Setting up a shop Setting up a web shop
There are many processes involved in setting up a web shop. Some of these, such as buying your domain name, are quite complex and the general public is not trusted with them. They must be done through authorised agencies.
Web Shop Designs do not intend to include all the details here. We have tried to keep things to the point and to explain the main processes involved in plain English. For those looking to set up a new web shop, Graham Charlton of E-consultancy said that usability is the key to success online.
Businesses would be well advised to ensure potential customers can quickly find the information they are looking for by ensuring navigation is simple and that processes such as retail checkout do not take too long to complete, he explained.
 What is the Internet?
The Internet is "just" a few million computers connected together worldwide sharing their information.
However it would be very unreliable if these computers were all home PC's. Imagine you start to look at something when someone would perhaps switch it off. Anyone who wants to have a web shop should make it available through an Internet "hosting" company. This is a company that allows you to store your web shop information on their powerful computers which are kept running continuously.
Why would you want a website?
Within the next couple of years only dinosaur businesses won't be on-line. With the numbers of PCs available at home or at work, people are using the Internet to look for all their services, book hotels, buy tickets, find restaurants and to buy a large portion of their goods on line.
 Connecting to the Internet
The most popular method is known as Broadband. This is quickly becoming the way people use the internet and are prepared to pay for the service. Decide what you are willing to pay and then talk to your Internet Service Provider about their charges. Broadband prices are quickly coming down so it's worth shopping around for the best deal.
You don't need an Internet connection to have a web shop but most people want to be able to see their own shop and to use e-mail for the enquiries they expect to receive.
What are Domain Names or URL's?
Like a high street shop, your online shop needs an address, a URL which is your unique address on the internet. All URL's have a country or region specific ending, the most common is .com which is used for commercial websites worldwide whilst a company in the UK would use .co.uk It is advisable to buy both the .co.uk and .com versions for a UK based company selling products and services online, this prevents rivals taking services from you by buying up a similar name, both will link to your website to catch people who type .com in error, searches will be geared to .co.uk for UK based companies, (many URL endings are country specific i.e. Germany uses www.company.dl, to buy and use these you must prove you are trading in that country).
 How do I get a Domain Name?
Choosing your URL seems easy but here are a few pointers: 1. Keep it short You have to bear in mind that people need to be able to remember it, and easily type it Try to register the shortest name that your customers will associate with your Web shop. Avoid using acronyms as no one will find you, i.e. The Original Grass Ball Company should consider www.grass-ball.co.uk not www.togbc.co.uk The general rule is, keep it as short as possible.
2. Dot What? There are many different extensions available. For shops in the UK, we recommend a .co.uk suffix. It is the first extension that most people try when searching for your web shop. Since it is one of the oldest extensions, .co.uk shows that your business has been around for a while and that you have a well-established presence on the web. 3. Avoid Trademarked Names Large companies do not take kindly to you using their name, you may be Joe Bloggs Ltd T/A any large corporation name here, remember that those companies have spent lots of time and money creating their brand. Companies are no longer opening their wallets to get their names back. They are calling their solicitors. 4. Register Your Domain NOW Domain names are being snatched up fast. You must register soon unless you want to get stuck with "the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted.net". You do not have to have a Webmaster or an ecommerce department or a Web design consultant or... Heck, you don’t even need a Web page. Just get out there and register before you lose the opportunity to get the name you really want. 5. One May Not Be Enough Sometimes, it isn’t a bad idea to register several similar domain names. If you have "yourname.co.uk", register "yourname.com" so no one else takes it. You can register your full company name and a shorter, easier to remember version. Some people even register common misspellings of their company’s name. (You don’t need a separate Web page for each. Several domains can point to the same Website.) 6. Character Types Just a reminder. Domain names can only use letters, numbers, and dashes. Spaces and symbols are not allowed. Also, domain names are not case sensitive. 7. Ask Around When you have settled on several available name choices, see what your friends and clients have to say. A name that may make perfect sense to you may be too hard for other people to remember. Is your domain easy to say? (over the telephone in particular, try giving your email as sales@togbc.co.uk when sales@grassball.co.uk could be used) Is it hard to spell? Do you have to explain why you chose the name? 8. Don’t Shell Out Large Amounts of money At one time, companies were able to get away with charging reservation fees plus a "mandatory" $70 InterNIC fee. Recently, it was decided that other companies should be able to compete to sell domain names. This has lowered prices dramatically. Remember, if you think that if you have found the right domain name, but you're not quite sure if it's the one... register it anyway before someone else does!
OK! You've got your shop built, you've got your domain name - what's the next move?
CONTENT!
The first thing you'll need to think about is what products and information you want to put in your shop. What are you trying to sell or what message are you trying to convey? Don't lose sight of the fact that this is the world's doorway to your business. There has to be interesting, relevant content and information inside or you'll just chase people away - and quickly!
 GRAB THEIR ATTENTION!
If you visit a restaurant you would expect them to have menus available to view. If you are selling something online you must have a menu, there must be good information included about your services along with suitable images. Tell people what they want to know about the service you provide and consider offering them additional value added information.
Think, what people want to see and add good quality content, you should also display your prices. Visitors to your site won't hang around unless they know what's coming off their credit cards.
Web Shop Designs can develop the required content for your website by researching and writing the copy for you. Contact us about Website content Development.
Pictures are a necessity. Like magazines, Internet sites get boring when they consist of just text, which is why we shall move swiftly on to the next item.
 How do I actually get my site on the Internet?
After your web site has been completed it must be uploaded to a server. A server is one of these very powerful computers we spoke about earlier. Much like paying rent for your shop in the high street this involves renting space on one of these computers. The deal is that the ISP provides the space and ensures that the service is up and running constantly. You pay a monthly rent to the ISP for the use of the space for your shop.
Your shop must be uploaded onto this space. The process used to upload the files is called FTP (File Transfer Protocol). When your site has been uploaded it can be seen by anyone via the Internet. (Web Shop Designs do this for you.)
In conclusion, unless you are highly PC literate, it is difficult to handle all these procedures yourself. Most people agree that it is better to get a web designer to do it for them. All they then have to do is provide the content for their website. Web Shop Designs can provide a complete online shop design service so contact us to put your business on the Internet.
| 
