and education programs.

Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you build an optimized online shop.