Regardless if you are selling products or services it is important to be available online. There are several options to build a webshop, both for beginners and more advanced users. In this article we will look at all the steps necessary to open a webshop.
- Acquire domains and usernames
- Create landingpage
- SEO
- Choose platform
Acquire domains and usernames
The first action you should take is to acquire the domains you wish to use for the webshop. Depending on where your target market is you might need .no, .com, .se and .dk to mention some. If the webshop has a name with special letters you should acquire all the different types to make sure the customers find you.
In addition to registering the name with Brønnøysund and a domain provider you should acquire the name on social media. The sale will take place on your website but most of the marketing will be through social media.
The decision on whether or not you should use other social media such as Instagram, Pinterest and SnapChat will be dependent on your target audience. Are they using these social media platforms? If you have plans to post videos showcasing your products, you should register for a YouTube account aswell.
It is important to create these accounts as fast as possible to make sure you get the username you want.
Don’t go overboard. If you know you will not be able to maintain many different accounts you should just use Facebook. It is more important the profile is updated frequently and respond quickly than having as many social media profiles as possible.
Create a landing page
When you have acquired the domain(s) you should post content on the website. Start to build your brand while allowing search bots such as Google start crawling your site. While you build your web shop you should create a landing page. This page will give visitors the option to sign up for future newsletters. By doing this you will start attracting possible customers before you even launch.
All web hosting (and domain parking) at PRO ISP has the option to create a free 1-page website where you can create a landing page. In the example below, we have created a simple landing page where visitors can leave their email. It took about 5 minutes to set up this.
Make the webshop visible for Google
To make the webshop visible for Google you should optimize both the website and the webshop. Doing so is called “SEO – search engine optimization”. You should make sure search engines easily can find your website and connect possible customers with it.
Do a search for businesses like your own and see which words stand out. Use these when optimizing. Read more about SEO: “SEO – what do I need it for?”
Selecting platform
There are many different platforms to use when building a webshop. Whether you are brand new in the IT-business or have been working with websites for years. We will look at some of the most popular platforms available and which type of users they will work best for. All of the platforms mentioned can be used on our web hosting and most of them can be installed easily with just a few clicks.
WEBSITE BUILDER
If you are a beginner when it comes to websites we recommend using the website builder from PRO ISP. Within the website builder, there are two options for webshop, one is easy and simple, the other one more advanced which is connected to “Ecwid”.
In the simple module you will be able to administrate categories, products and shipping. The module also gives you the options to use PayPal for payment. This module makes it possible to go live with your webshop within a few hours.
The more advanced option is connected to Ecwid and allows for your webshop to receive orders within minutes. Design and setup is done via the website builder while the administration of products and orders are done via Ecwids website. You can connect your Facebook page with Ecwid to make your webshop available from Facebook as well. Please be aware: The free version of Ecwid only includes 10 products, if you need more extra costs will be added (more information).
The website builder contains everything you need for a webshop. No experience needed and maintenance is not an issue as we handle the security of the platform. You can try the website builder for FREE 30 days.
See our example of a webshop (in norwegian): https://dinbutikk.shop/
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a powerful webshop platform available as a plugin for WordPress. 28% of all webshops around the world use WooCommerce. With the platform you can charge by PayPal, invoice, register added value and multiple shipping options. WooCommerce can also be extended from the WordPress library for plugins. The platform is perfect for both beginners and more advanced users. Read more about WooCommerce: “WooCommerce – build a webshop easy as 1-2-3“.
Magento
Magento has been on the market for several years and is recommended for larger companies with developers and experience. With a few clicks Magento can be installed on web hosting with PRO ISP via cPanel. Med Magento you will have access to a large selection of different functions. Any requirement you have will most likely be supported within the installation. It has a great report function and the interface is ok, but will take some time to get to know. What you would need to install as an extension in other platforms is already included within Magento. You will be able to create newsletters, have a full overview of all sales and visitors as well as the possibility to set up added value and shipping options. The webshop is designed for selling products, but can also be used for the sale of services.
Magento requires more resources in general, so you should select a more powerful web hosting then with the other platforms. At PRO ISP we have dedicated Enterprise web hosting especially for Magento with LiteMage for extreme performance.
Prestashop
Prestashop was started in 2005 and is one of the worlds most popular platforms for webshops. Over 250 000 websites use Prestashop which can be installed directly from cPanel with a few clicks. The platform works both for small and larger companies. With over 300 extensions included you will have everything you need to open a webshop. You might need to purchase a theme since the one included is really simple and boring.
Summary
We recommend you test the different platforms to see what works best for you. Depending on what needs you have the price will vary.
In WooCommerce you will have most of the extensions needed included (such as Stripe for payment), but most of these also have premium versions. With PrestaShop and Magento costs can increase quickly to get the extensions you need. Magento requires more resources so you will need a more powerful web hosting than with the other platforms. We recommend Enterprise web hosting with LiteMage for extreme performance.
Consider how many sales and products you will have and test different platforms to find the best solution for your needs.