Global and Local Trends in E-commerce
Both the global market (valued at $5 trillion in 2020) and Georgia have witnessed substantial growth in e-commerce. In 2020 alone, Georgia’s e-commerce sector experienced a 3.2-fold increase, reaching ₾137.9 million. Despite this rapid growth, Georgia’s e-commerce share of retail sales still lags significantly behind developed markets (1.1% in Georgia vs. 12% in Europe on average). The average annual online spending per user in Georgia is also lower at ₾950 in 2020, approximately one-third of the European average. However, forecasts and current trends suggest that Georgia’s local e-commerce market will grow to ₾1.1 billion by 2025, with its share of retail sales reaching 4.7% during the same period.
2020 Statistics for Georgia:- 631,000 online shoppers
- ₾597 million e-commerce turnover
- ₾950 average annual online spending per user
- 23% local e-commerce share of total online purchases
- 1.1% local e-commerce share of retail sales
Creating an Online Store with WordPress
Given the current trends, small and medium-sized businesses are striving to adapt and become competitive in the digital sales landscape. This has led to an increased demand for services related to creating digital marketplaces.
Creating an online store with WordPress involves several key steps. First and foremost, you need to choose a domain name and a hosting service. While WordPress itself is free, premium themes and modules are available for a fee.
The process of creating a store includes:
- Installing WordPress on a pre-selected host.
- Choosing and installing an e-commerce theme.
- Installing an e-commerce module such as WooCommerce.
- Configuring store settings and payment options.
- Adding products, managing inventory and warehouses.
- Ongoing SEO optimization and customer-centric design.
Each of these steps impacts both the store’s functionality and the overall development budget.
Online Store Registration
Before creating an online store, you must register as a small entrepreneur. Based on this registration, you can approach the desired banks in the name of your LLC to facilitate payments and/or installment plans. The bank will provide you with a Merchant ID and Merchant Password in the name of your LLC, which will allow you to accept online payments and offer installment plans to customers.Choosing the Right Hosting for Your Online Store
Selecting the appropriate hosting is crucial for the performance and reliability of your WordPress store. Key features to consider include:- Performance: The hosting provider should offer fast loading times and guarantee stable operation.
- Scalability: As your online store grows, your hosting package should be able to accommodate increased traffic.
- Security: SSL certificates, daily backups, and malware protection are essential.
- Support: The hosting provider should offer 24/7 customer support to quickly address any unexpected issues.
- Value: It’s important to balance the cost of the package with the features and speed; cheaper packages may lack necessary resources.
Choosing and Installing the Right E-commerce Module
Selecting the appropriate module is crucial for your online store. While WooCommerce is highly recommended due to its extensive features, scalability, and customization options, other viable alternatives exist. Key features to consider include:- Payments: The module should support a variety of payment methods.
- Inventory management: It should allow you to track stock levels and manage products efficiently.
- Shipping options: The module should offer flexible shipping options to cater to different customer needs.
- SEO capabilities: The module should help optimize your store for search engines.
Choosing the Right Theme for Your Online Store
Selecting a suitable theme is another crucial component of building a website. It’s important for the theme to have ongoing updates and support services. Themes provide the foundation for your site’s appearance and functionality.
Premium Themes vs. Free Themes:
- Free themes: Offer limited customization options but reduce costs.
- Premium themes: Provide extensive features, support, and design flexibility. Costs can range from $30 to $100.
- Custom theme development: If you have a larger budget, you can create a custom theme.
- Theme marketplaces: Platforms like ThemeForest offer a wide variety of themes and other necessary add-ons, both with regular and annual licenses.
Choosing a reliable theme tailored to your specific goals and needs ensures the stable development of your website and can reduce costs.
Essential Pages for an Online Store
Creating essential pages for an e-commerce site requires strategic planning. This helps make the site user-friendly and facilitates easy navigation. Key pages for an online store include:- Homepage: The first impression with a professional design and clear call-to-action buttons.
- Product pages: Detailed descriptions, high-quality images, and customer reviews.
- Cart: A convenient interface displaying selected items.
- Checkout page: A secure process with multiple payment options.
- About Us: The business history, mission, and team.
- Contact page: A contact form, phone number, and address.
- FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions to assist customers.
- Privacy Policy: Compliance with legal regulations.
- Terms and Conditions: A guide to business processes.
SEO Optimization for Online Stores
To attract organic traffic to an online store, it’s essential to focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Key steps include:
- Keyword research: Identify relevant keywords that potential customers use to search for products.
- Quality content: Create detailed, high-quality product descriptions and valuable blog posts for customers.
- Meta tags: Optimize meta titles and descriptions with target keywords.
- URLs: Use simple and keyword-rich URLs.
- Mobile optimization: Ensure the website is mobile-friendly.
- Image optimization: Use alt tags and optimize images for fast loading times.
- Internal linking: Build a strong internal linking structure.
- Backlinks: Work on acquiring backlinks from other authoritative and trustworthy websites.
Site Navigation and Speed for Online Stores
Improving navigation and site speed is crucial for creating a positive user experience. Effective navigation ensures that users can quickly and easily find what they need. This includes:
- A logical menu structure.
- Clear and relevant categories, subcategories, and tags.
- Using breadcrumbs to simplify navigation back up the site hierarchy.
Site speed directly impacts user retention and search engine rankings. Optimization strategies include:
- Optimizing images to reduce loading times.
- Installing and configuring caching modules.
- Minifying CSS and JavaScript.
- Balancing the use of visual elements with overall code size.
A fast site with intuitive navigation contributes to user satisfaction and the overall success of an online store.
How to Manage an Online Store: Maintenance and Updates
It’s crucial to consider the ongoing costs of maintaining an online store from the outset. If you’re unable to manage, maintain, and update the site yourself, you’ll need a developer or web studio to handle administration, updates, security monitoring, and ensure the site aligns with your ongoing goals.
Modules and Themes:
- Regular updates to themes and used modules.
- Creating backups before initiating updates.
Security:
- Implementing and monitoring security measures.
- Regularly updating the WordPress core.
Content Management:
- Regular product updates.
- Updating content and features as needed to improve SEO.
Site Speed Optimization:
- Regularly testing site speed and addressing any issues.
- Utilizing caching and content delivery networks (CDNs).
Customer Engagement:
- Ensuring timely responses to customer inquiries.
- Optimizing payment and shipping systems based on feedback.
Cost of Building an Online Store
Here’s an approximate breakdown of the costs involved in creating an online store:
- Domain: Starting from 20 USD per year.
- Hosting: Minimum of 100 USD per year.
- Premium Theme: $30-$100 for a regular license if you choose to use one.
- Pro Modules: Additional costs if you require specific premium modules.
- Developer Fees: Negotiated individually.
- Site Maintenance: Negotiated individually.
At our company, creating an online store starts at 1000 USD and doesn’t include hosting, domain, or any third-party services.
This article outlines the fundamental requirements for building an online store. Each project has specific needs that should be discussed with a developer to determine the exact cost and timeline.
Note: Prices can vary depending on the complexity of the project, the features required, and the chosen platform.
Breakdown of the costs and key points:
- Base cost: The starting price for a basic online store is provided, but additional costs for various services are outlined.
- Variable costs: Factors like the choice of theme, required modules, and the level of customization can significantly impact the overall cost.
- Developer involvement: The cost of hiring a developer can vary based on their experience and the scope of work.
- Ongoing costs: The need for ongoing maintenance and updates is emphasized.
