What is e-Commerce?
By definition…e-commerce is “commercial transactions conducted electronically on the internet”. Essentially is an online store where you can buy (or sell) products. Over the years, Designs 4 the Web has built a strong portfolio of e-commerce websites utilizing the WooCommerce platform to get your store up and running quickly so you can start selling fast.
What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is a free eCommerce plugin that allows you to sell anything, beautifully. Built to integrate seamlessly with WordPress, WooCommerce is the world’s favorite eCommerce solution that gives both store owners and developers complete control.
With endless flexibility and access to hundreds of free and premium WordPress extensions, WooCommerce now powers 30% of all online stores — more than any other platform.
New to WooCommerce?
WooCommerce lets you sell products and services from your WordPress site. It’s a free WordPress plugin with additional features available as paid addons. WooCommerce is made by Automattic, the corporate arm of WordPress, so you’re in good hands!
Why You Need Your Own Online Store?
Selling your products on an existing online marketplace could be the most straightforward way to do e-commerce but it certainly isn’t the best way to go about it. Continue below to learn why you should have your own online store in addition to selling on the various marketplaces on the web today.
Gain Total Control Over Your Business
Online marketplaces are great for getting your shop up an running quickly but once you begin to dig deeper you will oftentimes find that the functionality you are looking for is missing. Running your own online store with WooCommerce and WordPress means that the sky is the limit when it comes to customization and comprehensive functionality.
Escape The Price War
If you are just starting out it will be close to impossible to steal business away from well established sellers who have built up their reviews and positive feedback. The only way to pull away customers is to lower your prices. Many shoppers today will simply sort by price and if you are selling for the same price as a well established outfit, you are going to lose that sale. Running your own online store means that you can manage your prices independent of others sellers and market your unique design and customer service.
Repeat Customers & Loyalty Rewards
80% of your customers only contribute to 20% of the revenue and 20% of your customers contribute to 80% of the revenue. To build customer loyalty, you have to have a database of your customers. E-marketplaces do not provide a customer database function within their platform. WooCommerce includes this functionality out of the box while also allowing for coupon codes and customer loyalty rewards. Additionally, you can even run email marketing campaigns which allow you to reach out to your customers and keep them coming back.
Show You Are Legitimate
Running your own online store separates you from the rest of your competition. By having a unique space where you can customize the look and feel of your store it shows your potential customers that you are invested in your products and your business. It’s essentially the difference between renting and owning. When you own something it’s yours versus renting which appears on the outside as something temporary. Take that next step and show your customers that you are ready for prime time.
How Do I Hire a WooCommerce Developer?
Sometimes people find it tricky to choose the right web developer for their online e-commerce store. When searching around for a WooCommerce developer you should be very careful to shop around and not simply select the developer who provides the lowest estimate. Prior to searching for an e-commerce specialist, you should have a solid idea about what you want for your store and your business. Once you have that in mind, you can start to look around for a developer. Below are some questions that you can ask to help you vet the developers and ultimately find the right one for your project.
- How long have you been working with WooCommerce?
- How many online stores have you created using WooCommerce?
- What are some examples of sites you have built using WooCommerce?
- Do you build your own theme or use something pre-built?
- Do you offer updates and content changes after the store is launched?
- What are the costs associated with building a WooCommerce store?
As you can see, it is extremely important that you do a little research before hiring a CT WooCommerce website designer. If you have any general questions, feel free to give us a call at 203.516.0359 or visit our contact page to send an e-mail. With over ten years of WordPress and WooCommerce experience, we guarantee that you will be satisfied with your online store and look forward to hearing from you.