Well, being keen in starting a new e-commerce (ecom) web site is a good step, though not enough! Make a simple web surfing throughout the internet, maybe a much more precise one, a local search around your living zone, you can find plenty of UNSUCCESSFUL newly popped-up ecome websites! So what would be the solution?
My recommendations(what comes from my experience):
Generally talking: "mimic the steps that a real shop wants to start-up!"
what does that suppose to mean?
1- What's your idea of starting a new ecom website? Just to sell anything?!
To be ahead of others, think innovative and competitive , that would lead you to a unique idea(your zone's habits in shopping, etc) or at least creates competitive market(such as an special offer) to attract shoppers!
2- Same as a real store, find the right place to express yourself, that is, your interesting domain name! and later on would be SEO(search engine optimization)
3- A real store needs a plan! a structural plan which an architect will be implementing it! this is, the way you want to shape your ecom website. How do clients are supposed to get through your ecom website? how they interact with your website? the design of your shopping cart, payment methods, shipment, generally featured simple options to highlight your website for customer, ease of use and convenience. Not loaded with bunch of unsorted items plus an old style layout design.
note: there are hundreds of books at book stores regarding user experience, what I describe here is just a glimpse of what are essentials.
4- Now construct the store's structure and outlook, in IT world means, design and develop.
The crustal question(!) can you proceed from step 3 or maybe 2 onwards? Do have the technical knowledge in doing so?
You got different paths to follow:
- you're a computer gig and perhaps you know PHP or .NET or JSP and start developing a platform for your new idea(if so, you'll never be around here in first step! ;) ) It take a few months depending on your skill to lunch your nice and neat project.
- you don't know anything and depending on your budget, you order for an ecom website, to any IT company out there. Check their profile and get a picture of their proficiency. Careful on wasting your money, invest properly.
- but a common trend these days are the open-source, ready to use platforms. They've done most of the job you require (step 3 and 4), you need a little tickle to the platform, customizing it for yourself.
the well-known platforms:
- I recommend, Magento :cool: for those interested people in learning a bit of html/css/php. Magento is a bit difficult to learn and getting to start it, but up until now I found it as the most perfect ecom open-source solution;
- OScommerece is simple and less modification is required but anyways needs to be customized to your desired looking ecom website;
- and PrestaShop is my favorite :* because of two reasons, it's fast and compact! Got a lot lees to offer than Magneto but it's faster and lighter. Indeed same as all the other platforms, if you want a unique looking ecom website, you had to be familiar with PHP/Css/Html to create your own theme and modules with Prestashop.
There are a lot more steps to be taken, follow the concept of a real store and add a little of IT taste to it then see what will come to you next; later you'll have marketing issues, inventory and a lot more.
Hope this gives you some idea how to start...
Cheers! :)
