Creating a merchant site is a big project that requires many expertise. At Inwie, our webdesign team supports you by relying on a variety of tools and software. Small overview of the tools necessary for your e-commerce site to work well.
CMS to create a professional website
A CMS (or Content Management System) is a content management system. These softwares allow create and organize your website easy. The most popular are WordPress and Drupal.
While CMS are convenient to create a site quickly and simply, without passing through hours of code, they are also very suitable to meet search engine requirements in terms of Natural SEO (SEO).
But CMS « classic » does not directly integrate online selling functionality. You will need to add a specific plug-in to configure your e-shop.
Examples of CMS: HubSpot CMS Hub, Squarespace, Joomla!, WordPress, Drupal, Wix.
e-commerce platforms to manage online sales
Some online platforms specialize in creation of market sites and integrate all the necessary features to sell your products. They are therefore designed to adapt to your payment solutions, emailing, advertising, etc.
This is particularly the case for Wix eCommerce, Magento (the e-commerce platform of Adobe), Prestashop, Shopify, etc.
On these e-commerce platforms, you can manage your product catalog, your inventory, your customer profiles, order processing, etc.
Hosting your website
Now that you have a beautiful new site, you have to make it visible to all internet users. For this, you will need a domain name and web hosting. At Inwie, we rely on renowned partners, with values close to ours: data security, respect for the environment. Each of our clients' sites is hosted independently on a dedicated server.
Examples of web hosting: Infomaniak, LWS, C Ways, Allistic, Cohesion.
Online payment solutions
Which says e-commerce, says secure payment. Your merchant site must incorporate a payment solution that allows customers as well to be assured of the protection of their bank data, and your company to easily receive the funds. These platforms generally accept most credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and sometimes offer payment solutions in several times.
This service is paid for the undertaking on the basis of a commission levied on each transaction.
Examples of online payment solutions: PayPal, Stripe, Square, Alma, Adyen.
Google My Business: the essential SEO service
The Google establishment sheet is a guarantee of seriousness and professionalism for a future customer looking for your company name on the search engine. This sheet gives the key indications on your shop: contact details, opening times, link to the website, customer reviews. By being referenced on Google My Business, you also appear on Google Maps, which is very convenient for establishments with gignon on the street.
Tools to manage your clients' opinions
Your reputation as an online company is largely assured by the customer reviews. These testimonials are valuable to your prospects, who want to be reassured before placing an order for the first time on a site they do not know. Tools like Verified Notices and Trustpilot ensure the veracity of the opinions, allow them to be moderated manually or automatically, and integrate them directly into your website.
Marketplaces to sell your products on multiple channels
To enjoy increased visibility, you can complete your e-commerce site with membership in a marketplace, or market place, which will take a commission on your sales. Some are generalists, such as the famous Amazon, Cdiscount, Aliexpress, Rue du Commerce, Rakuten, eBay; and others specialize in a specific business sector.
Social media marketplaces, as Facebook Marketplace and Instagram shopping are an increasingly privileged lever for companies. They allow Internet users to view your products on these social networks and buy them directly, without leaving their app. In this case, Facebook or Instagram becomes an intermediary between the Internet user and your e-shop. An excellent way to Boost your sales a target population.