Now that your store is up and
running it's best to get the word out. The best way to do that is to create a
website. Having a website lets people know that the store exists. It also can
reach people that may not know about it.
Creating a website is not as hard as it used to be. Choose between website
builders or build it from scratch with a web host. Website builders like Wix,
Jimdo and Homestead are free to use. Create, Shopify and Goodsie offer a free
trial before you buy. Website hosts like GoDaddy, JustHost or BlueHost wants
you to pay upfront. Picking the host is the most important step so it's best to
read customer reviews and research to get the most features for your budget
before diving in. Next, pick a domain. Most packages come with a domain feature
but if not purchase this. This too is important so pick a name the company and
customers will remember.
After that choose a pre-made template or design one with the web host tools.
When building the site, create categories to make it easier to navigate.
Examples of that would be to separate it by price, name brand, product type,
holidays and sales. Now take pictures of the merchandise. The pictures must
look professional, well-lit and easy to see. Edit and crop with photo editing
software if needed. Then start writing. Use word processing software to do
this. Don't just describe the products in the photos; write company information
for the about us section, frequently asked questions, and homepage welcome
information. Make it professional; check punctuation and spelling.
Figure out how payment will be handled. If you add Paypal or Google Checkout,
open an account with either or both of them. Otherwise open a merchant account
to accept credit card purchases. Add a shopping cart. Download shopping cart software
if this feature is not included in the packaged deal. Take time to review
everything before publishing it to the web.
Creating a website for your store is easy. Follow these steps and build your
online business.
