ecommerce

If an ecommerce platform claims to offer bespoke services, what exactly does it mean?

In addition to the wonderful services the platform offers, there are options for integration and customization. 

In layman’s terms it means limitless customization possibilities for look and feel, extra features, and working with other tools. 

What limitless customization looks like:

• Integration: if you have tools which you love using and that you don’t want to leave behind when using a new platform to create your online business, a customizable platform should be able to integrate this into the programming. The flexibility of the platform should allow for their accommodation. 
• Design: If you want to bring your own UI to your ecommerce platform, a customizable one should provide you with the space to provide you with the backend engine while accommodating your preferred UI. You can build your own front end without being restricted by the platform’s templates. A customizable platform will be flexible! 
• Order flow: each business has its own way of processing orders. Whether it’s needing a verification on a special product, sending out a confirmation before shipping a product, a customizable platform will allow you to integrate your own processes. 

Having the ability for endless customization is what a good ecommerce platform should offer. No one business is the same, so its platform shouldn’t be restricted by rigid parameters. Partnering with a platform that has the vision and flexibility is an integral part of setting up your online business. Make sure you choose a platform that can give you the online business you want. 

Thinking of starting your own business? Here’s what you need to know before setting up your online site.

In an age where mom-and-pop shops and small businesses have been hit hard, the advent of the online store has been a savior. 

But building an online store isn’t as easy as it seems. Where do you start and what do you need to know?

Part of establishing your brand name and building credibility is having a seamless and easy-to -use website that not only looks good, but makes shopping simple and efficient. 

Surveys have shown that if a website looks too complicated, or its shopping cart at checkout is too glitchy, most potential customers will bounce off. That means sales lost for your business. 

Many elements need to come together to make the checkout, inventory and shopping experience effortless. 

A platform needs to have things built in to make everything run smoothly.

Whether you’re just starting your online business, upgrading or looking to expand, you need a platform that offers excellent customization options. What this means is that if you have specific tools, features and workflows you want to carry over to your online store, the platform needs to accommodate them and to expand to allow for more integration.

The host needs to therefore have that reflected in the store’s design as well. 

• Responsive design (a website that works on desktop and mobile devices), 
• Customizable design (how the button actually looks)
• Well managed content (where, how and what your products look like and are placed), 
• The ability to support language translations (your site being available in many languages – a must in this globalized ecommerce age)

All these factors are integral for the platform you choose to use to create your online business. 

Managing products in a brick-and-mortar store has its own complications, so it’s no surprise that many online stores also get bogged down managing digital versions of the same thing.  

• A platform for your online store should have flexible products (a seamless way to catalogue a product with various size and color options),
• Inventory management (a count system built in that lets you know when it’s time to restock your most popular products)
• An up-sell feature (a menu of related products on display on the page of the original products the customer has chosen)
• Smart filtering (provide an easy way for a customer to find the product they need)
• The ability to accommodate extras (e.g. packaging choices).  

In addition to having an excellent system in place to help you manage your business, it’s also essential that the platform has ways to easily add discounts or special sales campaigns to your online store. 

Once you’ve established what you want, getting started is simple and using FutureEcom is guaranteed to give you the best platform while protecting your data and increasing your sales. 

Now that you’re equipped with a checklist of what you’ll need for your online store, it’s time to get started.