{"id":16306,"date":"2018-10-13T15:58:05","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T12:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/?p=16306"},"modified":"2018-10-13T15:58:05","modified_gmt":"2018-10-13T12:58:05","slug":"building-an-online-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/building-an-online-store\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert Tips for Building Your Online Store"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/~\/tmp\/wp-uploads\/2017\/05\/Building-an-ecommerce-website.png\" alt=\"\u00d9\u0086\u00d8\u00aa\u00d9\u008a\u00d8\u00ac\u00d8\u00a9 \u00d8\u00a8\u00d8\u00ad\u00d8\u00ab \u00d8\u00a7\u00d9\u0084\u00d8\u00b5\u00d9\u0088\u00d8\u00b1 \u00d8\u00b9\u00d9\u0086 \u00e2\u0080\u00aabuilding an online store\u00e2\u0080\u00ac\u00e2\u0080\u008f\" width=\"722\" height=\"378\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Some may think that setting up and building an online store for their business is an easy decision (and it might be!).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">But without a precise, data-driven approach to setting up and building your online store, things can quickly get completely out of hand, and you may find yourself <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">wondering why your store hasn\u2019t delivered the results you expected or wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">You may find yourself asking:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Did I make the right decisions when setting up and building my online store from the start?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Am I using software and technology systems suited to the products I sell in my store?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Have I carefully planned the customer journey, from their first interaction with the store through to delivery of the product?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">That\u2019s right. Every step in building an online store must be carefully considered\u2014and, above all, smart and appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\"><b>\u201cSales at online stores offering products and services continue to rise significantly every year!\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">In this article, we\u2019ll cover several essential considerations to help you build an online store with ease. We\u2019ll also help you choose the right content management system <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">or software for your store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">The article will also focus on several points to consider when planning to build your store, using a series of questions to ask yourself before <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">you start investing in your store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #00ccff;\"><b>Key Considerations When Building an Online Store<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\"><b>What kind of product do you sell?<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">First and foremost, you should clearly describe the products you want to sell to customers through your online store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">The right description and nature of your products will determine which e-commerce software is best for you. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Will your online store sell physical products such as printed books, clothing, electrical appliances, and so on?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Or will it sell digital products such as website subscriptions, software, designs, and other technology-related work?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\"><em><b>\u0645\u0646\u062a\u062c\u0627\u062a \u0645\u0627\u062f\u064a\u0629<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">If you plan to sell physical products through your store, you\u2019ll need to determine:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- How those products will be shipped to customers, and who will handle the shipping.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- The shipping costs and estimated delivery times for getting products to customers around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Are there any countries where your products are unavailable?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Of course, all of this depends on the audience your store is targeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\"><em><b>Digital Products<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">If you want to sell digital products such as e-books, website subscriptions, and so on, you\u2019ll need to decide how users will access the digital product after completing their purchase, <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">and whether they\u2019ll be able to download it more than once through their account.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Customers of stores that sell digital products expect to be able to download their purchases right away. After payment, the customer should be taken directly to <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">the digital content they purchased\u2014or, at the very least, sent a download link by email.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\"><b>What kind of shopping experience do you want to offer in your store?<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Will you let users purchase just one product per shopping session, or encourage them to buy multiple products in the same cart?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Will the products in your store come with options for buyers to choose from (for example, clothing sizes or smartphone colors)?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Will you offer users multiple ways to search for products\u2014for example, by price range or category, such as products for boys <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">and products for girls?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Could the products you sell belong to more than one category (for example, phone types and models)?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Will the store offer discount coupons that customers can use?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Will you tie discounts to a minimum purchase amount that customers must reach to receive a price reduction (for example, if a customer buys products<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\"> worth $500, their products will be shipped free of charge)?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\">How will you apply these discounts?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Do the store\u2019s software and technology allow you to implement these measures?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\"><b>User accounts and order tracking<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">This refers to how customers track the orders they\u2019ve purchased from your store. It\u2019s an essential part of the user experience on your online store, especially<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\"> if you sell physical products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Here are some things to consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Should users have to sign up for your mailing list to purchase a product, or should sign-up be optional?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">- Will you let customers track their products while they\u2019re being shipped?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Of course, user account management also includes standard features such as password recovery, changing the shipping address, and updating the email address. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">And so on\u2014your store software should support all of the above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\"><b>How will you manage payments?<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Do you accept credit card payments?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">There are online payment options that let customers pay directly by credit card. You can integrate one into your store so that customers can enter their card details<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\"> and then pay the specified amount.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">If you decide to implement one of these options in your store, you may run into several challenges, particularly here in the Arab region, where not all options are available.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">There are other payment methods through intermediaries such as PayPal, MoneyBookers, and others. However, keep in mind that each payment option has its advantages. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">\u0648\u0639\u064a\u0648\u0628 \u0648\u062d\u062f\u0648\u062f!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; color: #ff6600;\"><b>How do you deliver products to customers?<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">If you plan to sell physical products, you\u2019ll need a shipping provider, which involves shipping costs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">The shipping provider you choose should also offer an online shipment tracking system. Your store will likely attract customers from other countries <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">around the world, so shipping costs and estimated delivery times should be clear to both you and your customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Online stores often offer free shipping when an order exceeds a certain amount that covers the shipping cost.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Some of these stores offer shipping through different carriers\u2014or, in other words, a choice of shipping options, such as standard or express delivery.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;\">Don\u2019t forget: these are important considerations when planning your online store, even if they seem simple.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; \u0642\u062f \u064a\u0638\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0628\u0639\u0636 \u0623\u0646 \u062a\u0623\u0633\u064a\u0633 \u0648 \u0628\u0646\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u062a\u062c\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a \u0627\u0644\u062e\u0627\u0635 \u0628\u0623\u0639\u0645\u0627\u0644\u0647\u0645 \u0648\u062a\u062c\u0627\u0631\u062a\u0647\u0645 \u0642\u0631\u0627\u0631\u064b\u0627 \u0633\u0647\u0644\u064b\u0627 (\u0642\u062f \u064a\u0643\u0648\u0646 \u0643\u0630\u0644\u0643!). \u0648\u0644\u0643\u0646 \u062f\u0648\u0646 \u0623\u0646 \u064a\u0643\u0648\u0646 \u0630\u0644\u0643 \u0627\u0644\u0642\u0631\u0627\u0631 \u0648\u0641\u0642 \u0645\u0646\u0647\u062c<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ibtdi_aa_focus_keyword":"","_ibtdi_aa_secondary_keywords":"","_ibtdi_aa_audience":"","_ibtdi_aa_tone":"","_ibtdi_aa_summary":"","_ibtdi_aa_reviewer_name":"","_ibtdi_aa_reviewer_bio":"","_ibtdi_aa_reviewer_url":"","_ibtdi_aa_reviewed_date":"","_ibtdi_aa_service_id":"","_ibtdi_aa_related_ids":"","_ibtdi_aa_human_reviewed":"","_ibtdi_aa_disable":"","_ibtdi_aa_disable_links":"","_ibtdi_aa_sources":"","_ibtdi_aa_update_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[491],"tags":[17386,9225,11832,9006,292,17385,1091,1689,1481],"class_list":["post-16306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-491","tag-17386","tag-9225","tag-11832","tag-9006","tag-292","tag-17385","tag-1091","tag-1689","tag-1481"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibtdi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}