How do you design an e-commerce website?
14.10.2015 05:36
The design of virtual stores is often the most important factor in the success or failure of online businesses.
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That doesn't simply mean that e-commerce web sites
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have to look attractive (though they do):
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they have to be usable (quick and easy to navigate around without irritating or confusing people),
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reliable (customers expect sites to be online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and for pages to load without delay), and
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secure (because no one is prepared to type their credit card details into a website that isn't safe).
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Setting up an online store used to be quite an undertaking. Not only did you have to build a dedicated website from scratch, you also had to develop your own merchant system that could securely process credit card details and ship transactions to and from bank computers. These days, anyone can set up an online store in minutes. Websites like PayPal make it possible to build a store very quickly and, since they have built-in credit card processing features, handling transactions couldn't be simpler. Many people set up virtual storefronts on the auction site eBay and then use PayPal (now a part of eBay too) to process their transactions. Some websites (notably Amazon) allow you to incorporate mini versions of their store inside your own website-so you make a small commission selling their products within your own site.
It used to be said that the right domain name was an essential requirement for a successful online business but some of the most memorably named web sites (including pets.com, etoys.com and garden.com) were early casualties of the dot.com boom and bust. As successful Web businesses such as eBay and Amazon have proved, there doesn't necessarily have to be an obvious connection between the name of a website and things it actually does or sells: all that matters is that, over time, people will come to know, love, and trust the brand and visit the site instinctively when they want to buy something
Now, go to task: 10 Essential Things Your E-Commerce Site Should Have
