Table of Contents
- Step 1. Choose Your Content Management System (CMS)
- Step 2. Create an Account (Or Get Web Hosting)
- Step 3. Select an E-commerce Theme or Template
- Step 4. Customise Your Site and Build Out Web Pages
- Step 5. Create Product Listings
- Step 6. Set Up a Payment Gateway, Inventory and Tax Tools
- Step 7. Test and Launch Your E-Commerce Site
- Why You Should Sell Online
- Bottom Line
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
E-commerce is a booming sector in Australia, with the nation ranking as the eleventh largest e-commerce market in the world according to the International Trade Admission.
This year it’s predicted to reach a value of $US32.3 billion ($48.3 billion AUD), which represents a year-on-year increase of 15.5%, the trade admission notes. Australia is the eleventh-largest ecommerce market in the world, and according to Statista more than 40% of all commercial transactions occur on eCommerce platforms such as eBay, Amazon, and Gumtree, but the remainder take place at the individual company’s website.
Which brings us to e-commerce stores. If you’re in the retail space–or considering joining in–then creating an easy-to-navigate e-commerce site can allow you to get a share of the pie. Here’s how to build an e-commerce website in just seven steps.
Step 1. Choose Your Content Management System (CMS)
The foundation of every website is a content management system (CMS). There are a number of different content management systems to choose, from open-source platforms, such as WordPress, to beginner-friendly all-in-one website builders like Shopify or Squarespace.
Which platform is right for you and your online store will depend on your budget, experience, and e-commerce needs.
Here are the most popular content management systems for e-commerce websites:
- WordPress: The world’s leading CMS that is also one of the most customisable.
- Shopify: An ideal e-commerce solution for building a dropshipping business.
- Squarespace: One of the best website builders for beginners who want to easily build a professional website with no previous web design experience.
- Square Online: Best for existing retailers that are looking to sell in-person and online.
- Wix: An all-in-one website builder that is both easy to use and highly customizable.
Related: Best E-Commerce Platforms (July 2023)
Featured Partners
1
Wix
Starting price
From $15 per month
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
Standout features
All-inclusive plans, recurring payments, abandoned cart recovery
2
Shopify
E-Commerce Starting Price
$US39 ($57.65 AUD) per month (save 25% on all plans when billed annually)
Drag-and-drop interface
Yes
Standout Features
Dropshipping integrations, omnichannel selling, built-in selling features
3
Bluehost
E-Commerce Starting Price
$15 AUD
Drag-and-Drop Interface
Yes
Standout Features
Wishlists, marketplace selling, unlimited products
Step 2. Create an Account (Or Get Web Hosting)
Once you have decided which CMS to use, the next step is to create an account–unless you choose WordPress. If you are planning to build your e-commerce site with WordPress, your next step is to get a web hosting plan.
The best web hosting services come with a free domain name, a free SSL certificate and one-click WordPress installation, eliminating the need to manually connect your domain and hosting to WordPress.
If you’re using a website builder such as Shopify, Squarespace or Wix, simply navigate to the provider’s website and register for an account. If your chosen CMS allows, register your domain name through the CMS to eliminate the need for manual domain configuration process.
In the instance where your chosen CMS does not give you the option to get a domain name, you’ll need to register your domain using a domain name registrar, and then link it to the CMS. Each CMS will have a different process for this, but it is usually quite a straightforward process.
Step 3. Select an E-commerce Theme or Template
Once you have the capability to build a functional website with a CMS account and domain, you’ll need to consider a theme for your website. Themes are ready-made templates that give your website a consistent look and feel. All subscription platforms have tonnes of templates to choose from, so whether you’re building your e-commerce website with WordPress, Shopify, Wix or anything else, you will have pre-built templates and themes to choose from.
Keep in mind that while free templates are generally available across most platforms, some also offer paid (or premium) templates. For example, both WordPress and Shopify offer premium themes that range in price from around $30 to over $200. The benefit is that many offer more unique designs, which can help businesses that want a specific look to reduce the amount of time spent customising their chosen theme.
Related: Best WordPress Alternatives
Step 4. Customise Your Site and Build Out Web Pages
After you have found the perfect theme or template for your online store, the next step is to begin customising it. This is where you will be updating your header and footer, configuring your site’s navigation, and building out pages from your homepage to your refunds and return policy page. Be aware that it’s a legal requirement in Australia for all e-commerce stores to feature a terms and conditions page that outlines how you will store customer details and data, as well as manage refunds, warranty, repairs or any periods of guarantee.
Step 5. Create Product Listings
No online store is complete with product listings. So once you have built out your website, the next step is to create your product catalogue, complete with all of your individual product listings. In this process be sure to organise and categorise your listings so they are easy for your future site visitors to find and for you to manage.
Step 6. Set Up a Payment Gateway, Inventory and Tax Tools
After you have populated your e-commerce website, there are a few key aspects of building an e-commerce site to attend to from setting up a payment processor to adding inventory and tax tools.
Choose a Payment Gateway
When it comes to choosing and setting up a payment gateway, many online retailers opt for third-party tools such as Stripe or PayPal to make the process easier and more secure. If you are redirecting the customer to other websites, you must ensure that the data is fully encrypted before transfer.
If you are choosing payment integrations, consider these points:
- How easy is it to integrate the tool with your platform?
- Is the tool secure?
- What are the fees you and the customer must pay?
Integrate Shipping
If your platform allows it, you should integrate shipping with your e-commerce website for a seamless experience. It will also simplify operations and you can focus on selling. But before you integrate shipping, determine your shipping policies such as free shipping, variable fee, flat rate, etc. And while you are at it, also establish refund and return policies to include in your terms and conditions.
Add a Sales Tax Calculator (Optional)
Additionally, you may want to consider adding a tax calculator to automatically calculate GST, shipping and any other fees at checkout.
Step 7. Test and Launch Your E-Commerce Site
Before launching the e-commerce site to your customers, you must check the site thoroughly. Every button and every link on the site must be working. Even 404 error web pages should be designed according to the theme.
Run tests to see if you can add products to the cart and process the payment. Most platforms will allow you to test payment processing without actually charging your credit card. Be sure to check if all the emails are getting sent to the right inboxes after a purchase has been made or declined. And last but not least, check how your site looks and functions on mobile devices. If possible, try to check out the site’s performance on different web browsers.
Once you have tested and double-checked everything, from product descriptions to category pages, you are ready to launch.
Announce the launch of your e-commerce store through your social media pages, guest posts on popular retail blogs in your niche, influencer marketing and to your email lists. If you have the budget, you can also go for paid advertising on Facebook, Google and other platforms.
Why You Should Sell Online
Before you actually start building your e-commerce website, you need to be clear about your business needs for building a website. Here are some reasons why you should sell online.
More Australians Are Buying Online
Buying online is convenient as well as safe, and during the recent pandemic, e-commerce sales surged by as much as 40% in 2020. The easy availability of smartphones also means that you can buy from anywhere, any time of the day. So it’s obvious that people will continue buying online for many years to come.
Setting Up an E-Commerce Storefront Is Cheaper
When you compare it with a brick-and-mortar store, setting up an e-commerce storefront is much cheaper. This is partially because brick-and-mortar stores incur multiple fixed costs such as rent, electricity bills, employee payments, infrastructure maintenance, etc.
E-Commerce Website can Augment Offline Sales
It is not necessary that online and offline stores should be mutually exclusive. They can augment each other nicely when you tell people about your brick-and-mortar store on your e-commerce website and install app kiosks in your stores.
For instance, Amazon is now opening brick-and-mortar stores after the runaway success of its online e-commerce website.
Create Customer Experiences
Personalising experiences and services are much easier online. You can use different media including video, audio, stories, customer reviews and personalised messaging to build an experience your customers cherish and share with others.
Start Selling Immediately
Once you have the website ready, all you need to do is set up payment processing and list your products on the website to start selling. There is no need to wait for new employees, stockpile inventory or generate enough marketing buzz. You are in business the moment you put your website live.
Eliminate Costly Overheard With Dropshipping
When you think of retail, the first thing that comes to mind is sourcing, maintaining and handling inventory. However, if you choose a dropshipping business model, you don’t need to maintain and handle inventory by yourself. You can read all about dropshipping here.
Related: How To Start A Dropshipping Business In Australia
Featured Partners
1
Wix
Starting price
From $15 per month
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
Standout features
All-inclusive plans, recurring payments, abandoned cart recovery
2
Shopify
E-Commerce Starting Price
$US39 ($57.65 AUD) per month (save 25% on all plans when billed annually)
Drag-and-drop interface
Yes
Standout Features
Dropshipping integrations, omnichannel selling, built-in selling features
3
Bluehost
E-Commerce Starting Price
$15 AUD
Drag-and-Drop Interface
Yes
Standout Features
Wishlists, marketplace selling, unlimited products
Bottom Line
An e-commerce website is your online brand identity. You must take care to build it in a way that makes it easier for customers to experience your services and share it with others. Also, remember that it is not possible to get everything right the first time. Keep learning from your experiences, be ready to experiment and make changes when required.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does it cost to build an e-commerce website in Australia?
To build an e-commerce website, you need to pay for a domain name, SSL certificate, e-commerce hosting, payment processing integrations, store theme and designs, and any other third-party tools you are using.
All of these services, products and aspects of building an e-commerce website will vary in cost depending on the provider and your needs, so there is no unanimous budget. Instead, consider what you are reasonably willing to pay to invest in the beginning–or expansion–of your business.
Which is the best e-commerce platform?
Forbes Advisor researched and analysed the best e-commerce platforms for 2023 and found that Squarespace, Square Online, Ecwid, Shopify, Wix, Weebly, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Big Cartel were among the best in the business.
You can read the pros and cons of all these e-commerce platforms here.
Are website builders secure?
Because most website builders offer cutting-edge technology, they are usually ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping their sites secure. They do this by ensuring customers’ websites are protected by using top-end technology. As a result, most website building companies offer some of the best security options available on the internet.
What is the top e-commerce store in Australia?
According to ECDB, as of late 2022, supermarket giant Woolworths is the number one e-commerce store in the country, with Coles and Apple in second and third place respectively. Together, these top three online stores account for 30.4% of the total e-commerce market.
What are Australians buying most online?
Statista notes that, as of November 2023, Australians are mostly buying clothing and shoes, with 70% of respondents having bought clothing and/or shoes over the past 12 months. This was followed by restaurants and beverages (excluding delivery items) at 24% of those surveyed as well as books, music movies and games (23%).
