The E-commerce Process

The first step in creating your e-commerce site, after signing a client contract, is to discuss your sites design.  To get started, consider the following points:

  • Do you have a logo? Does it need revisions or updating? Click here for more info.
  • Check out designs of other sites you like. What do you like about them? Note colors & functionality.
  • How will the customer shop for products? For example, “shop by price” “mens tees, womens tees, kids tees” or shopping by type of product “tee shirts, hats, socks” , or “shop by college – Harvard, yale, U penn” . Think about how YOU would shop.
  • After we receive your design requirements, I will present you with 3 concepts (please allow 5 business days).
  • After reviewing concepts, chose one design, or pick elements of each design to combine it into one design and revise it until you are 100% satisfied. After we settle on a template, we will provide you with a mock up of the product listing page, and product detail page.

Once the design is approved, we will need the following materials before beginning programming.

  • SSL certificate. Cost can range from $50-$150.
  • Domain name login & password.
  • Merchant account and payment gateway. I will need Login & Password if you already have one. If you do not already have one, click here to download an application for authorize.net.
  • How will you be shipping your items? UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS? Will you be shipping by weight or by item? Will you only offer ground shipping, or express? Free shipping if customer purchases a certain dollar amount?
  • You’ll need a Privacy Policy, About us, Shipping & Returns info, contact info page and any other content you wish to provide on your website.  Please provide final content in a word document. Edits to this content will be billed hourly. Almost all content can be edited via the admin once site is completed.
  • For search engines to find you, it helps to have content on your website besides products. Search Engines (SE’s) want to provide relevant info to users. So, if you sell college related tees, or Beer Tees, it would be great to have at least 2 informational pages (minimum 750 words of content) relevant to your products. Some ideas are “how-to’s” (how to pour a proper beer, how to tie a bowtie), history on your products (history of Yale, Harvard) , or advice pages (modern vs classic tuxedos – how to find one that fits you best). Also, I’ll need a few paragraphs for the homepage.
  • Lastly, we will need your product database and images to upload to your site. Alternately, you may upload products on your own after the site is completed. Please see ” how to upload products” or “how to create a product database”.

After Approval of the design and once we have all information listed above, your site will be completed within 30 days. You will be responsible for uploading and populating your products via the admin if a database is not provided.