A checklist for launching eCommerce Websites: The Essentials

The site is set to go live, you've got everything you need to create your products and are ready to go live with your online store. All the hard work required to launch your new store online, it's easy to forget some thing. Who knows, you may perhaps be overlooking something that was not your intention to achieve!

A minor oversight is as straightforward as forgetting the most important ingredient at the store However, the consequences can be significantly more dire.

So, to make sure you don't suffer from the "what did I forget" feeling, we've put together essential checklists prior to take off. As with rockets ensure that you've read through the whole checklist two times!

You might want to print out the checklist, or post it online?

Design:

If a prospective customer is on your site, you'll want to make them feel special! Your site should get the attention of customers who are interested, demonstrate the quality of your goods and your business is professional, and guide your visitors to where you'd like them to take them ( hint: it's usually on the page for checkout!).

Here are a few important design considerations:

• Are you using your HTML0 brand's logo and colors consistent? A consistent brand lets your visitors know that they're in the right spot. Check every page on your website for consistent colors or fonts as well as other design elements. Be sure to check the your hover colours for links and buttons!
• Are you making clearly defined call-to-actions? If you don't get your customers to buy what's the point? Make use of buttons that are colored to show on the webpage and use language that's practical - "Buy Now", "Shop Tees" as well as "Find the right Size."
  
• Are your checkout and cart pages accessible? The last thing you'd like to cause an interested customer to leave due to confusion over what to do to checkout. One option to consider is to place cart icons in the right hand side in your menu. The menu can be expanded to include the links for your Checkout page. No matter where the user is visiting your website, they can buy.
  
• Do you have the ability to catch the attention of your visitors instantly? If you don't draw your site's visitors at initial few minutes, they'll disappear. 55% of visitors have only 15 minutes per day on websites! It is important to show the images of your product on your main page. You can use appealing text or show video clips of your products displayed to draw attention.
  
• Do you do you have a"favicon? A favicon is the symbol that is displayed in the browser address bar, as well as in your list of bookmarks. It should be properly-branded and easily identifiable , so it is visible in the event your customers are browsing 32 tabs of cat videos open, they'll be able to navigate returned to your store.
  
• Are your products displayed in a proper manner? You don't want the design of your site distract from your item - it should remain the point of your website! It's important to ensure that, when browsing your catalog and category pages, users are able to distinguish your item from other products and understand what it is and how to find out more information.
  
• Do you have a retina-friendly version of your image? Many devices now have retina display screens, with a greater density of pixels, making content look crisper. If you're trying to make sure that your logo is suitable, you must include a version with the resolution of a retina, which is 2 times larger than the original. A lot of themes allow you to achieve this. It's also possible to make use of an application similar to WordPress Retina 2.x.

Functionality:

It's irrelevant if your site looks gorgeous and attracts attention, however, if it has stopped working! Go through each of these points to ensure that your website is easy for customers to navigate.

• Do all of your links work? Make sure you verify all links on webpages or products, as well as headers and footers. If you're linking to other websites, they should be accessible in a different tab.
  
• Do forms work? Fill out your contact form , and verify that it is submitted. Verify that your client receives a confirmation email or an email, and you are notifying them of their submittal.
  
• Do you have your contact information clear and easy to find? It's always good to provide multiple options for customers to get in touch with your company. Are your address, email contact number, and address easy to find?
  
• Do you own an online site that has an 404 page? What happens if you go to a misleading link or if you type the wrong URL? A 404 page can be a great way to guide users to the information you're looking for. Make the most of it! Create links to pages that are relevant and also a search feature that could allow you transform mistakes into an opportunity to make profits.
  
• If you're migrating from another website, can existing customers access their orders? Make sure that they have the ability to access their account to view their tracking information as well as subscriptions, if they are applicable. You'll also want to backup everything you purchased from your previous site.
  
• Are you removing unneeded files? Go through your WordPress backend and delete unused themes, plugins, pages, and posts. Those are easy access points to hackersand are likely to be listed within Google searches.

eCommerce:

This is your first experience of creating a business ultimately, so it's important to check that your store is running smoothly and can help your customers convert to purchasers. The most crucial things to consider:

• Do you have taxes setup correctly? Taxes are an essential aspect to running an company and it's important to make sure that they're properly set up. It is possible to find your tax preferences by going to the Settings tab and then Tax. There's several options that will work depending on your situation but we recommend speaking with your tax accountant or specialist to ensure you're taking the correct steps.
  
• Does your checkout process function? If there's a credit card issue, does your message match? Go through your checkout process throughout, starting beginning with placing the purchase into your cart , to choosing an option for shipping, and finally, making payment. Be sure to check all of your methods of payment if there are several methods of payment. Examine the bank account, or enter the incorrect information in - the CVV on the credit card, for an instance. Check that an appropriate error message appears so you know what the problem is.
  
• Do coupon codes work? Test each of coupon codes to confirm they provide the right discount (free shipping, percent off and so on.) during the checkout process.
  
• Are variations possible? If you have variously priced items, you should think about changing the variations to ensure prices and pictures are updated accordingly.
  
• Is your shipping working? Whether your shipping calculations are weight-based, product-based or cart-based, test different combinations of options to determine if the calculation is correct. Check all the options available for shipping at a given location and try various shipping options. It is also important to make sure that the shipping labels you created work correctly.
  
• Is the currency on your website change in accordance with its needs? Do you have an international site that has the possibility of converting currencies? Check that your changes are suitable for your goods and the shipping.
  
• If the item is digital, will they be delivered upon the order? If you sell digital items through your online store , ensure that required files have been uploaded and successfully delivered after the purchase. Click on the settings tab and after which you can select Products > Downloadable Items for the various options that are available to deliver the files.
  
• Are you able to aid someone find the information they're looking for? There should be several ways on your website for users to get the answers to their question. Be sure the menu navigation is easy to navigate and your items are categorized in a way which makes sense. It is also possible think of filters that can be categorized by price, color, brand, etc. that will help your customers reduce your list of products.
  
• Are your extensions working? You may have various extensions specifically designed for you, like product add-ons or Mix and Match Products. It is important to test to make sure they are working!
  
• What's the method by which your items appear in social networks? If you share the item on Facebook Does the proper image appear? Do the description and title seem correct? It is the Yoast SEO plugin that permits you to change the look of your website on social media.
  
• Do you know if the upsells and cross-sells you're using are effective? They are effective methods of increasing the total value of your shopping cart It is essential to ensure they're properly set up manner. This can be done by going to the product's specific page, by going to the Product Information section. Then, click Linked Products. Get a full guide here.

SEO:

SEO is a word that's gotten many rumors about the topic, and for good reason. The term Search engines Optimization is the process of getting your name noticed by search engines like Google when people are looking for services or products you provide.

It is possible to spend a lot of money and time spent focused on the specifics of each component of SEO (critically important if you want to stay ahead of the pack against heavy competition) Yet, performing the basic steps correctly will put you a step above the majority of the brand-new eCommerce companies.

• Have you got interesting meta text Descriptions? The meta descriptions for your pages and products are what users are able to find by searching on Google. Be sure they're engaging and make people want to go to your site over your competitors'.
  
• Do all your photos have alt text? Alt text plays an essential role in a myriad of ways. This is the only way Google is able to "read" the images and comprehend what they show. Screen readers are able to listen to alt text aloud so that those who are visually impaired to comprehend the information. The alt text you select to utilize should match the explicitness of the image. It should also contain the keyword you want to use naturally.
  
• Do you have effective titles? The title of your items should be clear and precise. The title tags should have your targeted keywords and be designed with your users in their minds. Remember, this is what users will be seeing when they look for items on the web!
  
• What's your URL structure? Your URLs should be concise and clear. This will help users and engines know exactly what the page on your website is all about. For example, it's much easier to understand what www.example.com/red-dog-leash is about than www.example.com/index.php?id_reddogleash=360&sid=3a5ebc944f41daa6f849f730f1. Make sure you break sentences with dashes rather than underscores.
  
• If you're migrating to another platform, is your URL consistent or changed? If you're moving from another platform, it's essential to ensure that all your URLs are exactly the similar to the site you're on or you can make 301 redirects. This can help direct Google to your new website and prevent a loss in search engine rankings.
  
• Do you have a sitemap? And have you uploaded your sitemap to Google? An XML sitemap is basically a diagram of the contents of your site that assists Google to determine exactly what pages have been. It's easy to make your sitemap with the help of Yoast SEO or a similar plugins. You can also transmit your sitemaps to Google using Google Search Console.

Security:

What you don't do is to have your new site to be attacked and your clients' data compromised when your launch. It's the reason why you make sure you take all the necessary steps to protect your website!

• Are you using a firewall up? A firewall protects your WordPress site from threats. There are two premium firewalls including Sucuri and Sucuri along with "freemium" firewalls such as Wordfence as and WP All-in-One Security.
  
• Do you own HTML0? Do you own you have an SSL certificate? An SSL certificate secures and encrypts sensitive data, like your customers' credit card numbers. Additionally, it's vital from a moral as well as legal perspective, Google also flags websites that do not have an SSL certificate in the form of "insecure." It could affect customers' impression of your brand.
  
• Do you have safe encryption passwords? Use a combination of symbols, numbers, and letters at least eight characters long. Additionally, you may be thinking about two-factor authentication, which provides additional security to administrators (like a code sent via your cellphone).
  
• Do you have the spam filter that you have set up? This is particularly important if you've got product reviews , or even post comments. Your site will be safer and save you the time in weeding out messages which are not legitimate. One of the most effective solutions can be using the plugin Askimet - just install it, and you'll never have to think about it again!
  
• Do you have backups? You should have regularly scheduled backups which are automatically created for your website data as well as your database. There's an array of ways to accomplish this via your hosting service provider or with plugins like Jetpack.
  
• Are you sure everything is up-to-date? It's important that you maintain your theme, plugins, and WordPress software that is up-to date. Old versions are much easier to hack. If you'd rather not think about it, just set up automatic updates in your dashboard.

Legal:

The right legal framework set up will shield you from potential lawsuits and ensures that your customers are aware of what you do using their data and the manner in which your policies on store operations work. Maybe you'd prefer to hire a lawyer to help draft your initial legal documents. It's definitely worth it! But, make sure that they're easy to access on your site.

• Do you have strict terms and conditions? The terms and conditions are the guidelines for conduct that your site's visitors must adhere to. who visit your site. These rules have to be followed when they wish to purchase your products. For adding this information to your checkout page, go to the Appearance tab, then select Customize and then select a terms and conditions page.
  
• Do you have a privacy statement? A good privacy policy clarifies how you'll keep track of customer data and other information that you collect on your site. It establishes credibility and is an important layer of protection to your business. This can be added on your Checkout page through appearance and then customize selecting privacy Policy page.
  
• Have you got any terms and conditions for returns? It's important for your customers to understand what you're willing to accept for returns , and what your policies are. Provide details on how long customers have to make a claim and the condition which must be fulfilled for the product, how refunds will be processed and the person who is responsible to ship the item.

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The last thing you need to make prior to launching is to ask people who have actually visited your website try it out. Invite employees, friends as well as family, as well as members of your target group to visit the site, and then write down the things that they find hard or confusing. There is nothing better than having a fresh set of eyes to look at things.

If you've finished this checklist, congrats - you're ready to start launching your new website!

Have you launched a site before and forgotten something critical? Can you provide suggestions for those about to launch their first site? We'd like to hear your experiences by leaving a comment!

Perhaps you want to print the checklist or share it to the internet?

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