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How To Build An Ecommerce Site With WordPress

Details: Published: Wednesday, 09 September 2020 10:32

You want to build an eCommerce website, and you want to know how you can build it with WordPress. You have come to the right place. In this straightforward, minimal guide, I will show you how to create your online store using WordPress in the simplest way possible.

I understand that you probably have an idea of why WordPress is a great choice for creating an eCommerce website. Maybe you don’t. Yet, we are not concerned with either of these scenarios. The goal of this article is simple: to guide you through creating an eCommerce website with WordPress. Once you are able to do that, you will see for yourself how easy it is, and you will understand the pros and cons of it by your own experience.

As it is truly said: the best way to learn is through doing. Let’s get straight to the point.

What You Need

There are 2 things you must have in order to create an eCommerce website with WordPress.

1. Domain Name and Web Hosting:

A domain name is your website’s address; for example, amazon.com is a domain name of Amazon’s online store. The domain name you choose speaks for the identity of your online store. So make sure that it aligns with your company. You can register for a domain name through domain registration services online. Google Domains is one such service. You will usually need to pay annual charges for your domain.

Web hosting is absolutely essential, as this is where your WordPress installation will stay and your eCommerce website as well.

It is important to note that you need a reliable and fast web hosting provider for eCommerce sites. Slow sites repel customers, and unreliable hosting will bring disastrous downtime that will ruin your online business.

Maintenance is another crucial aspect you should consider. Website maintenance is often not easy, and the frequent need for maintenance will leave you busy in technical stuff, which is not your area of expertise.

For these two reasons, I highly recommend managed Wordpress hosting. This type of hosting specializes in hosting eCommerce sites of WordPress and is very reliable. You will witness faster speed than any other kind of hosting. Managed Wordpress hosts offer maintenance services and guaranteed uptime for your website. These benefits do not exist with shared hosting.

Once you have a domain name and web hosting, then we can move to the next required thing.

2. WordPress Installation

To create a website with WordPress, you need to install WordPress first.

How do you do that?

If you have a managed AbanteCart host, then WordPress installation is a breeze. A click is all you need to install WordPress, and you are ready to go.

Due to the popularity of WordPress, many web hosts offer ‘one-click WordPress installation.’ This is the easiest way to have WordPress.

In case your web host does not provide WordPress installation, you can manually download the latest copy of WordPress from the official WordPress website. You need to upload this file to your web hosting account. Follow the instructions of your hosting provider to get this right.

Now that you have WordPress, you are ready for the final ingredient. Whatever you sell — physical products or digital downloads — you can be up and running with AbanteCart WordPress plugin. For instance, you only need to install AbanteCart. You’ll find some guide here

Final Words

This is it. There isn’t any coding involved anywhere. Everything is completely customizable, and you are all set in no time. You can always find plugins to add extra functionalities to your store.

Of course, it takes some time to add products, images, to see if everything is working, to attract customers, and start generating revenue. It does take work, and it’s worth it. The good news is that you can start all of these on your own and see that you can create an amazing eCommerce site with WordPress. All it takes is a little courage to learn by doing. I hope this tutorial helped you to get started. Cheers!

Author Bio

Dipraj Zagade is an author and prolific content writer. He loves to write about technology, marketing, and copywriting. He is a kind individual who loves to appreciate the beauty in life. You can connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Online Tools and Services to Boost Your Solopreneur Business

Details: Published: Tuesday, 01 September 2020 11:47

As a solopreneur, you’re likely used to working independently and juggling all aspects of your business without help from others — particularly if you’re a freelance writer, graphic designer, bookkeeper, or social media manager. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t utilize a few tools and helps if you’re struggling to keep up with your workload or need assistance growing your solopreneur business.

To explore some of the different online tools and services that can help to boost solopreneur businesses, read on!

Freelance Professionals

Regardless of the solopreneur business you’re running, several types of freelancers can help to take your business to the next level and handle the projects and tasks you may not have the time or skills to tackle on your own — including your marketing and cybersecurity needs. As AbanteCart says on its website, several of these freelancers include cyber security consultants, link building specialists, social media managers, and lead generation specialists.

Cyber security consultants can help to protect you and your business from data breaches and other security threats — while link builders, social media managers, and lead generation specialists can help to boost your online presence and grow your audience. Other tasks to consider outsourcing could include things like bookkeeping, social media management, customer service and transcription.

If you’re ready to outsource some or all of your marketing, writing, cybersecurity, or website development needs, you can find the help you need using the following types of websites:

Freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr
Portfolio websites such as GitHub and Behance
Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Meetup

Online Tools and Systems

Even if you choose to hire one or more freelancers to assist you with your business needs, online tools and systems can help you to tackle everything from invoicing and payments to designing graphics for your website, blog, and social media pages. With affordable financial software systems like Wave, for instance, you can create invoices and track your business income and expenses — while graphic design programs like Canva can be used to create flyers, brochures, social media graphics, and more.

Of course, your options don’t end there. Various project management systems, email marketing tools, and online scheduling systems are also available to solopreneurs — including Todoist, Asana, MailChimp, ContactOut and Calendly. Essentially, whatever your computer task happens to be, there is almost certainly a software solution that can help automate it.

Business Formation Services

If you’re just starting out as a solopreneur, inexpensive online services are available to assist you in selecting a business structure, filing the necessary paperwork with your state of residence, and launching your new solopreneur business as quickly and seamlessly as possible. While you could certainly get your business up and running on your own, these online services can help to take some of the hassle out of the process.

How you structure your business will determine your tax obligations, personal liability, and more — so it’s important to consider your options carefully and seek assistance if you need it. As a solopreneur, your best options will typically include structuring your business as a sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), or an S Corporation (S Corp).

The Bottom Line

Whether you’ve been working on your own for years or you’re just getting your startup up established, help is available to you at any stage of your business lifecycle. From hiring freelance professionals to assist you in marketing your business and protecting it from security threats, being a solopreneur doesn’t mean you have to go at it alone. Thanks to helpful online tools and services, there’s simply no need to wear more hats than you can handle.

Small Businesses: Manage Today,  Plan for Tomorrow

Details: Published: Thursday, 09 July 2020 10:47

The smart approach to business today is different - and more elusive - than it has ever been before. COVID-19 restrictions have rocked every industry. As a result, many small businesses have been pushed into figuring out their eCommerce plan. This may be a stressful change for some, but there’s a lot of good that can come from it, as well. Here’s how to embrace the transition and find success through - and after - the pandemic:

Get Your Bearings

Before you can figure out how to make the most of this moment, you need to accept and adjust to it. Many small business owners have been so busy adapting that they haven’t given themselves time to reflect. However, that time spent in reflection is absolutely crucial for moving forward. Designate a specific time each day to journal or practice a meditation designed for small business owners. This will give your mind space to fully process your business’s current state.

You should also set aside time in your day for research and continued learning. The market is changing rapidly right now, and you need to stay well-informed to keep up. Whether it’s updates on ecommerce business and statistics or business news in general, find and follow trustworthy sources to make sure you have all the info you need to nurture your business through this moment.

Evaluate Changes You’ve Made

At this point, your company has already started to adapt. You may have enhanced your eCommerce presence, or boosted your online marketing. Perhaps you started a delivery service or have implemented a curbside pickup service. These gut-check changes may have helped you get over the initial COVID-19 hump, but it’s important to look at them critically, as some may not serve you well in the long run.

For example, say you expanded your delivery fleet. Eventually, traditional shopping will be safe again. When that happens, will your fleet still be profitable, or will you be sinking money into infrastructure you won’t actually use? Something like curbside pickup, which requires fewer resources, might be easier to phase out down the line.

Pay close attention to any business decisions you’ve made since the pandemic began. If a change isn’t serving your business, you have to be decisive about whether it’s worth clinging to. Don’t fall prey to the sunk cost fallacy: decisions aren’t right just because you’ve already made them, and the savvy business owner knows how to recognize - and fix - mistakes.

Looking Down the Road

On the other hand, some changes may actually carry you into the future. For example, setting up an online shop through a platform like AbanteCart allows you to expand your customer base as far as you’re willing to ship items. And digital marketing efforts, especially targeted advertising, will get your service or products seen by exactly the people who need it most.

However, creating an online business isn’t enough. Once you have it, you have to use it, and use it well. Inventory tracking mishaps, poor user experience, low social media engagement, and other online mistakes can do more harm to your business than good. If you have the budget for it, consider hiring a dedicated individual or team to oversee your digital efforts.

The pandemic is changing the way we do business, and companies have to keep up. What you do now will absolutely define your company’s future. By staying informed and looking critically at the changes that are - and aren’t - helping your business thrive, you can be a post-COVID success story.

Change Up Your Freelance Hires for Better Business Solutions

Details: Published: Wednesday, 10 June 2020 06:41

If you’ve run a business for any length of time, chances are you’ve already contemplated hiring freelancers to tackle mundane tasks like bookkeeping and scheduling. However, freelancers are a diverse pool of talent these days, and selecting someone who brings something new to the table can mean taking your business to the next level. Read on as we explore a handful of worthwhile freelancers and how they might contribute to your organization.

Cyber Security Consultant

Businesses that conduct their affairs via the cloud, e-commerce retailers, or any company that handles personal information should consider engaging a cyber security consultant. Fraud is running rampant, cyber attacks are closing doors, malware is on the rise—and as Thomson Reuters explains, businesses are increasingly responsible for what happens to the data they handle.

With that in mind, it might be time to engage the services of an expert in cyber security. These professionals can evaluate your systems and processes, identify weaknesses, and recommend solutions. And in the event a breach should occur, you’ll have an established relationship with someone who already knows your situation so they can remedy it as quickly as possible. You’ll not only protect your data, but you’ll protect your business from potential losses and perhaps even from closing your doors due to unscrupulous cyber activity.

Link Building Specialist

Websites are key to getting customers these days. Consumer behavior is increasingly internet-dependent—we look to the web to find products and services, learn about them, order them, rate them, and so forth. But even if you build a fabulous website, that doesn’t mean it will show up when a customer hops on Google to find you. That’s where link builders come in.

Link builders develop traffic to your website by establishing links that search engines approve of, and then distributing those links through blog posts, email campaigns, posts on forums, and the like.

When you hire a link building specialist, look for someone who both understands your industry and offers appropriate project experience. You should also consider things like marketing experience and the candidate’s communication skills, creativity, and organizational ability. The right candidate will turn content into customers, broadening your traffic and ultimately enhancing your bottom line.

Social Media Manager

Social media is a low-cost and effective way to expand your audience. At the same time, juggling accounts on various platforms gets complicated quickly. Fortunately, a social media manager can do all that—and a whole lot more.

As CoSchedule explains, these professionals specialize in crafting posts that are tailored not only to your brand, but also to your target audience and to the specific social media channel where the post is published. On top of that, they monitor comments, respond to them, and track engagement to influence the direction of future posts. It’s more than a solution to staying on top of social media posts; it’s a smart way to expand your customer base and ultimately make more money.

Lead Generation Specialist

Is it time to scale up? A lead generation specialist can be the key to netting the next big fish. These professionals cultivate leads through data analysis and targeted campaigns. While that might sound somewhat simple, it involves heavy information sifting and profiling to find the customers who meet your target niche. This can come from website traffic, email campaigns, social media posts, and so on.

Your lead generation specialist will need a clear understanding of your industry, your ideal customer, your personal brand, and your goals. They can take these aspects, pair them with the information they glean, and hone in on customers waiting to be found.

When it’s time to look to freelance hires, rethink your direction. It’s great to pass humdrum tasks to freelance bookkeepers and admin assistants, but there are highly skilled professionals who can bring unique opportunities for growth and development to your business. By diversifying the talent on your team, you can strengthen your bottom line.

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How To Build An Ecommerce Site With WordPress