A guide to website hosting and ecommerce

Build a User-Friendly Website

When you have a domain name, you can begin to build your e-commerce store. But first plan your site carefully before you start building.

Initial considerations

First, clarify what are the goals for your web site. If it is marketing, do you wish your website to generate leads, build a database of potential customers' names and e-mail addresses, or put a product catalog online to save the time and expense of printing and mailing. Quantify your objectives — for instance increase sales by 15 percent. This will indicated if your site is successful or not successful. Next, figure out what your potential customers require before buying your products and services. This could include: Your company overview together with your products and services, and their applications. For each particular product or service, a full description, including features, key benefits, pricing, product specifications, and other information, for each product or service has to be made known. Testimonials, case studies, or success stories so customers can see how similar individuals or organizations have worked with you helps to provide confidence. An FAQ section that anticipates and answers customers' common issues. Plan the structure of your site, focusing on making it easy for customers to learn what they need to know, make a purchase decision, and then buy quickly. Create a site map that outlines every page on your site from the home page down and how customers get from one page to the next. Use tools that quantitatively measure site activity where customers are clicking, how often, and whether they end up purchasing and then compare these results with your goals.

Site Building Tools

With a solid plan in hand, you're ready to start constructing your e-commerce site. Many e-commerce businesses hire a professional design studios to create their Web sites. But if your budget is limited, many Web site building tools make it fast and easy for you to create a polished, professional looking site-with no in-depth HTML knowledge necessary.

E-Commerce Site Design Tips

Following these basic guidelines will make your site attractive and user-friendly for your customers. This will result in sales for your business.

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