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E-commerce is still the rage on the Internet with successful part to full-time entrepreneurs raking in sales even as the overall economy continues to stagnate. Just about any product can be found online these days and the Amazon/eBay big boys are no longer the only game in town.
People want to buy locally from other people like them. Corporations tend to exemplify all the cold efficiency that most people abhor in their private lives. That’s why people seek out mom and pop-type operations for their local buying needs. And that doesn’t have to end with the Internet.
Whether you are looking to buy an e cigarette, garden tools, and factory-made auto parts or just about anything else you can think of – someone out there online is selling it. The advent of search engine optimization has allowed the smaller retail operations to compete with larger sellers in a more equalized playing field.
On the Internet, sellers aren’t at the same disadvantage against large retailers as they would be in a brick and mortar operation. Because of this, e commerce can be an extremely lucrative option for anyone looking to build an online business. But it takes work. There are certain elements that must be present on every retail website and they must also work properly. Consumers have grown accustomed to speed and waiting around for a slow application to load is not an option for most. They’ll simply click the button and visit someone else’s site.
To help insure you don’t miss the important stuff, here are 5 essential elements of every e commerce website:
Search engine optimization
To be seen and visited, consumers must be able to find you in searches on Google and other sites. Understanding SEO strategies, or hiring an SEO expert who can do the work for you, is imperative for successful marketing.
PCI Compliant transactions
To sell products online you must have the ability to process payments. A hosting service that is compliant of Payment Card Industry (PCI) security measures and requirements will allow you to conduct transactions with confidence.
Integrated shipping
Your online store should be linked by shopping cart to major U.S. shipping agencies like United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx so that customers can receive their products in a timely manner.
Flexible Pricing Management
Your shopping cart software should include flexible pricing features that allow you to use multiple pricing options to use with promotions and other special categories.
Analytics reporting
Accurately monitoring your business is critical to respond to demand and provide an in-need service. Integrating with Google Analytics reports will help keep tabs on business movements.
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i wonder what kind of seo an online store need. Is it good to utilize the domain name or its individual product page?
Individual product pages must also be optimized, by including proper meta tags/description. Also, you must carry out link building for the product pages so that the pages rank higher in Google Search engines.