It’s hard to deny that customers like convenience and choice. E-commerce allows customers to buy everything from furniture to food to clothing to jewelry from their sofas.
As more and more people discover the convenience of online shopping, the e-commerce industry is expected to continue growing. This proves to businesses that an ecommerce website is a profitable option.
Smart business owners understand that they need to adapt and adopt a business model based on e-commerce to provide their customers with online access to their products. You need an e commerce website development London to reflect your business goals and to cater to the preferences of your customers if you want to become an online retailer.
So in this blog, we will explore the development steps for ecommerce websites and other aspects as well.
What is Ecommerce Website Development?
E-commerce web development is the process of creating an online platform that allows businesses to sell their products and services online. A typical e-commerce site includes features like product listings, shopping baskets, payment processing, and order tracking. These features enable customers to browse products and make purchases online, while businesses can manage orders and payments efficiently.
A website for e-commerce is usually developed by creating a custom design tailored to the brand of the business and its target audience. To create the required functionality, the website is built using a mix of programming languages and frameworks. Integration of third-party tools, such as shipping providers, payment gateways, and inventory management software, may be part of the ecommerce web design London process.
Stats About the eCommerce Market
- With over five billion users of the internet, online purchases are increasing as global internet adoption and access increase.
- In 2022, it is predicted that global retail e-commerce would top 5.7 trillion US dollars. Over the ensuing few years, this number will keep increasing.
- The world’s most popular internet shop is Amazon.
- In May 2022, the Seattle-based e commerce giant, which offers ecommerce, computing services and consumer electronics as well as digital content, registered more than 5.6 billion direct visitors to its website.com.
- By the end of 2022, smartphone visits will account for more than 70 percent of all online retail site visits.
- Retail e-commerce worldwide will reach approximately 5.2 trillion U.S. Dollars in 2021. The forecast is for this figure to increase by 56 percent in the next few decades, reaching 8.1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2026.
- Alibaba, a Chinese retail company, will be the world’s largest ecommerce retailer in 2022, with sales online estimated at more than 700 billion U.S. dollars.
- Between 2023 and 2027, the revenue of the US e-commerce industry was predicted to increase by 551.9 billion U.S. Dollars (+54.59%).
Why Create an Ecommerce Website?
E-commerce has the potential to significantly boost your revenue. The world has changed, and small vendors have to face this new reality. The mobile phone is always in the hands of consumers.
Ecommerce offers a great deal of flexibility and opportunities, as you don’t need to have a physical location or store. Launching a store online can be much more affordable and easier. Partnering with other service providers can help online businesses grow globally, by attracting an enormous customer base.
Here are some reasons why an ecommerce site can increase one’s revenue and grow a business instantly.
- Search engines are used to attract all kinds of customers to online websites.
- You can make money online.
- Customers can avoid running to the store, which is convenient.
- Speed up your business operations
- Brand recognition increases.
- Financial risks are reduced
- Offer a wide range of options to your customers
Having your own online store is a terrific method to expand your company. This is a great strategy to ecommerce web development London and boost your brand’s popularity.
What do You need to Create an eCommerce Website?
Before you begin the process of creating an eCommerce website, it is important to have a number of things ready. These include the domain name and web hosting. You can also start building the product layout. You must have a few things ready before your e commerce website development London.
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Shopping Cart
You need to select a shopping basket if you plan to sell online. In this guide, WooCommerce is the recommendation. This WordPress shopping cart plug-in has all you need to start a successful online store. You can hire web developers to integrate shopping cart functionalities into your website. There are many other shopping carts available. WooCommerce, however, is the best option for this setup because we’ll be using WordPress.
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Payment Gateway
You do need a payment portal to accept online payments both for physical and digital products. The process of choosing a payment portal when setting up an eCommerce site has gotten easier over the years.
It’s so much that most payment gateways have been integrated into your shopping cart. Since we’re using WooCommerce in this case, the plugin will have a list of all payment gateways. Then, you simply attach the payment gateway to the shopping cart that has already been uploaded and configured.
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SSL Certificate
Installing an SSL is necessary to securely process online transactions and to move and process private data. The majority of hosting plans include an SSL in their plan.
With an SSL certificate (Secure Socket Layer), you can change your website from HTTP to HTTPS. It shows customers that their purchases are made through a secured connection. Consider getting a certificate that has a longer warranty. You will be covered if anything goes wrong.
e Commerce Website Development London–Steps to Follow
Now that you know the things needed for e commerce website development london. We will now jump into the main section of steps to build an ecommerce website. However, to develop a robust ecommerce website, you need to hire dedicated developers who are well-versed and experts in this. So let’s begin.
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Select Your Content Management System
Every website has a CMS as its foundation. From open-source platforms like WordPress to user-friendly all-in-one websites builders like Shopify and Squarespace, you may select from a range of content management systems. The best content management system for your online business will rely on your needs, experience, and budget.
The most popular content management system for e-commerce sites is:
- WordPress: WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS and also one of its most customizable.
- Shopify: Shopify is the ideal ecommerce solution to build a dropshipping company.
- Squarespace: Squarespace is one of the best web builders for beginners. It enables you to make a website that looks professional even if you have no prior London ecommerce web design knowledge.
- Square Online: Square Online is best for existing retailers who want to sell online and in person.
- Wix: Wix is an all-in-one website builder which is easy to use, yet highly customizable.
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Create an Account (Or Get Web hosting)
If you decide to use WordPress, you will need to create an account. If you want to utilize WordPress to build an e-commerce website, you will need a hosting package. Most web hosting plans include a domain name for free, an SSL certificate, and a one-click WordPress setup.
You can register an account on the website of a website builder like Shopify, Squarespace, or Square Online if you use one. Register your domain through your CMS if it is possible. You won’t need to manually configure your domain any more thanks to this.
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Choose an E-Commerce Theme or Template
You should start by choosing a theme for the website. Themes are pre-made templates that give your website a uniform look and feel. There are many templates available on all subscription platforms. So, whether you build your ecommerce website using WordPress, Shopify, or Wix, you can choose from a wide range of pre-built templates.
While most platforms offer free templates, others may also have paid templates. Both Shopify and WordPress offer premium themes ranging in price from $30 to more than $200. Many of these themes are unique and can reduce the time it takes to customize a theme for businesses that want a certain look.
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Create and Customize Your Own Web Pages
The next step is to customize the theme. You will update your header and footer and configure your site’s navigation. You will also build out your pages, from your homepage to your refunds or return policy page.
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Create Product Listings
Product listings are essential to any online store. Once you’ve built your website, your next step will be to create your product catalog, which includes all your individual product listings. Organize and categorize all of your product listings to make it easy for future visitors to your site to find them and for you to manage them.
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Set Up a Payment Gateway, Inventory, and Tax Tools
You will need to take care of a few important aspects after you have created your ecommerce website. These include setting up a payment processor, adding inventory, and adding tax tools.
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Select a Payment Gateway
Many online retailers choose third-party tools like Stripe or PayPal when it comes to setting up and choosing a payment gateway. This makes the process more convenient and secure. You must ensure the data transferred to the other website is encrypted before it can be redirected.
Consider these factors when choosing a payment integration:
- How easy is it for you to integrate your tool with the platform?
- Is this tool safe?
- Does the tool comply with PCI standards?
- What fees must you and your customer pay?
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Integrate Shipping
You should integrate your shipping system with your website if your platform permits it. This will create a seamless shopping experience. This will simplify your operations, allowing you to focus on sales. Before you integrate shipping policies, such as flat rate, variable fee, or free shipping, it is important to determine them. Establish your return and refund policy while you’re at it.
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Add a Sales Tax Calculator (Optional)
You may also want to add a tax calculator to calculate automatically the sales tax, shipping, and other fees during checkout.
6. Test and Launch Your E-Commerce Site
You must thoroughly test the website before launching it to your customers. Each button and link must work. Even 404 error pages should be themed.
Test to see if the products can be added to the shopping cart and the payment processed. You can test the payment process on most platforms without charging your credit cards. Check that all emails are being sent to the correct inboxes following a successful or unsuccessful purchase.
Last but not least, make sure your website looks and works on mobile devices. Try to test the performance of your site on several different browsers.
Everything from product descriptions to category pages should have been tested and double-checked before you are ready to publish.
Through your social media channels, you may announce the opening of your online business. posting as a guest on well-known retail blogs in your niche. marketing using influencers. If you have the money, you may also buy advertising space on websites like Facebook, Google, and others.
Things to Consider When Creating an eCommerce Website
You must first consider the following factors when you plan for e commerce website development london. So let’s check out each of them.
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Product Description
Before an eCommerce website can be created, it must have products. Once you have decided on the products that your online store will sell, pictures, descriptions, and reviews are required.
You probably won’t get any product reviews as soon as your eCommerce site is launched. It is important to have product reviews available on your product pages. When your customers can see what others think about your products, they will be more trusting.
Any item you wish to advertise should have several photographs included. Take pictures from different angles to help clients understand the product you’re selling, its size, and its condition. High-quality images are the foundation of a great User Experience.
You’ll need to provide a detailed product description for each of your products. These descriptions are not only important for your customers to read but also for SEO (search engine optimization).
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User Experience (UX)
After the product pages, the UX is the most important component of your eCommerce site. If users are having trouble accessing your site, it will be difficult to keep customers and generate sales. eCommerce is also a very competitive industry.
If your site has a bad user experience, you can be certain that your users will find an alternative eCommerce website that offers a superior experience. It takes time to design the ecommerce website design London’s components of the User Interface that will make up your overall User Experience.
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Payments
Before you launch your eCommerce site, you must decide on the payment method. You will only be able to use one of the many payment gateways that are available.
The number of sales, processing charges, and other elements will all affect which payment gateway is ideal. To pick the finest payment gateway for your business, take your time and conduct thorough research.
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Shipping
eCommerce is all about delivery. Because your business is online, you will have clients all over the globe. Decide how you want to send your product and what it will cost. Also, decide if you’ll charge your customers for shipping.
Online shoppers are accustomed to free shipping. They are actually more likely to purchase if there is free shipping. One way to offer free shipping is by including the shipping cost in the price of the product. The client may think that the shipping is free, even though it’s not.
- Policies
When deciding to create an eCommerce site from scratch, your policies are important to consider. Accept returns, for example? What happens if the product is damaged during transit? An eCommerce company may face a variety of problems.
You will find that some of these problems are harder to handle when you’re dealing with digital technology. However, if your policies are clear, it is easier to address them as they arise. You should now consider customer support. It might be wise to hire support staff in order to deal with customer problems. It will depend on the amount of sales and inquiries you receive from customers.
How Much Does it Cost to Build an Ecommerce Website?
The e commerce website development London cost depends on many factors, including the complexity of your website, its features, and functionality, the CMS (Content Management System), the customization and design needs, as well as the location and expertise of the development team.
Please be aware that the numbers below are simply estimates and might change significantly.
- Basic Ecommerce Web: The development costs can range between $25000 and $30000 for a basic ecommerce site with standard features, a basic design, limited customizations, etc.
- Cost of a mid-range Ecommerce Site: This website can cost between $35,000 and $40,000. It will have additional features such as product variations, payment gateway integration, customer reviews, and more.
- Cost of a high-end Ecommerce website: This can be as much as $50,000 or more if you require complex requirements, unique designs, advanced features such as AI-driven recommendations, mobile apps, and customization.
Costs for continuing services like site hosting, SSL certificates, and domain registration are not included in these estimates.
A professional web development agency, or hiring freelancers can be more expensive than using CMS platforms or website builders with pre-designed templates. Hourly rates for developers may also differ depending on their location and experience.
It is best to hire ecommerce developers or freelancers and discuss your project in detail. You can also get customized quotes that are based on what you need.
Conclusion
E-commerce sales are expected to exceed $563 million in 2024. It’s important to invest in an attractive, functional ecommerce website to attract customers and give them easy access to your products.
But merely following these instructions is insufficient. To get your website up and running, you’ll need a team of independent workers with the necessary technical knowledge.
When you hire an ecommerce development company, you’ll be connected to independent professionals who can effectively and efficiently perform the work needed to launch your dream online business into reality.
