In today’s digital age, having a website for your online boutique business is crucial for success. Not only does it give your business a professional online presence, but it also helps you reach a wider audience and generate more sales. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a website for your online boutique business so that you can confidently plan your launch.
Step 1: Choose a Website Builder
The first step in creating your website is to choose a website builder. There are many website builders available for people with varying levels of experience. Each website builder has its own set of features and benefits, so be sure to choose one that best suits your needs. Some of the most popular ones include Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify.
For eCommerce, we usually recommend Shopify. It has an easy-to-use interface that’s not intimidating for newbies. And it comes with lots of features and tools, a wide range of customization options, reliable security and support for multiple payment gateways (including built-in installment payments).
With Shopify, you can quickly set up an online store that looks professional and appeals to customers. Its powerful suite of features and integrated marketing tools will help you to drive traffic and increase sales.
Plus, its reliable customer support team is always ready to provide assistance if needed—which is really important if it’s your first time selling online. And it’s really affordable too.
Step 2: Choose a Domain Name
Your domain name is the web address that people will use to find your website. It should be easy to remember and related to your business. Try to keep it short and sweet, and make sure it’s available before you make your final decision.
BONUS TIP: Make sure that you can get the matching social media handles too.
If you’re having trouble choosing a name for your online boutique, make sure to read this post. It shares a really quick exercise to simplify the process. You’d be able to find the perfect name in as little as thirty minutes (even if you’ve been struggling with one for months).
Step 3: Choose a Theme or Template
You do NOT have to build your website from scratch or have it be completely custom for it to make sales. A lot of new boutique owners overspend on a website before the business has made even one dollar of profit. But there is an easier way.
Once you’ve chosen your website builder and domain name, it’s time to choose a theme or pre-built template for your website. Most website builders offer a variety of pre-designed themes and templates to choose from. Select one that best represents your brand and fits your business needs.
You can find nice, affordable themes at Themeforest. Some of our favorites include ELLA, Btrend, and Baby Planet.
Click here to see the options on Themeforest.
Step 4: Customize Your Website
After you’ve selected a theme or template, it’s time to customize your website. This includes adding your logo, creating pages, and adding products.
A logo also doesn’t have to be super fancy or complicated. Just take a look at some of the most popular online retailers. They usually use one or two fonts and keep it in black and white.
Make sure your website is easy to navigate and visually appealing. Use high-quality images, video and products descriptions to showcase why people should shop.
And make sure you have these 5 pages on your website. You don’t want to launch without them!
Step 5: Set Up Payment Processing and Shipping
To sell products on your website, you’ll need to set up payment processing and shipping. Most website builders offer integrations with popular payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe. And you can also add Buy Now, Pay Later Options like Klarna, Sezzle or Afterpay.
You can also set up shipping rates and options to offer customers a seamless buying experience. Shipping can get expensive so you want to make sure offering fair rates but not doing something like ‘free shipping on any order of any size’ unless your business can afford it.
Step 6: Launch Your Website
Once you’ve customized your website and set up payment processing and shipping, it’s time to launch your website. Make sure to test all links and buttons to ensure everything is working properly before you make any announcement.
That means you should do a full run through of every page, add products to cart and even do some test orders to make sure that people can complete a checkout and that your inventory updates accordingly.
Then start sharing your website and products on social media. Use paid advertising and other marketing channels to get the word out about your new online boutique. Think about a local pop-up shop to get people in your area interested in what you have to sell.
Make sure you have a way to collect website visitors contact information like a pop-up box that offers an introductory discount. That paves the way for you to use things like email and SMS marketing to get more sales.
And don’t quit! Anyone who’s ever done anything successfully has had to 1) get started and 2) stick with it,even if things got difficult.
Make sure you’re a part of a community to help you grow your business and that you always educating yourself and staying current on what’s happening in eCommerce as you continue to grow.
In conclusion, creating a website for your online boutique business is an important step in building your brand and reaching more customers. By following these six steps, you can create a professional-looking website that represents your business and helps you achieve your goals.