It’s time to get ready for the web design process of your new e-commerce store. Here we’re going to walk you trough the steps that you need to take before starting a web design project for your new eCommerce store. We’ll be covering the information required from the customer, such as the About Us info, Mission, Vision and Unique Value Proposition, which will then help us streamline the layout of our pages.
This blog post will help you create a complete package for your web designer and this will save time for you in the long run.
Domain name
So you’ve decided to move your business online. Awesome! We’re glad to have you here.
First things first: you need to get a domain name. That’s the web address that people use to find your site.
Your domain name is your storefront, your brand, and it’s the foundation of your whole business – that’s just a fancy way of saying the name of your website. It’ll look something like [websitename].com (or .net or .org or .co or whatever).
It’s important that you choose the right name for your website, because that can set the tone for everything else about it. You want your potential customers to feel excited when they see your site. And you want them to trust you and feel like they know who you are when they visit.
Here are some things to think about while you’re choosing a domain:
-How does it sound? Is it easy to say? Does it have any special meaning?
-Does this name work with my brand color scheme? Will it be hard for people to misspell? Is there anything in the way of search results if someone mistypes it?
Branding items (logo, tagline, Color chart etc…)
Together, we’re going to create a website that’s just as unique and beautiful as your business. Before we get started, there are a few steps you need to take first. For instance, if you haven’t already, please send over the logo and tagline for your business so I can integrate them into the design. This will make your site feel more professional and cohesive with your overall brand image. We will also need the color chart of your brand if you have one. Links to your social channels is a good thing to submit beforehand as well.
Product/Service Data
The next thing is product or data. You know, like descriptions, dimensions and weight, categories and images. We need all of that stuff—it’ll make sure we know exactly what kind of product/service your company offers and how it’s unique. All this information can be added in a spreadsheet with each piece of information in its column. For the images, please only include the image file name.
If you’d like us to create the content for you, please give us as much information as possible in point form and our content creators will turn it into product descriptions.
The legal stuff
It’s important to be aware of your shipping and return policies before work begins. This way, if a client needs to return their order or request a modification, your policies are there and clear as to hat’s possible and what’s not.
The legal stuff is also really important—we need you to submit all the legal stuff, like your shipping and return policy, terms and conditions, privacy policy, etc. If you could send us everything you have on those topics once the project is started, that would be great. Don’t forget that most of it can be done using a service like Termageddon.
Company stuff
You know, the stuff. The About Us page, the Mission Statement of your company, the Vision of your company, the Unique Value Proposition (what makes your business unique), and how you’re different.
What do you mean, what is that stuff?
It’s all stuff that you need to know and talk about when you’re creating an online store. You’ll also need a general email address for the business, a support email address for the business, a phone number for the business (local and toll-free), and an info@ email address for the business. Which email will be used to send emails from the website? Please let us know.
3rd Party Providers
When you’re ready to get started with a new web design project, there are some things to do while we work on the design. To ensure that the design phase goes smoothly, it’s important to be prepared.
The first thing you’ll need to do is create accounts with 3rd party providers. You’ll want an email marketing campaign provider, a shipping provider, and a payment processor. These accounts will need to be created well in advance of any deadlines or important dates, so this should be done early on.
If you need recommendations, let us know and we’ll be more than happy to recommend a provider.
Conclusion
Your website is probably the most important part of your business. It’s where you make your sales, market yourself and your brand, receive new leads and client inquiries, and make connections with other business people.
No piece of content is too small. Don’t forget to make a good first impression. You can write most of this information in point form and a copywriter will make sure the information looks good, sounds good and is fun.
You can’t have your vision come true unless you share with your web designer all the details they’ll need to know to build a successful e-commerce platform. A quality relationship is built on complete transparency and trust.
Providing accurate, thorough and up to date information will get you on the right track in your e-commerce web design project.
