There are plenty of advantages to owning an online e-commerce business in Auckland. This includes lowers costs than physical shops because you don’t have to pay rent and you will need fewer employees. An e-commerce website is also easier to maintain.
E-commerce also offers advantages if you already have a business but want to expand online. At the top of that list is the fact your business will be in front of a wider and more diverse audience, increasing your brand presence and getting you more sales.
However, before you move into online sales, you should also know what you’ll have to deal with when starting with e-commerce in Auckland.
E-Commerce Platforms, Shopping Carts & Currency
WooCommerce, Shopify, WIX, Magento, PrestaShop: which one is the best for your online store? They are all shopping carts, and the answer depends on your budget, customisation requirements, and the type of shopping cart you need.
Each of these platforms offers different features, but they all have one thing in common: they power most of the world’s online stores.
Since each platform offers shopping cart solutions, the only challenging part is setting it up for your business needs. This usually means setting your currency, prices, discounts, special offers, and more, which is why you should hire a specialist e-commerce website developer in Auckland for the job.
Most big platform shopping carts offer options for e-commerce businesses that sell globally too.
Regardless of the option you choose, it’s crucial you make sure the settings are correct and that your shopping cart works smoothly.
Choosing a Merchant Solution
Merchant solutions, also known as credit card processing solutions, handle the electronic payments coming through your website.
In most cases, the shopping cart you choose will provide you with several merchant solution options. PayPal is one of the most widely used and trusted, but there are other options too.
Also, think about your customers. PayPal, for example, is great when selling in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand. It is also popular in other countries, although this isn’t universal. Therefore, if you sell internationally, make sure the merchant solution you choose has a user base in your target countries.
The SSL Certificate
SSL stands for ‘Secure Sockets Layer’ and is a protocol that secures and protects data. The protocol encrypts data, such as personal or financial information, as it travels between your customer’s web browser and the server hosting your e-commerce store.
While the presence or absence of an SSL certificate is important for SEO, when it comes to financial transactions, this certificate is mandatory if you want customers to trust you. After all, would you buy from a site that doesn’t do what it can to protect your personal information?
Integration with Other Software Platforms
Finally, make sure the e-commerce platform you choose can communicate with other software in your business such as inventory, storage management, CMS, CRM, and more.
As you can see, there are many things to consider when starting out with e-commerce in Auckland. Getting them right from the start will save you money, time, and hassle in the future.
