With the e-commerce industry booming across Europe and Cyber ​​Monday confirmed as the biggest online sales day on record, there is now more incentive than ever for traditional retailers and entrepreneurs to pay attention to online retail. line. However, when building any business, certain key considerations and strategies must be observed when launching a successful eCommerce business. Read on to discover the seven key steps to building a thriving online store…

Step 1: Buy a domain name

The first stage in building a successful online retail business is finding a suitable domain name. You want something that is memorable, easy to spell, and not too similar to your competitors’ URLs. Do your due diligence if you are buying a domain name from a company that is already trading or through an auction, as you don’t want to buy a URL that is subject to Google sanctions.

Step 2: Find a web developer

To make your online store a reality, you will need to find a reliable and experienced web developer. Look for a development team that has a proven track record with ecommerce sites, can show you examples of ecommerce stores they’ve built, and is knowledgeable about things like payment gateways and ecommerce platforms.

Step 3 – Choose a platform

Once you have a web developer, they should be able to advise you on the most suitable ecommerce platform for your needs. A common option is WooCommerce, which fits nicely with WordPress and allows you to manage your entire website from one control panel. You will also need web hosting in place.

Step 4: Decide on a theme or design

Once you’ve selected your eCommerce platform, you’ll need to decide what your new online store will look like. At this point, design and the customer journey have a role to play. Talk to your web developer to plan and map out the journey you want your new and existing customers to take through your website.

Step 5: Write your content

While your web developer is hard at work behind the scenes, begin the task of creating your web copy. You’ll need to do extensive keyword research beforehand to ensure that your product descriptions, landing pages, and other web pages are optimized for launch. Don’t forget strong calls to action, too.

Step 6: Test, Test, Test

Before your site can officially go live, you’ll need to do extensive testing. Your web developer should do this before delivering, but you’ll also need to test the site thoroughly, using a variety of different devices. Go through the entire checkout process as well and make sure the journey to the sale is as smooth as possible. Testing should continue after the site launches, so you’ll also need an action plan for A/B testing as you go.

Step 7: Launch your marketing plan

You will need a solid digital marketing plan to accompany the launch of your site. It’s a good idea to start before your site goes live to build awareness and then improve it when your eCommerce site launches. Initially, you’ll need to consider paid search, but you should also simultaneously work on a longer-term SEO plan, social media marketing, content marketing, and email marketing to drive relevant, targeted traffic to your site.