How to Sell Online?
I’d like to start this post by emphasizing one of the principles that I always follow in my work. I strongly believe that a successful project is based on good communication and mutual understanding.
Building an eCommerce website is a very serious project, because real people depend on it. Entire families may depend on the income it generates. I understand that, and feel a responsibility to build the best possible eCommerce solution for my client. Many people ask me for advice, and have a bunch of questions. Therefore I will briefly discuss the top 3 concerns when it comes to selling online.
Security
You will most likely accept credit card payments. It’s evident that you will have to comply with current web security standards. This automatically means that you’ll work with a professional. Don’t build your eCommerce website yourself, or have your neighbor’s kid do it, unless you chose to use one of the do-it-yourself solutions mentioned below.
Manageability
It’s important that you can easily update your inventory. If you are only selling one type of product or service you have different requirements as someone who offers a large variety of items/services that may run out of stock.
It is extremely important that you understand the nature and processes of your business to help you choose the best eCommerce solution.
Scalability
Scalability is a term that refers to the ability of your systems to grow and evolve. Depending on your business goals, your eCommerce platform may have to communicate to other systems such as inventory management, bookkeeping, custom APIs. Therefore, know where you want to take your business in the long run, and make sure that the options you’ll need will be available to you.
Many Options for Any Budget
Do-It-Yourself
There are numerous services available that allow anyone to start selling online right away. No upfront cost, no need for developers or designers. Just sign up and start selling. Try:
The disadvantages of these solutions are commission based rates and limited possibilities when it comes to scaling and customizing.
Use one of the many good eCommerce services
This is the option that most of you would likely choose. Some companies have analyzed the most common needs in eCommerce and have built flexible solutions for you. Try:
- Ecwid
- Magento
- Shopify
- Lightspeed/SeoShop (I am an official partner of this industry leader)
Some of these solutions can get pretty complex, so you should hire a web developer to set everything up. You still end up paying a lot less up front, because the developer does not have to custom build all the features. The services above come with various subscriptions plans and commission rates.
Custom build a unique experience
This is the option that only a few of you may ever consider. If you have very unique requirements and you would like to create a fully customized shopping experience, you may wish to have a web development team build everything from scratch. This is a substantial investment in your business, but it sets you up for extreme growth and flexibility in your business’ future.
As always, if you have any questions, please get in touch and I’ll be happy to advise.