Ecommerce design services are typically needed when a company needs to build a website or system which allows online payment collection. This does not necessarily just mean that you are setting up a shopping cart to sell products.
Ecommerce design services are used in a number of situations from selling products, collecting membership fees or paying for services online. Below we will detail some things to be aware of when acquiring ecommerce designs services.
Your Ecommerce Design Service Needs
Some questions you should start to think about are:
- Is the entire focus of your website to sell products, as in a store selling shoes online?
- Or is ecommerce just a minor part of what you’re doing online, as in collecting donations?
- If you are selling products, how many items will you be selling? This plays a factor into the possible solutions that can be offered.
- Are you selling more than 50 products?
- If things go as planned, could you be selling 100 or more products 6 months from now?
- Will you need to bill or charge customers on a recurring basis for services, such as membership fees?
- Will you offer multiple subscription plans?
- How will customers update their credit cards?
- Will you store credit cards online? (how? will it be secure?)
- What forms of payment will you want to accept?
- PayPal, standard Merchant Account or both?
- Do you understand the fees for each?
- Will you also need to accept credit payments in person?
- Will you need the ability to process mobile transactions, for example at a trade show or event?
Ecommerce Design Service Options
Once you have thought about your essential needs, it’s time to speak with an ecommerce provider who can help drill into the next level of detail. Based on this discussion the provider will be able to offer you a range of options, from a custom to a an off-the-shelf ecommerce solution. Sometimes there are semi-custom solutions which are available too, where the provider will start with a base system and customize it to meet your needs.
For this step think about these items:
- Do I want to be able to change and customize my ecommerce system?
- Could I be happy with just the essentials in order to save costs?
- Do I need a custom look and feel?
- Do I really want the customer to pay on my website or would it be acceptable for them to leave your website and checkout at the payment processor’s website?
- How important is a simple payment process?
Warning About Ecommerce Design Service Providers
This is an important aspect when selecting a vendor. Ask yourself if you really feel like the ecommerce provider is listening? If they are, they should have a fair amount of questions for you. They should be trying to understand what you need and what you offer and what your idealized process should look like. This should all happen BEFORE they just throw out a quote.
Be wary of providers who sound impatient, don’t discuss details and blurt out quotes before you feel understood. This is an indication that a project with them could be trouble. The last thing you want to do is end up mid-project with LOTS of misunderstandings. This leads to failed projects and lots of frustration.
Be aware of thoroughness of the Provider during that initial call.
We’re Ecommerce Design Service Pros!
At ClearTech Interactive, we believe the ideal e-commerce website design solution for you is the one that matches your current needs while also giving you the flexibility to expand in the future. We are often called upon to tackle large or complex ecommerce website design projects that typical web design firms simply can’t handle.
If you’re looking for an experienced and skillful ecommerce website design pro, you have come to the right place. Don’t risk losing customers or making fewer sales because your ecommerce system isn’t up to snuff or because you decided to cut corners. Get a proper e-commerce website design that you can be proud of and one that will have your customers constantly coming back for more.
To learn more about ClearTech Interactive’s e-commerce website design services, send us an email or call 727-562-5161 & Press 1 to speak with an E-Commerce Website Design specialist.