The Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Your First eCommerce Store

Starting your own eCommerce business might sound complicated, but it doesn’t have to be, especially with the right partner. Whether you’re looking to sell products, services, or even digital goods, this guide is here to help you take those first steps – without the technical jargon or confusing terms, just clear, simple advice to get your business up and running.

Let’s start by understanding what eCommerce is and why it’s such a big opportunity for anyone wanting to sell online.

What Is eCommerce?

eCommerce is just the technical term for selling things online, you can also call it an online shop or store. The great thing about eCommerce is it lets businesses reach customers all around the world, at any time of day without the need for a physical shop.

Whatever you sell, there are a few things you’ll need to consider and decide, but the great news is, it’s never been easier to set up shop online.

How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Store

Choosing the right platform for your eCommerce website is an important decision. An eCommerce platform is the software that your online shop runs on, and there are a lot of choices out there, but here are some of the most popular:

• WooCommerce: Woo (AKA WooCommerce) is perfect if you already have a WordPress website. It’s easy to use and you can add lots of features with plugins. It’s free to use, but you might need to pay for things like hosting or themes.
• Shopify: Shopify websites are a very popular choice for beginners. It’s easy to set up, with everything you need to start selling. It’s not free, but it’s an all-in-one system, which keeps things simple.
• Adobe Commerce (Magento): This is for bigger businesses or those with special requirements. It’s super powerful but needs more tech skills to set up. If you have a big budget and want lots of options, this might be the one for you.
• Wix: Wix is a simple platform for people who don’t want to worry too much about tech. It’s drag-and-drop, so you can easily design your shop and is ideal for smaller shops or beginners.

Each of these platforms has pros and cons, but you need to pick the one that fits your budget, your skills, and the size of your store. If you want to learn a little more about each, check out our in-depth guide on choosing the right platform.

Putting Some Thought into Your Brand

Branding isn’t just about having a cool logo or slapping a few colours on a page. It’s how people feel about your business and what your business stands for.

When people visit your store, they want to know what your business is all about. What do you care about? What makes you different from other stores? For example, if your store cares about the environment, that could form a key part of your branding.

Think about:

• What are your core values?
• Who is your target audience? Who are you selling to, and what do they care about?
• How do you want potential customers to feel when they visit your shop?

Branding is about more than just looking good. It’s about creating trust and showing people who you are. Learn more about our branding services here.

How Important is SEO in eCommerce?

SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimisation”, and it involves a whole host of techniques and strategies to help people find your store online. Consider this: if your store doesn’t show up when people search for your products, they won’t be able to buy from you.

Simple SEO Tips:

• Use the right keywords: These are words people type into search engines to find products. Use them in strategic places on your product and category pages, for example: product names, descriptions, page titles etc.
• Speed up your website: Big, slow images on a clunky site can make your online shop load slowly, which is bad for user experience, which is, in turn, bad for SEO.
• Make your website mobile-friendly: Many people shop on their phones, so your store needs to look good and work well on mobile devices. Why? Because Google says so!

Employing SEO best practices and strategies will help people find your store. More visitors means there’s more chance of a sale. Getting this right early on in a website build paves the way for success.

Learn about our SEO services here.

Other Things to Consider

As your site grows in complexity, there will obviously be additional elements to consider; here are just a few.

• Payment options: Make sure you offer easy and secure ways for customers to pay, like credit cards, PayPal, or credit options.
• Customer support: When people need help, they invariably want support services immediately. Have a clear way for them to get in touch with you, whether it’s through email, live chat, or a contact form. Make sure you also have a robust and comprehensive FAQ section to help users answer common questions easily.
• Delivery: Make sure people know how much delivery will cost and how long it will take. If you can, offer free shipping – whilst you will probably have to subsidise these costs, it does actually make a big difference to purchasing decisions.
• Site security: Ensure your site and payment options are secure. This helps protect your customers’ data and builds trust.
• Product photos and descriptions: Use high-quality photos and write clear, detailed product descriptions to help users make informed decisions.
• Use social proof: Show customer reviews or testimonials on your website. When other people say your products are great, it makes new customers feel more confident buying from you.
• Hosting: Choose a reliable hosting provider that can handle your store’s traffic. Look for fast load times and enough bandwidth to support your product images and content without slowing down your site. Want more information on hosting and support?

Let’s Get Your Store Launched

Setting up your first eCommerce website doesn’t have to be overwhelming. While there’s a lot more to it, and things can get complex as you grow, having the right setup, a solid product offering, and a team of competent digital experts from the beginning makes all the difference.

With the right tools and a clear strategy, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful online store. Remember, it’s about starting with a strong foundation, and with the right guidance, you really can’t go wrong. Good luck with your eCommerce journey!