Building e-Commerce Websites to Sell

Design and Payment Gateways in an e-Commerce Website

Many have a lack of understanding when it comes to setting up an e-Commerce website. For some, the hope and allure of setting up a successful e-Commerce site masks the tasks necessary to actually create the framework for the site to work and flourish. As part of the site overall, one has to consider their merchant account or payment gateways. There’s also the design component that is vital to encouraging purchases. Consequently, while creating a site for you to sell your products online may seem like a great idea, and it is, it nonetheless requires foresight and a great deal of planning.

Let’s get down to some of the technical details. If you are planning on selling products online, you need a way for users to actually make a purchase. This is ultimately called a payment gateway. These gateways can be something as simple as PayPal or something integrated with an actual bank account. Each payment gateway is similar but has different technical necessities in actually setting up the online shopping cart. Do beware, however, as any payment gateway will cost a monthly subscription, a percentage of the transaction, or a combination of the two.

One thing that is typically required, and universally recommended, is for your domain to have a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TSL) certificate. These protocols encrypt certain data elements (such as a credit card number) for secure communication over the net. A security certificate is absolutely necessary if you use API development to actually host a shopping cart on your domain.

One of the most overlooked aspects of any e-Commerce website is its design. While there are a number of template-based programs to help establish an e-Commerce website, these templates often have little to no customization and you are at the mercy of the software developers. The first and most important aspect in designing a website to sell products online is its backend. One has to ensure that the backend is easy to navigate so that products and the inventory can be easily updated. Again, without such a feature you are entirely reliant upon the person(s) who created the software you are using.

Another design element one has to consider is the front-end. A user should be able to easily purchase a product without much searching. This means that products need to be categorized and should be presented in a clean manner. Users typically do not have much patience particularly when it comes to finding products online. You have to make the purchasing option easier than your competitors which means that each product needs to have specific details in addition to the option to purchase right there.

An e-Commerce website is a great compliment to any actual storefront and is absolutely necessary without one. However, it is a complicated affair and requires due diligence. When you get it right, though, you will see your investment payoff.