5 steps to create an effective ecommerce website
Maybe you have also noticed, but the e-commerce industry is booming! Everyone is shopping online. Companies are taking advantage of this trend to grow their business and create an e-commerce website.
Do you have an existing business? Let's say you sell bricks and mortar. Since you have noticed the trend, you may want to expand it online. Why not create an e-commerce business? It can be very profitable.
The first step to take is therefore to create an ecommerce website (well before thinking about your profit margins).
Some of you may have never created a website before. Don't worry. Even though at first glance, this task may seem daunting, it's not as difficult as it seems. I will prove it to you through this guide.
Even for those of you with some experience, this guide will still be useful. By the end of your reading, you will know how to easily create an ecommerce website.
What is the best platform to easily create an ecommerce website?
The first question to ask before following the 5 steps to easily create a website is the following: on which platform will I create my e-commerce site?
Certainly, there are dozens of options on the market, but I recommend
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Why is Wix the best ecommerce creation platform?
Simply because with Wix, you don't need to learn how to code or have any technical expertise. The platform allows everyone to easily create their highly functional ecommerce site in no time.
Wix is an excellent choice for beginners. To design a website, you just need to use the "drag and drop" option. Easy to customize and optimize for search engines.
The platform indeed has everything you need to start selling your products online
Payment without commission
gestion de commandes, de A à Z
gestion des règles d’expéditions
etc.
Wix also supports dropshipping and multichannel sales. You can then sell your products directly on other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
The customization of storefront, shopping cart, product galleries... is also possible (without the need for code). You can even set up features such as a customer wishlist, related product galleries, a mini cart, quick add to cart buttons, coupons, promotional codes, etc.
With these steps to easily create an ecommerce website, you can allow your customers to create accounts to increase their loyalty and speed up the payment process; all thanks to the saving of billing and shipping details.
The price to pay starts at $23 per month. At this price, you will have access to additional features such as advertising vouchers worth $300 and a free domain for one year.
But if in other cases, you are brought to
As your site grows, you can easily update your plan and adapt it to the size of your business.
The 5 steps to create an ecommerce website easily and effectively
As Wix is the best platform to easily create an ecommerce site, I will use this platform to show you all the procedures.
Step 1: Sign up and choose your plan
The first thing you need to do is
From there, you can start using Wix for free. However, the free plan does not give you any ecommerce capabilities. It is actually more of an extended trial; the purpose being to familiarize yourself with the website builder.
If you want to go further, you need to take a premium subscription. Make sure to select "Business & Ecommerce", as I highlighted in the screenshot below.
Not all of these plans necessarily have online selling capabilities, and yet, that's what you will need for your e-commerce website.
On the other hand, with the "ecommerce" plans, you will have the possibility to:
Accepting online payments
avoir un certificat SSL gratuit
avoir un espace de stockage important
avoir une bande passante illimitée
bénéficier d’un domaine gratuit pendant un an
How to choose the plan that suits you? The next steps to easily create an ecommerce site actually depend on this choice. I advise you to make this choice based on the size of your website and your company.
If you are a small business that sells a handful of products, the Basic Business or Business Unlimited plans will suit you. Larger websites with additional needs should opt for the Business VIP plan or potentially the Enterprise solution.
Wix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. So you can cancel (or change plans) within two weeks of payment if you are not satisfied.
Step 2 to easily create an ecommerce website: Decide on how you want to create your site
Once you have registered, you must make a choice.
use Wix ADI
recourir à l’éditeur Wix
With ADI, you will answer a series of questions about your e-commerce site, and the platform will automatically design the site (in a few minutes); it will use its artificial intelligence.
With the editor, you will start with a template and you will create it yourself.
There is no right or wrong method here. It all depends on your personal preferences. Even if you use the AI, you can still make changes using the editor later on.
For beginners, the best option will probably be to use AI to build your e-commerce website. It's faster, and you will have a functional site to modify, instead of starting from scratch.
If you are using the WYSIWYG editor, you will be asked to choose the type of e-commerce site you are creating (is it an online clothing store, a jewelry store, etc.). You will also be asked to select your preferences regarding the presence or absence of Instagram feeds, live chat, a subscription form, etc.
For those of you who are already online, the AI tool can import content from your existing website or Google Places.
Next, you are required to choose a theme before moving on to the 3 other steps to easily create an ecommerce website.
I did all of this in less than two minutes, and the platform automatically created an e-commerce site for me. All that's left to do is customize the site with your own content, images, and more.
Step 3: Connect your domain
After taking the time to edit everything, you will now need your domain.
Go to the "Settings" menu on the left side of your dashboard and click on "Domains".
You will find two options here. You can either
If you do not have a domain name and need to buy a new one, do not do it directly on the platform.
It is preferable to choose a domain name from one of the
However, if you want to opt for simplicity, you can simply buy a domain on Wix.
Step 4: Create your e-commerce website
Finally, we are almost there. It's time to make the site functional!
So, you must:
Add products
Choisir les pays d’expédition
Sélectionner les modes de paiement
To be clearer, I will talk to you about these elements one by one.
Products
To add a product, go to the "Product Store" section of your dashboard, on the left side of the screen. Then click on "+ New product" in the upper right corner of the screen.
From there, you can name the product, add it to a collection, set the price, and write your product description. You can also add images and videos of the product.
With Wix, you will even have the possibility to add a product ribbon (for example: "new arrival"), mark the product as "on sale", create a section for information such as return policy, tax settings management..
You will also be able to control the product size options, color choices, and inventory tracking.
Shipping
Here, it is about determining the regions to which you ship your products, and how these rates will be calculated.
For the example website that I have created in this tutorial, I have set up free delivery to the United States and fixed a flat rate for international orders.
Suppose that if you have chosen to create an ecommerce site easily, it is because you want to focus on a specific region. Switzerland, for example. So all you have to do is uncheck the international toggle switch on the right side of the screen and add the only region concerned, that is: Switzerland.
For shipping rates, you will have a wide range of options. For example, you can offer free delivery to customers who spend a certain amount of money per order.
In addition to a flat rate, you can charge shipping fees based on weight, based on the total order, or at rates calculated by USPS. You can also manage handling fees and give your customers the option to pick up their orders in store for certain regions.
Payment methods
Before you can get paid, you need to define the accepted payment methods. This is very easy to do with Wix's integrated payment processing system.
For this example, I have chosen the integrated processor and PayPal.
This allows you to accept all major credit cards such as Visa, American Express, Discover, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB, and Maestro.
The processing fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Wix does not take any additional commission.
Step 5: Finally publish your ecommerce website
The final step in creating an ecommerce website easily is to go live with your website. To do this, you absolutely must have a connected domain (explained in step #3).
You must also be signed up for a paid Wix plan. Technically, you can publish your site as part of a free plan, but not with your custom URL. You also won't have e-commerce capabilities without a paid subscription. If you haven't already done so, make sure to finalize your subscription before continuing.
Click on the publish button in the top right corner of your editor for the website to go live.
For your information, the preview of the website you see on the screen was generated 100% by Wix's artificial intelligence. I have not yet adjusted the layout, added images, or customized anything.
This shows you how easy it is to create an e-commerce website if you follow this path.
Best practices for creating an e-commerce website
The five steps to easily create an e-commerce site explained above will allow you to set up your online store in no time. It's simple, and anyone can do it.
A few more little things are still needed if you want your e-commerce site to be successful.
1. Simplicity above all
Your theme, your homepage, your product pages, and your inner pages should be simple when creating an ecommerce website easily. With Wix, it's possible.
So, do not try to clutter your homepage with all the products you sell. Simply highlight 3 to 6 of your most popular products. You can even showcase your all-time best seller, accompanied by a giant photo and a CTA.
The simplicity and presentation of your website guarantee better behavior from your customers and potential clients.
2. Take care of the contact page
This page is just as important as the others. It should therefore be simple.
It should include your phone number, address, email address, and a field to write the message. Make sure the contact form is sent to an active email account. This way, you can respond to customer inquiries as quickly as possible.
3. Make the "About" page attractive
The "About" page should not just be a boring story about the founding date of your company and what you sell. To easily create an ecommerce site and
This is your chance to tell a captivating story that motivates customers to act according to your expectations, and therefore, buy your products. Also make sure that this page is authentic and written as clearly as possible. It should address your target audience and resonate with them.
4. Avoid errors in product names
It is a common mistake for ecommerce site owners to choose the wrong product names. Unless you have a lot of experience in product naming, you should stick to clear names, without trying to be too creative.
A simple and boring name for a great product can still generate tons of sales. However, a bad name could destroy everything...
5. Make original product descriptions
Every product on your e-commerce website should have a unique description. This is essentially a presentation of one or two paragraphs.
Here is the standard structure that I recommend for product description:
One or two sentences identifying the problem that the product solves.
Une ou deux phrases décrivant ce que sera la vie, une fois le problème résolu.
Deux ou trois phrases décrivant comment votre produit résout ces problèmes et quelles sont les caractéristiques qui rendent cela possible.
That being said, not all products solve problems. Clothing and apparel are a perfect example. If you sell a trendy t-shirt, consumers buy it to feel confident, refine their identity, and change their look. In this case, the description should focus less on the product itself and more on how the item will impact the buyer.
6. Put up nice photos of the products
I know this may sound cheesy, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. You can't rely on product descriptions alone to sell your products.
To help you create an ecommerce site easily and effectively, hire a professional photographer if possible. Capture the products from all angles. Show them in action. If you are selling a shirt, take photos of a person wearing that shirt, instead of laying it flat on a table. If you are selling hiking shoes, show them on someone wearing them on a hiking trail. If you are selling bed sheets, take a photo of the sheets on a real bed.
As I briefly mentioned in the step-by-step guide, you can also add videos to products. This is perfect for products that cannot be represented solely by photos.
Conclusion
Creating an ecommerce website easily is possible! You could create one in ten minutes.
You will obviously need more time to add your products, write product descriptions, upload images, and everything else that is necessary to have a highly performing e-commerce website.
By using an e-commerce website builder like Wix, you can create an online store in just five easy steps.
Follow the step-by-step instructions that I have described in this guide. It is not necessary to know how to code or have technical experience to go through this process.
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Construire un site par glisser-déposer
Traitement intégré des paiements
Plus de 500 modèles de commerce électronique