The Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumers’ shopping behaviors. During the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, many consumers who never purchased anything online before this; making their online purchase for the first time. It is estimated that consumers will continue to purchase more via online in the future.
No matter what kind of business that you are operating, having a webstore for business is essential. A webstore can help to enhance your product awareness and make it easier for consumers to browse and purchase your products. Moreover, a webstore can raise the confidence of the customer and allows them to feel more secure when buying online.
As a beginner, what are the basic things to know before building a webstore? Let’s take a look.
1. Domain name
A domain name is an address where internet users can access your website. It is important because it can add credibility to your business and make your business more professional.
How to choose for the right domain name? Here are some tips that might be useful for you in choosing the right domain name.
a. Use the right domain extension (.com, .biz or .net)
b. Short domain is better than long domain.
c. Avoid hyphens and numbers in your domain name.
d. Easy to pronounce and remember.
2. Website hosting
Website hosting is a service that supports individuals and businesses to have a website on the Internet. It is not only a function to provide business a website on the internet. Yet, it helps to ensure the website to have a good level of security, gives insights about what type of website hosting service a business is required in order to meet the page views demand and prevent the down side’s problem.
Since there are so many hosting companies out there, how shall I choose it? Well, here are some basic guidelines you may consider to follow when choosing for a hosting company.
a. Website loading speed
If your website is loaded longer than 2 seconds, it may drive your visitors away. Although website speed is affected by several factors, having a web hosting provider with a fast server and enough memory is important for every business.
b. Website is secure with an SSL certificate
If you are selling products and accept payments on your website, it is important that your website is supported by a SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate. Keeping your website safe is the most important factor when choosing a web hosting company.
c. 24/7 monitoring and support is available
24/7 monitoring and support is important for users who need hosting support. When you are in a problem, your host is there to provide you with necessary support.
3. Webstore content development
After you have chosen your domain name and hosting, now you are ready to develop your webstore content. Thanks to readymade webstore templates, you can now create a professional eCommerce webstore with little knowledge of web design. For a beginner, how should you choose a good webstore template? Here are some tips you can follow.
i) Look for template with customization option
You will need to tweak your template to make your webstore stand out to thousands of users using the same template. Thus, the customisation option is important when choosing a template.
ii) Choose for responsive template
Cell phones are now commonly used by consumers to surf the internet. If your site is not responsive, it might give a bad impression to your visitors and prevent them from revisiting your site again. Thus, it is important to have a responsive template so that it would not affect the visitors browsing experience.
iii) Go for SEO friendly template
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important for your website to reach out to more people. Be sure to choose a template that allows you to set page title and meta description for every page you have. In this case, it will help your page rank better in search engines and drive more traffic to your webstore.
Now you know the important things to consider before setting a webstore. Are you thinking of having your own webstore? SiteGiant provides you with complete features to empower your eCommerce journey. Click HERE for more information.