In 2012, Forrester Research reported that e-commerce had brought in a revenue of $266.67 billion in the U.S.; clearly e-commerce is making its mark in online sales and web marketing. As the e-commerce industry grows, it’s important to incorporate trends and optimization into your planning and outlining for your site. SeoByWebMechanix.com suggests a few best practices that you can implement when you build your e-commerce site.
The Right Platform
For a simple platform that will work with Linux or Windows VPS hosting options, signing up with a WordPress site or a template from GoDaddy, is your best bet. TimesNews.net states that e-commerce sites work well with VPS hosting options because they are affordable, maintained by a support team and, in some instances, can be customized to meet the needs of your online store. After you’ve signed on with a host and selected the platform, select a template that is easy to execute or hire a developer to maintain your site. Although hiring a webmaster might cost you upfront, if the returns are higher than what your pay out is, then hiring a professional to maintain and customize your site might be the best option.
A Usable Design
Having a simple design for an e-commerce site is recommended. SeoByWebMachanix.com advises users to build a site that is easy to navigate and avoid using too many bells and whistles. Have a visible online-shopping cart, PayPal button and easy-to-navigate merchandise and have prices listed. Customers want to know what they’re buying and how much it is; they probably won’t bother emailing to find out the price if it isn’t listed. If you’re installing an e-commerce software, test out the design that they require to make sure it is aligned with the needs of your business.
Secure Your Site
Your online store is your bread and butter, so you will want to make sure that all of your transactions and communications are secure. To ensure maximum security for your online store, for both you and your customers finances, have an SSL (secure sockets layer) installed into your online service accounts log-in page and use VeriSign Global Site Certificate for an added layer of protection.
Optimize it Up!
This isn’t some build it and they will come scenario. If you want to drive traffic to your site and increase your conversions, you are going to want to implement some of the principles of SEO, like keyword and content focus. When hyperlinking words on your site, make sure that the keywords appropriately fit within your product’s brand and support the purpose of your site. Update and keep the content of your site, authentic, unique and not too advertorial.
After you’ve signed up with a host, picked a design and built out the site and modified it to fit the needs of your online business, share the store with your friends and other customers through social media networks, like Twitter or Facebook and get the conversions your online store needs.
