A web developer will work closely with you to ensure the setup of your online store goes smoothly, but to ensure that your e-commerce store is set up in a timely manner there are some things you can do to help the process along.
Colour scheme and logo
Decide on a colour scheme if you don’t already have one, the web developer will be able to recommend complementary colour schemes to suit you. If you do already have a website or branded materials, send them across to the web developer. This will give them a good idea of the style and theme to ensure your e-commerce store matches your existing branding.
They will also need your logo, try to provide a high-quality version of your logo and also black, white and full-colour variants so that the web developer can optimise the use of your logo on your e-commerce store
How can I get products to my customers?
Work our how you are going to get products to your customers. Do you need a courier, can you send them in the post or can you deliver them yourself? Can I offer Click & Collect? If you run a service can people order your services online? This is something you need to consider at the beginning so that your web developer build these options into your e-commerce store.
Payment information
When setting up an e-commerce platform we need to include payment gateways, this is how the payments get from the customer to you. For this, the web developer will need your payment and account information. If you are worried about security issues you could always request a meeting and this can be set up in a meeting.
Product information
When setting up an e-commerce store it is important that you have all of the product information ready so that the developers can add everything in one go to avoid mistakes. You will need to provide a list including the product name, SKU if applicable, price, description and any variations such as colour or size. If you have more complex variations such as made to measure product the developer can include options to make this possible. We always recommend creating a spreadsheet with all of this data,
Product Photos
Product photos are one of the most important things to consider when adding products to an e-commerce platform. You need to consider the quality, they need to show your products at their best. Consider investing in some professional photos if you intend to sell online.
When providing photo’s to your developer ensure they are properly named. Unnamed or default named photos are no good, the developer will need to spend unnecessary time figuring out which product the photo belongs to or they will have to call you.
Deals, discounts and promotions
A great way to launch an e-commerce store is to offer deals and discounts, whether this is to the first 50 customers or for a whole week, that is up to you. With an e-commerce store, you can have various types of offers. You can have percentages of purchase storewide or put in place a discount code that must be entered at the checkout. You can have money off codes such as £10 off when you spend £50. Free delivery offers are always a great way to start, who doesn’t like free delivery?
Loyalty scheme information
You can reward your most loyal customers with a loyalty scheme, this can include money off, percentage off of their order and more. The purpose is to give them something to keep them coming back and an incentive to shop with you over a competitor.
Some examples of this are:
- Points based systems – Get 10 points for every £1 spent
- Money off email voucher – £5 off your next order with this code
- Email percentage off – 10% off your next order
- Refer a friend – Refer a friend and get £10 off your next order
