Magento WebsitesLooking to setup an eCommerce store but not sure where to start? This is where Magento can help you. Magento is amongst the most popular open source platforms in the market for eCommerce websites. The information presented on this page would help you decide if Magento development is suitable for your business.
Magento is simply a fully integrated free eCommerce application used to create your online store.
What is Magento?
In technical terms, Magento is an open source eCommerce platform written in PHP and build upon Zend Framework. And in a not-so-technical term, it is simply a fully integrated free eCommerce application used to create your online store.
2 Versions of Magento CMS Platforms
This version is free to download from the Magento website. Good for small businesses and mid-market merchants to boost their eCommerce website. We, at Web Circle, provide Magento development, design and support for the community platform using Magento extension marketplace to complement your website’s functionality.
This is the premium paid version of Magento, designed for large businesses and high-end merchants for whom the community edition doesn’t make the cut. It comes with various advanced features accompanied by support from Magento experts.
Why Magento Website Development?
Magento accounts for around 30% eCommerce market share. Such marketability would not be possible without possessing extraordinary features. The following are some of them:
Being open-source, Magento is widely preferred by developers in Australia and across the world for website development.
Whether you have just stated with a small business with limited operations or have complex business needs, Magento web development can definitely assist you with your next eCommerce dream project. With custom designs, advanced plugins and attractive themes, you can build an intriguing website that fits all your needs.
Magento development enables accessibility on a variety of mobile devices and screen sizes, and hence proves to be one of the best options for all the online businesses.
Magento websites are popular for their SEO friendliness which ensures your business’s visibility across Google and other major search engines.
Some other salient features include Multiple Storefronts with Single Back-End, Cross-Browser Compatibility, Third Party Software Integration, Multilingual and Multi-Currency, Seamless Checkout Option, Security Code-level Access, Extensions, Modules, Plugins and many more.
Essential Steps for a Successful Magento eCommerce Website
Follow this step by step guide to make your Magento Website a great success.
STEP – I Build your online business plan
The first and foremost step is to identify products you want to sell. Take the time to brainstorm as it lays the foundation for your online success.
Once you have decided on your offerings, it’s time to research the potential market for the intended products. Various tools are available online to identify and understand your target buyers, how many of them are interested in specific products, and the locations your products are more popular in. “Google AdWords Keyword Planner” is one such tool available online. Alternatively, stay hassle-free and just get in touch with SEO professionals at Web Circle. Experts at Web Circle will assist you from scratch.
Are you going to create or manufacture products on your own? Or do you seek assistance of the suppliers? What will be the prices, quality, margins, profits and market competition? Deciding all these will help you to create a strong foundation for your eCommerce business.
After deciding on your business model, it is the right time to finalise the budget you are going to start with. This will keep you and your business well managed from scratch. You can always expect to face ups and downs at the initial stages.
Next step would be to decide on your business legalities, finances and other official information. Picking a catchy yet unique company name will help your website to stand out in the market. We suggest you to consult legal and accounting professionals to assist you with proper accounting, bookkeeping, tax records, merchant bank accounts, licenses and permits etc. Avoiding these aspects can be risky and costly to your business in the long run.
STEP – II Examine your online store essentials
Once you have successfully set up your business plan, it’s time to think about domain and hosting. The domain name should be in such a way that it justifies your business name and products you sell. Make it simple and easy to remember.
Either you can opt to handle your own web hosting, or choose to hire a professional Magento website design company to manage hosting for you. When outsourcing web hosting to a firm, don’t go for a cheap option just to save a few dollars as this may end your website with slow loading speed and affect your website’s SEO inversely.
Are you going to offer any warrantees or guarantees? Will there be optional features for fast shipping and cash on delivery? What will be the return policy? Will you enable wallet payments? Will you ship internationally? You should look into many such questions while finalising your eCommerce website policies.
Comprehensively state your store’s privacy policies. Provisions beforehand will ensure smooth flow of your business in the future. This will also keep you away from any legal issues.
Every eCommerce store needs a merchant facility to process credit cards online. Speak with your bank and setup a merchant facility. You will also need a payment gateway. Some banks offer their own payment gateways or you can use third party payment gateways like eWay. We recommend that you look at both options before deciding on the payment gateway to use.
Do a research to decide the location of your online shop’s warehouse where you are going to store your products. You need to be tricky while analysing your business scale, sales, demand and growth. This will help you decide on the size of your warehouse.
Finally, after deciding the warehouse, it is time to plan your shipping procedures. Whether you are going to opt for in-house shipping or you wish to hire a third-party courier company. Analyse your business and decide accordingly.
Will you provide a public phone system? Will your website be offering live chat support? Will there be any separate complaint number? Will the number be toll-free? Would you go for international calls? You need to answer all these questions while structuring support process of your online store.
STEP – III Go into the website details
We suggest you to go through the websites of various Magento web design & development companies, take a glance at their reviews, talk to their specialists and enquire about the prices. Take your time to come up with an ideal option for your business and specific needs. Web Circle is one such company you can trust with your dream project. Magento specialists at Web Circle can go the extra mile for your custom designing requirements. Call us anytime for the details.
Keep in mind that the design of your Magento eCommerce website plays an important role in customer acquisition. The design flow, structure, site-speed and easy checkout process are other vital factors that contribute to high conversions. The design should be responsive and mobile-friendly. Special features like discounts, free-shipping, easy-returns should be clearly mentioned on the website. Call-to-action and phone numbers should be made catchy. Store policies should be clearly written. There could be a number of other points that the Magento professionals can assist you with.
Get your eCommerce store SSL certified. It is a must for online stores. SSL is used to secure your website using encryption and ensuring that all data is transmitted from the website to the server securely. This way your customers can make transactions on your website without worrying about security issues.
The pictures which you are going to display for your products should be of very high quality and large in size. Showing your products from different angles will help the customers to have a better idea of what a certain product looks like. The descriptions of the products should be explanatory. They should include weight, measurements and other properties if applicable.
A customer won’t be able to trust you with their confidential information like email id & credit card details unless you don’t write a clear privacy policy. Your privacy policy should state what your business will do with the personal details. It is never suggested to misuse or sell the details. Having a privacy policy on your website will allow you to build much-needed trust among the customers.
Find out the payment methods your website is going to use. There are various types of payment methods and all of them affect your business and revenue differently. Credit cards, mobile payments, bank transfers, cheques, digital mobile wallets, PayPal etc. are some of the popular methods. You can also include a cash-on-delivery option for more concerned customers.
An eCommerce store is nothing without traffic and one of the key components of traffic is Google (and other major search engines). SEO helps a website to gain higher positions in search engines, thus giving it an initial traffic boost. So, it is important to make a Magento website SEO friendly before the launch. It is suggested to find yourself an excellent SEO partner. We at Web Circle, assist our customers in creating SEO friendly Magneto websites with the help of proficient SEO experts. Give us a call for more information.
STEP – IV Checklist for a smooth launch of your Magento site
Follow this step by step guide to make your Magento Website a great success.
Your eCommerce website is now ready for the launch.
STEP – V Managing your store’s sales & marketing
Before you make any sale through your newly launched online store, it is suggested to solve any possible queries of your potential customers. This can be done with the help of Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page on your website. Alternatively, you can setup a dedicated phone line or Live Chat service to answer customers’ queries.
Not happy with your sales? Need more business? Leverage online marketing. You can run PPC campaigns for your products to increase traffic to your website and generate more sales. Google AdWords and Bing Ads are amongst the most prominent tools to run online ads for your business. This will definitely provide a boost to the number of sales and branding of your Magento website. Web Circle has dedicated online marketing & PPC experts to make your business stand out of the crowd.
Offering various attractive discounts is a great way to help your business grow in today’s competitive market. Keep throwing seasonal offers to get an extra edge.
Building a strong relationship with your customers is the key to online success. Hire an expert support team to keep your customers happy.
Following the steps, and ensuring you have a sound plan ready before you get started, will assure your Magento website’s success.
Furthermore, you can get in touch with Sydney based Web Circle’s Magento web development support team which will manage all the essentials for your next dream project!
Speak with one of our Magento experts and find out Why Magento is the perfect solution for your E-commerce store
Call us today on 1300 760 363.
