One of the most frequently asked questions that we are asked by customers, is; Why is the design of my shop so important? Surely if the prices are right and the navigation works, why do I need a fancy design?

There isn’t a quick and simple answer to this question, but in our opinion you need a good, appropriate and professional design. When people are on a budget to create an online shop, the design can be one of the easiest factors to drop in order to save money.

As a web developer and keen online shopper myself, I completely understand how e-commerce and online payments work. I am very selective over the web-sites that I choose to enter my credit card details on. On the odd occasion should I wish to buy something from a new online shop, that I haven’t visited before,  if the site doesn’t look right, I go elsewhere. I look for reassurance in a web-site that they are a serious legitamate company. Once the homepage has loaded, I can tell this within seconds.

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer, and ask yourself the questions:

1. Do I trust this web-site with my credit card details?
2. Is this a legitimate company based in the UK, with visible UK contact information?
3. Will my order be dispatched correctly and quickly?

A professional and well designed web-site will reassure your web-site’s browsers that they have come to the right place and maximise sales conversions.

For more advice about shop design, contact us for more information.

If you are considering starting a new e-commerce web-site, or starting from scratch, one of the first, and most important things to consider is a domain name (Web Address). There are several key factors that should be considered, when choosing the right domain name for an e-commerce shop:

1. You need to choose a domain that is short, memorable and appropriate.
2. If you are primarily selling in the UK, you should always use a .co.uk domain name.
3. If you are mainly selling internationally then you should consider using a .com domain name.
4. You should consider buying a domai name with your main keyword(s).
5. You should seperate words in your domain name with hyphens. For example you should consider buying both www.golfequipment.co.uk and www.golf-equipment.co.uk.
6. You should buy as many variations of your domain name as possible, like above, to prevent competitors following in your footsteps.

If all of the above steps are considered when purchasing a domain name, then you will cover all bases in terms of marketing and Search Engine Optimisation.

If you already have an established e-commerce web-site, you should avoid buying a fresh domain name, as you will be at a better advantage with an established domain name.

If you choose to use our e-commerce services, will we research your current situation, and advise you on the best domain name to purchase for your new shop.  Below are some examples of good domain names that could be used when starting an online shop:

A shop that sells Wood Flooring, and specialises in solid wood flooring:
www.wood-flooring-online.co.uk or www.solid-wood-floors.co.uk or www.wood-flooring-uk.co.uk

A shop that sells Footwear, specialising in sports trainers:
www.smiths-sports-footwear.co.uk  or  www.sports-trainers-direct.co.uk  or www.smith-sports.co.uk

The above are simply examples to give you an idea of suitable domain names. In some cases, it can even be coming up with a new company name for your online shop, simply so that you can have a suitable, keyword rich and memorable domain name. As an example, if you had a retail business selling toys and you were called ‘Ann’s Toy Shop’, there is nothing stopping you from setting up a domain name like ‘www.buy-toys-online.co.uk’ and brand the web-site up as ‘Buy Toys Online’, as you can always have a logo that says it is part of ‘Ann’s Toy Shop’.

For more advice about choosing domain names, please contact us today.

Question from Mr Richardson Anonymous Company

“Once my shop is correctly set up, what different types of payment options will I be able to offer my customers? I know when I  buy online, I look for shops that accept Paypal.”

As a shop owner, you will be able to offer your customers a variety of different methods for paying for their goods. Below is a list of all the different methods that we offer, enabling you to offer your customers any combination of the following payment options:

1. In Store PDQ Payment - If you have a retail store, and or have access to a PDQ Machine, you can take credit card details as payment and process your order in store. Your customers credit card details are taken via our secure 128-bit server, and are accessible to you via your secure admin area of your web-site.
2. Paypal & Paypal Pro - Our E-commerce package allows you to offer your customers payment via Paypal and Paypal Pro. Paypal ensures 100% secure and safe payment for both you and your customers. Payment is sent straight into your Paypal account.
3. Telephone & Fax - In addition to paying instantly online, you can also allow customers to pay via telephone or fax. As some customers are reluctant to pay for goods online without any human interaction, you can increase conversions by allowing them to pay for their order via telephone.
4. Other 3rd Party Options - we also allow seamless integration with HSBS Credit Card Payments, LUUP, Meta Charge, Netbanx, Nochex, Optimal Payments, Pay Offline, Protx, Worldpay and many more.

If you choose to start your e-commerce venture with us, we will further explain the most suitable payment options for you and your customers. If you would like to know more information about payment processing, please don’t hesitate to complete our simple enquiry form.

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