E-commerce site
“I would like to have an e-commerce site for my business, but my budget is very limited. What should I focus on?”
I have heard a lot of comments like the above. Basically, if the budget is limited, I would recommend the client to use open source carts like Zen Cart or OS Commerce to start the project. Use a good web host with these ready to install. Get a university student to help you customize it and your site would be ready to go in a week.
However, I would also focus on 2 more things. These are crucial to your site’s success.
1. Usability – how easy is it to locate a product and make a purchase? Is the site hard to use?
2. Conversions – I must emphasize this. The site is built to attract people to buy. Keep the conversion path short and precise. Remember – 1 extra step means giving the user the chance of ’should I really buy this?’.
After all, it is about user experience. Make sure your site is easy to use, easy to checkout, and you are on your way to success.
