It is a known fact today that it is quite easy to build your own online store using the several free online store builder applications available in the market. But can you just trust your website building to any software program just because it is free? Unfortunately the answer is no. You need to be very careful in selecting such applications because in reality they can make or break your business. Never blindly trust the first result you get when you Google “build online store” as it may not yield the most reliable option. There are several criterion for a free online store builder application to be effective in its purpose. Here are some of them listed below for your convenience.
Design:
The free tool you select should give you a considerable number of design options if not plenty of them, so that you can incorporate a pleasing design that will attract user attention and thereby increase your user traffic volume. Better CSS templates, scripts, etc should all be supported.
Product categorization and variants:
If you have an online store that sells footwear, then just displaying a product with its prize will not gain much of a fan fare from users as there is a need for better product options such as size, color, style, etc. You should choose a web store builder that allows you to integrate such functionality into your websites.
Stock and Inventory:
Just because you have a tool for the front interface of your store, there is no particular benefit. The free online store builder application you choose should provide a clean backend interface that allows store owners to manage and handle stock and inventory options as well. Without a proper inventory control, running any type of retail business will be difficult and could soon run into a big loss.
Payment processing:
Obviously any retail business online or offline would involve payment from customers. The store building application you choose should offer a convenient and secure interface for customers. They would be concerned about sensitive financial credentials being transferred to you and hence it is your duty to ensure maximum security in your store. All popular online payment gateways should be integrated onto your store with added security firewalls, encryption techniques and so on. Even PayPal authorized payment gateways should be provided for making shopping as easy as possible for customers.
Optimized for search engines:
There is no use of setting up a good online store if no one notices it in their online searches. Your free online store builder application should provide a website that follows strict SEO principles. If it is done so, then you will not have a problem getting page views for your website.
Promo offers:
The store builder should also allow the website to depict promotions such as coupon codes, discounts, etc so as to woo more buyers.
So hope you are aware of the requirements for an effective web store builder now and would wisely invest in one if at all you intend to start an online retail business soon.
Jason clark is having vast knowledge in eCommerce and online business technologies. He is now associated with Ecommerce place builder, the eCommerce store builder platform. Know how to create online store
