How to Open Your Online StoreWhen it comes to starting your online store, there are several options to choose from and you can choose whichever option works best for you. For example, you can:
A. Build and open your online store with a simple web design program such as Microsoft Expression Web, Adobe Dreamweaver, Go Live etc. |
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How to Open Your Online Store
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B. Build and open your online store using a professional, pre-built website template from TemplateMonster.com. When using a website template, you would have to edit the template with an editing program such as Microsoft Expression Web, Dreamweaver or other programs as well. Then insert images and product text. Link the “Buy button” to your shopping cart and you’re done.
C. Open your own online store with any ecommerce package provided by your web host provider. Or purchase a complete ecommerce solution for just $15 per month from an ecommerce provider such as Volusion, Shopify and others as well. Then all you’ll have to do is insert image and insert product text. |
D. Hire a professional. If you don’t have the time to build your online store then you can always hire a professional web design company to build it for you.
Building your own online store
Anyone can build an online store. And if you decide to build your own website, then you can do so using a simple web development program such as Microsoft Expression Web, Adobe Dreamweaver or others as well. And if you’re simply not familiar with basic web designs and layout schemes, then you can always look at other website designs to get some good web design ideas.
For example, you can visit template website providers such as TemplateMonster.com to view their templates in order to obtain creative design ideas. Then you can use ideas from those templates to design your own online store. And to create graphics such as headers and logos and buttons as well, you may need an image creation and editor program such as Adobe Fireworks, Inkscape or others. (Many computers have an image editing program already installed)
There are free image editing programs which can be used as well such as Gimp which is a free, open source program to help you create and edit images with ease. And with Gimp for example, you can make headers, logos and buttons as well. Furthermore, learning and using such programs is not that difficult to do. It’s just a matter of reading the software tutorials and doing what they tell you to do. And in doing so, you can easily create professional graphic images and webpage templates from scratch.
Building your own template is as simple as adding your logo to the top of the page, followed by a top menu navigation and then a side navigation menu on the left side of the webpage.
For example, you can visit template website providers such as TemplateMonster.com to view their templates in order to obtain creative design ideas. Then you can use ideas from those templates to design your own online store. And to create graphics such as headers and logos and buttons as well, you may need an image creation and editor program such as Adobe Fireworks, Inkscape or others. (Many computers have an image editing program already installed)
There are free image editing programs which can be used as well such as Gimp which is a free, open source program to help you create and edit images with ease. And with Gimp for example, you can make headers, logos and buttons as well. Furthermore, learning and using such programs is not that difficult to do. It’s just a matter of reading the software tutorials and doing what they tell you to do. And in doing so, you can easily create professional graphic images and webpage templates from scratch.
Building your own template is as simple as adding your logo to the top of the page, followed by a top menu navigation and then a side navigation menu on the left side of the webpage.
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The center of the page, also known as the body of the page, is where your product images and product information will be. And once you’re able to build one page, your main page, then this becomes your main template design. Then you can proceed to use that same template for the rest of your website as well.
>Simply insert the new product image, copy and paste product text onto the center of the webpage.
>Then insert your buy button at the bottom of the webpage and link that buy button to that product in your shopping cart data base.
>Save that page as the name of the new product and you’re done.
Then when you’re ready to make the next page, you can use that same template page and simply remove the old image and product text from that page, and replace it with the new product image and the new product text. Link the buy button to that new product in your shopping cart and then save and name the new page as the new product name.
After creating and completing the first few webpage’s, you’ll see how easy it is to keep building pages in the same manner over and over again. Then all you have to do is keep building product pages until your Internet storefront is completed.
>Simply insert the new product image, copy and paste product text onto the center of the webpage.
>Then insert your buy button at the bottom of the webpage and link that buy button to that product in your shopping cart data base.
>Save that page as the name of the new product and you’re done.
Then when you’re ready to make the next page, you can use that same template page and simply remove the old image and product text from that page, and replace it with the new product image and the new product text. Link the buy button to that new product in your shopping cart and then save and name the new page as the new product name.
After creating and completing the first few webpage’s, you’ll see how easy it is to keep building pages in the same manner over and over again. Then all you have to do is keep building product pages until your Internet storefront is completed.
Building your online store with a pre-built, website template
If you simply don’t have the time or the know how to build your own website from scratch then you can build your online store using a pre-built, storefront template design from TemplateMonster.com.
You’ll find hundreds of professional website templates to choose from at www.TemplateMonster.com. And you can edit these templates with a simple editing program such as Microsoft Expression Web or Adobe Dreamweaver and others as well.
Webpage templates are pre-built webpage’s with graphics and layouts already in place. And with pre-built templates the design is already done. You don’t have to design anything. All you’ll have to do is insert image, copy and paste product text, edit links and save that page as the product name for that page.
Templates are great for people who simply don’t have the time to build websites from scratch yet want to have a professional look and feel. It’s also interesting to note that most web design firms today don’t create their own designs any more. Instead, they purchase, download and edit pre-built templates from TemplateMonster.com and then charge their customers for the templates and for editing those templates. And as a result, this practice helps to save the customer time and money while allowing them to have a professional website design at a very affordable price.
Template packages also include buttons, logos, headers and graphic icons to give you a complete and professional webpage design. There are also many template providers which offer free web templates as well. And you can find them by performing a search on Google.com for the search words “free website templates”. But if you’re looking for high quality and professional website templates then TemplateMonster.com can provide the template you need.
You’ll find hundreds of professional website templates to choose from at www.TemplateMonster.com. And you can edit these templates with a simple editing program such as Microsoft Expression Web or Adobe Dreamweaver and others as well.
Webpage templates are pre-built webpage’s with graphics and layouts already in place. And with pre-built templates the design is already done. You don’t have to design anything. All you’ll have to do is insert image, copy and paste product text, edit links and save that page as the product name for that page.
Templates are great for people who simply don’t have the time to build websites from scratch yet want to have a professional look and feel. It’s also interesting to note that most web design firms today don’t create their own designs any more. Instead, they purchase, download and edit pre-built templates from TemplateMonster.com and then charge their customers for the templates and for editing those templates. And as a result, this practice helps to save the customer time and money while allowing them to have a professional website design at a very affordable price.
Template packages also include buttons, logos, headers and graphic icons to give you a complete and professional webpage design. There are also many template providers which offer free web templates as well. And you can find them by performing a search on Google.com for the search words “free website templates”. But if you’re looking for high quality and professional website templates then TemplateMonster.com can provide the template you need.
Building your online store with a complete ecommerce package
If you’re not up to building your own website from scratch or with a pre-built template, then you may want to consider building your internet storefront with a complete ecommerce package from online store providers such as Volusion, Shopify and others as well.
Volusion.com for example provides a complete and professional ecommerce packages, yet every web host provider offers ecommerce packages as well.
Yahoo Small Business for example will also host your site and provide a Yahoo Store for you which is a complete, ecommerce, internet storefront with domain name, shopping cart and payment solution included.
Many web host providers offer complete ecommerce solutions which include the storefront, shopping cart, payment processing solutions, site statistics, reliable hosting, tech support and multiple designs and layouts to choose from as well. And with an ecommerce package, all you have to do is insert image and insert product text in their respective fields. Everything is placed right where it belongs and every page is perfect. You won’t have to move, edit or stretch tables as well. And building your website in this manner takes minutes to create each page.
Volusion.com for example provides a complete and professional ecommerce packages, yet every web host provider offers ecommerce packages as well.
Yahoo Small Business for example will also host your site and provide a Yahoo Store for you which is a complete, ecommerce, internet storefront with domain name, shopping cart and payment solution included.
Many web host providers offer complete ecommerce solutions which include the storefront, shopping cart, payment processing solutions, site statistics, reliable hosting, tech support and multiple designs and layouts to choose from as well. And with an ecommerce package, all you have to do is insert image and insert product text in their respective fields. Everything is placed right where it belongs and every page is perfect. You won’t have to move, edit or stretch tables as well. And building your website in this manner takes minutes to create each page.
Having a web design company build your online store for you
If you don’t have the time nor desire to build your website with any of the methods mentioned above, then you can always hire a web design company to build your online store for you.
You can explain to the designer exactly what you want and they will build it for you. They can create your logo and add the products to your website as well. And it’s very possible that the web design company will use a pre-built, website template to build your website. This is common practice. But they will most likely edit the template to give it a unique design which no other website will have. And when searching for the right web design company to build your online store, it’s important to view their portfolio of other online stores which they have built for other clients.
Check to see if their online stores are optimized for search engines as well, as search engine optimization (SEO) becomes your main key to internet marketing success.
It’s important not to just hire the first web design company that shows up on the first page of the Google search results. Ask for price quotes and check out portfolios from other web design companies as well.
Basically, you’ll want to make sure that the web design company you choose to build your website will offer every option that a complete ecommerce provider will offer as well. And most importantly, make sure that the website, content and domain name will belong to you and not the design firm.
These are the easiest and fastest ways to get your store online. And you can choose whichever method works best for you. But whatever method you choose, make sure that you are in complete control and that the entire website belongs to you and no one else.
You can explain to the designer exactly what you want and they will build it for you. They can create your logo and add the products to your website as well. And it’s very possible that the web design company will use a pre-built, website template to build your website. This is common practice. But they will most likely edit the template to give it a unique design which no other website will have. And when searching for the right web design company to build your online store, it’s important to view their portfolio of other online stores which they have built for other clients.
Check to see if their online stores are optimized for search engines as well, as search engine optimization (SEO) becomes your main key to internet marketing success.
It’s important not to just hire the first web design company that shows up on the first page of the Google search results. Ask for price quotes and check out portfolios from other web design companies as well.
Basically, you’ll want to make sure that the web design company you choose to build your website will offer every option that a complete ecommerce provider will offer as well. And most importantly, make sure that the website, content and domain name will belong to you and not the design firm.
These are the easiest and fastest ways to get your store online. And you can choose whichever method works best for you. But whatever method you choose, make sure that you are in complete control and that the entire website belongs to you and no one else.