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Setting Up an e-Commerce Business A Guide

eCommerce is booming all around the globe right now. This is due, in large part, to the convenience surrounding online shopping without a need to travel or stand in queues – but it is also skyrocketing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and the need to practice strict social distancing.

As such, if you are starting a new company, or you have an existing brick and mortar store, now is the time to take action and go digital. Here is a guide to setting up an eCommerce business smoothly and with minimal stress.

Get in touch with a web designer

The success of your eCommerce business is hinged on the attractiveness and functionality of your eCommerce website. Therefore, it pays to utilize the services of a professional web designer as opposed to building the site yourself using a free website building tool.

A web designer will help to ensure that online shoppers enjoy an optimized user experience through easy navigation and stunning imagery. As a result, the chances of these shoppers making a conversion will be greatly increased.

Take pictures of your products

Once the design of your website is complete, you will need to populate it with images of the products that you are selling. It is recommended to hire an expert photographer to take photographs of your merchandise to allow for uniformity. Further to this, online shoppers who are exposed to professional-looking images will subconsciously develop a better sense of trust in the brand in question and will be more likely to purchase what they see.

Invest in a vehicle fleet

It is possible to make use of the services of a third-party courier in order to deliver your customers’ orders to their door. However, doing so can often come with a host of potential problems due to poor communication or poorly maintained vehicles.

Therefore, several eCommerce business owners opt to invest in a company vehicle fleet of their own and deliver customer orders in-house. If you opt to go this route, it is vital that you keep track of vehicle maintenance requirements, registrations, route planning, and fuel efficiency. Consider investing in a fleet management software solution if you are battling to handle these tasks manually.

Set up safe, secure payments

Guaranteeing online shopping safety is an absolute non-negotiable for eCommerce websites. Without this guarantee in place, very few of your potential customers will be willing to convert. Take your time researching the various payment gateway options available to you and ensure that the one you choose easily integrates with your website for smooth, safe, and error-free payments.

Track important business metrics

You need to be actively tracking important metrics in order to maximize the success of your eCommerce business and make profitable changes thereof. Essential metrics to monitor include your sales conversion rate, average order value, the number of website hits received shopping cart abandonment rate, and the overall cost of customer acquisition.

There has never been a better time to embrace the world of eCommerce. Go for it – and good luck.