When you’re ready to launch your product business, you’ll need to set up a website. Even if you run a brick-and-mortar business, embracing the e-commerce world will help you expand your reach and make more sales.
Your website will serve both as a way for customers to get to know your brand and a way for customers to order your products online.
But if you’ve never designed a website before, it can seem like a daunting task.
Fortunately, learning to design a website for your product business doesn’t have to be complicated. There are plenty of tools and tips that can make the process smooth and straightforward. Read on for five tips to help you set up your website for success.
Choose the Right Platform
There are many options available for your website platform, including Weebly, Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, and Shopify. In my experience, Shopify is the best platform for product businesses.
Shopify is set up for e-commerce, and its features help make setting up online purchases simple. It offers a drag and drop interface that is very easy to use, and it looks professional. There are over 70 templates to choose from, so you will have flexibility and options to design a website that reflects your brand.
One of the other benefits that Shopify offers is a wide range of apps and integrations designed to help you grow your business. You can set up email marketing campaigns, display coupons, alter your shop design, and easily adapt and change your site.
Another reason Shopify works so well for product businesses is that it makes getting paid simple. It works with over 70 payment gateways, so you can easily set up payments no matter what method you prefer.
It’s no surprise that many famous brands use Shopify for their websites. Beauty brands Colourpop Cosmetics, Tattly, and Kylie Cosmetics use Shopify, as do food and beverage brands Budweiser, Red Bull, and Nestle. It’s even used by publishing giants The Economist, The New York Times, and Harper Collins.
Set Up Your Basic Pages First
You can add as many pages as you want, but there are only a few that you really need to get started when you design a website for your product business. Add a “home” page, a “products” or “catalog” page, an “about us” page, and a “wholesale page” (if you’re selling wholesale).
Those are the essential pages that will let you position yourself professionally and get started selling your product.
When you design a website for your product business, I would also recommend adding a blog page. A blog is a great addition to any e-commerce site. It helps with SEO, since Google favors websites that are updated frequently. It’s also a great place to showcase new products, build relationships with influencers, and give product tutorials.
Make Your Product Pages Pop
Your product listings and pages are extremely important. They can make the difference between a customer purchasing from you or not. You want to include a clear and beautiful product photo and a compelling product description. If applicable, try to include photos of your product on different models.
For example, if you’re in the beauty industry, show your lipsticks or eyeshadows on models with different skin tones. If you sell hair care products, use photos to show how they work with different hair types.
You want to appeal to a wide range of customers and help your buyers make informed decisions about how your products will work for them.
Include High-Quality Product Photos
Your photos need to look professional, but you don’t have to hire a photographer to get high-quality pictures. If you’re on a tight budget, you can easily do this yourself. Most smartphones are capable of taking good photos. You just need to make sure that they are well lit, sharp and clear, and high resolution.
To get the right lighting, you can either go outside or take your pictures near the window to take advantage of natural light, or just make sure that your room is well-lit with overhead light. You can also purchase inexpensive lightboxes to improve your photo lighting.
You can buy colored paper from the craft store to use as your product background. Stick with backgrounds that contrast well with your products and fit your branding.
As long as you hold your phone steady and stay close, your pictures will probably turn out sharp and clear. If you have trouble, you can purchase a phone tripod.
When it comes to editing your photos, you can use the native editing function on your phone or download a free editing app, such as Snapseed. Even if you don’t have editing skills, the auto edit button can do wonders for your photos.
Make the Most Out of Shopify
Shopify integrates with many programs that can benefit your business, such as Google Analytics, a Facebook store, and Facebook Pixel. I recommend setting those up right away, then experimenting with other integrations later to see what works for you.
You’ll want to set up email marketing sequences right away. You can use programs that sync with Shopify to automatically deliver email sequences, such as Privy and Klaviyo.
You’ll want to set up a welcome sequence, an order follow-up sequence, and an abandoned cart sequence. Privy and Klaviyo have predesigned and prewritten email sequences that you can tweak for your brand.
The welcome sequence welcomes new customers or subscribers. It can tell your brand story, build a relationship, and encourage engagement. The follow-up sequence is designed to thank new customers for their orders and tell them what to expect next. The abandoned cart sequence will encourage potential customers who abandoned their carts to complete their purchase.
Don’t Let Yourself Get Stuck
You want to spend some time making sure your website looks good, but you don’t need to overthink every decision. Pick a template that looks clean and professional. Find some eye-catching stock photos online to feature on the website.
Ultimately, though, the most important thing to remember when you design a website for your product business is that your website should be designed for sales. Make it easy for customers to find your products quickly.
Don’t let yourself get stuck on website building. Keep in mind that anything you do now can be changed later. In time, your website will seem easy and intuitive. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t as your business grows.
Ready for more tips for launching your business? See our post How to Develop an Online Marketing Strategy for Your Product Business for more!