Could you ever imagine the retail e-commerce sales compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from this year to 2027?
Research states that India is the topmost country on the list, with a 14.11% CAGR, whereas Russia has registered 12.78%. The United States shows 11.22%. Likewise, there are many countries that are satisfactorily growing in this domain.
If these statistics have stunned you and you want to start your own online store, it’s not too late to open. Here is a comprehensive guide to developing your own e-commerce website.
So, let’s learn it step-by-step.
Step 1: Wisely Select Your Content Management System (CMS)
A Content Management System (CMS) is a popular software application that helps in creating, modifying, and organising your online content. It is an open-source platform wherein a merchant can add, modify, and update content on the website without the need of a technical expert. Simply put, this is a user-friendly platform where it’s effortless to upgrade text, images, videos, and other web-builders. There are multiple examples, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Wix, and Shopify. Discover which one you find suitable according to your requirements and budget.
Step 2: Invest in Web Hosting
Once you’ve set up your mind on which CMS is in accordance with your requirements, create a hosting account. You can research and select the best one online. You will find Bluehost, HostGator, A2 Hosting, Site Ground-like website to invest in. Select the plan wisely because a few are paid and a few offer a domain name, a SSL certificate, etc. without paying anything. Also, their installation is easy. A few websites, like Wix and Shopify, enable you to simply register an account with them to build a website. This is how your domain name will be automatically registered through the CMS. But if this is not the case, you can register your domain through a domain name registrar.
Step 3. Finalize a Theme for e-Commerce Website
Now, you formally enter the part where a theme will be selected from the ready-made templates. The subscription platforms throw you hundreds of templates to select from and decide which look will go with your desire. This is how you can have a design to prepare the layout of your website accordingly.
Though these templates are generally accessible free of charge, especially when you search on Wix and other marketplaces, but platforms like WordPress and Shopify offer premium themes that are actually stunning and have wow elements. If you consider Theme Forest, its price range starts from $20 to $100+ per theme. And if you think of a subscription option, the cost of a theme can be between $10 and $30. So, the options are there. But you have to focus on unique designs, their customisation scope, and their simplicity.
Step 4: Customise Your Site
Remember, no theme can be the best-fit online store. You have to make it. So, the very next step is to tailor the selected theme. Make a list of what you’re going to input on its header and footer. Also decide how its navigation is going to be and what pages are to be created with the home page.
Step 5: Create a Catalog and Product Listing
Since it’s going to be your online shopping website, product listings are a must. So, you have to create a list of all the products that you are likely to display virtually. For it, create a catalogue listing all individual products. Arrange it in such a comprehensive manner that your prospective visitors can easily spot the desirable products. Also, input their description. For reference, there are some very popular e-commerce websites, such as Amazon, Myntra, eBay, etc. Simply group similar products accordingly.
Step 6. Set Up a Payment Gateway & Shipping Tool
Now comes the payment gateway with inventory or stock management tools. It’s a secure online service that facilitates transactions between customers and online merchants. With it, the merchant authorises and processes the payment. Also, it encrypts the user’s sensitive details, verifying their validity, and secures transactions. Simultaneously, it is integrated with the inventory and tax tools to measure and tap transactions.
If you’re not aware of or confused about choosing the best one, try a third-party tool like Stripe or PayPal, which are trusted and reliable for payments with security. It happens by redirecting customers to the banking websites, where they can complete the transaction in a secure space. Here, you must be concerned about the data being encrypted completely before your customer finally inputs the OTP and completes the transaction. If you have to decide, it is recommended to check its security, integrity capability, PCI-compliant features, and payment fee.
Drop shipping is one of the biggest attractions for customers to hook up with online shopping. You must integrate a shipping system with your e-commerce website to make your customers’ web journey pleasurable. You can deploy an e-commerce development company to create a customised system or buy it from a logistics company so that you can focus on selling and simplifying operations. Simultaneously, define your shipping policies while considering free shipping, variable fees, flat rates, refunds, and return policies.
Step 7. Test and Introduce Your Shopping Site
Now that you’ve covered almost every part of development and setup, run a thorough check-up of the website. Deploy this task to an experienced web developer who can detect and fix bugs.
Also examine the functionality of the third-party apps, especially a payment gateway application, to see if they’re working smoothly. However, this testing would be free, as you don’t have to pay a processing fee for testing. Also, check the inquiry form if the customer receives an email after the purchase.
Finally, verify if the website looks responsive or ideal on all devices and browsers. Its uploading speed is also important. So, meticulously check these aspects.
Before launching, double-test your online shopping website thoroughly.
