How to Get Started with eCommerce

Having to start your own online store can be a bit overwhelming, but with Web.com’s eCommerce plan, you can simplify the process and get your business up and running quickly. This comprehensive guide on how to get started with eCommerce walks you through every step, from your first login to publishing your site, establishing your brand, and expanding your audience.

In this article, we will discuss:

• First Time Logging In
• Publish Your Site
• Establish Your Brand
• Review and Create Content
• Expand Your Audience
• Adding a Product
• Setting Up Your Marketplaces
• Review

First Time Logging In

The first time you access your new eCommerce package, you will be taken to the Website Builder, where you will get Web AI to complete the site onboarding. Web AI enables you to get online effortlessly with generated content and customized templates. Once you complete the site onboarding, you will now have access to the eCommerce Home page, where you will see an onboarding checklist to help you set up and establish your online presence.

If you are a returning user, you can follow the steps below to access your eCommerce Home page.

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. In your Account Manager, click eCommerce on the left side of the page.
   • If you have one eCommerce product, you will see the eCommerce Details page.
   • If you have more than one eCommerce product, you will see a list of your eCommerce products. Click LAUNCH next to the product you want to set up to go to the eCommerce Details page.
3. You will get an onboarding form when you go to the Home tab, where we capture basic business information that will be used for shipping and/or taxes for your store.
4. In your eCommerce Home page, you can set up the following to help you get the most out of your Online Presence products:
   • Publish Your Site
   • Establish Your Brand
   • Review and Create Content
   • Expand Your Audience

Important: If at any point you want to stop and exit the onboarding process, you can go back anytime to the section where you left off.

 

Publish Your Site

In the Publish Your Site section of your eCommerce home page, you will have options to help increase your business's visibility and reach. To start, click the PUBLISH YOUR SITE button.

1. You will be redirected to the My Site details page. To start creating your website, you can click ADD DRAFT. There are 2 ways for you to start creating your draft.

1. Generate a website using our AI Builder tool.
2. Create a website using the templates available.

Generate Website with Web AI

Generate Website using templates

• Share your website on social and email to tell the world you are starting – Click the SHARE ON SOCIAL option to share your website on emails and social platforms. Sharing your website on social platforms will significantly improve business awareness and generate website traffic.

 

Establish Your Brand

In the Establish Your Brand section of your eCommerce home page, you will have options that will help your business stand out from competitors, communicate company values, and effectively showcase its unique selling points.

1. Connect your domain – When you click the CONNECT DOMAIN option, it will bring you to the Domain Overview page of your Account Manager. To connect a domain to your eCommerce package, please see How Can I Manage Domain Connections? If you haven't registered a domain name with us yet, you may go to How Do I Purchase a Domain Name?

Note: If you purchased the domain with the eCommerce plan, we would automatically associate it with your store. Clicking the CONNECT DOMAIN option will automatically check off the step.

2. Configure SSL – When you click the CONFIGURE SSL option, it will bring you to your Account Manager. For more information on how to configure SSL, please see How to Get Started with an SSL Certificate.

Note: If you purchased SSL and domain along with the eCommerce plan, we would automatically associate it to your domain. Clicking the CONFIGURE SSL option will automatically check off the step.

3. Build a Logo – When you click the CREATE LOGO option, you will be redirected to the built-in LogoBuilder feature in your eCommerce package. For instructions on creating a logo, please refer to How Do I Create or Manage a Logo?
4. Setup Professional Email – Maintaining communication with customers or employees plays a significant role in a business's success. Having a professional email that represents your business enhances your credibility and helps you build your brand. Sending email campaigns is one of the strategies you must use to market your product/services to your potential customers. To set up a professional email, click the SETUP EMAIL option. You will be brought to your Account Manager. To set up your mailbox, see How to Create and Manage a Mailbox.

 

Review and Create Content

Creating and sharing content is key to driving traffic and improving organic rankings on your website. Putting high-quality content on your site will attract users, increase consumer trust in your brand, and improve customer loyalty.

1. Review and update your website copy and information – When you click the REVIEW COPY option, it will open the site editor. You can review and update your content to maintain accuracy, ensure website relevance, and provide up-to-date related content.
2. Review your images on your site and update if needed – Contents containing visuals like images and infographics are easier to read and attract attention compared to a page filled only with words. When you click the EDIT IMAGES option, it will bring you to Design Studio, where you can manage the images for your site. To learn more about managing images in Design Studio, please see How Do I Edit or Delete an Image?
3. Create your first blog post – Adding blogs to your website has a lot of benefits, such as boosting organic search visibility, humanizing your brand, building engagement and conversions, and many more. You can write quality content featuring the products/services you offer.

 

Expand Your Audience

Now that you have found a market for your business and your website is ready, it's time to hit the ground running. It's time to connect to people to find and grow your audience. Creating consistent content is key to keeping your customers engaged and informed. Start planning ideas and set a schedule to ensure you're staying on track!

1. Set up your socialbooster account to start sharing on social media – Engaging in social media is the easiest way to build brand awareness, attract website visitors, and grow your audience. Never limit your content to your website only; instead, make sure you post it on various social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on. Clicking the START SHARING option will redirect you to SocialBooster, where you can create and manage posts. For more information on creating and managing posts in SocialBooster, please see How Do I Create and Manage Posts in SocialBooster?
2. Check Out Campaign Ideas – Coming up with new campaigns can be quite challenging. However, using our Campaign Ideas will help you create fresh content for your website as we have gathered information on various holidays, festivities, and sales to inspire your campaigns. When you click CHECK OUT IDEAS, it will redirect you to Campaign Ideas, where you can create email campaigns and social posts. For more information, please see All About Campaign Ideas.
3. View Marketing Calendar – When you click OPEN CALENDAR, it will redirect you to Marketing Calendar, where you can establish and track an editorial plan for email campaigns and social posts. For more information, please refer to All About the Marketing Calendar.

Adding a Product

Once the onboarding steps in the Home dashboard are completed, navigate to the Store dashboard and complete or skip the onboarding steps listed to enable the Store dashboard. To start adding products, you may follow the instructions in Online Store and Online Marketplaces - Adding a Product.

Setting Up Your Marketplaces

You can start integrating your marketplaces or sales channels once everything is set up in your eCommerce. Below are helpful articles on how to start integrating your marketplaces in your eCommerce package.

• Online Marketplaces - Adding Sales Channels
• Online Marketplaces - FBA Setup

Review

Web.com’s eCommerce plan offers a robust and user-friendly platform to help you launch and grow your online store. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can efficiently set up your site, establish your brand, and reach a broader audience. Whether you’re adding products, customizing your site, or integrating sales channels, this comprehensive resource ensures you have all the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in the competitive eCommerce landscape.