For many of us looking to set up an online shop, 'ecommerce' is where it all begins. When you see this word in articles and reports - it simply refers to the buying and selling of goods over the internet. The popularity of online shopping is reaching new heights and you need to be sure that your ecommerce business can keep up. Are you making a solid monthly income? Does your online shop get the time and effort it requires to be a successful ecommerce project?
If the answer to any of these question is no, you should probably start by asking yourself what you can do to change things. A major factor is setting up your online business on a reliable ecommerce software platform. Such 'off-the-shelf' solutions are (generally) contract free and reputable companies allow you to try before you buy. If it doesn't work out for you, what have you lost?
Thereafter, you shouldn't be paying more than £20 a month for a fully hosted and fully functioning online shop. Compare this to the ongoing expense of running a specialist, bespoke ecommerce website. New upgrades, maintenance charges... the list can go on. Using a fully-hosted ecommerce provider means that your online shop sits on a server, and all the technical matter is taken care of. Understandably, all the argot and price estimations can be overwhelming - if you aren't using an ecommerce software provider to start your business.
The statistics for those owners of ecommerce websites paying over the odds is surprising. Almost 90% of online shops have taken the bespoke route in the past where 'off-the-shelf' ecommerce software would have more than sufficed. Granted, once you're familiar with your online store you may choose to enhance the shop front design for aesthetic appeal. That is not to say you can't visually enhance your ecommerce website by getting to grips with the control panel on the back end.
It all depends what you want from your online shop. No two people are the same, and naturally, different choices will result in different ecommerce projects. It's important that you do your research into costs before embarking upon an online business, especially where hidden or additional charges are concerned. For example, a list of payment gateways is part of the ecommerce software package - not something that should incur a hefty fee each time you add a service provider. On an ecommerce platform the various payment gateways are already preconfigured and can be accessed from your account.
It's a mantra that echoes all around us - less is more. Don't be duped into thinking that investing copious amounts of money will bring you a better service. Additional design requirements are optional and many online shop owners do just fine with their chosen ecommerce software system. If you find yourself out of pocket after the simplest of tweaks - phone number changes, adding new products etc it's time to look elsewhere.
If the answer to any of these question is no, you should probably start by asking yourself what you can do to change things. A major factor is setting up your online business on a reliable ecommerce software platform. Such 'off-the-shelf' solutions are (generally) contract free and reputable companies allow you to try before you buy. If it doesn't work out for you, what have you lost?
Thereafter, you shouldn't be paying more than £20 a month for a fully hosted and fully functioning online shop. Compare this to the ongoing expense of running a specialist, bespoke ecommerce website. New upgrades, maintenance charges... the list can go on. Using a fully-hosted ecommerce provider means that your online shop sits on a server, and all the technical matter is taken care of. Understandably, all the argot and price estimations can be overwhelming - if you aren't using an ecommerce software provider to start your business.
The statistics for those owners of ecommerce websites paying over the odds is surprising. Almost 90% of online shops have taken the bespoke route in the past where 'off-the-shelf' ecommerce software would have more than sufficed. Granted, once you're familiar with your online store you may choose to enhance the shop front design for aesthetic appeal. That is not to say you can't visually enhance your ecommerce website by getting to grips with the control panel on the back end.
It all depends what you want from your online shop. No two people are the same, and naturally, different choices will result in different ecommerce projects. It's important that you do your research into costs before embarking upon an online business, especially where hidden or additional charges are concerned. For example, a list of payment gateways is part of the ecommerce software package - not something that should incur a hefty fee each time you add a service provider. On an ecommerce platform the various payment gateways are already preconfigured and can be accessed from your account.
It's a mantra that echoes all around us - less is more. Don't be duped into thinking that investing copious amounts of money will bring you a better service. Additional design requirements are optional and many online shop owners do just fine with their chosen ecommerce software system. If you find yourself out of pocket after the simplest of tweaks - phone number changes, adding new products etc it's time to look elsewhere.
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