So you decided to branch out into ecommerce and have spent the last six months selling your wares via Etsy or Facebook stores – sales are good and the only way for you to go from here is up. But then you start to realise that you’re not happy with the host website design, or that you’re paying more than you should just to rent out a small corner of an online store. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to move on and get yourself a proper ecommerce website.
Why Should I Get My Own Ecommerce Website?
If the above sounds like a familiar situation, then you’ve already outgrown the website you were hosting your store on. By this point in your journey into ecommerce, you’ve probably grown tired of directing people to a sub-domain, or of the lack of control available to you, and you’re risking enthusiasm (and money) staying with sites such as Etsy. Don’t get us wrong – Etsy and Big Cartel are great when you’re starting out with a few items, but as you grow you’ll need your own space to call your own. From here, you’ll truly be able to take your ecommerce offering to the next level.
Great! How Do I Get Started?
Whatever you do, don’t suddenly abandon your current shop before you’ve got a replacement sorted. Before doing anything else, start by talking to a specialist ecommerce website design agency to get their thoughts on what you’ll need. Then think about the items you’ll want to be displayed, the type of shipping on offer and what information you’ll need to display to customers. A website design agency can help with all of these.
OK, What Else Do They Do?
A web design agency (or website designer if you’re working with one person in particular) will talk through your options with you so that you can pick the best kind of payment solution for you and your customers, as well as ensuring your products will be displayed properly and that the customer journey is nice and smooth. They’ll then proceed to build the entire thing for you, asking your opinion along the way to make sure every word is spot on, that it is optimised correctly for search engines and that you’re happy with the final product.
But it’ll Still Be My Store, Right?
Absolutely! Although the design agency team will be putting it together, once they’ve finished the keys to the kingdom are all yours! All of that freedom you didn’t have on Etsy and Big Cartel? You’ve now got it, with plenty of room to grow your offering.
I’m Interested! What Should I Do First?
Fantastic! You’re already one step closer to a powerful ecommerce website to call your own. Before talking to a website design agency, we would recommend first taking down some notes on what you want your website to look and feel like, as well as the type of customers you’re trying to attract and the products you’ll have on offer. From there, you’ll need to find the creative agency right for you and discuss your needs with them, before they put everything together.
Good luck and happy website building!
Looking for a digital agency to set your ecommerce site apart from the rest? We have extensive experience in both website design and online retail, allowing us to give our clients the best design agency website offering in Manchester. Get in touch with the Christian Michaels agency to get started – and let’s take your ecommerce efforts to the next level!