Step 3: How you can build an online store in 3 simple steps

Here we are at the third and final step for setting up an online store.

To recap once more:

You have gone ahead and got all the framework set up for your online store, you have WooCommerce hosting, you know what you will be selling, for how much and in what currency as well as whether or not you will be providing shipping (for physical product of course).

Now that that is all done, what else could you possibly need?

Well, you want your online store to be as unique as you are, correct? That is why the next steps are the ones that could make or break the online store. They are the things that can make your store on brand and unique for you.

I am talking about customization. Read on for more details.

KEEP YOUR STORE ON BRAND

When you are an online store “owner” you want to have your brand, your image, your persona to be reflected in the way it looks. Ideally you want to have that seamless transition from just your normal website through to your online store.

The way you can do this is by choosing a customizable WordPress theme. These themes will determine how a visitor to your site views your site and for the WooCommerce side of things it will determine how your product layout looks.

You can get paid and free WordPress theme, you can choose whatever works best for you and your budget.

When it comes to choosing a theme, what are some of the things you should be mindful of before clicking “yes”?

1. Keep it simple – over the top looks are not always as favorable as the more simplistic, easy on the eye themes.
2. Make sure your theme is responsive, meaning you want a theme that will adjust its view depending on the device your audience is using to access your website. Many people are using mobile devices, so make sure that your website is viewed well on phones and tablets, as well as a desktop and laptop.
3. Browser compatibility is also important because although your theme may look great and work well on the browser you are using, your visitor to your site may not have the same browser and therefore not the same experience (translated in to NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE).
4. Translation options are important. Remember, the visitors to your site will not all be in your own country, they will be accessing from all over the world, and therefore may not be able to read and understand English. Having your site translation ready will help overcome this challenge.
5. SEO friendliness is a given. You want to be able to show up in searches in Google and other search engines, so make sure to stay mindful of SEO when adding content.
6. Allow for a “help” option in case the visitor to your site needs assistance with something which they cannot find on the site.

EXTEND WITH PLUGINS

Last but not least on the list of things to set up an effective and awesome online store is – the use of plugins.

Now that you have your store setup and just about ready to go, you will probably want to add the more common items to your site, to make it user friendly. Things like contact forms, about pages and more informative things, can be created using plugins. WordPress has many plugins to choose from.

If you are not fully aware of which plugin would suit your specific needs or even those of your target audience, you can take a look at this list and see if anything strikes you.

THAT’S A WRAP

Thank you for sticking around and reading this series of blogs about setting up your online store. We hope that you have found some helpful tips and tricks and that you are well on your way to creating a fabulous, responsive and on brand online store.

If you would rather have a professional insight before you commit to anything, get in touch with one of our specialists here at Creative Ground. We are always happy to help!