We’re not going to sugarcoat it– launching an ecommerce website for your business is a serious undertaking and is not for everyone. It takes a lot of time to get your product ready for online sales. Writing product descriptions, taking photos, thinking through the details of the checkout process. Whether you’re just getting started with the idea of selling online, or you’re just about ready to launch, make sure you have thought through these four key things.
Sales Tax
Sales tax law varies from state to state. In many states you need to pay sales tax if you have hit a certain dollar amount of sales in that state. It is best to consult an accountant familiar with the laws and set up tax collection based on their recommendation. Many ecommerce platforms have add-on services or plugins that can handle complex tax set ups.
Shipping
You need to think of shipping from two perspectives. For one, you need to have a plan for how you’re going to handle the actual process of shipping. Boxes, buying postage, package pickups, it’s best to have all the details worked out before you go live. Mailing a few test packages is also a good idea, just to make sure you don’t hit any unexpected roadblocks.
In addition to the process details, you need to work though the ins and outs of collecting shipping charges from you customers. Most ecommerce platforms have options for weight based live shipping rates. This will require you to have weights in your system for each item. Other options usually include table-based (by weight or order subtotal), flat rate, and free shipping options.
Transactional Emails
Your ecommerce website should have several transactional email templates. These should include ‘order confirmation’ and ‘shipping update’ emails. Make sure the branding on these email templates is correct and that they are being sent and delivered properly. Often you will need to edit the default messaging to work for your business. Don’t forget to check others like ‘new account’ and ‘forgot password’ emails.
Test Orders
Don’t forget to run test orders. That’s orders… plural! You need to do multiple test orders. Test different products, different shipping addresses, mobile, and desktop. Ecommerce is a tricky thing and different circumstances can cause unexpected problems. Good testing leads to successful launches.
