How and why your business should take advantage of e-commerce
Find out more about e-commerce and how to set up your own online business.
What is e-commerce?
E-commerce is the buying and selling of products online. With worldwide digital sales constantly increasing, now is the perfect time to launch an online store.
Why you should invest in e-commerce
- Trade internationally with a wider range of customers with ease
- Save money from the overheads that come with a physical store
- Easily manage your stock, product range, payments and shipments
- Earn money throughout the day and night without the restriction of opening hours
- Gain an advantage over your competitors who are not trading online
How to set up an e-commerce store
Creating a brand
Make sure that long before you start planning your e-commerce platform, you have a brand in place.
You need a business name, logo, colours and brand guidelines to guarantee you utilise brand consistency.
Buy a URL that directly relates to your brand name to avoid confusion.
For more information on how you can develop your brand, visit our brand development page.
Identify the perfect product you will sell
To be a successful online retailer, you need to have a product that people want to buy.
- Research your product and your target audience.
- Know how you will obtain your product and how distribution will work.
- Identify your target audience to ensure that this is something that they will buy.
Calculate the price of your products
Calculate how much your product will cost to buy/produce and your profit margins.
You need to provide a mark up price on your product to ensure that you make profit on each purchase.
Research shipping costs and calculations
Shipping costs vary from county to county, and if you plan on distributing your products to different countries, there will be different import taxes and delivery costs.
Research shipping costs to identify how much you should your shipping will be.
Choose your e-commerce website builder
Now you have your business planning in place, you need to decide which website build to use.
We recommend WordPress’s WooCommerce system as this is an easy to use, intuitive e-commerce platform. Other alternative builders include Shopify and Wix which can get you up and running in no time, with monthly fees.
For any help with setting up an e-commerce platform, we design and develop websites for all types of businesses. Visit our e-commerce page for more information.
Setup your payment methods
Once your website has been built, identify which payment methods your website will use. Payment methods are the different ways in which customers can pay for your product on your website.
On WordPress websites, we recommend using Stripe Pay which covers all the standard forms of credit cards/debit cards.
You can also add in Apple Pay and Klarna payment options.
If you need any assistance with setting up payment methods on your website, contact us today.
Sort legal requirements
To launch an online store, you will need to make sure your website is compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Your website will need:
- Cookies policy
- Accessibility policy
- Returns and refunds policies
- Terms and conditions
Secure your website with SSL certification
SSL certificates appear next to the URL of your website and show that your platform is safe and secure.
You will need to apply for an SSL certificate, this is an essential tool to rank on Google so make sure you are equipped before your website launch.
Launch your e-commerce website
Once you have followed these steps, you should be ready to go!
Enjoy your website now being live and watch the sales come in.
Market your e-commerce website to increase brand awareness and sales
Promoting your website after it has gone live is essential to generate leads, sales and conversions.
Use your social media platforms, digital advertising and word of mouth marketing to generate interest in your brand.
For any help with digital marketing, make sure to contact us.
Key statistics
The global B2B ecommerce market size was valued at USD 6.64 trillion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.7% from 2021 to 2028 (Grand View Research).
Global online sales are forecast to reach 22% of all retail sales in 2023 (vs. 14.1% in 2019, Statista).
Retail ecommerce market sales worldwide will reach $6.54 trillion in 2023 (vs. $3.53 trillion in 2019, Statista).
By 2040, 95% of retail purchases are likely to be made online and traditional retail may be hardly existent (Nasdaq).
E-commerce with Stone Create
At Stone Create we specialise in the design, development and maintenance of all types of websites. We support you with e-commerce from planning, creation, publishing all the way to after sales marketing. For more information, get in touch with us today.
