Like all beginnings, it is the beginning of the erection of a new Online Stores It can be difficult, but the fact is that good preparation is key. At the beginning, it is necessary to determine what we want to achieve by setting up an online store – that is, what is its purpose and what are its goals?

The correct answer is probably always: "We want better online sales and increased revenues", but for the actual success of an online store, it is necessary to be a little more specific and also determine how we want to achieve the set goals:

  • With an improved user experience?
  • By optimizing work processes, e.g. by connecting Online Stores with an accounting program or with simplified management of customers, orders, product catalog?
  • By using omni-channel marketing systems to potential and existing customers (e.g. sending e-mails or SMS messages about current campaigns, "forgotten" products in the cart, etc.)?

The title of the blog you are reading right now may not be the most appropriate – you could infer from the title that there are two types online stores , but the actual complexity of the layout depends on the goals set and the ways in which the goals are achieved. That's why the title of the blog could also be "Making it easy, more challenging, even more challenging, very challenging... online stores".

Are you interested in our solutions for online stores?

Read more

 

How do online stores differ from each other?

Basic Online store It can be relatively cheap, even under 1000€ – but is it really the best way to achieve your goals?

Nowadays, there are various providers and tools that promise to set up an online store for free or for a few hundred euros. Unfortunately, the operator of such an online store can lose a lot of time, money, as well as reputation in the long run – why?

  • The online store is not adapted to the type of offer

On the layouts online stores We find that for a good user experience, it is crucial to adapt the appearance of the online store to the graphic image of the provider and the technical solution to the structure of the offer. Questions that help us determine what type of online store is the right choice are, for example:

  • Is the structure of the catalog very branched?
  • Is the scope of supply small or large?
  • Are the products available in different formats, variants?

With pre-made stores, they don't deal with this too much – given the fixed functionalities, they often only tell the store setter: "take it or leave it".

  • Data privacy of the online store is not guaranteed – nothing is free!

Like social media, "free" or low-cost online platforms can share information provided by users online store then to their own "partners", who are also paid very handsomely for valuable data on user habits. At the same time, users of such online stores may be exposed to unwanted advertising, which can also lead to a deterioration in the rating of the "credible trader".

  • Commissions per purchase made

Some pre-made online platforms may also charge a certain fee upon purchase and additional fees when using certain advanced functionalities.

Our process of setting up an online store

If you're having trouble setting up a new Online Stores The most important factor is the price of the setup, we are probably not the right partner for you. However, if your intention is to set up an online store that is marketing-oriented, with an excellent user experience and, above all, with the goal of selling, we suggest that you continue reading in the following paragraphs.

How the layout works Online Stores ? There are some steps of setting up that can't be avoided. For all online stores, it is necessary to collect basic information about the provider and the offer, determine the graphic image of the store, choose the correct template for creating an online store and connect the template with the content editing system or the product catalog editing system – CMS (CMS). "Content management system") program. For more advanced stores, it is recommended to include an omni-channel marketing system such as Omnisend.

Are you interested in learning more about the OMNI-channel strategy for online stores?

Read more

Because of all of the above, it is difficult to expect that with an online store whose price does not even reach € 1000, we will become an authoritative seller in a certain area with an online store adapted to the type of offer, graphically refined and with automated marketing and accounting processes.

A well-designed online store template is directly related to a good customer experience, while a well-designed CMS program is directly related to a good user experience of the online store manager.

Our solutions

SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

If everyday and repetitive work processes already cause us opportunity costs, it is time to optimize them – e.g. by connecting the online store with an accounting or ERP system. Full synchronization Online Stores With an accounting program, it is usually relatively simple, but also comprehensive. Synchronization may include, among other things: entering newly registered users, updating information about products, delivery methods and couriers, payment methods, recording online orders, etc. Sometimes partial synchronization makes more sense than the whole – e.g. for the purpose of displaying the updated stock of products in the online store according to the status in the accounting or ERP program.

B2C, B2B OR 2-IN-1 SYSTEM (B2C + B2B)

If the product offer is tied to a certain user status, it is necessary to implement restrictions on the visibility / availability of certain products, as well as to manage the prices of each product. These may vary depending on the type of buyer; For example, whether it is B2B (eng. "Business-to-Business") or B2C (B2C). "Business-to-Consumer") customers. Some contractors recommend setting up a separate store in this case – and this definitely means more work and costs for the manager, as well as for future upgrades of the online store (instead of one, development is underway Online Stores in two separate places). The 2-in-1 system is the right choice in this case.

MORE MARKETS, MORE LANGUAGES, MORE CURRENCIES

If we sell to different markets and it must be Online store Set in multiple languages and multiple currencies, we implement a system that allows simplified editing of products between language versions, but at the same time allows specifics for each language version. For example, if we offer a product on three marketplaces (three online stores), why should we upload, edit and update 3 images, but if the images are the same between all language versions of the product?

Finish

Of course, the prices of online stores can vary quite a bit from each other, but it is necessary to keep in mind that the layout Online Stores (more or less) one-time expense. However, if we waste half an hour of additional work per day due to a poorly placed mask of an online store or a program in the background, such an opportunity cost can be much higher within two or three years.

For setting up new online stores, we especially recommend modularity according to current requirements and needs. Perhaps synchronizing the store with the ERP system is not necessary at the beginning, but it makes more sense when we realize that we actually need it, because it would save a lot of time on a daily basis.

When renovating already established and successful online stores, it is always important to think carefully about possible technical and marketing improvements that help us achieve our goals.