If you want to create an online shop as easily, quickly, and inexpensively as possible, you can do this with shop construction kits. This method is the absolute entry-level version of an online shop. But what exactly speaks for this variant, and how does it compare to other options?
What Are The Advantages Of The Modular Method?
With the modular principle, you can create an online shop yourself, even if you have little basic programming knowledge. There are simple steps from the idea to the finished webshop. The monthly amount you pay to any top eCommerce website builders depends on the scope and features of your website.
- Decide on specific basic settings of the online shop:
- Design: content and structure,
- payment method,
- shipping method.
- Then you upload pictures of your products, state the prices of your items and describe your goods or the various options of your service.
Are you a young start-up entrepreneur who wants to become self-employed but have little technical skill and small start-up capital? Then this way of setting up an online shop is well suited for you.
What Are The Disadvantages of The Modular Method?
In addition to the advantages, there are also some disadvantages that you should be aware of. If you create a webshop with the modular principle, it is easy and cheap to start with. In addition, this method is often sufficient if you are self-employed on a part-time basis. But: These are prepared templates, so you are confronted with many restrictions. The shop builders are an option for the beginning but not a solution if you want to start a long-term online business.
Other problems and limitations :
- There are only limited options for payment methods.
- Search and filter functions within the webshop only deliver intermediate results.
- Unique design ideas and processes cannot be implemented.
- The complex legal basis for online trading is not met.
CREATE YOUR ONLINE SHOP WITH SOFTWARE
Do you have unique ideas about how you want to set up your online shop and how you want to sell your products? Then you decided against the modular version and for the solution with e-commerce software.
If you are self-employed full-time with your online shop, you should work with a professional e-commerce system right from the start. Although you have to expect higher start-up costs, you have a better opportunity to customize your online shop in the long run. If you intend to generate more than 30,000 euros with your webshop company, it makes sense to have your online shop created with good software.
If you want to program your online shop yourself with software, you should have good IT skills. With this, you can adapt all your ideas flexibly and have all functions available, but you work with a complex computer program.
If your technical skills are insufficient to create an online shop, get help from an agency or hire a programmer. The professional IT experts will help you set up your webshop and install the functions you want. However, having the online shop created for you is associated with several thousand euros higher costs.
YOU SHOULD KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN CREATING YOUR ONLINE SHOP
Considerations about your business model
What do you want to sell?
Are you selling a service or a product? Think about a structure in terms of product type and product quantity or how you organize sub-areas of your service.
Product count and product focus
Do you market a core product or present a wide range of products? Which different areas of expertise are included in your service?
target group
What age group are your products suitable for? Are they specifically designed for women or men? Are you addressing a particular professional group? Carry out a target group analysis!
B2B or B2C
Does your business target other businesses (B2B) or consumers (B2C)?
shop scope
Do you run a simple shop with a few products or a complex shop that requires several functions?
Choose your suitable shop system.
If you set up your online shop, you have to think about what requirements you place on it and which other functions should be fulfilled – a so-called shop system:
- What payment methods do you offer your customers?
- Is your online shop linked to your merchandise management system?
- Which marketing portals do you connect your web store too?
After you have compiled all the requirements, you have to compare them with the different shop variants and find the right shop system. When making your comparison, take into account that you can choose between free open-source online shops or commercial products. With these, you have to reckon with a one-off or ongoing costs. Check the price-performance ratio of the different offers before committing yourself to a shop system.
Sign up with payment providers
If you design your online shop, you also have to choose the right online payment system. This is the only way to ensure that your customers complete the payment process after selecting the product. Make sure you include as many payment methods as possible. Customers tend to abandon the purchase process if they cannot choose their desired payment method. These are the most common payment transactions:
- direct debit
- Credit card
- Purchase on invoice
- Paypal
Different shop systems cooperate with varying providers of payment. Check-in advance whether the shop system of your choice matches the respective payment providers.
Create the content for your shop
When developing your online store, you need to know what content your digital store should contain.
product pages
Your customers should be convinced of your product or service. Outstanding product photos and descriptions are essential. Size, weight, and quantity information are other information that customers find necessary.
category pages
If you sell many products, divide them into category pages so that your customers have a good overview. Such category pages can contain category names, category descriptions, product overviews, links, and filter options.
Further information
Customers want to know who they are ordering from. Introduce your company with an “About Us” feature. This will make your business appear transparent and reputable.
imprint
In addition to the additional information, your webshop needs an imprint because it is a commercial website.
FAQ section
There are many questions about your goods or the ordering process despite the product description. Set up an FAQ area for this so that your customers can quickly get answers to their basic questions.
Customer service, customer support
“The customer is king.” Build in a help center in case customers have additional, individual questions. With a chat function or clear contact information, you are always available for your customers.
Shop, Blog
You inform your customers about background information or new products with a blog. If the press has praised your website or product, you can also publish those articles here.
Certificates and Seals of Approval
Have your product tested and rated by reputable organizations. Good awards make a good impression on customers and guarantee good quality.
Note: business registration
Your online shop meets three criteria:
- Your online shop is designed to last.
- You are self-employed with your online shop.
- You intend to make a profit with your online shop.
Since all the conditions of trade apply to your webshop, you must also carry out a business registration.
Install and set up your online shop
The next step is to establish your webshop on the Internet. If you have little experience creating an online shop, the agency will help you with the technical implementation. Whether by yourself or by the agency – your online shop must now be uploaded to the World Wide Web to be accessible to your customers. For your online shop to have a place on the Internet, you buy storage volume from a central web server. Offering storage space on the Internet is called web hosting.
After you have uploaded your webshop to the server, you have to make different settings.
What are the delivery options and times for your webshop?
Are the access data for the payment provider available?
Is your website well encrypted?
Have you integrated all legal components? General terms and conditions and right of withdrawal, imprint, data protection declaration, order confirmation.
Do the proper online marketing
After starting your online shop, you have to attract many new customers to your company. For customers to perceive your new product or service on the market, you must carry out suitable marketing measures. Your customers will find you on the global web as an online entrepreneur. Therefore, you should use online marketing strategies as well. Various tools can be used for this.
- Start search engine marketing via Google Ads.
- Send newsletters to existing customers.
- Get professionals who will create search engine optimized content and, if necessary, legal texts for your webshop.
- Promote your new online business through other sales channels, such as social networks.
- Now that you are on the market with your new online shop, also think about the competition and that you remain unique. In addition to good marketing, carry out a trademark application or patent application to protect your innovative product.
CONCLUSION
To be successful with your webshop, you have to consider a few basic things. You can create your digital store with the simple modular principle or with many IT experiences. You can also create your online shop with software. If you are not a software expert yourself, you can get help and support from an agency. If you plan to operate your online shop for many years and achieve more than 30,000 euros a year, the online shop created with software is better than the modular shop. Because here, you are more flexible in design, face fewer restrictions, and can build your store the way you want. If you create your online shop with software, you will have more costs initially, but you are not tied to the limited modular offer. Payment providers, webshop components, and online marketing are other projects that go hand in hand with your digital business.
Also Read: How Not To Be Fooled When Shopping Online?