What is eCommerce website development? Your Handy Guide

The COVID pandemic has had a significant and lasting impact on the way we buy and sell items, particularly in the online realm.

And although COVID-19 has accelerated the growth of eCommerce transactions around the country, Australia still lags behind other major countries and is below the global average rate of 22 per cent. So there is still great scope for further expansion of this sector. In a research report by CBRE, they forecast the penetration rate will reach, if not exceed, 20 per cent by 2025.

This is why you need an eCommerce website to enjoy some of that success.

But what does the term eCommerce web development mean? And more importantly, how can you develop a successful eCommerce website that’ll drive results for your business?



We’ll help you answer those questions in this article, so read on.

1. Physical Goods

Items like clothing, electronics and furniture are all products that need to be stored in a warehouse ready to sell and ship out to customers.

2. Services

A myriad of services can be sold online via eCommerce sites like tutoring, consultations of many kinds, lessons, and more.

3. Digital Products

The internet is a perfect vehicle to sell digital products online like software, music, e-books and more. During the pandemic lockdowns, this category grew exponentially as people were unable to access many of their favourite things face-to-face.

Why is eCommerce website development important?

For any online business, your eCommerce website is your shop window and store, so you need to invest in quality web development with the help of an ecommerce website designer to get great sales results.

Web design is important, but even more important is user experience, also known as UX. By providing customers with a good user experience, you’re going to attract customers and in turn, increase sales.



User experience focuses on ensuring that your eCommerce website is user-friendly and provides a fluid journey from start to finish. All elements of your site have to be easy to find, and very straightforward to make a purchase. Today’s online shoppers are very savvy, and they expect a good user experience, or they will go elsewhere. 

1. Create a plan

It might be tempting to rush off and launch a website so you can start racking up sales, but without a plan, you’re heading for failure.

You need a strategy and goals that align with your company’s business plan and marketing plan. Things to think about in the planning stage are your target market, your product range, your sales and customer service goals, and more.

If you’re starting an online business that replicates your bricks and mortar business you probably already know a fair bit about your target market, but by moving online you need to think about extending that.



On your eCommerce website, everything must be tailored to your potential customers, so the more you know about them the better.

2. Purchase a domain

If you have an existing business and you're adding an online component, chances are you already have the right domain name ready to go. But if you’re starting a new business, you’ll need to find a domain name. It should be short, memorable and representative of your brand.



There are many websites where you can search for domain name options and then register your ideal domain name. Our tip is to keep it simple and go with your existing business name if it already exists.

3. Choose a platform

There is a myriad of options when choosing the right web host and platform for your eCommerce website. If you’re doing it yourself, you’ll need an eCommerce platform that helps you create your site from scratch with customisable options so your website looks great and represents your brand.

Or you can hire a professional marketing agency that can provide professional web design and eCommerce web development.

4. Design your site

Design doesn’t just refer to the graphic design elements, but also the layout of your eCommerce website. If design isn’t your thing, then hire an ecommerce website designer.

The first step is to create a sitemap that will include the pages and content for your site. Pages should include essentials like:

• Product/service listings
• Checkout process
• Customer service
• Shipping & delivery
• About Us
• Contact Us

5. Build your website

It’s important that your eCommerce website looks good and provides a good user experience, but equally important is the back-end development. Also known as web-coding it ensures that your website functions well. It can be done manually if you have the skills or more commonly using a content management system (CMS) like Wordpress.



By using a CMS, most of the coding and back-end development elements will already be in place.

6. Launch it to the world

Now you’ve built your new site, you’re probably itching to launch it but do not rush before the site has been thoroughly tested, particularly within the purchasing section.



Ask a few trusted advisors to take the site for a test run and once you’re fully satisfied it’s time to launch, hit go. The launch should be followed by your marketing strategy to tell the world about it.

The 10 essential qualities of a successful eCommerce site

1. Fast load times

Slow page loading will turn customers away before they’ve even seen what you have to offer. To ensure you keep your page speed high, stick to a simple design, reduce the size of images, minimise the use of plugins, and more.

2. Clear, easy navigation

Ensure that your navigation is clear and easy, making it simple for potential customers to find what they are looking for. Look at other eCommerce websites that you know are successful and learn from their expertise.

3. Enticing design

An eCommerce website with an enticing design will attract potential customers, keep them on the page, and reflect your brand in a positive way.



Design needs to be simple, uncluttered and help customers navigate to your products or services. If it’s not your thing, then hire an ecommerce website designer to help.

4. Efficient shopping cart

An efficient shopping cart is essential to your success. It needs to be clear, concise and not intrusive. Customers should be given the option to sign up for an account, or to purchase as a ‘Guest’, making it fast and efficient.



There should also be strong ‘calls to action’ throughout the process and strong statements like ‘Order complete’. Once again, visit successful eCommerce sites to see how they set up their shopping cart section.

5. Secure payment options

Your customers need to know that their details will be kept secure, so you need to set up the payments section correctly using industry standards. Step one is to purchase and install an SSL certificate. Then talk to your bank about setting up online payments.

6. Clear imagery and descriptions

An efficient shopping cart is essential to your success. It needs to be clear, concise and not intrusive. Customers should be given the option to sign up for an account, or to purchase as a ‘Guest’, making it fast and efficient.



There should also be strong ‘calls to action’ throughout the process and strong statements like ‘Order complete’. Once again, visit successful eCommerce sites to see how they set up their shopping cart section.

7. Effective call to action

Call to actions need to be used throughout the process so that buyers know where to head next. Typical call to actions include ‘Proceed to checkout’, ‘See more products’, ‘Place order’, and more.

8. Multi-channel customer support

You need to make it easy for your busy customers to contact you. Provide clear contact details and give customers several options like a contact form, email address, and phone number. You might also offer contact via various social channels.

9. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Like all websites, you need to make sure you focus on SEO with your eCommerce website, so you rank highly in search engine results. This involves including the right keywords, and ensuring your site is well-structured, easy to navigate and quick to load.

10. Social channels

Use your social media presence to promote your eCommerce website but also to allow customers to interact. Choose the appropriate social channels depending on your potential customers and where they put their social media focus. Include social links on your website, and monitor your social channels regularly to ensure you respond in a timely fashion.

What role does a web developer play?

A skilled web developer works in the background to ensure that potential customers can seamlessly navigate your eCommerce site to find what they're looking for and make a purchase easily and safely.

Need help creating your eCommerce website?

At Icon Visual Marketing, we have a team of digital experts including web developers and web designers in-house who are experienced at creating eCommerce websites from scratch or modifying your existing site to include eCommerce. Contact us today for a no-obligation discussion on how we can help you and a free quote.