e-commerce development FAQ
The process of designing and developing an e-commerce website is quite similar to a typical website development but also includes some additional, particularly important stages.
Answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about e-commerce web design and development can be found below. We are constantly striving to make this list as complete as possible. If, though, you have a question that is not listed below do not hesitate to contact us.
Why should I prefer open source software for an e-commerce website ?
When it comes to designing and developing an expandable, fully customizable and easy to update e-commerce website, you should look no further than an open source software, to ensure full support by any professional, on a “no strings attached” basis. As it is widely said within the business circles : “no business should get married to any software vendor”. That's the safest path to choose, in order to avoid a complete, everlasting commitment for all your e-commerce needs.
What do I need to do to begin developing an e-commerce website ?
The very first step you need to take in order to launch an e-commerce website is to determine the payment options you would like to be featured. In case of credit card payments you should register a business account on a payment gateway (such as authorize.net or PayPal). A payment gateway is an essential requirement for the validation of credit card transactions, whilst it also provides a secure means to withdraw collected amounts at your connected bank account. PayPal provides a complete, stable and secure service with the extra advantage of allowing an express checkout, without requiring user registration. PayPal charges an extra fee of 3% for every transaction through your website.
Can I assign istogram my PayPal account registration ?
Certainly. We may undertake the whole process of creating a business account on PayPal, as long as it has been agreed within a prior arrangement.
How can I collect my e-commerce sales revenue ?
Your PayPal business account gets linked to your bank account, with a simple yet completely secure verification procedure, realized by two small deposits from PayPal. To complete the procedure and start withdrawing sales revenue to your bank account, you will have to enter the exact amounts of those two deposits, as a verification of the bank account ownership.
Are there any other payment options available ?
In case you don't want credit card processing in your e-commerce website, you may provide the convenient options of payment with cash on delivery or via a direct transfer to your bank account. In such a case you also achieve a significant reduction of the overall e-commerce development cost.
How many products can be featured in my e-commerce website ?
There is absolutely none limitation. There are e-commerce websites launched to sell a single product, whilst others are launched featuring thousands of products. Nevertheless, the total amount of products initially featured in an e-commerce website, is one of the most decisive factors shaping the overall ecommerce development cost.
How can I perform product updates on my e-commerce website ?
The update procedure of an e-commerce website is quite similar to the procedure of a website's update. The e-commerce websites we develop are built upon content management systems, featuring an administrative backend, with a highly intuitive interface that simplifies the process in a great manner. In istogram we trust the convenience of video training, hence we include, upon request, the delivery of instructional videos regarding the product updates of your own e-commerce website.
How can I perform massive product imports ?
In cases of e-commerce websites with hundreds, or even thousands of products, we can install and configure a massive import feature, allowing you to import your full range of products from a single Excel file. The massive import feature we implement also includes multiple photo attachments for each product, provided that the photos are already uploaded at the web server, a task that can be easily accomplished using a FTP client.
How can I view and update the available stock ?
Viewing and managing the available stock is a feature of the website's administrative backend. This task can be simplified in a great manner, using the appropriate filters so as to display a portion of the available products.
What should the product photos feature ?
Your product photos must be sharp, taken with the appropriate lighting and certainly not with the use of a flash. The photos' background is also a major quality factor. For certain product categories there might be some special requirements, that are usually met only by experienced professional photographers.
Can I assign istogram the product shooting ?
In istogram we work closely with leading professional photographers, who are able to provide the best possible result for each product category.
How can I boost my e-shop's incoming traffic ?
Along with the general SEO rules applied to a typical website, there are certain specialized strategies that can boost an e-shop's incoming traffic, such as a Google Adwords campaign, a Facebook campaign, a contest campaign to attract potential customers etc. In istogram we provide you several options to invest your available budget, aiming to expand the audience of your ecommerce website.
I need an e-commerce website on a very reasonable price. Can istogram help me ?
In case there are certain typical e-commerce features not required on your e-commerce website, such as a shopping cart and a credit card processing system, we can offer an e-commerce design and development at a highly competitive price. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us!