Ecommerce has remained one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, as the number of people making purchases online appears to shoot up every year. This makes having an online shop extremely crucial for businesses hoping to increase their earnings. Unfortunately, the world of eCommerce can be daunting as there are several options to create a website. So, to help you out, we have created this guide of the top three ways that you can launch an online shop.
Top Plans of Launching Your Ecommerce Website :
Develop It from Scratch
Although several tools can help you quickly create a website, developing from scratch has remained one of the best methods. In most cases, this is because building a website from the ground up grants you an additional level of customization, which is why we tend to recommend this solution for businesses that have very specific or niche requirements.
eCommerce businesses that develop their websites from scratch also enjoy faster support, custom scalability, and complete ownership of the website, which can be extremely valuable in the realm of eCommerce. Additionally, having a fully customized platform allows you to stay far ahead of your competitors as you can easily add new functionality or implement the latest technology.
However, while these are highly compelling reasons for developing a website from scratch, a few businesses tend to stay away from this method because of the cost and time it takes to implement. Generally, a fully customizable eCommerce website can start in the range of $3,000 and this figure can easily shoot up as the complexity of your goals increase. You can also expect to wait up to 6 months for a basic, custom-built eCommerce website.
Use an E-Commerce CMS
A Content Management System (CMS) is another great method of building eCommerce websites. Generally, a CMS is a piece of software that allows you to store and manage your website’s content. We tend to suggest this method for businesses that would like full control over their page and website without having to write much custom code.
While a CMS grants you several features, you will still have to carry out site maintenance, backups, and security on your own, and this may require some technical knowledge. Additionally, because this method of launching an online shop relies heavily on themes and plugins, you may also find the learning curve a bit steep. This means that it may take several weeks before your site is up and running.
On the other hand, the benefits of a CMS when you want to create an online store cannot be overstated. Most of the CMSs that you find will offer you a high variety of options, which should allow you to scale at will depending on the size of your audience. Websites created by a CMS are also far more unique than other options as you can either build with a theme or create a custom layout and interface.
Try an Online Website Builder
A quickly rising and popular way to launch online shops is by using a website builder. Essentially, these are platforms that allow you to create a website and host them right on the platform without much hassle. In most cases, this is the quickest way to begin your eCommerce journey because website builders are extremely easy to use, and you can expect to have your website up and running in a matter of days.
Generally, website builders work by offering various plans, where each option will provide a range of perks, such as varying levels of support, security, backups, etc., so you must choose the right one based on the needs of your business. However, some website builders will also have options specifically for eCommerce, which we recommend you go for if it is available.
Once you have selected a plan, you can begin developing your website. The main benefit of this method is that it is completely code-free, which means that you can quickly create an entire website without even seeing a line of code. This makes it extremely easy and quick to learn. In most cases, all you will need to do is drag the necessary content onto the page to create a functioning website.
