Starting an E-Commerce Website
So, you want to build an E-business website but are not sure where to begin. With today's technology and the competition between web hosting companies, it is easier than ever to set up and get your online business going in a matter of hours or days. Here is a snapshot of everything you need to do in order to start an E-business website quickly and smoothly.
Instructions
1. Find a web host company that supports E-commerce businesses. There are hosting companies that have limited capabilities all the way up to ones that offer all of the state-of-the-art features you could imagine. Make sure that the company you choose handles credit card purchases, and in an encrypted manner. This is how many people pay for the things bought online these days. Visit "eCommerce Web Hosting Top List" to compare rates and plans of top E-business companies (link provided below in the Resources section).
2. Start building the website by choosing a template that matches your product line. Then start adding in the products, along with pictures of the products. Be as specific and detailed as possible when describing the products. The more you tell potential customers up front, the more likely they will buy. And the better your pictures, the more sales you are likely to make as well. Invest in a good camera or use stock images from the Internet.
3. Add fresh content to the website. No one likes to go into a site where all they see are products for sale. Today's viewers are interested in knowing that a company cares about them. To this end, have articles that relate to your products, how-to guides, and other information that shows you are an expert in the line of products you are selling. It generally takes a person 5 to 10 visits to a website before she will comfortable buying something. Fresh content and other value added features such as discussion forums will keep visitors interested in coming back, so keep your content updated regularly.
4. Set up the "Contact Us" page with ways that customers can get in touch with you easily. Put a couple of ways they can contact you, not just one. If you list an email address, make sure you check it regularly. Don't keep customers waiting for an answer because chances are there are many other websites selling the same thing you have, and you could lose a sale for this reason.
5. Consider having a free newsletter that customers can sign up for to receive news and new product updates. This usually involves a single line of code to be placed on your website, and that's all there is to it. Send the newsletter at least once a month, if not more. This will keep your E-business in front of potential customers, and they can pass the newsletter on to friends and family as well. Your Mailing List Provider is a low-cost newsletter software program that can do the job for you at the right price (see Resources below).
6. Make the website "live" once you have everything looking the way you want. This is the time to start advertising your E-business through online and offline efforts, including obtaining business cards to hand out, advertising your business on other websites, and taking out ads in newspapers.
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