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An e-commerce website is an excellent tool for businesses that sell products or services. The great advantage of having one is that it facilitates the buying and selling process, both for you and your customer. A physical store requires more time and money, so making sales through your website is essentially more cost effective.
If you are considering creating an e-commerce website, we’ve listed 5 questions to ask yourself to make sure it’s the right investment for you. And if you’re convinced that it is, we’ve listed 4 further questions to get you thinking about the technical side of it, to ensure that the e-commerce site you build ticks all the boxes that you need it to.
1

Are you focusing on a specific niche?

It’s important to focus on a specific niche so you can stand out from the competition, rather than try to be everything to everyone.
2

Have you built a great product?

This is the foundation of your business. You need a great product that people will actually want to buy.
3

Do you have a killer marketing strategy lined up?

You need to get the word out about your product and website, and a solid marketing strategy will help you do this effectively.
4

Are your logistics in place?

Once people start buying your product, you need to make sure you can deliver on your promises. This means having a great fulfilment process in place.
5

Are you committed to making improvements?

Your e-commerce website is never done. There’s always room for improvement, so constantly work on making your site better so you can attract more customers and make more sales.

Here’s what to consider from a technical standpoint:

1

Do you want a self-hosted or hosted platform?

Self-hosted platforms give you more control over your website, but they can be more expensive and complex to set up. Hosted platforms, on the other hand, are easier to use and usually come with built-in features like shopping carts and payment processing.
2

Can the platform handle what you need it to?

You need to consider the scalability of your platform, for example. If you anticipate rapid growth for your business, you need to choose a platform that can scale easily. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck with a platform that can’t keep up with your growth, which can be frustrating and costly. You also need to consider security and payment processing options.
3

Do you have the features you need for an e-commerce website?

Some platforms offer more robust features than others, so it’s important to choose a platform that offers the features you need for your business. Do you need a platform that can support digital downloads? Do you need a platform that integrates with your existing accounting software? Make sure to consider these factors when choosing an e-commerce platform. And of course an e-commerce website will need essential features like a shopping cart and checkout process.
4

Is your website optimised for search engines?

This is important as it would help potential customers find your site easily.
Having an e-commerce website is a game changer for most businesses. With a general shift in consumer buying behaviour towards online shopping, it allows you to be present so that your customers can buy your products or services from the comfort of whatever device and location they choose, and at whatever time of the day (or night). It is important to make sure that an e-commerce website is right for your business, and if it is, it should be built accordingly to ensure it meets all your needs.